whom? Now that is your Grace's part: Mark how short his Answer is, Hero, Leonato's fhort Daughter.

Claud. If this were fo, fo it were uttered.

Bene. Like the old Tale, my Lord, it is not fo, nor 'twas not fo; but indeed, God forbid it fhould be fo.

Claud. If my Paffion change not fhortly, God forbid it fhould be otherwife.

Pedro. Amen, if you love her, for the Lady is very well worthy.

Claud. You speak this to fetch me in, my Lord.
Pedro. By my Troth I fpeak my Thought.

Cland. And in Faith, my Lord, I spoke mine.

Bene. And by my two Faiths and Troths, my Lord, I fpeak

mine.

Claud. That I love her, I feel.

Pedro. That he is worthy I know.

Bene. That I neither feel how the fhould be loved, nor know how the fhould be worthy, is the Opinion that Fire cannot melt out of me, I will die in it at the Stake.

Pedro, Thou waft ever an obftinate Heretick in the dcfpight of Beauty.

Claud. And never could maintain his Part, but in the force of his Will.

Bene. That a Woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her moft humble Thanks ; But that I will have a Rechate winded in my Forehead, or hang my Bugle in an invifible Baldrick, all Women fhall pardon me; because I will not do them the Wrong to mistrust any, I will do my felf the right to truft none; and the fine is, for the which I may go the finer, I will live a Batchelor.

Pedro. I fhall fee thee e'er I die, look pale with Love. Bene. With Anger, with Sickness, or with Hunger, my Lord, not with Love: Prove that I lofe more Blood with Love, than I will get again with drinking, pick out mine Eyes with a Ballet-maker's Pen, and hang me up at the Door of a Brothel-houfe for the Sign of blind Cupid.

Pedro. Well, if ever thou doft fall from this Faith, thou wilt prove a notable Argument.

Bene. If I do, hang me in a Bottle like a Cat, and shoot at me, and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the Shoulder, and call'd Adam.

Pedro.

Pedro. Well, as time fhall try; in time the favage Bull doth bear the Yoak.

Bene. The favage Bull may, but if ever the fenfible Benedick bear it, pluck off the Bull's-horns, and set them in my Forehead, and let me be vildly painted, and in such great Letters as they write, Here is a good Horfe to hire; let them fignifie under my Sign, Here you may fee Benedick the marry'd Man.

Claud. If this fhould ever happen, thou wouldst be Horn mad.

Pedro. Nay, if Cupid hath not spent all his Quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this fhortly.

Bene. I look for an Earthquake too then.

Pedro. Well you will temporize with the Hours in the mean time, good Signior Benedick, repair to Leonato's, commend me to him, and tell him I will not fail him at Supper, for indeed he hath great Preparation.

Bene. I have almost Matter enough in me for fuch an Embaffage, and fo I commit you.

Claud. To the Tuition of God. From my House if I had it.

Pedro. The fixth of July. Your loving Friend, Benedick Bene. Nay, mock not, mock not; the body of your Difcourfe is fometime guarded with fragments, and the Guards are but flightly bafted on neither: E'er you flout old Ends any further, examine your Confcience, and fo I leave you.

[Exit. Claud. My Liege, your Highness now may do me good. Pedro. My Love is thine to teach, teach it but how,

And thou shalt fee how apt it is to learn
Any hard Leffon, that may do thee good.
Čland. Hath Leonato any Son, my Lord?

Pedro. No Child but Hero, fhe's his only Heir:
Doft thou affect her, Claudio?

Claud. O my Lord,

When you went onward on this ended Action,
I look'd upon her with a Soldier's Eye,
That lik'd, but had a rougher Task in hand,
Then to drive Liking to the Name of Love;
But now I am return'd, and that War-thoughts
Have left their places vacant; in their rooms

Come

Come thronged foft and delicate Defires,
All prompting me how fair young Hero is,
Saying I lik'd her e'er I went to Wars.

Pedro. Thou wilt be like a Lover presently
And tire the Hearer with a Book of Words:
If thou doft love fair. Hero, cherish it,
And I will break with her; was t not to this end,
That thou began'ft to twift fo fine a Story?

Cland. How fweetly do you minifter to Love,
That know Love's Grief by his Complexion.
But left my liking might too fudden feem,
I would have falv'd it with a longer Treatife.

Pedro. What need the Bridge much broader than the flood? The faireft grant is the neceffity;

Look what will ferve, is fit; 'tis once, thou loveft
And I will fit thee with the Remedy.
I know we shall have revelling to Night,
I will affume thy part in fome Difguife,
And tell fair Hero I am Claudio,
And in her Bofom I unclafp my Heart,
And take her hearing Prifoner with a force
And strong encounter of my amorous Tale:
Then after, to her Father will I break,
And the Conclufion is, fhe fhall be thine;
In practise let us put it prefently.

Enter Leonato and Antonio.

[Exeunt.

Leon. How now Brother, where is my Coufin your Son: Hath he provided this Mufick?

Ant. He is very bufie about it; but Brother, I can tell you News that you yet dream'd not of.

Leon, Are they good?

Ant. As the Event ftamps them, but they have a good cover; they show well outward: The Prince and Count Claudio, walking in a thick peached Alley in my Orchard, were thus over-heard by a Man of mine: The Prince dif cover'd to Claudio that he lov'd my Neice your Daughter, and ment to acknowledge it this, Night in a Dance; and if he found her Accordant, meant to take the prefent time by the top, and inftantly break with you of it.

Leon. Hath the Fellow any wit, that told you this? Ant. A good fharp Fellow, I will fend for him, and question him your felf.

Leon. No, no; we will hold it as a Dream, 'till it appear it fuf: But I will acquaint my Daughter with all, that the may be the better prepared for anfwer, if peradventure this be true; go you and tell her of it: Coufins, you know what you have to do. OI cry you mercy Friend, go you with me and I will use your Skill, good Coufin have a Care this bufie time. [Exeunt.

Enter Don John and Conrade.

Conr. What the good Year my Lord, why are you thus out of Measure fad?

John. There is no measure in the Occafion that breeds, therefore the Sadnefs is without limit.

Conr. You should hear Reason.

John. And when I have heard it, what Bleffing bringeth it? Conr. If not a prefent Remedy, yet a patient Sufferance. John. I wonder that thou (being, as thou fay'ft thou art, born under Saturn) goeft about to apply a mortal Medicine to a mortifying Mischief: I cannot hide what I am: I must be fad when I have Caufe, and smile at no Man's Jefts; eat when I have Stomach, and wait for no Man's Leifure; fleep when I am drowfie, and tend on no Man's Bufinefs; laugh when I am merry, and claw no Man in his humour.

Conr. Yea, but you must not make the full fhow of this 'till you may do it without Controlment; you have of late ftood out against your Brother, and he hath tane you newly into his Grace, where it is impoffible you should take Root, but by the fair Weather that you make your felf; it is needful that you frame the Seafon for your own Harveft.

John. I had rather be a Canker in a Hedge, than a Rose in his Grace, and it better fits my Blood to be difdain'd of all, than to fashion a Carriage to rob Love from any: In this (though I cannot be faid to be a flattering honeft Man) it muft not be deny'd but I am a plain-dealing Villain, I am trufted with a Muzzel, and infranchised with a Clog, there fore I have decreed not to fing in my Cage: If I had my Mouth, I would bite; if I had my Liberty, I would do my liking In the mean time, let me be that I am, and feek not to alter me.

Conr. Can you make no ufe of

your Difcontent?

John

John. I will make all use of it, for I use it only. Who comes here? what News, Borachio?

Enter Borachio.

Bora. I came yonder from a great Supper; the Prince, your Brother, is royally entertain'd by Leonato, and I can give you Intelligence of an intended Marriage.

John. Will it ferve for any Model to build Mischief on? What is he for a Fool that betroths himself to Unquietnefs?

Bora. Marry it is your Brother's right Hand.

John. Who, the moft exquifite Claudio?

Bora. Even he.

John. A proper Squire; and who, and who, which way looks he?

Bora. Marry on Hero, the Daughter and Heir of Leonato. John. A very forward March-chick, how come you to this?

Bora. Being entertain'd for a Perfumer, as I was fmoaking a mufty Room, comes me the Prince and Claudio, Hand in Hand in fad Conference: I whipt behind the Arras, and there heard it agreed upon that the Prince should woo Hero for himself, and having obtain'd her, give her to Count Claudio.

John. Come, come, let us thither, this may prove Food to my Displeasure, that young Start-up hath all the Glory of my Overthrow: If I can crofs him any way, I blefs my felf every way; you are both fure, and will affift me?

Conr. To the Death, my Lord.

John. Let us to the great Supper, their Cheer is the greater that I fubdu'd, would the Cook were of Shall we go prove what's to be done?

Bora. We'll wait upon your Lordship.

my Mind:

ACT II. SCENE I.

[Exeunt

Enter Leonato, Antonio, Innogen, Hero, Beatrice, Margaret

and Urfula.

TAS not Count John here at Supper?

Leon. WAS

Ant. I faw him not.

Beat. How tartly that Gentleman looks; I never can see him, but I am Heart-burn'd an Hour after.

Hero.