Give up your keys.
Prov.
Pardon me, noble lord:
I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me, after more advice:1
For testimony whereof, one in the prison
That should by private order else have died,
I have reserv'd alive.

What's he?

Duke.
Prov.
His name is Barnardine.
Duke. I would thou had'st done so by Claudio.-
Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.
(Exit Provost.
Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise
lord Angelo, have still appear'd,
Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

As

you,

Ang. I am sorry, that such sorrow I procure:
And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart,
That I crave death more willingly than mercy:
'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.

Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.

Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore! Your highness said even now, I made you a duke: good my lord, do not recompense me, in making me a cuckold.

Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her.
Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal
Remit thy other forfeits:-Take him to prison:
And see our pleasure herein executed.

Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging.

Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.-
She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.--
Joy to you, Mariana !-love her, Angelo;

I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.—
Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:
There's more behind, that is more gratulate.
Thanks, provost, for thy care, and secrecy;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place:-
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's;

Re-enter Provost, Barnardine, Claudio, and Juliet. The offence pardons itself.—Dear Isabel,

Duke. Which is that Barnardine?
Prov.
This, my lord.
Duke. There was a friar told me of this man:-
Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul,
That apprehends no further than this world,
And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt condemn'd;
But, for those early faults, I quit them all;
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide
For better times to come:--Friar, advise him;
I leave him to your hand.-What mufiled fellow's
that?

Prov. This is another prisoner, that I sav'd,

I have a motion much imports your good;
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,
What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine:-
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show
What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know.
[Exeunt.

The novel of Giraldi Cinthio, from which Shakspeare is supposed to have borrowed this fable, may be read in Shakspeare Illustrated, elegantly translated, with remarks which will assist the in

That should have died when Claudio lost his head;quirer to discover how much absurdity Shakspeare As like almost to Claudio, as himself.

[Unmyffles Claudio. Duke. If he be like your brother, [To Isabella.] for his sake

Is he pardon'd; And, for your lovely sake,
Give me your hand, and say you will be mine,
He is my brother too: But fitter time for that.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's safe:
Methinks, I see a quickening in his eye :-
Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well:
Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth

yours.

I find an apt remission in myself:
And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon;
You, sirrah, [To Lucio.] that knew me for a fool,

a coward,

One all of luxury, an ass, a madman;
Wherein have I so deserv'd of you,
That you extol me thus?

Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick: If you will hang me for it, you may, but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipp'd.

Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.-Proclaim it, provost, round about the city; If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow (As I have heard him swear himself, there's one Whom he begot with child,) let her appear, And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd, (2) Requites. (4) Thoughtless practice.

(1) Consideration. (3) Incontinence.

has admitted or avoided.

modelled the novel of Cinthio, or written & story I cannot but suspect that some other had newwhich in some particulars resembled it, and that Cinthio was not the author whom Shakspeare immediately followed. The emperor in Cinthio is named Maximine: the duke, in Shakspeare's enumeration of the persons of the drama, is called Vincentio. This appears a very slight remark; but since the duke has no name in the play, nor is ever mentioned but by his title, why should he be called Vincentio among the persons, but because the name was copied from the story, and placed superfluously at the head of the list, by the mere habit of transcription? It is therefore likely that there was then a story of Vincentio duke of Vienna, different from that of Maximine emperor of the Romans.

Of this play, the light or comic part is very natusages be excepted, have more labour than elegance. ral and pleasing, but the grave scenes, if a few pasThe plot is rather intricate than artful. The time of the action is indefinite: some time, we know not how much, must have elapsed between the recess of the duke and the imprisonment of Claudio; for he must have learned the story of Mariana in his disguise, or he delegated his power to a man already known to be corrupted. The unities of action and place are sufficiently preserved.

JOHNSON.

Benedick, a young lord of Padua, favourite like- Hero, daughter to Leonato.

wise of Don Pedro.

Leonato, governor of Messina.

Automo, his brother.

Balthazar, servant to Don Pedro.

Conrade, followers of Don John,

Borachio,

Dogberry,

Verges,

two foolish officers.

Beatrice, niece to Leonato.

ACT I.

SCENE I-Before Leonato's house. Enter Leonato, Hero, Beatrice, and others, with a Mes

I

senger.

Leonato.

Mess. O, he is returned; and as pleasant as ever he was.

Beat. He set up his bills here in Messina, and challenged Cupid at the flight: and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt.-I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for, indeed, I pro

LEARN in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arra-mised to eat all of his killing. gon, comes this night to Messina.

Leon. Faith, niece, you tax signior Benedick too

Mess. He is very near by this; he was not three much; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not. leagues off when I left him.

Leon. How many gentlemen have you lost in this action?

Mess. But few of any sort,' and none of name. Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio.

Mess. He hath done good service, lady, in these wars.

Beat. You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it: he is a very valiant trencher-man, he hath an excellent stomach.

Mess. And a good soldier too, lady.

Beat. And a good soldier to a lady ;-But what is he to a lord?

Mess. Much deserved on his part, and equally Mess. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed remembered by Don Pedro: he hath borne him-with all honourable virtues.

self beyond the promise of his age; doing, in the Beat. It is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuffed figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion': he hath, in-man: but for the stuffing,-Well, we are all mortal. deed, better bettered expectation, than you must expect of me to tell you how.

Leon. He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very much glad of it.

Mess. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even so much, that joy could not show itself modest enough, without a badge of bitterness.

Leon. You must not, sir, mistake my niece: there is a kind of merry war betwixt signior Benedick and her: they never meet, but there is a skirmish of wit between them.

Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict, four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one: so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse: for it is all the wealth that he hath left, Leon. A kind overflow of kindness: There are to be known a reasonable creature.-Who is his no faces truer than those that are so washed. How companion now? He hath every month a new much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping?

Leon. Did he break out into tears?
Mess. In great measure.2

Beat. I pray you, is signior Montanto returned from the wars, or no?

Mess. I know none of that name, lady; there was none such in the army of any sort.

Leon. What is he that you ask for, niece?
Hero. My cousin means signior Benedick of
Padua,

sworn brother.

Mess. Is it possible?

Beat. Very easily possible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next block.

Mess. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.

Beat. No: an he were, I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no

(1) Kind. (2) Abundance. (3) At long lengths. (4) Even. (5) A cuckold. (6) Mould for a hat.

young squarer now, that will make a voyage with heartily prays some occasion may detain us longer: him to the devil? I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his Mess. He is most in the company of the right heart. noble Claudio.

Leon. If you swear, my lord, you shall not be Beat. O Lord! he will hang upon him like a dis- forsworn.-Let me bid you welcome, my lord: ease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and being reconciled to the prince your brother, I owe the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble you all duty. Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, it will

cost him a thousand pound ere he be cured.'
Mess. I will hold friends with you, lady.
Beat. Do, good friend.

Leon. You will never run mad, niece.
Beat. No, not till a hot January.
Mess. Don Pedro is approached.

Enter Don Pedro, attended by Balthazar, and
others, Don John, Claudio, and Benedick.

D. Pedro. Good signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it.

D. John. I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thank you.

Leon. Please it your grace lead on?

D. Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together. [Exeunt all but Benedick and Claudio. Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of signior Leonato?

Bene. I noted her not; but I looked on her. Claud. Is she not a modest young lady? Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgment; or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a proTessed tyrant to their sex?

Claud. No, I pray thee, speak in sober judg

ment.

Leon. Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your grace: for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but, when you depart from Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks she is too low for a me, sorrow abides, and happiness takes his leave. high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too litD. Pedro. You embrace your charge too wil-le for a great praise: only this commendation I can lingly.-I think, this is your daughter. afford her; that were she other than she is, she were Leon. Her mother hath many times told me so, unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do Bene. Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her? not like her. Leon. Signior Benedick, no; for then were you

a child.

thee tell me truly how thou likest her?
Claud. Thou thinkest, I am in sport; I pray

Bene. Would you buy her, that you inquire after

D. Pedro. You have it full, Benedick: we may guess by this what you are, being a man. Truly, her? the lady fathers herself:-Be happy, lady! for you are like an honourable father.

Bene. If si nior Leonato be her father, she would not have his head on her shoulders, for all Messina,

as like him as she is.

Claud. Can the world buy such a jewe!? Bene. Yea, and a case to put it into. But speak you this with a sad brow? or do you play the flouting jack; to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulean a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall

Bene. I wonder, that you will still be talking, a man take yon, to go in the song? signior Benedick; no body marks you.

Claud. In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that

Bene. What, my dear lady Disdain! are you yet ever I looked on. bving? Bene. I can see yet without spectacles, and I see Beat. Is it possible, disdain should die, while no such matter: there's her cousin, an she were not she hath such meet food to feed it, as signior Bene-possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in dick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if beauty, as the first of May doth the last of Decemyou come in her presence. ber. But I hope you have no intent to turn husband; have you?"

Bene. Then is courtesy a turn-coat-But it is certain, I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted: and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none.

Claud. I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.

Bene. Is it come to this, i'faith? Hath not the Beat. A dear happiness to women; they would world one man, but he will wear his cap with else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. Isuspicion? Shall I never see a bachelor of threethank God, and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that; I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me. Bene. God keep your ladyship still in that mind! so some gentleman or other shall 'scape a predestinate scratched face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.
Beat. A bird of my tongue, is better than a beast

of vours.

Bene. I would my horse had the speed of your tongue; and so good a continuer: But keep your way o' God's name; I have done.

Beat. You always end with a jade's trick; I know you of old.

D. Pedro. This is the sum of all: Leonato,signior Claudio, and signior Benedick,-my dear friend Leonato, hath invited you all. I tell him, we shall stay here at the least a month; and he (2) Trust.

(1) Quarrelsome fellow.

score again? Go to, i'faith; an thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and sigh away Sundays. Look, Don Pedro is returned to seck you.

Re-enter Don Pedro.

D. Pedro. What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato's?

Bene. I would, your grace would constrain me to tell.

D. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance. Bene. You hear, count Claudio: I can be secret as a dumb man, I would have you think so; but on my allegiance,-mark you this, on my allegiance:He is in love. With who?-now that is your grace's Leonato's short daughter. part.-Mark, how short his answer is:-With Hero,

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

Bene. Like the old tale, my lord: it is not so, nor 'twas not so; but, indeed, God forbid it should be so. Claud. If my passion change not shortly, God forbid it should be otherwise.