Mell. I fee, 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 young fquarer now, that will make a voyage with him to the devil?"

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Meff. He is moft in the company of the right noble Claudio.

Beat. O lord! He will hang upon him like a disease: he is fooner caught than the peftilence, and the taker runs prefently mad. God help the noble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, it will cost him a thousand pounds ere he be cur'd.

"Meff. I will hold friends with you, lady. "Beat. Do, good friend,”

Leon. You'll ne'er run mad, niece.

· Beat. No, not 'till a hot January.

Meff. Don Pedro is approach'd.

Enter Don PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, BALTHA ZAR, and Don JOHN.

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

Leon. Never came trouble to my houfe in the likeness of your grace: for trouble being gone, comfort fhould remain; but, when you depart from me, forrow abides, and happiness takes his leave.

Pedro. You embrace your charge too willingly.-I think, this is your daughter.

Leon. Her mother hath many times told me fo.

⚫ Bene. Were you in doubt, sir, that you afk'd her? Leon. Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a child.

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

Bene. If Signior Leonato be her father, fhe would not have his head on her fhoulders for all Meffina, as like him as he is.

Beat!

Beat. I wonder, that you will ftill be talking, fignior Benedick; no body marks you.

Bene. What, my dear lady Difdain! are you yet living?

Beat. Is it poffible, difdain fhould die, while fhe hath fuch meet food to feed it, as fignior Benedick? Courtesy itfelf must convert to disdain, if you come in her prefence.

Bene. Then is courtefy a turn-coat :-But it is certain, I am lov'd 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.

Beat. A dear happiness to women: they would elfe have been troubled with a pernicious fuitor. I thank 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 fwear

he loves me.

Bene. God keep your ladyship still in that mind! fo fome gentleman or other fhall 'fcape a predeftinate scratch'd face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, and 'twere fuch a face as your's, "were."

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.

Beat. A bird of my tongue, is better than a beast of yours.

Bene. I would, my horse had the speed of your tongue; and fo 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.

Pedro. This is the fum of all: Leonato,--Signior Claudio, and fignior Benedick,-my dear friend Leonato hath invited you all. I tell him, we fhall ftay here at the leaft a month; and he heartily prays, fome occafion may detain us longer: I dare fwear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart.

Leon. If you fwear, my lord, you fhall not be forfworn. Let me bid you welcome, my lord: being reconciled to the prince your brother, I owe you all duty.

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

Leona

Leon. Please it your grace lead on?

Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together.

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[Exeunt all but BENEDICK and CLAUDIO. Claud. Benedick, didft thou note the daughter of fignior Leonato?

Bene. I noted her not; but I look'd on her.
Claud. Is fhe not a modeft young lady?

Bene. Do you queftion me, as an honeft man should do, for my fimple true judgment? or would you have me fpeak after my custom, as being a profelfed tyrant to their fex ?

Claud. No, I pray thee, fpeak in fober judgment.

Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks she is too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praife only this commendation I can afford her; that were she other than fhe is, fhe were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.

Claud. Thou think'ft, I am in fport; I pray thee, tell me truly how thou lik'st her?

Bene. Would you buy her, that you enquire after her? Claud. Can the world buy fuch a jewel?

Bene. Yea, and a cafe to put it into. But fpeak you this with a fad brow? or do you play the flouting Jack; "to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare 66 carpenter?" Come, in what key shall a man take you, "to go in the fong?"

Clad. In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that I ever looked on.

Bene. I can fee yet without fpectacles, and I fee no fuch matter: there's her coufin, an fhe were not poffefs'd with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty, as the firft of May doth the lait of December. But I hope, you have no intent to turn husband; have you ?

Claud. I would fcarce truft myself, though I had fworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.

Bene. Is't come to this, i'faith? Hath not the world one man, but he will wear his cap with fufpicion? Shall I never see a bachelor of threefcore again? Go to, i'faith; an thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and figh away Sundays. Look, Don Pedro s return'd to feek you.

B

Re-enter

Re-enter Don PEDRO.

Pedro. What fecret hath held you here, that you follow'd not to Leonato's ?

Bene. I would, your grace would conftrain me to tell.
Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance.

Bene. You hear count Claudio: I can be fecret as a dumb man, I would have you think fo; but on my allegiance, mark you this, on my allegiance.-He is in love. With who?-now that is your grace's part.-Mark, how fhort his answer is With Hero, Leonato's fhort

daughter.

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

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

Claud. You fpeak this to fetch me in, my lord.

Pedro. By my troth, I fpeak my thought.

Claud. And, in faith, my lord, I fpoke 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 should be loved, nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion the fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the ftake.

Pedro. Thou wast ever an obstinate heretick in the defpight 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 fhe brought me up, I likewife give her moft humble. thanks: but that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead," or hang my bugle in an invifible baldrick,” all women shall pardon me: Because I will not do them the wrong to miftruft any, I will do myfelf the right to truft none; and the fine is (for the which I may go the finer), I will live a bachelor.

Poedr.

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Pedro. I fhall fee thee, ere I die, look pale with love. Bene. With anger, with fickness, or with hunger, my lord; not with love: prove, that ever I lofe more blood with love, than I will get again with drinking, pick out mine eyes with a ballad-maker's pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel-houfe for the fign of blind Cupid.

Pedro. Well, if ever thou doft fall from this faith, thou wilt prove a notable argument.

Pedro. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat, and shoot at me; "and he that hits me, let him be clap'd on "the shoulder, and call'd Adam."

Pedro. Well, as time shall try:

In time the favage bull doth bear the yoke.

A

Bene. The favage bull may; but if ever the fenfible Benedick bear it, pluck off the bull's horns, and fet them in my forehead: and let me be vilely painted; and in fuch great letters as they write, Here is good horse to hire, let them fignify under my fign,-Here you may fee Benedick the marry'd man.

"Claud. If this should ever happen, thou would'st be "born-mad."

Pedro. Nay, if Cupid bath not fpent 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 fignior Benedick, repair to Leonato's ; commend me to him, and tell him, I will not fail him at fupper; for, indeed, he hath made 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: ere 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.

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Pedro.