Don Pedro, and the count Claudio, alone; tell them, that you know, Hero loves me; intend a kind of zeal both to the prince and Claudio, as in a love of your brother's honour who hath made this match; and his friends reputation, who is thus like to be cozen'd with the femblance of a maid, that you have discover'd thus. They will hardly believe this without trial. Offer them inftances; which fhall bear no lefs likelihood than to fee me at her chamber-window; hear me call Margaret, Hero; hear Margaret term me Borachio; aud bring them to fee this, the very night before the intended wedding: for in the mean time, I will fo fashion the matter, that Hero fhall be abfent; and there fhall appear fuch seeming truths of Hero's difloyalty, that jealousy shall be call'd afsurance, and all the preparation overthrown.

John. Grow this to what adverse iffue it can, I will put it in practice: Be cunning in the working this, and thy fee is a thoufand ducats.

"it; offer them proofs, as that they fhall fee me converse with her "in her chamber-window. I am in the good graces of her wait"ing-woman Margaret; and I'll prevail with Margaret, at a "dead hour of night to perfonate her miftrefs Hero; do you "then bring the prince and Claudio to overhear our dif "courfe; and they fhall have the torment to hear me addrefs "Margaret by the name of Hero; and her fay fweet things "to me by the name of Claudio.". -This is the fub

flance of Borachio's device to make Hero fufpected of disloyalty, and to break off her match with Claudio. But, in the name of common fenfe, could it difpleafe Claudio, to hear his mistress making ufe of his name tenderly? If he faw another man with her, and heard her call him Claudio, he might reafonably think her betrayed, but not have the fame reafon to accufe her of difloyalty. Befides, how could her naming Claudio make the prince and Claudio believe that the lov'd Borachio, as he defires Don John to infinuate to them that he did? The circumstances weighed, there is no doubt but the paffage ought to be reformed, as I have fettled in the text.- -hear me call Margaret, Hero; biar Margaret term me Borachio. THEOBALD.

Bora. Be thou conftant in the accufation, and my cunning fhall not shame me.

John. I will presently go learn their day of mar

riage.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

LEONATO's ORCHARD.

Bene. Boy,

Enter Benedick and a Boy.

Boy. Signior.

Bene. In my chamber-window lies a book; bring it hither to me in the orchard.

Boy. I am here already, fir.

Bene. I know that ;-but I would have thee hence, and here again. [Exit Boy.]—I do much wonder, that one man, feeing how much another man is a fool, when he dedicates his behaviours to love, will, after he hath laugh'd at fuch fhallow follies in others, become the argument of his own fcorn, by falling in love and fuch a man is Claudio. I have known, when there was no mufick with him but the drum and the fife; and now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe: I have known, when he would have walk'd ten mile afoot, to fee a good armour; and now will he lie ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to speak plain, and to the purpose, like an honeft man, and a foldier; and now is he turn'd orthographer; his words are a very fantaftical banquet, juft fo many ftrange dishes. May I be fo converted, and fee with thefe eyes? I cannot tell, I think not.-I will not be fworn, but love may transform me to an oyster; but I'll take my oath on it, till he have made an oyster of me, he fhall never make me fuch a fool. One woman is fair; yet I am well another is wife; yet I am well; ano

ther

ther virtuous; yet I am well: But till all graces be in one woman, one woman fhall not come in my grace. Rich fhe fhall be, that's certain; wife, or I'l none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her; fair, or I'll never look on her; mild, or come not near me; noble, or not I for an angel: of good discourse, an excellent musician, and her hair fhall be of what colour it please God. Ha! the prince and monfieur Love! I will hide me in the arbour. [Withdraws.

Enter Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio, and Balthazar.

Pedro. Come, fhall we hear this mufick?
Claud. Yea, my good lord :-How ftill the even-
ing is,

As hufh'd on purpose to grace harmony!

Pedro. See you where Benedick hath hid himself? Claud. O very well, my lord: the mufick ended, We'll fit the kid-fox with a penny-worth.

6

Pedro. Come, Balthazar, we'll hear that fong again.
Balth. O good my lord, tax not fo bad a voice
To flander mufick any more than once.

Pedro. See you where Benedick hath hid himself?

Claudio. Very well, my lord; the mufick ended, we'll fit the kidfox with a pennyworth.] i. e. we will be even with the fox now difcovered. So the word kid, or kidde, fignifies in Chaucer,

"The fothfaftnefs that now is hid,
"Without coverture fhall be kid
"When I undoen have this dreming."

Romaunt of the Rose, 2171, &c.

"Perceiv'd or fhew'd.

"He kidde anon his bone was not broken."

Troilus and Creffeide, lib. i. 208.

"With that anon sterte out daungere,
"Out of the place where he was hidde,
"His malice in his cheere was kidde."

Romaunt of the Rofe, 2130.
GRAY.

Pedro. It is the witnefs ftill of excellency, To put a strange face on his own perfection : I pray thee, fing, and let me woo no more.

Balth. Becaule you talk of wooing, I will fing: Since many a wooer doth commence his fuit To her he thinks not worthy; yet he wooes; Yet will he fwear, he loves.

Pedro. Nay, pray thee, come :

Or if thou wilt hold longer argument,
Do it in notes.

Balth. Note this before my notes,

There's not a note of mine, that's worth the noting. Pedro. Why thefe are very crotchets that he speaks; Note, notes, forfooth, and noting!

Bene. Now, divine air! now is his foul ravish'd!Is it not ftrange, that fheeps guts fhould hale fouls out of men's bodies?-Well, a horn for my money, when all's done.

The SON G.

Sigh no more, ladies, figh no more,
Men were deceivers ever;
One foot in fea, and one on shore,
To one thing constant never:
Then figh not fo, but let them go,
And be you blith and bonny;
Converting all your founds of woe
Into, Hey nonny, nonny.

Sing no more ditties, fing no mo
Of dumps fo dull and heavy;
The frauds of men were ever so,
Since fummer first was leavy,
Then figh not fo, &c.

Pedro. By my troth, a good fong.

Baltb.

Balth. And an ill finger, my lord.

Pedro. Ha! no; no, faith; thou fing'ft well enough for a fhift.

Bene. [Afide.] An he had been a dog, that should have howl'd thus, they would have hang'd him: and, I pray God, his bad voice bode no mifchief! I had as lief have heard the night raven, come what plague could have come, after it.

Pedro. Yea, marry ;-Doft thou hear, Balthazar ? I pray thee, get us fome excellent mufick; for tomorrow night we would have it at the lady Hero's chamber-window.

Balth. The best I can, my lord. [Exit Balthazar. Pedro. Do fo: farewell. Come hither, Leonato ; what was it you told me of to-day, that your niece Beatrice was in love with fignior Benedick?

Claud. O, ay;-Stalk on, stalk on, the fowl fits. [Afide to Pedro.] I did never think that lady would have loved any man.

Leon. No, nor I neither; but most wonderful, that the fhould fo doat on fignior Benedick, whom fhe hath in all outward behaviours feem'd ever to abhor.

Bene. Is't poffible? fits the wind in that corner?

[Afide. Leon. By my troth, my lord, I cannot tell what to think of it: 7 but, that fhe loves him, with an enraged affection, it is past the infinite of thought.

Pedro.

7 but that he loves him with an enraged affection, it is poft the infinite of thought.] It is impoffible to make fenfe and grammar of this fpeech. And the reafon is, that the two beginnings of two different fentences are jumbled together and made one. Forbut that he loves him with an nraged affection-is only part of a fentence which fhould conclude thus,-is moft certain. But a new idea striking the speaker, he leaves this fentence unfinished, and turns to another,It is past the infinite of thought-which is likewife left unfinished; for it should conclude thus-to Jay how great

that