Bene. Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains. Beat. I took no more pains for those thanks, than you take pains to thank me; if it had been painful, I would not have come. Bene. You take pleasure then in the meffage ? Beat. Yea, just as much as you may take upon a knife's point, and choak a daw withal:-You have no ftomach, fignior; fare you well. [Exit. Bene. Ha! against my will I am fent to bid yon come in to dinner :-there's a double meaning in that. I took no more pains for thofe thanks, than you take pains to thank me ;-that's as much as to fay, Any pains that I take for you is as eafy as thanks, If I do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not love her, I am a Jew: I will go get her picture. [Exit. ACT III. SCENE I. Continues in the Orchard. Enter Hero, Margaret, and Urfula. HERO. (OOD Margaret, run thee into the parlour; Propofing with the prince and Claudio: 2 Against that power that bred it: there will fhe hide her, To listen our purpose: This is thy office, Bear thee well in it, and leave us alone. Marg. I'll make her come, I warrant you prefently. Hero. Now, Urfula, when Beatrice doth Is fick in love with Beatrice: Of this matter That only wounds by hear-fay. Now begin. Enter Beatrice, behind. [Exit. come, For look, where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs Hero. Then go we near her, that her ear lofe nothing Of the falfe fweet bait that we lay for it.- Urf. But are you fure, That Benedick loves Beatrice fo entirely? Hero. So fays the prince, and my new trothed lord? Urf. And did they bid you tell her of it, madam? Hero. They did intreat me to acquaint her of it: But I perfuaded them, if they lov'd Benedick, Το To wish him wrestle with affection, Urf. Why did you fo? Doth not the gentleman Deferve as full, as fortunate a bed, As ever Beatrice fhall couch upon? Hero. O God of love! I know, he doth deferve All matter else feems weak: fhe cannot love, Urf. Sure, I think fo; And therefore, certainly it were not good Hero. Why, you fpeak truth. I never yet saw man, How wife, how noble, young, how rarely featur'd, But she would fpell him backward: if fair-fac'd, She'd fwear, the gentleman fhould be her fifter; * If black, why, Nature, drawing of an antick, Made a foul blot: if tall, a lance ill-headed; ' If low, an aglet very vilely cut: Mifprifing -] Defpifing, contemning. JOHNSON. 4 If black, why, Nature, drawing of an antick, Made a foul blot :-] If The antick was a buffoon character in the old English farces, with a blacked face, and a patch-work habit. What I would obferve from hence is, that the name of antick or antique, given to this character, fhews that the people had fome traditional ideas of its being borrowed from the ancient mimes, who are thus defcribed by Apuleius, Mimi centunculo, fuligine faciem obducti. WARBURTON. 5 If low, an agat very vilely cut :] But why an aga!. if low? For what likenefs between a little man and an agat? The ancients, VOL. II. T indeed, If fpeaking, why, a vane blown with all winds; Urf. Sure, fure, fuch carping is not commendable. Hero. No; for to be fo odd, and from all fashions, As Beatrice is, cannot be commendable. But who dare tell her fo? If I should speak, As fhe is priz'd to have) as to refuse indeed, used this stone to cut upon; but very exquifitely. I make no question but the poet wrote; -an aglet very vilely cut: An aglet was the tag of thofe points, formerly fo much in fashion. Thefe tags were either of gold, filver, or brafs, according to the quality of the wearer; and were commonly in the shape of little images; or at leaft had a head cut at the extremity. The French call them, aiguillettes. Mezeray, fpeaking of Henry IIId's forrow for the death of the princefs of Conti, fays,-portant meme fur les aiguillettes des petites tetes de Mort. And as a tall man is before compared to a lance ill-headed; fo, by the fame figure, a little man is very aptly liken'd to an aglet ill-cut. WARBURTON. So So rare a gentleman as Benedick. Urf. I pray you, be not angry with me, madam, Speaking my fancy; fignior Benedick, For fhape, for bearing, argument, and valour, Hero. Indeed, he hath an excellent good name. Hero. Why, every day; -to-morrow :- Came, go in, I'll fhew thee fome attires; and have thy counfel Urf. She's lim'd, I warrant you; we have caught Hero. If it prove fo, then loving goes by haps; Some Cupids kill with arrows, fome with traps, [Exeunt, 8 Beatrice advancing. Beat. What fire is in my ears? Can this be true? Stand I condemn'd for pride and scorn fo much? Contempt, farewel! and maiden pride, adieu! No glory lives behind the back of fuch. And, Benedick, love on, I will requite thee; Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand,? If thou doft love, my kindness fhall incite thee To bind our loves up in a holy band. For argument- -]This word feems here to fignify discourse or, the powers of reafoning. JOHNSON. • She's lim'd,—] She is enfnared and entangled as a sparrow with birdlime. JOHNSON. 8 What fire is in my ears?] Alluding to a proverbial faying of the common people, that their ears burn, when others are talking of them. WARBURTON." Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand ;] This image is taken from |