Claud. Now, fignior! what news! Bene. Good day, my lord. D. Pedro. Welcome, fignior: You are almost come to part almost a fray. Claud. We had like to have had our two nofes fnapped off with two old men without teeth. D. Pedro. Leonato and his brother: What think'ft thou? Had we fought, I doubt, we should have been too young for them. Bene. In a falfe quarrel there is no true valour. I came to feek you both. Claud. We have been up and down to feek thee; for we are high-proof melancholy, and would fain have it beaten away: Wilt thou use thy wit? Bene. It is in my fcabbard; Shall I draw it? D. Pedro. Doft thou wear thy wit by thy fide? Claud. Never any did fo, though very many have been befide their wit.-I will bid thee draw, as we do the minftrels; draw, to pleasure us. D. Pedro. As I am an, honest man, he looks pale :—Art thou fick, or angry? Claud. What! courage, man! What though care kill'd a cat, thou haft mettle enough in thee to kill care. Bene. Sir, I fhall meet your wit in the career, an you charge it against me :-I pray you, choose another subject. Claud. Nay, then give him another staff; this last was broke cross. D. Pedro. By this light, he changes more and more; I think, he be angry indeed. Claud. If he be, he knows how to turn his girdle. Claud. God bless me from a challenge! Bene. You are a villain;-I jeft not :-I will make it good how you dare, with what you dare, and when you 8 dare: dare:-Do me right, or I will proteft your cowardice, You have kill'd a sweet lady, and her death shall fall heavy on you: Let me hear from you. Claud. Well, I will meet you, fo I may have good cheer. D. Pedro. What, a feaft? a feast? Claud. I' faith, I thank him; he hath bid me to a calf'shead and a capon; the which if I do not carve most curiously, fay, my knife's naught.-Shall I not find a woodcock too? Bene. Sir, your wit ambles well; it goes easily. D. Pedro. I'll tell thee how Beatrice prais'd thy wit the other day: I said, thou hadst a fine wit; True, says she, a fine little one: No, faid I, a great wit; Right, says she, a great grofs one: Nay, faid I, a good wit; fuft, faid_she, it burts no body: Nay, faid I, the gentleman is wife; Certain, faid the, a wife gentleman: Nay, faid I, he hath the tongues; That I believe, faid fhe, for he fwore a thing to me on Monday night, which he forfwore on Tuesday morning; there's a double tongue, there's two tongues. Thus did the, an hour together, tranf-fhape thy particular virtues; yet, at last, she concluded with a figh, thou waft the propereft man in Italy. Claud. For the which the wept heartily, and faid, she cared not. D. Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet, for all that, an if she did not hate him deadly, the would love him dearly: the old man's daughter told us all. Claud. All, all; and moreover, God faw him when he was bid in the garden. D. Pedro. But when shall we fet the favage bull's horns on the fenfible Benedick's head? Claud, Yea, and text underneath, Here dwells Benedick the married man? Bene. Fare you well, boy;. you know my mind; I will leave you now to your goffip-like humour: you break jefts as braggarts do their blades, which, God be thanked, hurt not. My lord, for your many courtefies I thank you: I must discontinue your company: your brother, the bastard, is fled from Meffina: you have, among you, kill'd a sweet and innocent lady: For my lord Lack-beard, there, he and I fhall meet; and till then, peace be with him. [Exit BENEDICK. D. Pedro. He is in earnest. Claud. In moft profound earneft; and, I'll warrant you, for the love of Beatrice. D. Pedro. And hath challeng'd thee? Claud. Moft fincerely. D. Pedro. What a pretty thing man is, when he goes in his doublet and hofe, and leaves off his wit! Enter DOGBERRY, VERGES, and the Watch, with CONRADE and BORACHIO. Claud. He is then a giant to an ape: but then is an ape a doctor to fuch a man. D. Pedro. But, foft you, let be; pluck up, my heart, and be fad! Did he not say, my brother was fled ? Dogb. Come, you, fir; if justice cannot tame you, she fhall ne'er weigh more reasons in her balance: nay, an you be a curfing hypocrite once, you must be look'd to. D. Pedro. How now, two of my brother's men bound! Borachio, one! Claud. Hearken after their offence, my lord! D. Pedro. Officers, what offence have these men done? Dogb. Marry, fir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; fecondarily, they are flanders; fixth and laftly, they have bely'd a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things: and, to conclude, they are lying knaves. D. Pedro. D. Pedro. First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offence; fixth and lastly, why they are committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge. Claud. Rightly reasoned, and in his own divifion; and, by my troth, there's one meaning well fuited. D. Pedro. Who have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? this learned constable is too cunning to be understood: What's your offence? Bora. Sweet prince, let me go no further to mine anfwer; do you hear me, and let this count kill me. I have deceived even your very eyes: what your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light; who, in the night, overheard me confeffing to this man, how Don John your brother incenfed me to flander the lady Hero; how you were brought into the orchard, and faw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; how you dif graced her, when you should marry her: my villainy they have upon record; which I had rather feal with my death, than repeat over to my shame: the lady is dead upon mine and my master's falfe accufation; and, briefly, I defire nothing but the reward of a villain. D. Pedro. Runs not this speech like iron through your blood? Claud. I have drunk poison, whiles he utter'd it. D. Pedro. But did my brother set thee on to this? Bora. Yea, and paid me richly for the practice of it. D. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treachery :And fled he is upon this villainy. Claud. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appear In the rare femblance that I lov'd at first. Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this time our Sexton hath reform'd fignior Leonato of the matter: And And mafters, do not forget to fpecify, when time and place fhall ferve, that I am an ass. Verg. Here, here comes mafter fignior Leonato, and the Sexton too. Re-enter LEONATO and ANTONIO, with the Sexton. Leon. Which is the villain? Let me fee his eyes; That when I note another man like him, I may avoid him: Which of these is he? Bora. If you would know your wronger, look on me. Leon. Art thou the flave, that with thy breath hast kill'd Mine innocent child? Bora. Yea, even I alone. Leon. No, not so, villain; thou bely'st thyself; Here ftand a pair of honourable men, A third is fled, that had a hand in it I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death; 'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it. Claud. I know not how to pray your patience, But in mistaking. D. Pedro. By my foul, nor I; And yet, to fatisfy this good old man, I would bend under any heavy weight That he'll enjoin me to. Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter live, That were impoffible; but, I pray you both, Poffefs the people in Messina here How innocent she died: and, if your love Can labour aught in fad invention, And |