that; I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man fwear he loves me.

Bene. God keep your ladyfhip ftill in that mind! fo fome gentleman or other fhall 'fcape a predeftinate fcratcht face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere fuch 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 yours.

Bene. I would my horfe 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,-fignior Claudio, and fignior Benedick,-my dear friend LeoRato hath invited you all. I tell him, we shall stay here at the leaft a month; and he heartily prays, fome Gccafion may detain us longer: I dare fwear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart.

Leon. If you fwear, my lord, you shall 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.

Leon. Please it your Grace lead on?

Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together. [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 the not a modeft young lady?

Bene Do you queftion me, as an honeft man fhould do, for my fimple true judgment? or would you

have

have me speak after my cuftom, as being a profeffed tyrant to their fex?

Claud. No, I pry'ythee, speak in sober judgment.

Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks he is too low for an high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praife: only this commendation [ can afford her; that were the other than fhe is, she 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'ft her.

Bene. Would you buy her, that you enquire after her?

Claud. Can the world buy such 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, aud Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall a man take you, to go in the fong?

7 to tell us, Cupid is a good bare finder, &c.] I know not whether I conceive the jeft here intended. Claudio hints his love of Hero. Benedick afks whether he is ferious, or whether he only means to jeft, and tell them that Cupid is a good bare finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter. A man praifing a pretty lady in jeft, may fhew the quick fight of Cupid, but what has it to do with the carpentry of Vulcan? Perhaps the thought lies no deeper than this, Do you mean to tell us as now what we all know already ? JOHNSON.

I believe no more is meant by those ludicrous expressions than this.

Do you mean, fays Benedick, to amufe us with improbable ftories ?

An ingenious correfpondent, whofe fignature is R. W. explains the paffage in the fame fenfe, but more amply. "Do you mean to tell us that love is not blind, and that fire will not confume what is combustible ?"- -for both these propofitions are implied in making Cupid a good bare-finder, and Vulcan (the God of fire) a good carpenter. In other words, would you convince me whofe opinion on this head is well known, that you can be in love without being blind, and can play with the flame of beauty without being Scorched. STEEVENS.

Claud.

Claud. In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that I ever look'd 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 first of May doth the last of December. But I hope, you have no intent to turn hufband; have you?

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

8

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

Re-enter Don Pedro and Don John.

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 anfwer is:-with Hero, Leonato's fhort daughter.

wear his cap with fufpicion ?] That is, fubject his head to the difquiet of jealoufy. JOHNSON.

9

figh away Sundays:] A proverbial expreffion to fig nify that a man has no reft at all; when Sunday, a day formerly of eafe and diverfion, was paffed fo uncomfortably.

WARBURTON.

Claud.

I

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 should be otherwise.

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

Claud. You speak 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 speak mine.

Claud. That I love her, I feel.

Pedro. That she is worthy, I know.

Bene. That I neither feel how the should be loved, nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the stake.

Claud. If this were fo, fo were it uttered.] This and the three next fpeeches I do not well understand; there feems fomething omitted relating to Hero's confent, or to Claudio's marriage, elfe I know not what Claudio can with not to be otherwife. The copies all read alike. Perhaps it may be better thus,

Claud. If this were fo, fo were it.

Bene. Uttered like the old tale, &c.

Claudio gives a fullen answer, if it is fo, fo it is. Still there feems fomething omitted which Claudio and Pedro concur in withing. JOHNSON.

If (fays Claudio, evading an explicit answer) this affertion of his were true, it is a truth that might quickly be declared. He alludes to the short answer, &c, which Benedick has juft mentioned. Benedick replies, My lord, he is like the old riddling tale, it is not fo, and 'twas not fo; but (now he mentions his own private with) I say, God forbid that it should be fo! Claudio then re-affumes his part in the dialogue, and adds, If I do not change the object of my affections, God forbid it fhould be otherwife. Benedick, by faying God forbid it fhould be fo, means God forbid you should be married. The other returns for anfwer, If I continue as much in love with her as I am at prefent, God forbid I should not. STEEVENS.

I

Pedro.

Pedro. Thou wast ever an obstinate heretick in the defpight of beauty.

2

Claud. And never could maintain his part, but in the force of his will.

Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that he brought me up, I likewife give her most humble thanks: but that I will have a recheate winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invifible baldrick, all women fhall pardon me. Because I will not do them the wrong to miftruft any, I will do my self the right to truft none; and the fine is, (for the which I may go the finer) I will live a batchelor.

Pedro. I fhall fee thee, ere I die, look pale with love.

Bene. With anger, with ficknefs, or with hunger, my lord; not with love: prove, that ever I lose more blood with love, than I will get again with drinking, pick out mine eyes with a balladmaker'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.

2

4

Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat,' and

shoot

lut in the force of his will.] Alluding to the defi

nition of a heretick in the fchools. WARBURTON.

3

-but that I will have a recheate winded in my forehead,】 That is, I will wear a born on my forehead which the huntfman may Hor. A recheate is the found by which dogs are called back. Shakespeare had no mercy upon the poor cuckold, his born is an inexhauftible fubject of merriment. JOHNSON.

A recheate is a particular leffon upon the horn, to call dogs back from the icent; from the old French word recet, which was used in the fame fenfe as retraite. HANMER.

4 notable argument.] An eminent fubject for fatire. JOHNSON. 5 in a bottle like a cat] As to the cat and bottle, I can procure no better information than the following, which does not exactly fuit with the text.