1

Beat. What pace is this that thy tongue keeps?
Marg, Not a false gallop.

Enter Urfula.

Urf. Madam, withdraw; the Prince, the Count, Signior Benedick, Don John, and all the gallants of the town, are come to fetch you to church.

Hero. Help to drefs me, good coz, good Meg, good Urfula. [Exeunt.

SCENE VIII.

Another Apartment in Leonato's Houfe.

Enter Leonato, with Dogberry and Verges.

Leon. What would you with me, honeft neighhonefteneighbour?

Dogb. Marry, Sir, I would have fome confidence with you, that decerns you nearly.

Leon. Brief, I pray you; for you fee, 'tis a bufy time with me.

Dogb. Marry, this it is, Sir.

Verg. Yes, in truth it is, Sir.

Leon. What is it, my good friends?

Dogb. Goodman Verges, Sir, fpeaks a little of the matter: an old man, Sir, and his wits are not fo blunt, as, God help, I would defire they were; but, in faith, as honeft as the fkin between his brows.

Verg. Yes, I thank God, (3) I am as honeft as any man living, that is an old man, and no honefter than I.

(3) I am as boneft as any man living, that is an old man, and no bonefter than I.] There is much humour, and extreme good fenfe, under the covering of this blundering expreffion. It is a fly infinuation, that length of years, and the being much backnied in the ways of men, as Shakespeare expreffes it, take off the glofs of virtue, and bring much defilement on the manners. For, as a great Wit fays, Youth is the feafon of Virtue; corruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldeft rogue in England is the greateft. WARBURTON. Much of this is true, but I believe Shakespeare did not intend to bestow all this reflection on the speaker.

Dogb.

Dogb. Comparifons are odorous: palabras, neighbour Verges.

Leon. Neighbours, you are tedious.

Dogb. It pleafes your worship to fay fo, but we are the poor Duke's officers; but, truly, for mine own part, if I were as tedious as a king, I could find in my heart to bestow it all on your worship.

Leon. All thy tedioufnefs on me, ha?

Dogb. Yea, and 'twere a thousand times more than 'tis, for I hear as good exclamation on your worship as of any man in the city; and tho' I be but a poor man, I am glad to hear it.obhan

Verg. And fo am loo

Leon. I would fain know what you have to fay. Verg. Marry, Sir, our Watch to night, excepting your Worship's prefence, hath ta'en a couple of as arrant knaves as any in Meffina.

Dogb. A good old man, Sir; he will be talking, as they fay; when the age is in, the wit is out; God help us, it is a world to fee-well faid, i'faith, neighbour Verges-well, he's a good man (4); an two men ride an horse, one muft fide behind-an honeft foul, i'faith, Sir, by my troth he is, as ever broke bread, but God is to be worfhipp'd; all men are not alike, alas, good neighbour !

Leon. Indeed, neighbour, he comes too short of

you

Dogb. Gifts, that God gives.

Leon. I muft leave you.

Dogb. One ne word, Sir; our Watch have, indeed, comprehended two aufpicious perfons; and we would have them this morning examin'd before

hip.

your Wor

Leon. Take their examination yourfelf, and bring ; I am now in great hafte, as may appear unto

it me

you.

two men ride, &c.] This is not out of place, or without meaning. Dogberry, in his vanity of fuperior parts, apologizing for his neighbour, obferves, that, of two men on a borfe one must ride bebind. The first place of rank, or understanding, can belong but to one, and that happy one ought not to despise his

inferior.

VOL. IV.

Dogh. It fhall be fuffigance..

Leon. Drink fome wine ere you go: fare you well.

·

Enter a Meffenger.

Me My lord, they ftay for you to give your daughter to her husband.

Leon. I'll wait upon them. I am ready.

[Exit Leonato. Dogb. Go, good Partner, go get you to Francis Seacoale, bid him bring his pen and inkhorn to the jail ; we are now to examine those men.

Verg. And we must do it wifely. Sh

Dogb. We will fpare for no wit, I warrant; here's That [touching his forebead] fhall drive fome of them to a non-come. Only get the learned writer to fet down our excommunication, and meet me at the jail.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV. SCENE I

A CHURCH.

d

Enter D. Pedro, D. John, Leonato, Friar, Claudio, Benedick, Hero, and Beatrice.

COM

LEONATO.

O ME, friar Francis, be brief, only to the plain form of marriage, and you fhall recount their particular duties afterwards.

Friar. You come hither, my Lord, to marry this lady?

Claud. No.

Leon. To be marry'd to her, Friar. You come to marry her.

Friar. Lady, you come hither to be marry'd to this Count.

Hero. I do.

Friar. If either of you know any inward impedi

ment

ment why you should not be conjoin'd, I charge you

on your fouls to utter it.

Claud. Know you any, Hero?
Hero. None, my Lord.

Friar. Know you any, Count?

Leon. I dare make his anfwer, none.

Claud. O what men dare do! what men may do!

what

Men daily do! not knowing what they do!

Bene. How now! Interjections? why, then (5) fome be of laughing, as, ha, ha, he!

Claud. Stand thee by, friar: father, by your leave, Will you with free and unconftrained foul

Give me this maid your daughter?

Leon. As freely, fon, as God did give her me.
Claud. And what have I to give you back, whofe
worth

May counterpoife this rich and precious gift?
Pedro. Nothing, unless you render her again.
Claud. Sweet Prince, you learn me noble thankful-

nefs:

There, Leonato, take her back again;

Give not this rotten orange to your

friend.

She's but the fign and femblance of her honour:
Behold, how like a maid the blushes here!
O, what authority and fhew of truth
Can cunning fin cover itself withal!
Comes not that blood, as modeft evidence,
To witness fimple virtue? would you not fwear,
All you that fee her, that the were a maid,
By these exterior fhews? but he is none:
She knows the heat of a luxurious bed (6);
Her blush is guiltinefs, not modesty.

Leon. What do you mean, my Lord?
Claud. Not to be marry'd,

Not knit my foul to an approved Wanton.

(5) Some be of laughing,] This is a quotation from the Aecidence.

(6) luxurious bed;] That is, lafcivious. Luxury is the confeffor's term for unlawful pleasures of the fex.

Leon. Dear my Lord, if you in your own
proof (7)

Have vanquish'd the refiftance of her youth,
And made defeat of her virginity-

Claud. I know what you would fay. If I have known her,

You'll fay, she did embrace me as a husband,
And fo extenuate the forehand fin.

No, Leonato,

I never tempted her with word too large (8);
But, as a brother to his fifter, fhew'd

Bathful fincerity, and comely love.

Hero. And feem'd I ever otherwife to you? Claud. Out on thy Seeming! I will write against it (9):

You feem to me as Dian in her orb,

As chafte as is the bud (1) ere it be blown:
But you are more intemperate in your blood
Than Venus, or thofe pamper'd animals

That rage in favage fenfuality.

Hero. Is my Lord well, that he doth fpeak fo wide?
Leon. Sweet Prince, why fpeak not you?
Pedro. What fhould I fpeak?

I ftand dishonour'd, that have gone about
To link my dear friend to a common Stale.

(7) Dear my Lord, if you in your own Proof-] I am furpriz'd, the Poetical Editors did not obferve the Lameness of this Verfe. It evidently wants a Syllable in the laft Foot, which I have reftor'd by a Word, which I prefume, the firft Editors might hefitate at; tho' it is a very proper one, and a Word elsewhere ufed by our Author. Befides, in the Paffage under Examination, this Word comes in almoft neceffarily, as Claudio had faid in the line immediately preceding;

Not knit my Soul to an approved Wanton.

(8)

THEOBALD.

word too large;] So he ufes large jests in this play, for licentious, not veftrained within due bounds.

(9) I will write against it:] What? a libel? nonfense. We fhould read, I will RATE against it, i. e. rail or revile.

WARBURTON.

As to fubfcribe to any thing is to alles it, so to write against is to difallow or deny.

(1)

Befs.

chafte as the bud] Before the air has tafted its fweet

Leon.