Which with experimental feal doth warrant
The tenour of my book; truft not my age,
My reverence, calling, nor divinity,

If this fweet lady lie not guiltlefs here

Under fome biting error.

Leon. Friar, it cannot be:

Thou feeft, that all the grace that fhe hath left,
Is, that she will not add to her damnation
A fin of perjury; fhe not denies it:

Why feek'st thou then to cover with excufe
That, which appears in proper nakednefs?

Friar. Lady, what man is he you are accus'd of? Hero. They know, that do accuse me; I know none: If I know more of any man alive,

Than that which maiden modefty doth warrant,
Let all my fins lack
fins lack mercy!-O my father,
Prove you that any man with me convers'd

At hours unmeet, or that I yesternight
Maintain'd the change of words with any creature,

Refuse me, hate me, torture me to death.

Friar. There is fome ftrange * mifprifion in the princes. Bene. Two of them have the very bent of honour;

y

And if their wifdoms be milled in this,

The practice of it lives in John the bastard,

Whofe fpirits toil in frame of villainies.

Leon. I know not; If they speak but truth of her, Thefe hands fhall tear her; if they wrong her honour, The proudest of them fhall well hear of it.

Time hath not yet so dry'd this blood of mine,

Nor age fo eat up my invention,

w The tenour of my book ;]—What I had collected from study.

* mifprifion]-mifconception.

y

very bent of honour ;]-honour in its utmost extent ;-alluding to a full drawn bow.

Nor fortune made fuch havock of my means,
Nor my bad life reft me so much of friends,
But they fhall find, awak'd in fuch a 2 kind,
Both strength of limb, and policy of mind,
Ability in means, and choice of friends,
To quit me of them throughly.

Friar. Paufe a while,

And let my counsel fway you in this cafe.
Your daughter here the princes left for dead;
Let her awhile be fecretly kept in,

And publish it, that she is dead indeed:

a

Maintain a mourning oftentation;

And on your family's old monument
Hang mournful epitaphs, and do all rites
That appertain unto a burial.

Leon. What fhall become of this? What will this do?
Friar. Marry, this, well carry'd, shall on her behalf

Change flander to remorfe; that is fome good:
But not for that, dream I on this ftrange courfe,
But on this travail look for greater birth.

She dying, as it must be so maintain'd,
Upon the inftant that she was accus'd,
Shall be lamented, pity'd, and excus'd,
Of every hearer: for it fo falls out,

That what we have we prize not to the worth,
Whiles we enjoy it; but being lack'd and loft,
Why, then we rack the value; then we find
The virtue, that poffeflion would not fhew us
Whiles it was ours:-So will it fare with Claudio:
When he shall hear she dy'd upon his words,

с

The idea of her love fhall fweetly creep

z kind]-cause.

a a mourning oftentation;]-the outward appearance of it.

b

rack]-exaggerate, overrate-reck.

с

life.

Into his study of imagination;

And every lovely organ of her life

Shall come apparel'd in more precious habit,

More moving delicate, and full of life,
Into the eye and profpect of his foul,

Than when she liv'd indeed :-then fhall he mourn,
(If ever love had intereft in his liver)

And wish he had not fo accused her;

No, though he thought his accufation true.
Let this be fo, and doubt not but fuccefs
Will fashion the event in better shape
Than I can lay it down in likelihood,
But if all aim but this be levell'd false,
The fuppofition of the lady's death
Will quench the wonder of her infamy:

с

And, if it fort not well, you may conceal her, (As best befits her wounded reputation)

In fome reclufive and religious life,

you:

Out of all eyes, tongues, minds, and injuries.
Bene. Signior Leonato, let the friar advise
And though, you know, my inwardness and love
very much unto the prince and Claudio,
Yet, by mine honour, I will deal in this

Is

As fecretly, and justly, as your foul
Should with your body.

Leon. Being that I flow in grief,

The smallest twine may lead me.

Friar. 'Tis well confented; presently away;

For to ftrange fores ftrangely they strain the cure.-

d Study of imagination;]-ftudious imagination; become the object of his folicitude.

fort]-turn out in the event.

f inwardness]-intimacy.

I flow in &c.]-The extremity of my diftrefs tempts me to liften to any found of relief, difpofes me to close in with any offer.

Come lady, die to live: this wedding day,

Perhaps, is but prolong'd; have patience, and en

dure.

Manent Benedick and Beatrice.

[Exeunt.

Bene. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?
Beat. Yea, and I will weep a while longer.

Bene. I will not defire that.

Beat. You have no reason, I do it freely.

Bene. Surely, I do believe your fair coufin is wrong'd. Beat. Ah, how much might the man deferve of me, that would right her!

Bene. Is there any way to fhew fuch friendship?

Beat. A very even way, but no fuch friend.

Bene. May a man do it?

Beat. It is a man's office, but not yours.

Bene. I do love nothing in the world so well as you; Is not that strange?

Beat. As ftrange as the thing I know not: It were as poffible for me to fay, I loved nothing fo well as you: but believe me not; and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing:-I am forry for my coufin.

Bene. By my fword, Beatrice, thou lov'ft me.
Beat. Do not fwear by it, and eat it.

Bene. I will swear by it, that you love me; and I will make him eat it, that fays, I love not you.

Beat. Will you not eat your word?

Bene. With no fauce that can be devis'd to it: I protest I love thee.

Beat. Why then, God forgive me!

Bene. What offence, fweet Beatrice?

Beat. You have ftaid me in a happy hour; I was about to proteft, I lov'd you.

Bene. And do it with all thy heart.

Beat.

Beat. I love you with fo much of my heart, that none is

left to proteft.

Bene. Come, bid me do any thing for thee.

Beat. Kill Claudio.

Bene. Ha! not for the wide world.

Beat. You kill me to deny it: Farewell.

Bene. Tarry, fweet Beatrice.

Beat. I am gone, though I am here ;-There is no love in you-nay, I pray you, let me go.

Beat. You dare easier be friends with me, than fight with mine enemy..

Bene. Is Claudio thine enemy?

Beat. Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath flander'd, scorn'd, dishonour'd my kinfwoman ?-O, that I were a man!-What, bear her in hand until they come to take hands; and then with publick accufation, uncover'd flander, unmitigated rancour,-O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place. Bene. Hear me, Beatrice.

Beat. Talk with a man out at a window?-a proper faying!

Bene. Nay, but Beatrice ;

Beat. Sweet Hero!-fhe is wrong'd, fhe is flander'd, the

is undone.

Bene. But Beatrice

Beat. Princes and counties! Surely, a princely teftimony, a goodly 'count-comfect; a fweet gallant, furely!

I am gone, though I am here ;]-I am loft to you; out of your mind, though yet in your fight.

i bear her in hand]-amufe her, keep her in expectation.
* counties!]-counts, formerly the general term for noblemen.
1 count-comfect ;]-lord fugar-plum.

Kk 4

O that