D. Pedro. It were good, that Benedick knew of it by some other, if she will not discover it. Claud. To what end? He would make but a sport of it, and torment the poor lady worse.

D. Pedro. An he should, it were an alms to hang him she's an excellent sweet lady; and, out of all suspicion, she is virtuous.

Claud. And she is exceeding wise.

D. Pedro. In every thing, but in loving Benedick. Leon. O my lord, wisdom and blood combating in so tender a body, we have ten proofs to one, that blood hath the victory. I am sorry for her, as I have just cause, being her uncle and her guardian.

D. Pedro. I would she had bestowed this dotage on me; I would have daff'd all other respects, and made her half myself: I pray you, tell Benedick of it, and hear what he will say.

Leon. Were it good, think you?

Claud. Hero thinks surely she will die; for she says, she will die, if he love her not; and she will die, ere she makes her love known; and she will die if he woo her, rather than she will 'bate one breath of her accustomed crossness.

D. Pedro. She doth well: if she should make tender of her love, 'tis very possible he'll scorn it: for the man, as you know all, hath a contemptible Claud. He is a very proper man. [spirit. D. Pedro. He hath, indeed, a good outward happiness.

Claud. 'Fore God, and in my mind very wise. D. Pedro. He doth, indeed, shew some sparks that are like wit.

Leon. And I take him to be valiant.

D. Pedro. As Hector, I assure you and in the managing of quarrels you may see he is wise; for either he avoids them with great discretion, or undertakes them with a most Christian-like fear.

Leon. If he do fear God, he must necessarily keep peace; if he break the peace, he ought to enter into a quarrel with fear and trembling.

D. Pedro. And so will he do'; for the man doth fear God, howsoever it seems not in him, by some large jests he will make. Well, I am sorry for your niece: shall we go see Benedick, and tell him of her love?

Claud. Never tell him, my lord; let her wear it out with good counsel.

Leon. Nay, that's impossible; she may wear her

heart out first.

D. Pedro. Well, we'll hear further of it by your daughter; let it cool the while. I love Benedick well: and I could wish he would modestly examine himself, to see how much he is unworthy so good a lady.

Leon. My lord, will you walk? dinner is ready. Claud. If he do not doat on her upon this, I will (Aside.) D. Pedro. Let there be the same net spread for her; and that must your daughter and her gentlewoman carry. The sport will be, when they hold one an opinion of another's dotage, and no such matter; that's the scene that I would see, which will be merely a dumb show. Let us send her to call him in to dinner. (Aside.) [Exeunt Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato.

never trust my expectation.

BENEDICK advances from the arbour. Bene. This can be no trick: the conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady; it seems, her affections have their full bent. Love me! why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured: they say, I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the love come from her; they say too, that she will rather die than give any sign of affection.-I did never think to marry-I must not seem proud :-Happy are they, that hear their detractions, and can put them to mending. They say, the lady is fair; 'tis a truth, I can bear them witness and virtuous;-'tis so, I cannot reprove it: and wise, but for loving me :

:

By my troth, it is no addition to her wit;-nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her.-I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me, because l'have railed so long against marriage: but doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the meat in his youth, that he cannot endure in his age: shall quips, and sentences, and these paper bullets of the brain, awe a man from the career of his humour? No: the word must be peopled. When I said, I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married.-Here comes Beatrice: by this day, she's a fair lady: I do spy some marks of love in her. Enter BEATRICE.

Beat. Against my will, I am sent to bid you cons in to dinner.

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 in the message? Beat. Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knife's point, and choke a daw withal:-You have no stomach, signior; fare you well.

Bene. Ha! Against my will I am sent to bid yn come to dinner-there's a double meaning in that. took no more pains for those thanks, than you fo pains to thank me-that's as much as to say, A pains that I take for you is as easy as thanks:-li do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not re her, I am a Jew: I will go get her picture. E

ACT III.

SCENE I.-Leonato's Garden. Enter HERO, MARGARET, and URSULA, Hero. Good Margaret, run thee into the paris There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice Proposing with the Prince and Claudio: Whisper her ear, and tell her, I and Ursula Walk in the orchard, and our whole discourse Is all of her; say, that thou overheard'st us; And bid her steal into the pleached bower, Where honey-suckles, ripen'd by the sun, Forbid the sun to enter;-like favourites, Made proud by princes, that advance their Against that power that bred it :-there will she 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,

sently.

Hero. Now, Ursula, when Beatrice doth co As we do trace this alley up and down, Our talk must only be of Benedick: When I do name him, let it be thy part To praise him more than ever man did merit: My talk to thee must be, how Benedick Is sick in love with Beatrice: of this matter Is little Cupid's crafty arrow made, That only wounds by hearsay. Now begin;

Enter BEATRICE, behind. For look where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs Close by the ground, to hear our conference.

Urs. The pleasant'st angling is to see the fish Cut with her golden oars the silver stream, And greedily devour the treacherous bait: So angle we for Beatrice; who even now Is couched in the woodbine coverture: Fear you not my part of the dialogue. Hero. Then go we near her, that her ear s nothing Of the false sweet bait, that we lay for it. (They advance to the bower No, truly, Ursula, she is too disdainful; I know, her spirits are as coy and wild As haggards of the rock.

Urs.

But are you sure,

D. Pedro. It were good, that Benedick knew of it by some other, if she will not discover it.

Claud. To what end? He would make but a sport of it, and torment the poor lady worse.

D. Pedro. An he should, it were an alms to hang him she's an excellent sweet lady; and, out of all suspicion, she is virtuous.

Claud. And she is exceeding wise.

D. Pedro. In every thing, but in loving Benedick. Leon. O my lord, wisdom and blood combating in so tender a body, we have ten proofs to one, that blood hath the victory. I am sorry for her, as I have just cause, being her uncle and her guardian.

D. Pedro. I would she had bestowed this dotage on me; I would have daff'd all other respects, and made her half myself: I pray you, tell Benedick of it, and hear what he will say.

Leon. Were it good, think you?

Claud. Hero thinks surely she will die; for she says, she will die, if he love her not; and she will die, ere she makes her love known; and she will die if he woo her, rather than she will 'bate one breath of her accustomed crossness.

D. Pedro. She doth well: if she should make teuder of her love, 'tis very possible he'll scorn it: for the man, as you know all, hath a contemptible Claud. He is a very proper man. [spirit.

D. Pedro. He hath, indeed, a good outward happiness.

Claud. Fore God, and in my mind very wise.
D. Pedro. He doth, indeed, shew some sparks

that are like wit.

Leon. And I take him to be valiant.

:

D. Pedro. As Hector, I assure you and in the managing of quarrels you may see he is wise; for either he avoids them with great discretion, or undertakes them with a most Christian-like fear.

Leon. If he do fear God, he must necessarily keep peace; if he break the peace, he ought to enter into a quarrel with fear and trembling.

D. Pedro. And so will he do; for the man doth fear God, howsoever it seems not in him, by some large jests he will make. Well, I am sorry for your niece: shall we go see Benedick, and tell him of her love?

Claud. Never tell him, my lord; let her wear it out with good counsel.

Leon. Nay, that's impossible; she may wear her

heart out first.

D. Pedro. Well, we'll hear further of it by your daughter; let it cool the while. I love Benedick well: and I could wish he would modestly examine himself, to see how much he is unworthy so good a lady.

Leon. My lord, will you walk? dinner is ready. Claud. If he do not doat on her upon this, I will never trust my expectation. (Aside.) D. Pedro. Let there be the same net spread for her; and that must your daughter and her gentlewoman carry. The sport will be, when they hold one an opinion of another's dotage, and no such matter; that's the scene that I would see, which will be merely a dumb show. Let us send her to call him in to dinner. (Aside.) [Exeunt Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato. BENEDICK advances from the arbour. Bene. This can be no trick: the conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady; it seems, her affections have their full bent. Love me! why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured: they say, I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the love come from her; they say too, that she will rather die than give any sign of affection.-I did never think to marry-I must not seem proud :-Happy are they, that hear their detractions, and can put them to mending. They say, the lady is fair; 'tis a truth, I can bear them witness and virtuous;-'tis so, I cannot reprove it: and wise, but for loving me

|

By my troth, it is no addition to her wit;-nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her.-I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me, because l'have railed so long against marriage: but doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the meat in his youth, that he cannot endure in his age: shall quips, and sentences, and these paper bullets of the brain, awe a man from the career of his humour? No: the world must be peopled. When I said, I would die a ba chelor, I did not think I should live till I were married.-Here comes Beatrice: by this day, shel a fair lady : I do spy some marks of love in her. Enter BEATRICE.

Beat. Against my will, I am sent to bid you con in to dinner.

Bene. Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pain Beat. I took no more pains for those thanks, I would not have come. you take pains to thank me; if it had been pain

Bene. You take pleasure in the message? Beat. Yea, just so much as you may take a knife's point, and choke a daw withal:-You) no stomach, signior; fare you well.

Bene. Ha! Against my will I am sent to bidy come to dinner-there's a double meaning in that

took no more pains for those thanks, than you ty pains to thank me-that's as much as to say, do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not k pains that I take for you is as easy as thanks:her, I am a Jew: I will go get her picture. [E

ACT III.

SCENE I-Leonato's Garden. Enter HERO, MARGARET, and URSULA, Hero. Good Margaret, run thee into the park There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice Proposing with the Prince and Claudia: Whisper her ear, and tell her, I and Ursula Walk in the orchard, and our whole discourse Is all of her; say, that thou overheard'st us; And bid her steal into the pleached bower, Where honey-suckles, ripen'd by the sun, Forbid the sun to enter;-like favourites, Made proud by princes, that advance their prid Against that power that bred it :-there will she 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,

sently.

Hero. Now, Ursula, when Beatrice doth con As we do trace this alley up and down, Our talk must only be of Benedick: When I do name him, let it be thy part To praise him more than ever man did merit: My talk to thee must be, how Benedick Is sick in love with Beatrice: of this matter Is little Cupid's crafty arrow made, That only wounds by hearsay. Now begin; Enter BEATRICE, behind. For look where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs Close by the ground, to hear our conference.

Urs. The pleasant'st angling is to see the fish Cut with her golden oars the silver stream, And greedily devour the treacherous bait: So angle we for Beatrice; who even now Is couched in the woodbine coverture: Fear you not my part of the dialogue. Hero. Then go we near her, that her earl nothing Of the false sweet bait, that we lay for it. (They advance to the bow No, truly, Ursula, she is too disdainful I know, her spirits are as coy and wild As haggards of the rock. Urs.

But are you sure,