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Then figh not fo, but let them go,
And be you blyth and bonny;
Converting all your founds of woe
Into Hey nony, rony.

Sing no more ditties, fing no mo
Of dumps fo dull and heavy;
The frauds of men were ever fo,
Since fummer was firft leafy.
Then figh not fo, &c.

Pedro. By my troth, a good fong.
Balth. And an ill finger, my Lord.

Pedro. Ha, no; no faith; thou fing'st well enough for a fhift.

Bene." If he had been a dog, that fhould have "howl'd thus, they would have hang'd him; and, I pray God, his bad voice bode no mifchief!" I had as lief have heard the night-raven, come what plague could have come after it.

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Pedro. Yea, marry, doft thou hear, Balthazar? I pray thee get us fome excellent mufic; for to-morrow night we would have it at the Lady Hero's chamberwindow.

Balth. The best I can, my Lord. [Exit Balthazar. Pedro. Do fo: farewel. Come hither, Leonato; what was it you told me of to-day, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick?

Claud. O, ay;

-stalk on, stalk on, the fowl fits. I did never think that lady would have loved any

man.

Leon. No, nor I neither; but most wonderful, that The fhould fo doat on Signior Benedick, whom the hath in all outward behaviours feem'd ever to abhor.

Bene. Is't poffible? fits the wind in that corner?

[Afide. Leon. By my troth, my Lord, I cannot tell what to think of it; but that the loves him with an inraged affection,-it is paft the definite of thought.

Pedro. May be the doth but counterfeit.
Claud. Faith, like enough.

Leon. O God! counterfeit? there was never coun

VOL. II.

D

terfeit,

terfeit of paffion came fo near the life of paffion, as fhe diicovers it.

Pedro. Why, what effects of paffion fhews fhe?
Claud. Bait the hook well, this fish will bite.

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[Afide.

Leon. What effects, my Lord? fhe will fit you, you heard my daughter tell you how.

Claud She did, indeed

Pedro. How, how, I pray you? you amaze me: I would have thought her fpirit had been invincible against all affaults of affection.

Leon. I would have fworn it had, my Lord; efpecially against Benedick

Bene. [fide] I fhould think this a gull, but that the white-bearded fellow fpeaks it; knavery cannot fure hide himself in fuch reverence.

Claud He hath ta'en th' infection, hold it up.

[Afide Pedro. Hath fhe made her affection known to Benedick?

Leon. No, and swears she never will ; that's her

torment.

Claud. 'Tis true, indeed, fo your daughter fays: fhall I, fays fhe, that have so oft encounter'd him withi fcorn, write to him that I love him?

Leon. This fays fhe now, when fhe is beginning to write to him; for the'll be up twenty times a-night, and there will fhe fit in her fmock, till the have writ a fheet of paper. My daughter tells us all.

Claud. Now you talk of a fheet of paper, I remem, ber a pretty jeft your daughter told us of

Leon O, when the had writ it, and was reading it over, fhe found Benedick and Beatrice between the fheet.

Claud. That

Leon, O, the tore the letter into a thoufand halfpence; rail'd at herself, that the fhould be fo immodeft, to write to one that the knew would flout her : I measure him, fays fhe, by my own fpirit, for I should flout him if he writ to me; yea, though I love him, I fhould

Claud. Then down upon her knees fhe falls, weeps,

fobs,

fobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses; O fweet Benedick! God give me patience!

Leon. She doth, indeed, my daughter fays fo; and the ecftaly hath fo much overborne her, that my daughter is fometime afraid fhe will do defperate outrage to herself; it is very true.

Pedro It were good, that Benedick knew of it by fome other, if fhe will not discover it

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

Pedro. If he fhould, it were an alms to hang him; fhe's an excellent fweet lady, and (out of all fufpicion)

fhe is virtuous.

Claud. And fhe is exceeding wife.

Pedro. In every thing but in loving Benedick.

Leon. O my Lord, wifdom and blood combating in fo tender a body, we have ten proofs to one, that blood hath the victory; I am forry for her, as I have just caufe, being her uncle and her guardian.

Pedro. I would fhe had beltow'd this dotage on me; I would have dafft all other refpects, and made her half myself. I pray you tell Benedick of it, and hear what he will fay.

Leon. Were it good, think you?

Claud. Hero thinks furely fhe will die; for fhe fays, fhe will die if he love her not, and fhe will die ere the make her love known; and she will die if he woo her, rather than fhe will bate one breath of her accustom'd croffness

Pedro. She doth well; if fhe fhould make tender of her love, 'tis very poffible he'll fcorn it; for the man, as you know all, hath a contemptible fpirit.

Claud. He is a very proper man.

Pedro. He hath indeed a good outward happiness. Claud. 'Fore God, and, in my mind, very wife. Pedro. He doth indeed fhew fome fparks that are like wit.

Leon. And I take him to be valiant.

Pedro. As Hector, I affure you: and in the managing of quarrels you may fay he is wife; for either he avoids them with great difcretion, or undertakes them

D 2

with

with a Chriftian-like fear *. Well, I am forry for your niece: fhall we go feek Benedick, and tell him of her love?

Claud. Never tell him, my Lord; let her wear it out with good counfel.

Leon. Nay, that's impoffible, fhe may wear her heart out first.

Pedro. Well, we will hear further of it by your daughter; let it cool the while. I love Benedick well; and I could wifh he would modeftly examine himself, to fee how much he is unworthy to have fo 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. [Afide.

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· Pedro. Let there be the fame net spread for her, and that must your daughter and her gentlewoman carry; the fport will be, when they hold an opinion of one another's dotage, and no such matter; that's the scene that I would fee, which will be merely a dumb show. Let us fend her to call him to dinner.

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[Afide. [Exeunt.

SCENE X. Benedick advances from the arbour.

Bene. This can be no trick, the conference was

fadly borne; they have the truth of this from Hero; "they feem to pity the lady; it feems her affections "have the full bent Love me! why, it must be re"quited. I hear how I am cenfur'd: they fay I will "bear myfelf proudly, if I perceive the love come from her; they fay too, that fhe will rather die than give any fign of affection. I did never think to marry I must not feem proud- -Happy are they that "hear their detractions, and can put them to mend“ing They fay the lady is fair; 'tis a truth I can "bear them witnefs: and virtuous;-'tis fo, I cannot

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a Chriftian-like fear.

Leon. If he do fear God, he must neceffarily keep peace; if he break the peace, he ought to enter into a quarrel with fear and trembling. Pedro. And fo will he do; for the man dth fear God, howfoever it feems not in him, by fome large jefts he will make. Well, &c.

"C reprove

"reprove it: and wife, 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 to have some odd quirks and rem"nants of wit broken on me, becaufe I have rail'd fo "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 fentences, " and these paper-bullets of the brain, awe a man from "the career of his humour? no; the world must be peopled. When I faid, I would die a bachelor, I "did not think I fhould live till I were marry'd. Here comes Beatrice: by this day, she's a fair lady; I do "fpy fome marks of love in her."

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Enter Beatrice.

Beat. Against my will, I am fent to bid you come

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.

Bente. You take pleafure then in the meffage.

Beat. Yea, juft fo much as you may take upon a knife's point, and choak a daw withal: you have no ftomach, Signior; fare you well. [Exit.

Bene. Ha! against my will I am fent to bid you come in to dinner; there's a double meaning in that I took no more pains for thofe thanks, than you took pains to thank me-that's as much as to fay, any pains that I take for you is as eafy as thanks. If I do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not love her, I am a Jew; I will go get her picture. [Exit.

Hero.

ACT III. SCENE I.

Continues in the orchard.

Enter Hero, Margaret, and Ursula.

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OOD Margaret, run thee into the parlour, J There fhalt thou find my cousin Beatrice, Propofing with the Prince and Claudio;

Whisper

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