**That I believe," said she, "for he swore a thing to me on Monday night, which he forswore on Tuesday morning: there's a double tongue: there's two tongues." Thus did she, an hour together, trans-shape thy particular virtues: yet at last she concluded with a sigh, thou wast the properest man in Italy.

Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and said she cared not.

D. Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet, for all that, an' if she did not hate him deadly, she would love him dearly: the old man's daughter told us all.

Claud. All, all; and moreover, God saw him when he was hid in the garden.

Claud. Rightly reasoned, and in his own division; and, by my troth, there's one meaning well suited.

D. Pedro. Whom have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? this learned constable is too cunning to be understood: what's your offence?

Bora. Sweet prince, let me go no further to mine answer: do you hear me, and let this count kill me. I have deceived even your very eyes: what your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light; who, in the night, overheard me confessing to this man, how Don John your brother incensed me to slander the lady Hero; D. Pedro. But when shall we set the savage how you were brought into the orchard, and bull's horns on the sensible Benedick's head? saw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; Claud. Yea, and text underneath, Here how you disgraced her, when you should dwells Benedick the married man!" marry her my villainy they have upon reBene. Fare you well, boy; you know my cord: which I had rather seal with my mind. I will leave you now to your gossip-death, than repeat over to my shame. The like humour: you break jests as braggarts do lady is dead upon mine and my master's false their blades, which, God be thanked, hurt not. accusation; and briefly, I desire nothing but -My lord, for your many courtesies I thank the reward of a villain. you I must discontinue your company: your brother, the bastard, is fled from Messina : you have, among you, killed a sweet and innocent lady. For my lord Lackbeard there, he and I shall meet; and till then, peace be with him. [Exit.

D. Pedro. He is in earnest.
Claud. In most profound earnest; and, I'll
warrant you, for the love of Beatrice.

D. Pedro. And hath challenged thee?
Claud. Most sincerely.

D. Pedro. What a pretty thing man is when he goes in his doublet and hose, and leaves off his wit!

Claud. He is then a giant to an ape: but then is an ape a doctor to such a man.

D. Pedro. But, soft you, let me be: pluck up, my heart, and be sad! Did he not say my brother was fled?

Enter Dogberry, Verges, and the Watch, with Conrade and Borachio. Dogb. Come, you, sir: if justice cannot tame you, she shall ne'er weigh more reasons in her balance. Nay, an' you be a cursing hypocrite once, you must be looked to.

D. Pedro. How now! two of my brother's men bound? Borachio, one?

Claud. Hearken after their offence, my lord. D. Pedro. Officers, what offence have these men done?

D. Pedro. Runs not this speech like iron through your blood?

Claud. I have drunk poison whiles he

utter'd it.

[to this? D. Pedro. But did my brother set thee on Bora. Yea; and paid me richly for the [treachery :

practice of it.

D. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of And fled he is upon this villainy. [appear Claud. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth In the rare semblance that I lov'd it first.

Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs: by this time our sexton hath reformed signior Leonato of the matter: and masters, do not forget to specify, when time and place shall serve, that I am an ass.

Verg. Here, here comes master signior
Leonata, and the sexton too.

Re-enter Leonato, Antonio, and the Sexton.
Leon. Which is the villain? Let me see

his eyes,

look on me.

That, when I note another man like him,
I may avoid him. Which of these is he?
Bora. If you would know your wronger,
[breath hast kill'd
Leon. Art thou the slave that with thy
Mine innocent child?
Bora.
Yea, even I alone.
Leon. No, not so, villain; thou beliest thy-
Here stand a pair of honourable men, [self:
A third is fled, that had a hand in it.-

Dogb. Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death: Secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and Record it with your high and worthy deeds; lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they 'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it. have verified unjust things; and, to conclude, Claud. I know not how to pray your they are lying knaves.

patience;

[self;

D. Pedro. First, I ask thee what they have Yet I must speak. Choose your revenge yourdone; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offence; Impose me to what penance your invention sixth and lastly, why they are committed; Can lay upon my sin: yet sinn'd I not, and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge? But in mistaking.

D. Pedro.
By my soul, nor I :
And yet, to satisfy this good old man,
I would bend under any heavy weight
That he'll enjoin me to.

[live,

Leon. I cannot bid you bid my daughter
That were impossible; but, I pray you both,
Possess the people in Messina here,
How innocent she died; and if your love
Can labour aught in sad invention,
Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb,
And sing it to her bones,-sing it to-night :-
To-morrow morning come you to my house;
And since you could not be my son-in-law,
Be yet my nephew: my brother hath a daugh-
Almost the copy of my child that's dead, [ter,
And she alone is heir to both of us :
Give her the right you should have given her
And so dies my revenge.
[cousin,

Claud.
O noble sir!
Your over-kindness doth wring tears from me.
I do embrace your offer; and dispose
For henceforth of poor Claudio.

[coming;
Leon. To-morrow, then, I will expect your
To-night I take my leave.—This naughty man
Shall face to face be brought to Margaret,
Who, I believe, was pack'd in all this wrong,
Hir'd to it by your brother.

Bora.
No, by my soul, she was not
Nor knew not what she did, when she spoke
to me;

But always hath been just and virtuous,
In anything that I do know by her.

Claud.

To-night I'll mourn with Hero. [Exeunt Don Pedro and Claudio. Leon. Bring you these fellows on. We'll talk with Margaret,

How her acquaintance grew with this lewd
fellow.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Leonato's Garden.
Enter Benedick and Margaret, meeting.
Bene. Pray thee, sweet mistress Margaret,
deserve well at my hands by helping me to
the speech of Beatrice.

Marg. Will you, then, write me a sonnet in praise of my beauty?

Bene. In so high a style, Margaret, that no man living shall come over it; for, in most comely truth, thou deservest it.

Marg. To have no man come over me! why, shall I always keep below-stairs?

Bene. Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth,-it catches.

Marg. And yours as blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not.

Bene. A most manly wit, Margaret; it will not hurt a woman; and so, I pray thee, call Beatrice : I give thee the bucklers.

Marg. Give us the swords; we have buck;lers of our own.

Bene. If you use them, Margaret, you must put in the pikes with a vice; and they are dangerous weapons for maids.

Marg. Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who think hath legs.

Bene. And therefore will come.

[Exit Margaret.

[Singing.]

The god of love,

That sits above,

And knows me, and knows me,

How pitiful I deserve,

Dogb. Moreover, sir, (which, indeed, is not under white and black,) this plaintiff here, the offender, did call me a ass: I beseech you, let] it be remembered in his punishment. And also, the watch heard them talk of one Deformed they say he wears a key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it; and borrows money in God's name,-the which he hath used so I mean, in singing; but in loving, Leander long, and never paid, that now men grow the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer hard-hearted, and will lend nothing for God's of panders, and a whole book-full of these sake: pray you, examine him upon that point. quondam carpet-mongers, whose names yet Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honest run smoothly in the even road of a blank pains. verse,-why, they were never so truly turned Dogb. Your worship speaks like a most over and over as my poor self, in love. Marry, thankful and reverend youth; and I praise I cannot show it in rhyme; I have tried: I God for you. Leon. There's for thy pains. can find out no rhyme to "lady but Dogb. God save the foundation ! 'baby," -an innocent rhyme; for " scorn, Leon. Go, I discharge thee of thy prisoner," horn," - a hard rhyme; for school," and I thank thee.

Dogb. I leave an arrant knave with your worship; which I beseech your worship to correct yourself, for the example of others. God keep your worship! I wish your worship well; God restore you to health! I humbly give you leave to depart; and if a merry meeting may be wished, God prohibit it !-Come, neighbour.

[Exeunt Dogberry, Verges, and Watch. Leon. Until to-morrow morning, lords, farewell. [to-morrow. Ant. Farewell, my lords: we look for you D. Pedro. We will not fail.

'fool," a babbling rhyme; very ominous endings: no, I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms.— Enter Beatrice.

Sweet Beatrice, wouldst thou come when I
called thee?
[bid me.
Beat. Yea, signior; and depart when you
Bene. O, stay but till then!

Beat. "Then" is spoken; fare you well now:-and yet, ere I go, let me go with that I came for; which is, with knowing what hath passed between you and Claudio.

Bene. Only foul words; and thereupon I will kiss thee.

Beat. Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I will depart unkissed.

Bene. Thou hast frighted the word out of his right sense, so forcible is thy wit. But I must tell thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I must shortly hear from him, or I will subscribe him a coward. And, I pray thee now, tell me for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me?

Praising her when I am dumb.-
music, sound; and sing your solemn

Beat. For them altogether; which main-Now, hymn. tained so politic a state of evil, that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them. But for which of my good parts did you first suffer love for me? Bene. "Suffer love," -a good epithet! I do suffer love indeed, for I love thee against my will.

Beat. In spite of your heart, I think; alas, poor heart! If you spite it for my sake, I will spite it for yours; for I will never love that which my friend hates.

Bene. Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.

Beat. It appears not in this confession; there's not one wise man among twenty that will praise himself.

If

Bene. An old, an old instance, Beatrice,
that lived in the time of good neighbours.
a man do not erect in this age his own tomb
ere he dies, he shall live no longer in monu-
ment than the bell rings and the widow weeps.
Beat. And how long is that, think you?
Bene. Question-why, an hour in clamour,
and a quarter in rheum: therefore it is most
expedient for the wise (if Don Worm, his con-
science, find no impediment to the contrary).
to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as I am
to myself. So much for praising myself, who,
I myself will bear witness, is praiseworthy.
And now tell me, how doth your cousin?

Beat. Very ill. Bene. And how do you?
Beat. Very ill too.

Bene. Serve God, love me, and mend. There will I leave you too, for here comes one in haste.

Enter Ursula.

Urs. Madam, you must come to your uncle. Yonder's old coil at home: it is proved, my lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the prince and Claudio mightily abused; and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone. Will you come presently?

Beat. Will you go hear this news, signior? Bene. I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap. and be buried in thy eyes; and moreover, I will go with thee to thy uncle's. [Exeunt.

SCENE III. The Inside of a Church.
Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, and Attendants,
with music and tapers.
Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato?
Atten. It is, my lord.

SONG.

Pardon, goddess of the night,
Those that slew thy virgin knight;
For the which, with songs of woe,
Round about her tomb they go.
Midnight, assist our moan;
Help us to sigh and groan,
Heavily, heavily:

Graves, yawn, and yield your dead,
Till death be uttered,

Heavily, heavily.

Claud. Now, unto thy bones good night!

Yearly will I do this rite.

D. Pedro. Good-morrow, masters; put your torches out:

[day, The wolves have prey'd; and look, the gentle Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about Dapples the drowsy east with spots of gray. Thanks to you all, and leave us: fare you well. Claud. Good-morrow, masters: each his [other weeds :

several way.

D. Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on
And then to Leonato's we will go.
Claud. And Hymen now with luckier issue
speeds,

Than this, for whom we render'd up this

[woe! [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-A Room in Leonato's House.

Enter Leonato, Antonio, Benedick, Beatrice,
Margaret, Ursula, Friar, and Hero.
Friar. Did I not tell you she was innocent?
Leon. So are the prince and Claudio, who
accus'd her

Upon the error that you heard debated:
But Margaret was in some fault for this,
Although against her will, as it appears
In the true course of all the question.
Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so
Bene. And so am I, being else by faith en-
forc'd

[well.

Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd coun-
tenance.
[think.
Bene. Friar, I must entreat your pains
Friar. To do what, signior? [them.-

Bene. To bind me, or undo me; one
Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior,
Your niece regards me with an eye of favour.
Leon. That eye my daughter lent her 'tis
[her.
Bene. And I do with an eye of love requite
Leon. The sight whereof, I think, you had
from me,
[will?

most true.

From Claudio, and the prince: but what's your
Bene. Your answer, sir, is enigmatical:
But, for my will, my will is, your good will
May stand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd
In the state of honourable marriage :
In which, good friar, I shall desire your help.
Leon. My heart is with your liking.
Friar.
And my help.
Here come the prince and Claudio.

Enter Don Pedro and Claudio, with
Attendants.

D. Pedro. Good-morrow to this fairassembly.
Leon. Good-morrow, prince: good-morrow,
Claudio:

We here attend you. Are you yet determin'd
To-day to marry with my brother's daughter?
Claud. I'll hold my mind, were she an
Ethiop.

Leon. Call her forth, brother: here's the
friar ready.
[Exit Antonio.
D. Pedro. Good-morrow, Benedick. Why,
what's the matter,

That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness?
Claud. I think, he thinks upon the savage
bull.-

Tush! fear not, man; we'll tip thy horns with
And all Europa shall rejoice at thee; [gold,
As once Europa did at lusty Jove,
When he would play the noble beast in love.
Bene. Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low;
And some such strange bull leap'd your father's
And got a calf in that same noble feat, [cow,
Much like to you, for you have just his bleat.
Claud. For this I owe you here come
other reckonings.

me see your face.

D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is
dead!
[slander liv'd.
Leon. She died, my lord, but whiles her
Friar. All this amazement can I qualify:
When, after that the holy rites are ended,
I'll tell you largely of fair Hero's death:
Meantime, let wonder seem familiar,
And to the chapel let us presently. [Beatrice?
Bene. Soft and fair, friar. - Which is
Beat. [Unmasking.] I answer to that name.
What is your will?

Bene. Do not you love me?

Beat. Why, no; no more than reason.
Bene. Why, then, your uncle, and the

Containing her affection unto Benedick.

Bene. A miracle! here's our own hands against our hearts.-Come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity.

Beat. I would not deny you ;-but, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion; and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption.

Bene. Peace! I will stop your mouth. [Kissing her. D. Pedro. How dost thou, Benedick, the married man?

Bene. I'll tell thee what, prince; a college

Re-enter Antonio, with the ladies masked. Which is the lady I must seize upon? her. of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my Ant. This same is she, and I do give you humour. Dost thou think I care for a satire, Claud. Why, then she's mine.-Sweet, let or an epigram? No; if a man will be beaten [her hand with brains, he shall wear nothing handsome Leon. No, that you shall not, till you take about him. In brief, since I do purpose to Before this friar, and swear to marry her. marry, I will think nothing to any purpose Claud. Give me your hand before this holy that the world can say against it; and thereI am your husband, if you like of me. [friar: fore never flout at me for what I have said Hero. And when I liv'd, I was your other against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this [Unmasking. is my conclusion.-For thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but, in that thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin.

wife :

And when you lov'd, you were my other hus-
Claud. Another Hero!

Hero.

[band.

Nothing certainer One Hero died defil'd; but I do live,

And surely as I live, I am a maid.

:

Claud. I had well hoped thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgelled

thee out of thy single life, to make thee a get thee a wife: there is no staff more reverend double dealer; which, out of question, thou than one tipped with horn. wiit be, if my cousin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee.

Bene, Come, come, we are friends.-Let's have a dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts, and our wives' heels. Leon. We'll have dancing afterward. Bene. First, of my word; therefore play, music!-Prince, thou art sad; get thee a wife,

SCENE,-Navarre.