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Beat. I cry you mercy, Uncle: by your Grace's pardón. [Exit Beatrice. Pedro. By my troth, a pleasant-fpirited Lady.

Leon. There's little of the melancholy element in her, my Lord; the is never fad but when the fleeps, and not ever fad then; (7) for I have heard my daughter fay, The hath often dream'd of an happiness, and wak'd herfelf with laughing.

Pedro. She cannot endure to hear tell of a huf band.

Leon. O by no means, the mocks all her wooers out of fuit.

Pedro. She were an excellent wife for Benedick.

Leon. O Lord, my Lord, if they were but a week marry'd, they would talk themselves mad.

Pedro. Count Claudio, when mean you to go to church?

Claud. To-morrow, my Lord; time goes on crutches, 'till love have all his rites.

Leon. Not 'till Monday, my dear fon, which is hence a juft feven-night, and a time too brief too, to have all things anfwer my mind.

Pedro. Come, you shake the head at fo long a breathing; but, I warrant thee, Claudio, the time fhall not go dully by us. I will in the Interim undertake one of Hercules's labours, which is, to bring Signior Benedick and the Lady Beatrice into a mountain of affection the one with the other; I would fain have it a match, and I doubt not to fashion it, if you three will but minister fuch affiftance as I fhall give you direction.

Leon. My Lord, I am for you, though it coft me ten nights watchings.

(7) For I bave heard my daughter fay, She bath often dream'd of unhappiness, and wak'd berfelf with laughing.] Tho' all the Impreffions agree in this Reading, furely, 'tis abfolutely repugnant to what Leonato intends to say, which is this; "Bea

trice is never fad, but when the fleeps; and not ever fad then: for he hath often dream'd of fomething merry, (an "happiness, as the Poet phrafes it,) and wak'd herself with ❝ laughing.”

B 2

Claud.

Claud. And I, my Lord.

Pedro. And you too, gentle Hero?

Hero. I will do any modeft office, my Lord, to help my Coufin to a good husband.

Pedro. And Benedick is not the unhopefulleft husband that I know: thus far I can praise him; he is of a noble ftrain, of approv'd valour, and confirm'd honefty. I will teach you how to humour your Coufin, that the fhall fall in love with Benedick; and I, with your two helps, will fo practife on Benedick, that in defpight of his quick wit, and his queafie ftomach, he fhall fall in love with Beatrice. If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer, his glory fhall be ours, for we are. the only Love-Gods; go in with me, and I will tell you my drift. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to another Apartment in Leonato's House.

I

Enter Don John and Borachio.

John. T is fo, the Count Claudio fhall marry the Daughter of Leonato.

Bora. Yea, my Lord, but I can cross it.

John. Any bar, any crofs, any impediment will be medicinable to me; I am fick in difpleasure to him; and whatsoever comes athwart his affection, ranges evenly with mine. How canft thou cross this marriage?

Bora. Not honeftly, my Lord, but fo covertly that no dishonesty shall appear in me.

John. Shew me briefly how.

Bora. I think, I told your lordship a year fince, how much I am in the favour of Margaret, the waiting-gentlewoman to Hero.

John. I remember.

Bora. I can, at any unfeasonable inftant of the night, appoint her to look out at her Lady's chamber-win.dow.

John.

John. What life is in That, to be the death of this marriage?

Bora. The poifon of That lies in you to temper; go you to the Prince your brother, fpare not to tell him, that he hath wrong'd his Honour in marrying the renown'd Claudio, (whofe eftimation do you mightily hold up) to a contaminated Stale, fuch a one as Hero.

John. What Proof fhall I make of That?

Bera. Proof enough to mifufe the Prince, to vex Claudio, to undo Hero, and kill Leonato; look you for any other Iffue?

John. Only to despite them, I will endeavour any thing.

(8) Bora. Go then find me a meet hour, to draw Don Pedro,

(8) Bora. Go then, find me a meet hour to draw on Pedro and the Count Claudio, alone; tell them that you know Hero loves mez ·Offer them Inftances, which shall bear no lefs Likelibood than to fee me at ber Chamber-window; bear me call Margaret, Hero; bear Margaret term me CLAUDIO; and bring them to fee this the very night before the intended Wedding.] Thus the whole Stream of the Editions from the firft Quarto downwards. I am oblig'd here to give a short Account of the Plot depending, that the Emendation I have made may appear the more clear and unquestionable. The Bufiness ftands thus: Claudio, a Favourite of the Arragon Prince, is, by his Interceffions with her Father, to be marry'd to fair Hero; Don John, natural Brother of the Prince, and a Hater of Claudio, is in his Spleen zealous to disappoint the Match. Borabio, a rafcally Dependent on Don John, offers his Affiftance, and engages to break off the Marriage by this Stratagem. "Tell the Prince and Claudio (fays He) that Hero is in Love "with Me; they won't believe it; offer them Proofs, as that "they fhall fee me converse with her in her Chamber-window. "I am in the good Graces of her Waiting-woman Margaret " and I'll prevail with Margaret at a dead hour of Night to "perfonate her Mistress Hero; do you then bring the Prince "and Claudio to overhear our Difcourfe; and They shall have "the Torment to hear me addrefs Margaret by the Name of "Hero, and her say sweet things to me by the Name of Clan"dio." This is the Substance of Borachio's Device to make

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Pedro, and the Count Claudio, alone; tell them, that you know, Hero loves me; intend a kind of zeal both to the Prince and Claudio, as in a love of your Brother's honour who hath made this match; and his friend's reputation, (who is thus like to be cozen'd with the fem blance of a maid,) that you have discover'd thus ; they will hardly believe this without tryal: offer them inftances, which shall bear no less likelihood than to see me at her chamber-window; hear me call Magaret, Hero; hear Margaret term me Borachio; and bring them to fee this, the very night before the intended Wedding; for in the mean time I will fo fafhion the matter, that Hero fhall be abfent; and there fhall appear fuch feeming truths of Hero's difloyalty, that jealoufie fhall be call'd affurance, and all the preparation overthrown.

John. Grow this to what adverse iffue it can, I will put it in practice: be cunning in the working this, and thy fee is a thousand ducats.

Bora. Be thou conftant in the accufation, and my cunning fhall not shame me.

John. I will prefently go learn their day of marriage.

[Exeunt. SCENE changes to Leonato's Orchard.

ΤΟΥ,

Bene. BOY

Enter Benedick, and a Boy.

Boy. Signior.

Hero fufpected of Difloyalty, and to break off her Match with Claudio. But, in the Name of common Senfe, could it dif pleafe Claudio to hear his Mistress making ufe of his Name tenderly? If he faw another Man with her, and heard her call him Claudio, he might reasonably think her betray'd, but not have the fame Reason to aecufe her of Difloyalty. Befides, how could her naming Claudio make the Prince and Claudio believe that the lov'd Borachio, as he defires Don John to infinuate to them that She did? The Circumstances weigh'd, there is no doubt but the Paffage ought to be reform'd, as I have fettled in the Text.

bear me call Margaret, Hero; bear Margaret ferm me BORACHIO.

Bene.

Bene. In my chamber-window lies a book, bring it hither to me in the orchard.

Boy. I am here already, Sir.

[Exit Boy.. Bene. I know that, but I would have thee hence, and here again I do much wonder, that one man, seeing how much another man is a fool, when he dedicates his behaviours to love, will, after he hath laught at fuch fhallow follies in others, become the argument of his own fcorn, by falling in love! and fuch a man is Claudio. I have known, when there was no mufick with him but the drum and the fife; and now had he rather hear the taber and the pipe; I have known, when he would have walk'd ten mile a foot, to fee a good armour; and now will he lie ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to fpeak plain, and to the purpose, like an honest man and a foldier; and now is he turn'd orthographer, his words are a very fantastical banquet, juft fo many ftrange difhes. May I be fo converted, and fee with thefe eyes? I cannot tell; I think not. I will not be fworn, but love may transform me to an oyfter; but I'll take my oath on it, 'till he have made an oyster of me, he shall never make me fuch a fool: one woman is fair, yet I am well; another is wife, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well. But 'till all graces be in one woman, one woman fhall not come in my grace. Rich fhe fhall be, that's certain; wife, or I'll none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her fair, or I'll never look on her; mild, or not come near me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good difcourfe, an excellent musician, and her hair fhall be of what colour it please God. Ha! the Prince and Monfieur Love! I will hide me in the arbour. [Withdraws.

Enter Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio, and Balthazar.

Pedro. Come, fhall we hear this mufick?
Claud. Yea, my good lord; how still the evening is,
As huh'd on purpofe to grace harmony!

Pedro. See you where Benedick hath hid himself?
Claud. O very well, my lord; the mufick ended,
B 4

We'll

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