Beatrice, advancing. Beat. What fire is in my ears? can this be true? Stand I condemn'd for Pride and Scorn fo much? Contempt, farewel! and maiden pride, adieu! No glory lives behind the back of fuch. And, Benedick, love on, I will requite thee; Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand; For others fay, thou doft deferve; and I SCENE II. Leonato's House. [Exit. Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick and Leonato. Pedro mate, and then go I toward Arragon. Do but stay 'till your marriage be confum Claud. I'll bring you thither, my lord, if you'll vouchfafe me. Pedro. Nay, That would be as great a foil in the new glofs of your marriage, as to fhew a child his new coat and forbid him to wear it. I will only be bold with Benedick for his company; for, from the crown of his head to the fole of his foot, he is all mirth; he hath twice or thrice cut Cupid's bow-ftring, and the little hangman dare not fhoot at him; he hath a heart as 4 What fire is in my cars?-] Alluding to a proverbial faying of the common people, that their ears burn when others are talking of them. WARBURION. 5 Taming my wild heart to the loving hand] This image 5 is taken from falconry. She had been charged with being as wild. as Haggards of the rock; fhe therefore fays, that wild as her heart is, the will tame it to the bind. found found as a bell, and his tongue is the clapper; for what his heart thinks, his tongue fpeaks. Bene. Gallants, I am not as I have been. Pedro. Hang him, truant, there's no true drop of blood in him, to be truly touch'd with love; if he be fad, he wants mony. Bene. I have the tooth-ach. Pedro. Draw it. Bene. Hang it. Claud. You must hang it first, and draw it afterwards. Pedro. What? figh for the tooth-ach! Leon. Which is but a humour, or a worm. Bene. Well, every one can mafter a grief but he that has it. Claud. Yet fay I, he is in love. 6 Pedro. There is no appearance of fancy in him, unlefs it be a fancy that he hath to ftrange difguifes, as to be a Dutch man to day, a French man to morrow; or in the fhape of two countries at once, a German from the wafte downward, all flops; and a Spaniard from the hip upward, no doublet: Unless he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it to appear he is. Claud. If he be not in love with fome woman, there is no believing old figns; he brushes his hat o' mornings; what fhould that bode? Pedro. Hath any man feen him at the barber's? Claud. No, but the barber's man hath been seen with him; and the old ornament of his cheek hath already ftuft tennis balls. Leon. Indeed, he looks younger than he did by the lofs of a beard. 6 There is no appearance of feare uses for love as well as for fancy, Here is a play u- humour, caprice, or affectation. pon the word fancy, which Shake Pedro. Pedro. Nay, he rubs himself with civet; can you fmell him out by that? Claud. That's as much as to fay, the sweet youth's in love. Pedro. The greatest note of it is his melancholy. Claud. And when was he wont to wafh his face? Pedro. Yea, or to paint himself? for the which, I hear what they fay of him. Claud. Nay, but his jefting fpirit, which is now crepe into a lute-firing and now govern'd by stops Pedro. Indeed, that tells a heavy tale for him. Con clude, he is in love. Claud. Nay, but I know who loves him. Pedro. That would I know too: I warrant, one that knows him not. Claud. Yes, and his ill conditions, and in despight of all, dies for him. Old Pedo. She fhall be bury'd with her face upwards. 7 Bene. Yet is this no charm for the tooth ach. Signior, walk afide with me, I have study'd eight or nine wife words to speak to you which thefe hobbyhorses must not hear. [Exeunt Benedick and Leonato. Pedro. For my life, to break with him about Beatrice. Claud. 'Tis even fo. Hero and Margaret have by this time play'd their parts with Beatrice; and then the two bears will not bite one another, when they meet. 7 She fhall be buried with her Face upwards.] Thus the whole Set of Editions: But what is there any ways particular in This? Are not all Men and Women buried fo? Sure, the Poet means, in Oppofition to the ge neral Rule, and by way of Diftinction, with her heels upwards, or face downwards. I have cho fen the firft Reading, because I find it the Expreflion in Vogue in our Author's time. THEOBALD. This emendation, which appears to me very fpecious, is rejected by Dr. Warburton. The meaning feems to be, that she who acted upon principles contrary to others, fhould be buried with the fame contrariety. SCENE John. My Lord and Brother, God fave you. John. If your leifure ferv'd, I would speak with you. John. If it please you; yet Count Claudio may hear; for, what I would fpeak of, concerns him. Pedro. What's the matter? John. Means your lordship to be marry'd to mor row. Pedro. You know, he does. [To Claudio. John. I know not that, when he knows what I know. Claud. If there be any impediment, I pray you, dif cover it. John. You may think, I love you not; let that ap pear hereafter; and aim better at me by That I now will manifeft; for my brother, I think, he holds you well, and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect your enfuing marriage; furely, Suit ill fpent, and Labour ill beftow'd! Pedro. Why, what's the matter? John. I came hither to tell you, and circumstances fhorten'd, (for fhe hath been too long a talking of) the Lady is difloyal. Claud. Who? Hero? John. Even fhe; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero. Claud. Difloyal? John. The word is too good to paint out her wickedness; I could fay, fhe were worfe; think you of a worfe title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not 'till further warrant; go but with me to night, you shall fee her chamber window enter'd, even the night be fore fore her wedding day; if you love her, then to morrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour to change your mind. Claud. May this be fo? Pedro. I will not think it. John. If you dare not trust that you fee, confess not that you know; if you will follow me, I will fhew you enough; and when you have feen more and heard more, proceed accordingly. Claud. If I fee any thing to night why I fhould not marry her to morrow; in the Congregation, where I fhould wed, there will I fhame her. Pedro. And as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to disgrace her. John. I will difparage her no farther, 'till you are my witneffes. Bear it coldly but 'till night, and let the iffue fhew itself. Pedro. O day untowardly turned! Claud. O mifchief ftrangely thwarting! So you will fay, when you have feen the fequel. SCENE IV. Changes to the Street. [Exeunt. Enter Dogberry and Verges, with the Watch. Dogb. A RE you good men and true? Verg. Yea, or else it were pity but they fhould fuffer falvation, body and foul. Degb. Nay, that were a punishment too good for them, if they should have any allegiance in them, being chofen for the Prince's Watch. Verg. Well, give them their charge, neighbour Dogberry. Dogb. |