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 few; I will go get her picture.

[Exit.

ACT III. SCENE I.

G

Continues in the Orchard.

Enter Hero, Margaret, and Urfula.

HERO.

NOOD Margaret, run thee into thee parlour,
There shalt thou find my Coufin Beatrice,
Propofing with the Prince and Claudio;
Whisper her ear, and tell her, I and Urfula
Walk in the orchard, and our whole difcourfe
Is all of her; fay, that thou overheard'st us;
And bid her steal into the pleached Bower,
Where honey-fuckles, ripen'd by the Sun,
Forbid the Sun to enter; like to Favourites,
Made proud by Princes, that advance their pride
Against that power that bred it: there will fhe hide her,
To liften our Purpofe; this is thy office,
Bear thee well in it, and leave us alone.

Marg. I'll make her come, I warrant, presently.

[Exit.

Hero. Now, Urfula, when Beatrice doth come,
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 muft be, how Benedick
Is fick in love with Beatrice; of this matter
Is little Cupid's crafty arrow made,

P 3

That only wounds by hear-fay: now begin.

Enter Beatrice, running towards the Arbour.
For look, where Beatrice, like lapwing, runs
Close by the ground to hear our conference.
Urf. The pleasant'it angling is to fee the fish
Cut with her golden oars the filver ftream,
And greedily devour the treacherous bait;
So angle we for Beatrice, who e'en now
Is couched in the woodbine coverture;
Fear you not my part of the dialogue.

Hero. Then go we near her, that her ear lofe nothing

Of the falfe-fweet bait that we lay for it.
No, truly, Urfula, fhe's too difdainful;
I know, her fpirits are as coy and wild
As haggards of the rock.

Urf. But are you fure,

That Benedick loves Beatrice fo entirely?

Hero. So fays the Prince, and my new-trothed lord. Urf. And did they bid you tell her of it, Madam ? Hero. They did intreat me to acquaint her of it; But I perfuaded them, if they lov'd Benedick, To with him wrestle with affection,

And never to let Beatrice know of it.

Urf. Why did you fo? doth not the Gentleman Deferve as full, as fortunate a bed,

As ever Beatrice fhall couch upon?

Hero. O God of love! I know, he doth deserve
As much as may be yielded to a man:
But nature never fram'd a woman's heart
Of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice.

ક

Difdain and fcorn ride fparkling in her eyes,
Mif-prizing what they look on; and her wit
Values itfelf fo highly, that to her

All matter elfe feems weak; fhe cannot love,

Nor take no fhape nor project of affection,

She is fo felf indeared.

Urf. Sure, I think fo;

And therefore certainly it were not good

She knew his love, left she make fport at it.

Hero. Why, you speak truth. I never yet faw man,
How wife, how noble, young, how rarely featur'd,
But flie would fpell him backward; if fair-fac'd,
She'd fwear, the gentleman fhould be her fifter;
If black, why Nature, drawing of an antick,
Made a foul blót, if tall, a lance ill-headed;
'If low, an Aglet very vilely cut;

If fpeaking, why, a vane blown with all winds;
If filent, why, a block moved with none.
So turns the every man the wrong fide out,
And never gives to truth and virtue That,
Which fimplenefs and merit purchaseth.

Urf. Sure, fure, fuch carping is not commendable.
Hero. No; for to be fo odd, and from all fashions,

poet wrote;

9 If black, why, Nature, ly. I make no queftion but the drawing of an antick, Made a foul blot ;] The antick was a buffoon character in the old English farces, with a blacked face, and a patch-work habit. What I would obferve from hence is, that the name of antick or antique, given to this character, fhews that the people had fome traditional ideas of its being borrowed from the ancient mimes, who are thus defcribed by Apuleius, mimi centunculo, fuligine faciem obduɛti.

I

WARBURTON. If low, an Agat very willy cut;] But why an agat, if low? For what likenefs between a little man and an agat? The aucients, indeed, ufed this ftone to cut upon; but very exquifite

an Aglet very vilely cut; An aglet was the tagg of thofe points, formerly fo much in fashion. These taggs were either of gold, filver, or brafs, according to the quality of the wearer; and were commonly in the fhape of little images; or at leaft had a head cut at the extremity. The French call them aiguillettes. Mazeray, fpeaking of Henry IIId's forrow for the death of the princefs of Conti, fays, portant meme fur les aiguillettes de petites tetes de Mort. And as a tall man is before compar'd to a Launce ill-headed; fo, by the fame figure, a little Man is very aptly liken'd to an Aglet WARBURTON. ill-cut.

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As

As Beatrice is, cannot be commendable.

But who dare tell her fo? if I fhould speak,
She'd mock me into air; O, fhe would laugh me
Out of myself, prefs me to death with wit.
Therefore let Benedick, like cover'd fire,
Confume away in fighs, wafte inwardly;
It were a better death than die with mocks,
Which is as bad as 'tis to die with tickling.
Urf. Yet tell her of it; hear what he will fay.
Hero. No, rather I will go to Benedick,
And counfel him to fight against his paffion.
And, truly, I'li devife fome honeft flanders
To ftain my Coufin with! one doth not know,
How much an ill word may impoifon liking,

Urf. O, do not do your Coufin fuch a wrong.
She cannot be fo much without true judgment,
Having fo fwift and excellent a wit,
As fhe is priz'd to have, as to refuse
So rare a gentleman as Benedick.

Hero. He is the only man in Italy,
Always excepted my dear Claudio.

Urf. I pray you, be not angry with me, Madam, Speaking my fancy; Signior Benedick,

For fhape, for bearing, argument and valour,
Goes foremost in report through Italy.

Hero. Indeed, he hath an excellent good name. Urf. His Excellence did earn it, ere he had it. When are you marry'd, Madam?

Hero. Why, every day-to-morrow - Come, go in. I'll fhew thee fome attires, and have thy counfel Which is the beft to furnish me to-morrow.

Urf. She's limb'd, I warrant you; we have caught her Madam.

Hero. If it prove fo, then loving goes by haps; Some Cupids kill with arrows, Some with traps. [Exeunt.

2

Argument] This word feems here to fignify difcourfe, or, the powers of reasoning.

3. She's limb'd. She is enínared and entangled as a sparrow with birdlime.

Beatrice,

4

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;
If thou doft love, thy kindness shall incite thee
To bind our loves up in a holy band.

For others fay, thou doft deferve; and I
Believe it better than reportingly.

SCENE II.

[Exit.

Leonato's House.

Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick and Leonato.

Pedro.

I

Do but stay 'till your marriage be confummate, and then go I toward Arragon. Claud. I'll bring you thither, my lord, if you'll vouchsafe 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 ears ?-] Alluding to a proverbial faying of the common people, that their ears burn when others are talking of them. WARBURTON. Taming my wild heart to thy wving band. This image

S

is taken from falconry. She had been charged with being as wild as Haggards of the rock; fbe therefore fays, that, wild as her heart is, fhe will tame it to the hand.

found