Thanks to you all, and leave us; fare you well. Claud. Good morrow, mafters; each his feveral way. Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds; And then to Leonato's we will go. Claud. And Hymen now with luckier iffue fpeed's, Than this, for whom we render'd up this woe! [Exeunt. SCENE IX. Changes to Leonato's House. Enter Leonato, Benedick, Margaret, Urfula, Antonio, Friar, and Hero. Friar. D' ID I not tell you, fhe was innocent? Leon. So are the Prince and Claudio, who Upon the error that you heard debated. Ant. Well, I am glad, that all things fort fo well. Leon. Well, Daughter, and you gentlewomen all, Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves, And when I fend for you, come hither mafk'd: The Prince and Claudio promis'd by this hour To vifit me; you know your office, brother, • And Hymen now with luckier fue fpeeds, Than this, for whom we render'd up this Woe.] Claudio could not know, without being a Prophet, that this new propos'd Match fhould have any luckier Event than That defigu'd with Hero. Certainly, therefore, this fhould be a Wish in Claudio; and, to this end, the Poet might have wrote, Speed's; i. e. Speed us and fo it becomes a Prayer to Hymen. THIRLBY. You You must be father to your brother's daughter, Bene. To bind me, or undo me, one of them: Your niece regards me with me an eye of favour. Leon. That eye my daughter lent her, 'tis moft true. Bene. And I do with an eye of love requite her. Leon. The fight whereof, I think, you had from me. From Claudio and the Prince; but what's your will? Bene. Your answer, Sir, is enigmatical; But for my will, my will is, your good will In which, good Friar, I fhall defire your help. SCENE X. Enter Don Pedro and Claudio, with Attendants. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair affembly. 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 fhe an Ethiope. Leon. Call her forth, brother, here's the Friar ready. [Exit Antonio. Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick; why, what's the matter, That you have fuch a February face, So full of froft, of storm and cloudiness? Claud. I think, he thinks upon the favage bull: Tufh, fear not, man, we'll tip thy horns with gold, And And fo all Europe fhall rejoice at thee; When he would play the noble beaft in love. SCENE XI. Enter Antonio, with Hero, Beatrice, Margaret, and Urfula, mask'd. Claud. For this I owe you; here come other reck'nings. Which is the lady I must feize upon ? Ant. This fame is fhe, and I do give you her. Claud. Why, then fhe's mine; Sweet, let me fee your face. Leon. No, that you fhall not, 'till you take her hand Before this Friar, and swear to marry her. Claud. Give me your hand; before this holy Friar, I am your husband, if you like of me. Hero. And when I liv'd, I was your other wife. [Unmasking. And when you lov'd, you were my other husband. Claud. Another Hero? Hero. Nothing certainer. One Hero dy'd defil'd, but I do live; And, furely, as I live, I am a maid. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero, that is dead! Friar. All this amazement can I qualify. Bene. Bene. Soft and fair, Friar. Which is Beatrice? Beat. Why, no, no more than reason. Bene. Why, then your Uncle, and the Prince, and Claudio, have been deceiv'd; they fwore, you did. Beat. Do not you love me? Bene. Troth, no, no more than reafon. Beat. Why, then my Coufin, Margaret and Urfula, Have been deceiv'd; for they did fwear you did. Bene. They fwore you were almost fick for me. Beat. They fwore, you were well-nigh dead for me. Bene. 'Tis no matter; then you do not love me? Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompence. Leon. Come, Coufin, I am fure, you love the gentleman. Claud. And I'll be fworn upon't, that he loves her; For here's a paper written in his hand, A halting fonnet of his own pure brain, Hero. And here's another, Writ in my Coufin's hand, ftolen from her pocket, 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 I would not deny you, &c.] Mr. Theobald fas, is not this mock-reafoning? She would not deny him, but that he yields upon great perfuafion. In changing the Negative, I make no doubt but I bave retriev'd the poet's humour: and fo change not into yet. But is not this a Mock Critick? who could not fee that the plain obvious sense of the common reading was this, I cannot find in my heart to deny you; but, for all that, I yield, after having stood out great perfuafions to fubmiffion. He had faid, I take thee for pity, the replies, I would not deny thee. i. e. I take thee for pity too: but as I live, I am won to this compliance by importunity of friends. Mr. Th.obald by altering not to yet makes it fuppofed, that he had been importunate, and that he had often denied ; which was not the cafe. WARBURTON. day, day, I yield upon great perfuafion, and partly to fave your life; for, as I was told, you were in a confumption. I Bene. Peace, I will ftop your mouth [Kiffing her. Pedro. How doft thou, Benedick, the married man? Bene. I'll tell thee what, Prince; a College of witcrackers cannot flout me out of my humour: dost think, I care for a fatire, or an epigram? no: if a man will be beaten with brains, he fhall wear nothing handfome about him; in brief, fince I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can fay against it; and therefore never flout at me, for what I have faid against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclufion; for thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but in that thou art like to be my kinfman, live unbruis'd, and love my cousin. Claud. I had well hoped, thou would't have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgelled thee out of thy fingle life, to make thee a double dealer; which, out of queftion, thou wilt be, if my Coufin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee. Bene. Come, come, we are friends; let's have a Dance ere we are marry'd, that we may lighten our our own hearts, and our wives heels. Leon. We'll have dancing afterwards. Bene. First, o' my word; therefore, play, mufick. |