I will teach you how to humour your Coufin, that she fhall fall in love with Benedick; and I, with your two helps, will fo practise on Benedick, that in despight of his quick wit, and his queafy ftomach, he fhall fall in love with Beatrice. If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer, his glory shall be ours, for we are the only Love-Gods; go in with me, and I will tell you my drift. [Exeunt.

Changes to another Apartment in Leonato's House.
Enter Don John and Borachio.

Jobn.

Tis 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 displeasure 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 difhonesty 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 waitinggentlewoman 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 window.

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

Bora. The poison 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

renown'd Claudio, (whose estimation do you mightily hold up) to a contaminated Stale, fuch a one as Hero: John. What proof fhall I make of That?

Bora. 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.

• Bora. Go then find me a meet hour, to draw Don Pe

4 Bora. Go then, find me a meet hour to draw on Pedro and the Count Claudio, alone; tell them that you know Hero loves me ;- Offer them Inftances, which shall bear no lefs Likelihood than to fee me at her Chamberwindow; hear me call Margaret, Hero; hear 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 obliged here to give a short Account of the Plot depending, that the Emendation I have made may appear the more clear and unquestionable. The Bufinefs stands thus: Claudio, a Favourite of the Arragon Prince, is, by his Interceffions with her Father, to be married to fair Hero; Don John, Natural Brother of the Prince, and a Hater of Clau. dio, is in his Spleen zealous to difappoint the Match. Borachio, a rafcally Dependant 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;

me addrefs Margaret by the "Name of Hero, and her fay "fweet things to me by the "Name of Claudio."- -This is the Subftance of Brachio's Device to make Hero fufpected of Difloyalty, and to break off her Match with Claudio. But in the name of common Senfe, could it difpleafe Claudio to hear his Miftreis making Ufe of his Name tenderly? If he faw another Man with her, and heard her call him Claudo, he might reafonably think her betrayed, but not have the fame Reason to accufe her of Difloyalty. Befides, how could her naming Claudio make the Prince and Claudio believe that She lov'd Brachio, as he defires Don John to infinuate to them that She did? The Circumftances,

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 femblance of a maid, that you have discover'd thus. They will hardly believe this without trial. Offer them inftances, which shall bear no less likelihood than to see me at her chamber-window; hear me call Margaret, 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 fashion the matter, that Hero fhall be abfent; and there fhall appear fuch feeming truths of Hero's difloyalty, that jealousy shall 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 shall not shame me.

John. I will presently go learn their day of mar

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

cumftances weigh'd, there is no Doubt but the Paflage ought to be reformed, as I have fettled in the Text.

-hear me call Margaret, Hero; hear Margaret term me Bo

RACHIO.

THEOBAID.

Boy.

Boy. I am here already, Sir. Bene. I know that-but I would have thee hence, and here again. [Exit Boy.-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 tabor and the pipe; I have known, when he would have walk'd ten mile afoot, to fee a good armour; and now will he lye ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to speak plain, and to the purpose, like an honeft man and a foldier; and now is he turn'd orthographer, his words are a very fantastical banquet, juft so many strange difhes. May I be fo converted, and fee with these 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 fhall 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 come not near me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good discourse, 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 ftill the evening is,

As

As hufh'd on purpofe to grace harmony!

Pedro. See you where Benedick hath hid himself? Claud. O very well, my lord; the mufick ended, We'll fit the kid-fox with a penny-worth.

Pedro. Come, Balthazar, we'll hear that Song again.
Balth. O good my lord, tax not so bad a voice
To flander mufick any more than once.

Pedro. It is the witnefs ftill of excellency,
To put a strange face on his own perfection;
I pray thee, fing; and let me woo no more.
Balth. Becaufe you talk of wooing, I will fing
Since many a wooer doth commence his fuit
To her he thinks not worthy, yet he wooes;
Yet will he fwear, he loves.

Pedro. Nay, pray thee, come;

Or if thou wilt hold longer argument,
Do it in notes.

Balth. Note this before my notes,

There's not a note of mine, that's worth the noting. Pedro. Why, these are very crotchets that he speaks, Note, notes, forfooth, and noting.

Bene. Now, divine air; now is his foul ravifh'd!is it not strange, that sheeps guts fhould hale fouls out of men's bodies?well, a horn for my money, when all's done.

The SON G.

Sigh no more, ladies, figh no more,
Men were deceivers ever;
One foot in fea, and one on share,
To one thing conftant never:
Then figh not fo, but let them go,
And be you blith and bonny;
Converting all your founds of woe
Into hey nony, nòny.

Sing