Puslapio vaizdai
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I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man fwear he loves me.

Bene. God keep your ladyship still in that mind! fo fome gentleman or other fhall fcape a predeftinate scratcht face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere fuch a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.

Beat. A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.

Bene. I would, my horfe had the speed of your tongue,` and fo good a continuer; but keep your way a God's name, I have done.

Beat. You always end with a jade's trick; I know you of old.

Pedro. This is the fum of all: Leonato,

--Signior

Claudio, and Signior Benedick,- my dear friend Leonato hath invited you all; I tell him, we fhall flay here at the least a month; and he heartily prays, fome occafion may detain us longer: I dare fwear he is no hypocrite; but prays from his heart.

Leon. If you fwear, my lord, you shall not be forfworn. --Let me bid you welcome, my lord, being reconciled to the prince your brother; I owe you all duty.

John. I thank you; I am not of many words, but I thank you.

Leon. Please it your Grace lead on?

Pedro. Your hand, Leonato we will go together.

[Exeunt all but Benedick and Claudio. Claud. Benedick, didft thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato?

Bene. I noted her not, but I look'd on her.

Claud. Is the not a modest young lady?

Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my fimple true judgment? or would you have me fpeak after my cuftom, as being a profeffed tyrant

to their fex?

Claud. No, I pr'ythee, speak in fober judgment. Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks the is too low for an high praife, too brown for a fair praife, and too little for a

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great praife; only this commendation I can afford her, that were the other than she is, she were unhandsome; and being no other but as fhe is, I do not like her.

Claud. Thou think'ft, I am in fport; I pray thee, tell me truly how thou lik'ft her.

Bene. Would you buy her, that you enquire after her? Claud. Can the world buy fuch a jewel?

Bene. Yea, and a cafe to put it into; but fpeak you this with a fad brow? or do you play the flouting Jack, to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter? come, in what key shall a man take you to go in the fong?

Claud. In mine eye, fhe is the sweetest lady that I ever ļook'd on.

Bene. I can fee yet without fpectacles, and I fee no fuch matter; there's her Coufin, if fhe were not poffeft with fuch a Fury, exceeds her as much in beauty, as the firft of May doth the laft of December: but I hope, you have no intent to turn husband, have you ?

Claud. I would scarce truft myself, tho' I had fworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.

Bene. Is't come to this, in faith? hath not the world one man, but he will wear his cap with fufpicion? fhall I never fee a bachelor of threefcore again? go to, i' faith, if thou wilt needs thruft thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and figh away Sundays: look, Don Pedro is return'd to feek you.

Re-enter Don Pedro and Don John.

Pedro. What fecret hath held you here, that you follow'd not to Leonato's house?

Bene. I would, your Grace would constrain me to tell. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance.

Bene. You hear, Count Claudio, I can be fecret as a dumb man, I would have you think fo; but on my allegiance, mark you this, on my allegiance:--he is in love; with whom? now that is your Grace's part: mark, how fhort his answer is, with Hero, Leonato's fhort daughter.

Claud.

Claud. If this were fo, fo were it uttered.

Bene. Like the old tale, my lord, it is not fo, nor 'twas not fo; but, indeed, God forbid it fhould be so. Claud. If my paffion change not fhortly, God forbid it fhould be otherwife.

Pedro. Amen, if you love her, for the Lady is very well worthy.

Claud. You speak this to fetch me in, my Lord. Pedro. By my troth, I fpeak my thought. Claud. And, in faith, my Lord, I fpoke mine. Bene. And by my two faiths and troths, my Lord, I fpeak mine.

Claud. That I love her, I feel.

Pedro. That he is worthy, I know.

Bene. That I neither feel how the fhould be loved, nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the stake. Pedro. Thou waft ever an obftinate heretick in the defpight of beauty.

Claud. And never could maintain his part, but in the force of his will.

Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewife give her most humble thanks: but that I will have a recheate winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invifible bald-. rick, all women fhall pardon me; becaufe I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to truft none; and the fine is, (for the which I may go the finer,) I will live a bachelor.

Pedro. I fhall fee thee, ere I die, look pale with love. Bene. With anger, with fickness, or with hunger, my lord, not with love: prove, that ever I lofe more blood with love, than I will get again with drinking, pick out mine eyes with a ballad-maker's pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel-house for the Sign of blind Cupid.

Pedro. Well, if ever thou doft fall from this faith, thou wilt prove a notable argument.

Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat, and

Shoot

fhoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the fhoulder, and call'd Adam. (3)"

Pedro. Well, as time fhall try; in time the favage bull doth bear the yoke.

Bene. The favage bull may, but if ever the fenfible Benedick, bear it, pluck off the bull's-horns, and fet them in my forehead, and let me be vilely painted; and in fuch great letters as they write, Here is good Horfe to hire, let them fignify under my fign, Here you may fee Benedick the marry'd man.

Claud. If this fhould ever happen, thou would'st be horn-mad.

(3) And be that bits me, let him be clap'd on the shoulder, and cali'd Adam] But why fhould he therefore be call'd Adam? Perhaps, by a quotation or two we may be able to trace the poet's allufion here. In Law-Tricks, or, Who would have thought it, (a Comedy written by John Day, and printed in 1608) I find this fpeech.

I have heard, Old Adam was an honest Man, and a good Gardiner z lev'd Lettice well, Salads and Cabage reasonable well, yet no Tobacco;→→ Again, Adam Bell, a fubftantial Outlaw, and a passing good Archer, yet no Tobacconif.

By this it appears, that Adam Bell at that time of day was of reputation for his fkill at the bow. I find him again mention'd in a burlefque poem of Sir William Davenant's, call'd, The long Vacation in London.

Now lean Attorney, that his cheese

Ne'er par'd, nor verfes took for fees,
And aged Proctor, that controuls
The feats of Punk in court of Pauls,
Do each with folemn oath agree
To meet in fields of Finsbury :
With loins in canvas bow-cafe tied,
Where arrows stick with mickle pride;
With hats pinn'd up, and bow in hand,
All day moft fiercely there they ftand,
Like ghofts of Adam, Bell, and Clymme;
Sol fets, for fear they'll shoot at him.

By the paffage, which I have above quoted from Law-Tricks, 'tis plain, Sir Wiliam's editor has falfely pointed the last line but one; we must correct it thus ;

Like ghofts of Adam Bell, and Clymme;

'Tis this wight, no doubt, whom our author here alludes to: and had I the convenience of confulting Afcham's Toxophilus, I might probably grow better acquainted with his hiftory.

Pedro.

Pedro, Nay, if Cupid hath not spent all his quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this fhortly.

Bene. I look for an earthquake too then.

Pedro. Well you will temporize with the hours; in the mean time, good Signior Benedick, repair to Leonato's, commend me to him, and tell him I will not fail him at fupper; for, indeed, he hath made great preparation. Bene. I have almoft matter enough in me for fuch an embaffage, and fo I commit you

Claud. To the tuition of God; From my houfe, if I

had it.

Pedro. The fixth of July, your loving friend, Benedick. Bene. Nay, mock not, mock not; the body of your difcourfe is fometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but flightly bafted on neither: ere you flout old ends any further, examine your confcience, and fo I leave you.

[Exit. Claud. My Liege, your Highness now may do me good. Pedro. My love is thine to teach, teach it but how, And thou shalt fee how apt it is to learn Any hard leffon that may do thee good.

Claud. Hath Leonato any fon, my lord?

Pedro. No child but Hero, fhe's his only heir: Doft thou affect her, Claudio?

Claud. O my lord,

When you went onward on this ended action,
I look'd upon her with a foldier's eye;
That lik'd, but had a rougher task in hand
Than to drive liking to the name of love;'
But now I am return'd, and that war-thoughts
Have left their places vacant; in their rooms
Come thronging foft and delicate Defires,
All prompting me how fair young Hero is;
Saying, I lik'd her ere I went to wars.

Pedro. Thou wilt be like a lover prefently,
And tire the hearer with a book of words:
If thou doft love fair Hero, cherish it,

And I will break with her: and with her Father,
And thou shalt have her: was't not to this end,
That thou began'ft to twift fo fine a ftory?

Claud

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