Pedro. Wilt thou make a Truft, a Tranfgreffion? the Tranfgreffion is in the Stealer.

Bene. Yet it had not been amifs the Rod had been made, and the Garland too; for the Garland he might have worn himself, and the Rod he might have beftowed on you, who (as I take it) have ftol'n his Birds Neft.

Pedro. I will but teach them to fing, and restore them to the Owner,

Bene. If their finging anfwer your faying, by my Faith you fay honeftly.

Pedro. The Lady Beatrice hath a Quarrel to you, the Gentleman that danc'd with her, told her she is much wrong'd by you.

Bene. O the mifus'd me paft the Indurance of a Block; an Oak but with one green Leaf on it, would have anfwer'd her; my very Vifor began to affume Life, and fcold with her; he told me, not thinking I had been my felf, that I was the Prince's Jefter, and that I was duller than a great Thaw, hudling Jeft upon Jeft, with fuch im poffible conveiance upon me, that I ftood like a Man at a Mark, with a whole Army fhooting at me; he speaks Poyniards, and every Word ftabs me; if her Breath were as terrible as Terminations, there were no living near her, the would infect to the North Star; I would not marry her, though the were endow'd with all that Adam had left him before he tranfgrefs'd, fhe would have made Hercules have turn'd Spit, yea, and have cleft his Club to make the Fire too. Come, talk not of her, you fhall find her the infernal Ate in good Apparel. I would to God fome Scholar would conjure her, for certainly while he is here, a Man may live as quiet in Hell as in a Sanctuary, and People fin upon Purpose, because they would go thither, fo indeed all Difquiet, Horror, and Perturbation follows her. Enter Claudio, Beatrice, Leonato and Hero.

Pedro. Look here fhe comes.

Bene. Will your Grace command me any Service to the Worlds End? I will go on the flightcft Errand now to the Antipodes that you can devife to fend me on; I will fetch you a Tooth-Picker now from the furtheft Inch of Afia; bring you the length of Preftor John's Foot; fetch you a Hair off the great Cham's Beard; do you any Em

balage

baffage to the Pigmies, rather then hold three Words Conference with this Harpy; you have no Employment for me? Pedro. None, but to defire your good Company:

Bene. O God, Sir, here's a Dish I love not. I cannot indure this Lady's Tongue. [Exit. Pedro. Come Lady, come, you have loft the Heart of Signior Benedick

Beat. Indeed my Lord, he fent it me a while, and I gave him ufe for it, a double Heart for a fingle one; Marry, once before he won it of me with falfe Dice, therefore your Grace may well fay I have lost it.

Pedro. You have put him down, Lady, you have put

him down.

Beat. So I would not he should do me, my Lord, left L fhould prove the Mother of Fools: I have brought Count Claudio, whom you fent me to feek.

Pedro. Why, how now Count, wherefore are you fad? Claud. Not fad, my Lord.

Pedro, How then? fick ?

Claud. Neither my Lord..

Beat. The Count is neither fad, nor fick, nor merry, nor well; but civil Count, civil as an Orange, and fomething of a jealous Complexion.

Pedro. I'faith Lady, I think your Blazon to be true; though I'll be fworn, if he be fo, his Conceit is falfe. Here Claudio, I have wooed in thy Name, and fair Hero is won; I have broke with her Father, and his good Will obtained, name the Day of Marriage, and God give thee Joy. Leon. Count, take of me my Daughter, and with her my Fortunes; his Grace hath made the Match, and all Grace fay Amen to it.

Beat. Speak Count, 'tis your Qu.

Claud. Silence is the perfecteft Herald of Joy; I were but little happy if I could fay, how much. Lady, as you are mine, I am yours; I give away my felf for you, and doat upon the Exchange.

Beat. Speak Coufin, or (if you cannot) ftop his Mouth with a Kifs, and let not him fpeak neither.

Pedro. In faith Lady, you have a merry Heart.

Beat. Yea my Lord, I think it, poor Fool, it keeps

on

on the windy fide of Care; my Coufin tells him in his Ear that he is in my Heart.

Clan. And fo fhe doth, Coufin.

Beat. Good Lord, for Alliance; thus goes every one to the World but I, and I am Sun-burn'd, I may fit in a Corner, and cry, heigh ho for a Husband.

Pedro. Lady Beatrice, I will get you one.

Beat. I would rather have one of your Father's getting; hath your Grace ne'er a Brother like you; your Father got excellent Husbands, if a Maid could come by them. Pedro. Will you have me, Lady?

Beat. No, my Lord, unlefs I might have another for working-Days, your Grace is too coftly to wear every Day: But I beseech your Grace pardon me, I was born to fpeak all Mirth, and no Matter.

Pedro. Your Silence moft offends me, and to be merry best becomes you; for out of question you were born in a merry Hour.

Beat. No fure my Lord, my Mother cry'd; but then there was a Star danc'd, and under that I was born. Coufins, God give you Joy.

Leon. Neice, will you look to thofe things I told you

of ?

Beat. I cry you mercy Uncle, by you Grace's pardon. [Exit Beatrice. Pedro. By my Troth a pleasant fpirited Lady.

Leon. There's little of the melancholy Element in her, my Lord, the is never fad, but when the fleeps, and not ever fad then; for I have heard my Daughter fay, the hath often dream'd of Unhappinefs, and wak'd her felf with laughing.

Pedro. She cannot endure to hear tell of a Husband. Leon. O, by no Means, the mocks all her Wooers out of fuit.

Pedro. She were an excellent Wife for Benedick.

Leon. O Lord, my Lord, if they were but a Week mar¶ ry'd, they would talk themfelves mad. .

Pedro. Court Claudio, when mean you to go to Church?

Clau. To Morrow, my Lord, Time goes on Crutches, 'till Love have all his Rites.

Leon.

Leon. Not 'till Monday, my dear Son, which is hence a just seven Night, and a time too brief to, to have all things anfwer my Mind.

Pedro. Come, you shake the Head at fo long a breathing, but I warrant thee Claudio, the time fhall not go dully by us; I will in the interim undertake one of Hercules's Labours, which is, to bring Signior Benedick and the Lady Beatrice into a Mountain of Affection, the one with the other; I would fain have it a Match, and I doubt not but to fashion, it, if you three will but minifter fuch Affiftance as I fhall give you Direction.

Leon. My Lord,

Nights Watchings.

I am for you, though it coft me ten

Claud. And I my Lord.

Pedro. And you too, gentle Hero.

Hero. I will do any modeft Office, my Lord, to help my Coufin to a good Husband.

Pedro. And Benedick is not the unhopefulleft Husband that I know: Thus far can I praise him, he is of a noble Strain, of approv'd Valour, and confirm'd Honefty. I will teach you how to humour your Coufin, that the fhall fall in love with Benedick; and I, with your two helps, will fo practife on Benedick, and in despite of his quick Wit, and his queafie Stomach, he fhall fall in love with Beatrice: If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an Archer, his Glory fhall be ours, for we are the only Love-gods; go with me, and I will tell you my Drift. [Exeunt.

Enter Don John and Borachio. John. It is 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 Difpleasure to him, and whatfoever comes athwart his Affection, ranges evenly with mine; how canft thou cross this Marriage?

Bora. Not honeftly my Lord, but fo covertly, that no difhonefty fhall 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 Waiting Gentlewoman to Hero.

23

John.

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 Poifon of that lyes 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 Claudio, whofe Eftimation do you mightily hold up, to a contami nated 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 on 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 Friends Reputation, who is thus like to be cozen'd with the semblance of a Maid, that you have discover'd thus; they will hardly believe this with out Trial Offer them Inftances which fhall bear no lefs likelihood, than to fee me at her Chamber Window, hear me call Margaret, Hero, hear Margaret term me Claudio, and bring them to fee this, the very Night before the intended Wedding, for in the mean time I will fashion the Matter, that Hero fhall be abfent, and there fhall appear fuch feeming Truths of Hero's Difloyalty, that Jealoufie fhall be call'd Affurance, and all the Preparation overthrown.

John. Grow this to what adverfe 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 fhall not shame me.

John. I will prefently go learn their Day of Marriage.

Bene. Boy.
Boy. Signior.

Enter Benedick and a Boy.

[Exeunt.

Bene