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Claud. Now, mufic, found, and fing your folemn

hymn.

SONG.

Pardon, goddess of the night,
Thofe that flew thy virgin knight;
For the which, with fongs of woe,
Round about her tomb they go.
Midnight, affift our moan;
Help us to figh and grone
Heavily, heavily:

Graves, yawn, and yield your dead,
Till death be uttered,

Heavily, heavily.

Claud. Now unto thy bones good night! Yearly will I do this rite.

Pedro. Good morrow, Mafters, put your torches out; The wolves have prey'd; and, look, the gentle day,

Before the wheels of Phebus, round about

Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey: Thanks to you all, and leave us; fare you well. Claud. Good morrow, Mafters; each his several 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 fpeeds, Than this for whom we render'd up this woe!

SCENE

IX.

[Exeunt.

Changes to Leonato's house.

Enter Leonato, Benedick, Margaret, Urfula, Antonio,

Friar, and Hero.

Friar. Did I not tell you she was innocent?

Leon. So are the Prince and Claudio, who accus'd

Upon the error "that you heard debated.

But Margaret was in fome fault for this;
Although against her will, as it appears,
In the true courfe of all the queftion.

[her,

Ant. Well; I am glad that all things fort fo well. Bane. And fo am I, being elfe by faith inforc'd

To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.

Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves,

And when I fend for you, come hither mask'd:
The Prince and Claudio promis'd by this hour
To vifit me; you know your office, brother,
You must be father to your brother's daughter,
And give her to young Claudio. [Exeunt ladies.
Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance.
Bene. Friar, I muft intreat your pains, I think.
Friar. To do what, Signior?

Bene. To bind me, or undo me, one of them.
Signior Leonato, truth it is, good Signior,
Your niece regards me with 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 anfwer, Sir, is enigmatical;

But for my will, my will is, your good-will
May ftand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd
I' th' ftate of honourable marriage;

In which, good Friar, I fhall defire your help.
Leon. My heart is with your liking.
Friar. And my help.

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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 the an Ethiope. Leon. Call her forth, brother, here's the Friar ready.

[Exit Antonio.

Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick; why, what's the That you have fuch a February face, [matter,

So full of froft, of ftorm and cloudiness ?

Claud. I think he thinks upon the favage bull: Tufh, fear not, man, we'll tip thy horns with gold, And fo all Europe fhall rejoice at thee;

As once Europa did at lufty Jove,

When he would play the noble beast in love.
Bene. Bull Jove, Sir, had an amiable low,

And fome fuch ftrange bull leap'd your father's cow; And got a calf, in that fame noble feat,

Much like to you; for you have just his bleat.

SCE NE XI.

Enter Antonio, with Hero, Beatrice, Margaret, and Urfula, mask'd.

Claud. For this I owe you. Here come other reckonWhich is the lady I must feize upon?

[ings. Ant. This fame is fhe, and I do give you her. Claud. Why, then fhe's mine; fweet, let me fee your face.

Leon. No, that you fhall not till you take her hand Before this Friar, and fwear 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!

Leon. She dy'd, my Lord, but whiles her flander

Friar. All this amazement can I qualify;

When, after that the holy rites are ended,
I'll tell thee largely of fair Hero's death:
Mean time let wonder feem familiar,

And to the chapel let us presently.

[liv'd.

Bene. Soft and fair, Friar. Which is Beatrice?
Beat. I anfwer to that name; what is your will?
Bene. Do not you love me?

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 reason.

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 gentle

man.

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,
-Fashion'd to Beatrice.

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 day, I yield upon great perfuafion, and partly to fave your life; for, as I was told, you were in a consumption. 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. Doft thou think I care for a fatyr, or an epigram? No: " if a

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man will be beaten with brains, he shall wear nothing "handsome about him." In brief, fince I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpofe that the world can fay against it; and therefore never flout at me for what I have faid againft 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 coufin.

Claud. I had well hoped thou wouldft have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgell'd 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 own hearts, and our wives heels.

Leon. We'll have dancing afterwards.

Bene. First, o' my word; therefore, play, mufic. Prince, thou art fad, get thee a wife, get thee a wife; there is no staff more reverend than one tipt with horn. Enter Meffenger.

Me. My Lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Meffina.

Bene. Think not on him till to-morrow: I'll devise thee brave punishments for him. Strike up, pipers.

[Dance. [Exeunt omnes.

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