smirched worm-eaten tapestry, where his cod-piece seems as massy as his club?

Conr. All this I see; and see, that the fashion wears out more apparel than the man: But art not thou thyself giddy with the fashion too, that thou hast shifted out of thy tale into telling me of the fashion?

Bora. Not so neither: but know, that I have to-night wooed Margaret, the lady Hero's gentlewoman, by the name of Hero; she leans me out at her mistress' chamber-window, bids me a thousand times good-night,-I tell this tale vilely :-I should first tell thee, how the prince, Claudio, and my master, planted, and placed, and possessed by my master Don John, saw afar off in the orchard this amiable encounter.

Conr. And thought they, Margaret was Hero?

Bora. Two of them did, the prince and Claudio; but the devil my master knew she was Margaret; and partly by his oaths, which first possessed them, partly by the dark night, which did deceive them, but chiefly by my villany, which did confirm any slander that Don John had made, away went Claudio enraged; swore he would meet her as he was appointed, next morning at the temple, and there, before the whole congregation, shame her with what he saw over-night, and send her home again without a husband.

1 Watch. We charge you in the prince's name, stand. 2 Watch. Call up the right master constable: We have here recovered the most dangerous piece of lechery that ever was known in the commonwealth.

1 Watch. And one Deformed is one of them; I know him, he wears a lock.

Conr. Masters, masters,—

2 Watch. You'll be made bring Deformed forth, rant you.

I war

the Jewish Samson. The retenue of our author is to be commended: The sober audience of that time would have been offended with the mention of a venerable name on so light an occasion. Shakespeare is indeed sometimes licentious in these matters: But to do him justice, he generally seems to have a sense of religion, and to be under its influence. What Pedro says of Benedick in this comedy, may be well enough applied to him: The man doth fear God, however it seems not to be in him by some large jests he will make. WARBURTON.

I believe that Shakespeare knew nothing of these Christian mythologists, and by the shaven Hercules meant only Hercules when shaved to make him look like a woman, while he remained in the service of Omphale, his Lydian mistress. Had the shaven Hercules been meant to represent Samson, he would probably have been equipped with a jaw-bone instead of a club. STEEVENS.

Conr. Masters,

1 Watch. Never speak; we charge you, let us obey you to go with us.

Bora. We are like to prove a goodly commodity, being taken up of these men's bills.*

Conr. A commodity in question, I warrant you."— Come, we'll obey you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

A Room in LEONATO's House. Enter HERO, MArgaret,

and URSULA.

Hero. Good Ursula, wake my cousin Beatrice, and desire her to rise.

Urs. I will, lady.

Hero. And bid her come hither.

Urs. Well.

[Exit URSULA. Marg. Troth, I think, your other rabato were better." Hero. No, pray thee, good Meg, I'll wear this.

Marg. By my troth, it's not so good; and I warrant, your cousin will say so.

Hero. My cousin's a fool, and thou art another; I'll wear none but this.

Marg. I like the new tire within excellently, if the hair were a thought browner: and your gown's a most rare fashion, i'faith. I saw the duchess of Milan's gown, that they praise so.

Hero. O, that exceeds, they say.

Marg. By my troth, it's but a night-gown in respect of yours: Cloth of gold, and cuts, and laced with silver; set with pearls, down sleeves, side-sleeves," and skirts

[4] Here is a cluster of conceits. Commodity was formerly as now, the usual term for an article of merchandise. To take up, besides its common meaning, (to apprehend,) was the phrase for obtaining goods on credit. If a man is thorough with them in honest taking up, (says Falstaff,) then they must stand upon security." Bill was the term both for a single bond, and a halberd. MALONE.

[5] i. e. a commodity subject to judicial trial or examination. STEEVENS. [6] Rabato An ornament for the neck, a collar-band or kind of ruff. Fr. Rabat. Menage saith it comes from rabattre, to put back, because it was at first nothing but the collar of the shirt or shift turn'd back towards the shoulders.

T. HAWKINS.

[7] Side or syde in the North of England, and in Scotland, is used for long when applied to the garment, and the word has the same signification in the Anglo-Saxon and Danish. Vide Glossary to Gawine Douglas's Virgil. STEEVENS.

Side-sleeves were certainly long-sleeves, as appears from Stowe's Chronicle, p. 327, tempore Hen. IV. This time was used exceeding pride in garments, Kownes with deepe and broad sleeves commonly called poke sleeves, the ser

round, underborne with a blueish tinsel; but for a fine, quaint, graceful, and excellent fashion, yours is worth ten on't.

Hero. God give me joy to wear it, for my heart is exceeding heavy!

Marg. "Twill be heavier soon, by the weight of a man. Hero. Fye upon thee! art not ashamed?

Marg. Of what, lady? of speaking honourably? Is not marriage honourable in a beggar ? Is not your lord honourable without marriage? I think, you would have me say, saving your reverence, a husband: an if bad thinking do not wrest true speaking, I'll offend no body. Is there any harm in-the heavier for a husband? None, I think, an it be the right husband, and the right wife; otherwise 'tis light, and not heavy: Ask my lady Beatrice else, here she comes.

Enter BEATRICE.

Hero. Good-morrow, coz.

Beat. Good-morrow, sweet Hero.

Hero. Why, how now! do you speak in the sick tune? Beat. I am out of all other tune, methinks.

Marg. Clap us into-Light o'love; that goes without a burden; do you sing it, and I'll dance it.

Beat. Yea, Light o'love, with your heels!—then if your husband have stables enough, you'll see he shall lack no barns.®

Marg. O illegitimate construction! I scorn that with my heels.

Beat. 'Tis almost five o'clock, cousin; 'tis time you were ready. By my troth, I am exceeding ill: hey ho. Marg. For a hawk, a horse, or a husband?

Beat. For the letter that begins them all, H.

Marg. Well, an you be not turned Turk, there's no more sailing by the star.9

Beat. What means the fool, trow ?1

vants ware them as well as their masters, which might well have been called the receptacles of the devil, for what they stole they hid in their sleeves, whereof some hung downe to the feete; and at least to the knees, full of cuts and jagges." REED.

[8] A quibble between barns, repositories of corn, and bairns, the old word for children JOHNSON.

[9] Hamlet uses the same expression, and talks of his fortune's turning Turk, To turn Turk was a common phrase for a change of opinion. STEEVENS.

[1] To trow is to imagine, to conceive. So, in Romeo and Juliet, the Nurse says: "Twas no need. I trow to bid me trudge." STEEVENS.

Marg. Nothing I; but God send every one their heart's desire!

Hero. These gloves the count sent me, they are an excellent perfume.

Beat. I am stuffed, cousin, I cannot smell.

Marg. A maid, and stuffed! there's goodly catching of cold.

Beat. O, God help me! God help me! how long have you profess'd apprehension?

Marg. Ever since you left it: doth not my wit become me rarely?

Beat. It is not seen enough, you should wear it in your cap. By my troth, I am sick.

Marg. Get you some of this distilled Carduus Benedictus, and lay it to your heart; it is the only thing for a qualm.

Hero. There thou prick'st her with a thistle.

Beat. Benedictus! why Benedictus? you have some moral in this Benedictus.

Marg. Moral? no, by my troth, I have no moral meaning; I meant, plain holy-thistle. You may think, perchance, that I think you are in love: nay, by'rlady, I am not such a fool to think what I list; nor I list not to think what I can; nor, indeed, I cannot think, if I would think my heart out of thinking, that you are in love, or that you will be in love, or that you can be in love: yet Benedick was such another, and now is he become a man : he swore he would never marry; and yet now, in despite of his heart, he eats his meat without grudging: and how you may be converted, I know not; but methinks, you look with your eyes as other women do.

Beat. What pace is this that thy tongue keeps?
Marg. Not a false gallop.

Re-enter URSULA.

Urs. Madam, withdraw; the prince, the count, signior Benedick, Don John, and all the gallants of the town, are come to fetch you to church.

Hero. Help to dress me, good coz, good Meg, good Ursula. [Exeunt.

[2] "Carduus Benedictus, or blessed thistle, (says Cogan, in his Haven of Health, 1595,) so worthily named for the singular virtues that it hath."-" This herbe may worthily be called Benedictus, or Omnimorbia, i. e. a salve for every sore, not knowen to physitians of old time, but lately revealed by the special providence of Almighty God." STEEVENS

SCENE V.

Another Room in LEONATO's House.

Enter LEONATO, with

DOGBERRY and VERGES.

Leon. What would you with me, honest neighbour? Dogb. Marry, sir, I would have some confidence with

you, that decerns you nearly..

Leon. Brief, I pray you; for you see, 'tis a busy time with me.

Dogb. Marry, this it is, sir.

Verg. Yes, in truth it is, sir.

Leon. What is it, my good friends?

Dogb. Goodman Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter: an old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt, as, God help, I would desire they were; but, in faith, honest, as the skin between his brows.

Verg. Yes, I thank God, I am as honest as any man living, that is an old man, and no honester than I.

Dogb. Comparisons are odorous: palabras,* neighbour Verges.

Leon. Neighbours, you are tedious.

Dogb. It pleases your worship to say so, but we are the poor duke's officers; but, truly, for mine own part, if I were as tedious as a king, I could find in my heart to bestow it all of your worship.

Leon. All thy tediousness on me! ha!

Dogb. Yea, an 'twere a thousand times more than 'tis : for I heard as good exclamation on your worship, as of any man in the city; and though I be but a poor man, I am glad to hear it.

Verg. And so am I.

Leon. I would fain know what you have to say.

Verg. Marry, sir, our watch to-night, excepting your worship's presence, have ta'en a couple of as arrant knaves as any in Messina.

Dogb. A good old man, sir; he will be talking; as

[3] This is a sly insinuation, that length of years, and the being much hacknied in the ways of men, as Shakespeare expresses it, take off the gloss of virtue, and bring much defilement on the manners. For, as a great wit [Swift] says, Youth is the season of virtue: corruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldest rogue in England is the greatest. WARBURTON.

Much of this is true; but I believe Shakespeare did not intend to bestow all this reflection on the speaker. JOHNSON.

[4] So, in The Taming of the Shrew, the Tinker says, pocas pallabras, i. e. few words. A scrap of Spanish, which might once have been current among the vulgar. STEEVENS