BENE. Yet is this no charm for the tooth-ach. Old fignior, walk afide with me; I have fludied

love cannot ftarve me;

"For if I die o'th' first fit, I am unhappy,

"And worthy to be buried with my heels upwards."

Dr. Johnson's explanation may likewife be countenanced by a paffage in an old black letter book, without date, intitled, A merye Feft of a man that was called HOWLEGLAS, &c. "How Howleglas was buried." "Thus as Howleglas was deade, than they brought him to be buryed. And as they would have put the coffyn into the pytte with 11 cordes, the corde at the fete brake, so that the fote of the coffyn fell into the. botome of the pyt, and the coffyn food bolt upryght in the middes of the grave. Then defired the people that ftode about the grave that tyme, to let the coffyn to ftand bolt upryght. For in his lyfe tyme he was a very marvelous man, &c. and fhall be buryed as marvailously; and in this manner they left Howleglass," &c.

That this book was once popular, may be inferred from Ben Jonson's frequent allufions to it in his Poetafter:

"What do you laugh, Owleglas?"

Again, in The Fortunate Ifles, a Masque :

And again, in The Sad Shepherd. This hiftory was originally written in Dutch. The hero is there called Uyle-Spegel. Under this title he is likewife introduced by Ben Jonson in his Alchymift, and the Mafque and Paftoral already quoted. Menage fpeaks of Ulefpeigle as a man famous for tromperies ingénieufes; adds that his Life was tranflated into French, and quotes the title-page of it. I have another copy publifhed A Troyes, in 1714. the title of which differs from that fet down by Menage.

The paffage indeed, may mean only-She fhall be buried in her lover's arms. So, in The Winter's Tale:

"Flo. What? like a corfe?

"Per. No, like a bank for love to lie and play on;

"Not like a corfe :

"But quick and in my arms.'

or if,

not to be buried,

On the whole, however, I prefer Mr. Theobald's conje&ure to my own explanation. STEEVENS..

This laft is, I believe, the true interpretation. Our author often quotes Lilly's Grammar; and here perhaps he remembered a phrase that occurs in that book, p. 59, and is thus interpreted : cubas fupinus, thou lieft in bed with thy face upwards." Heels and

"Tu

eight or nine wife words to speak to you, which thefe hobby-horfes muft not hear.

[Exeunt BENEDICK and LEONATO. D. PEDRO. For my life, to break with him about Beatrice.

CLAUD. 'Tis even fo: Hero and Margaret have by this play'd their parts with Beatrice; and then the two bears will not bite one another, when they

meet.

Enter Don JOHN.

D. JOHN. My lord and brother, God fave you.
D. PEDRO. Good den, brother.

D. JOHN. If your leifure ferv'd, I would speak with you.

D. PEDRO. In private?

D. JOHN. If it please you; yet count Claudio may hear; for what I would fpeak of, concerns him.

D. PEDRO. What's the matter?

D. JOHN. Means your lordship to be married tomorrow? [To CLAUDIO.

D. PEDRO. You know, he does. D. JOHN. I know not that, when he knows what I know.

CLAUD. If there be any impediment, I pray you, discover it.

face never could have been confounded by either the eye or the

car.

Befides; Don Pedro is evidently playing on the word dies in Claudio's fpeech, which Claudio ufes metaphorically, and of which Don Pedro avails himself to introduce an allufion to that confummation which he supposes Beatrice was dying for.

MALONE.

D. JOHN. You may think, I love you not; let that appear hereafter, and aim better at me by that I now will manifeft: For my brother, I think, he holds you well; and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect your enfuing marriage: furely, fuit ill spent, and labour ill beftowed!

D. PEDRO. Why, what's the matter?

D. JOHN. I came hither to tell you; and, circumflances fhorten'd, (for fhe hath been too long a talking of,) the lady is difloyal.

CLAUD. Who? Hero?

D. JOHN. Even fhe; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero. 3

CLAUD. Difloyal?

D. JOHN. The word is too good to paint out her wickedness; I could fay, fhe were worfe; think you of a worse title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not till further warrant: go but with me tonight, you fhall fee her chamber-window enter'd; even the night before her wedding day: if you love her then, to-morrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour to change your mind. CLAUD. May this be fo?

D. PEDRO. I will not think it.

D. JOHN. If you dare not trust that you fee, confefs not that you know: if you will follow me. I will fhow you enough; and when you have seen more, and heard more, proceed accordingly.

CLAUD. If I fee any thing to-night why I fhould not marry her to-morrow; in the congregation, where I fhould wed, there will I fhame her.

3

Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's "Hero.] Dryden has tranfplanted this sarcasm into his All for Love:

"Your Cleopatra; Dolabella's Cleopatra; every man's Cleo. patra." STEEVENS.

D. PEDRO. And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to disgrace her.

D. JOHN. I will disparage her no farther, till you are my witneffes: bear it coldly but till midnight, and let the iffue fhow itself.

D. PEDRO. O day untowardly turned! CLAUD. O mifchief ftrangely thwarting! D. JOHN. O plague right well prevented! So will you fay, when you have feen the sequel.

SCENE III.

A Street.

4

[Exeunt.

Enter DOGBERY and VERGES, with the Watch.

DOGB. Are you good men and true?

VERG. Yea, or else it were pity but they fhould fuffer falvation, body and foul.

DOGB. Nay, that were a punishment too good for them, if they fhould have any allegiance in them, being chofen for the prince's watch.

VERG. Well, give them their charge,' neighbour Dogberry.

DOGB. First, who think you the most defartless man to be conftable?

4

Dogberry and Verges,] The firft of thefe worthies had his name from the Dog-berry, i. c. the female cornel, a fhrub that grows in the hedges in every county of England. Verges is only the provincial pronunciation of Verjuice.

STEEVENS.

Well, give them their charge,] To charge his fellows, feems to have been a regular part of the duty of the conftable of the Watch. So, in A New Trick to cheat the Devil, 1639" My watch is fet charge given and all at peace." Again, in The Infatiate Countefs, by Marfton, 1603. Come on, my hearts; we are the city's fecurity I'll give you your charge," MALONE.

1 WATCH. Hugh Oatcake, fir, or George Seacoal; for they can write and read.

DOGB. Come hither, neighbour Seacoal: God hath bleffed you with a good name: to be a wellfavoured man is the gift of fortune; but to write and read comes by nature.

2 WATCH. Both which, mafter constable,

DOGB. You have; I knew it would be your anfwer. Well, for your favour, fir, why, give God thanks, and make no boast of it; and for your writing and reading, let that appear when there is no need of fuch vanity. You are thought here to be the moft fenfelefs and fit man for the conftable of the watch; therefore bear you the lantern: This is your charge; You fhall comprehend all vagrom men; you are to bid any man stand, in the prince's name. 2 WATCH. How if he will not stand?

DOGB. Why then, take no note of him, but let him go; and presently call the reft of the watch together, and thank God you are rid of a knave.

VERG. If he will not ftand when he is bidden, he is none of the prince's fubjects.

DOGB. True, and they are to meddle with none but the prince's subjects: You fhall also make no noise in the streets; for, for the watch to babble and to talk, is moft tolerable and not to be endured.

2 WATCH. We will rather fleep than talk; we know what belongs to a watch.

DOGB. Why, you fpeak like an ancient and most quiet watchman; for I cannot fee how fleeping fhould offend: only, have a care that your bills be not ftolen: " Well, you are to call at all the

6

bills be not ftolen:] A bill is still carried by the watchmen at Litchfield. It was the old weapon of English infantry, which, fays Temple, gave the most ghastly and deplorable wounds. It may be called fecuris falcata. JOHNSON,