Eeat. And how long is that, think you !

Bene. Question ? - Why, an hour in clamour, and a quarter in rheum: Therefore it is most expedient for the wise, (if Don Worm, his conscience, find no impediment to the contrary,) to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myselr : So much for praising myself, (who, 1 myself will bear witness, is praise worthy.) and now tell me, how doth your cousin ?

Beat. Very ill.
Bene. Aud how do you?
Beat. Very ill too.

Bene. Serve God, love me, and mend: there will I leave you too, for here comes one in haste.

Enter URSULA. Urs. Madam, you must come to your uncle ; yonder's old coil at home. It is proved, my lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the prince and Claudio mightily abused; and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone. Will you come presently!

Beat. Will you go hear this news, signior ?

Rene. I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes; and, moreover, I will go with thee to thy uncle's.

SCENE 111.- The Inside of a Church.
Enter Don PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and Attendants,

with music and tapers.
Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato P
Atten. It is, my lord.
Claud. (Reads from a scroll.)

Done to death by slanderous tongues,

Was the Hero that here lies :
Death, in guerdon of her wrongs,

Gives her fame, whinh never dies:
So the life that died with shame,
Lives in death toith glorious fame.
Hang thou there upon the tomb,

Praising her when I am dumb.-
Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn.

SONG.
Pardon, Goddess of the night,
Those that slew thy virgin knight;
For the which, with songs of woe,
Round about her tomb they go.

[B.seunt.

(afixing It.)

Dene. To bind me, or undo me, one of them.

61
Midnight, assist our moans to
Help us to sigh and groan,

Hearily, 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.
D. Pedro. Good morrow, masters ; put your torches

out;
The wolves hare prey'd; and look, the gentle day,
Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about

Dapples the drowsy east with spots of gray:
Claudio Soudain, and leave us ; fare you well.

Good morrow, masters; each his several way.
D. Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other
And then to Leonato's we will go.

Claud. And, Hymen, now with luckier issue speed's, Than this, for whom we render'd up this woe!

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-A Room in Leonato's House.

Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, BENEDICK,

BEATRICE, URSULA, Friar, and HERO.
Friar. Did I not tell you, she was innocent ?

Leon. So are the prince and Claudio, who accused her,
Upon the error that you heard debated :
But Margaret was in some fault for this;
Although against her will, as it appears

Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well.
Bene. And so am 1, being else by faith enforced
Leon. Well, daughter, and

a reckoning for it.

gentlewomen all, And, when I send for you, come hither mask'd ;

prince and Claudio promised by this hour
You must be father to your brother's daughter,
Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance.
Friar. To do what, signior?

Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior,
Your niece regards me with an eye of favour. [true.

Leon. That eye my daughter lent her: 'Tis most
Bene. And I do with an eye of love requite her,

Leon. The sight whereof,' I think, you had from me,
From Claudio and the prince : But what's your will!

Bene. Your answer, sir, is enigmatical:
But, for my will, my will is, your good will
Mas stand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd
In the estate of honourable marriage ;-
lo which, good friar, I shall desire your help.

Leon. My heart is with your liking.
Friar.

And may help.
Here comes the prince, and Claudio.
Enter Don PEDRO and CLAUDIO, with Attendants:

D. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair assembly.
Leon. Good morrow, prince;--good morrow, Claudio :
We here attend you : Are you get determined
To-day to marry with my brother's daughter !

Claud. I'll hold my niind, were she an Ethiop.
Leon. Call her forth, brother, here's the friar ready.

(B.rit Antonio.
D. Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick: why, what's

the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness?

Claud. I think, he thinks upon the savage bull:-
Tush, fear not, man, we'll tip thy horns with gold,
And all Europa shall rejoice at thee;
As once Europa did at lusty Jove,
When he would play the noble beast in love.

Bene. Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low;
And some such strange bull leap'd your father's cow,
And got a call in that same noble feat,
Much like to you, for you have just his bleat.

Re-enter ANTONIO, with the ladies masked.
Claud. For this I owe you: here come other

reckonings.
Which is the lady I must seize upon ?

Ant. This same is she, and I do gire you her.
Claud. Why, then she's mine: Sweet, let me see

your face.
Leon. No, that you shall not, till you take her hand
Before this friar, and swear to marry her.

Claud. Give me your hand before this holy friar; I ain your husband, if you like of me.

VO

ce Scene 4. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. 63 Hero. And when I lived, I was your other wife :

(Unmasking.
And when you loved, you were my other husband :

Claud. Another Hero?
Hero.

Nothing certainer:
One Hero died defled; but I do live,
And, curely, as I live, I am a maid.

D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero, that is dead!
Leon. She died my lord, but whiles her slander lived
Friar. All this

this amazement can I qualify;
after that

that the holy rites are ended,
I'll tell you largely of fair Hero's death;
Meantime, let wonder seem familiar,
And to the chapel let us presently:

Bene. Soft and fair, friar.-Which is Beatrice ?
Beat: I answer to that name ; (unmasking.) What

is your will
Bene. Do not you love me?
Beat.

No, no more than reason.
Bene. Why, then your uncle, and the prince, aud
Have been deceived; for they swore you did.

Beat. Do not you love me?
Bene. No, no more than reason.

Beat. Why, then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula,
Are much deceived; for they did swear you did.

swore that you were almost sick for me.
They swore that you were well-nigh dead for
meis no such matter : - Then you do not love

truly, but in friendly recompense. [me?
Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentle-

man.
Claud. And I'll be sworn upon't, that he loves her ;
Por here's a paper, written in his hand,
A halting sonnet of his own pure brain,
Fashion'd to Beatrice,

And here's another,
Writ in my cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket,

Bene. A miracle ! here's our own hands against our
hearts !-Come, I will have thee; but by this light,
take thee for pity.

Beat. I would not deny you; but, by this good day, !
Field upon great persuasion; and, partly, to save your
life, for I was told you were in a consumption.
Bene. Peace, I will stop your mouth. (Kissing her.)

VOL. II.

man?

D. Pedro. How dost thou, Benedick, the married

Bene. I'll tell thee what, prince; a college of witcrackers cannot fout me out of my humour: Dost thou think, I care for a satire, or an epigram? No: if a man will be beaten with brains, he shall wear nothing hand. some about him: In brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose, that the world can say against it; and therefore nerer flout at me for what I have said against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion. For thy part, Claudio, i did think to have beaten thee; but in that thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin.

Claud. I had well hoped, thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgelled thee out of thy siagle life, to make thice a double dealer; which, out of question, thou wilt he, if my cousin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee.

Bene. Come, come, we are friends : - let's have a dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts, and our wives' heels.

Lcon. We'll have dancing afterwards.

Bene. First, o' my word; therefore, play, music. Prince, thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife: there is no staff more reverend than one tipped with horn.

Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, your brother Jobn is ta'en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Messina

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

[Dance. Breunt.