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 moval 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, byʼrlady, 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 despight 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.

gallants of the

Urs. Madam, withdraw; the prince, the count, signior Benedick, Don John, and all the town, are come to fetch you to church. Hero. Help to dress me, good coz, Ursula.

good Meg, good [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 speciall 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. 3 Dogb. Comparisons are odorous: palabras,4 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 hear 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 Shakspeare 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 Shakspeare 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,

they say, When the age is in, the wit is out: God help us it is a world to see!-Well said, i'faith, neighbour Verges-well, God's a good man; an two men ride of a horse, one must ride behind :5-An honest soul, i'faith, sir; by my troth he is, as ever broke bread: but, God is to be worshipped: All men are not alike; alas good neighbour !

Leon. Indeed, neighbour, he comes too short of you. Dogb. Gifts, that God gives.

Leon. I must leave you.

Dogb. One word, sir: our watch, sir, have, indeed, comprehended two aspicious persons, and we would have them this morning examined before your worship.

Leon. Take their examination yourself, and bring it me; I am now in great haste, as it may appear unto you. Dogb. It shall be suffigance.

Leon. Drink some wine ere you go: fare you well.
Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord, they stay for you to give your daughter to her husband.

Leon. I will wait upon them; I am ready.

[Exe. LEON. and Messenger. Dogb. Go, good partner, go, get you to Francis Seacoal, bid him bring his pen and inkhorn to the gaol; we are now to examination these men.

Verg. And we must do it wisely.

Dogb. We will spare for no wit, I warrant you; here's that [touching his forehead] shall drive some of them to a non com : only get the learned writer to set down our excommunication, and meet me at the gaol. [Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.—The Inside of a Church. Enter Don PEDRO, Don JOHN, LEONATO, Friar, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, HERO, and BEATRICE, &c.

Leonato.

COME, friar Francis, be brief; only to the plain form of marriage, and you shall recount their particular duties afterwards.

[5] This is not out of place or without meaning. Dogberry, in his vanity of superior parts, apologizing for his neighbour, observes, that of two men on a horse, one must ride behind. The first place of rank or understanding can belong but to one, and that happy one ought not to despise his inferior. JOH

Friar. You come hither, my lord, to marry this lady? Claud. No.

Leon. To be married to her, friar; you come to marry her.

Friar. Lady, you come hither to be married to this count?

Hero. I do.

Friar. If either of you know any inward impediment why you should not be conjoined, I charge you, on your souls, to utter it.

Claud. Know you any, Hero?

Hero. None, my lord.

Friar. Know you any, count?

Leon. I dare make his answer, none.

Claud. O, what men dare do! what men may do! what men daily do! not knowing what they do!

Bene. How now! Interjections? Why, then some be of laughing, as, ha ha! he !7

Claud. Stand thee by, friar :-Father, by your leave; Will you with free and unconstrained soul

Give me this maid, your daughter?

Leon. As freely, son, as God did give her me.

Claud. And what have I to give you back, whose worth May counterpoise this rich and precious gift?

D.Pedro. Nothing, unless you render her again. Claud. Sweet prince, you learn me noble thankful

ness.

There, Leonato, take her back again;

Give not this rotten orange to your friend;
She's but the sign and semblance of her honour :-
Behold, how like a maid she blushes here:

O, what authority and show of truth
Can cunning sin cover itself withal!

Comes not that blood, as modest evidence,

To witness simple virtue? Would you not swear,
All you that see her, that she were a maid,
By these exterior shows? But she is none :
She knows the heat of a luxurious bed: 8

[6] This is borrowed from our Marriage Ceremony, which (with a few slight changes in phraseology) is the same as was used in the time of Shakspeare. DOUCE.

[7] This is a quotation from the Accidence. JOHNSON.

[8] i. e. lascivious. Luxury is the confessor's term for unlawful pleasures of thesex. JOHNSON.

Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.
Leon. What do you mean, my lord?
Claud. Not to be married,

Not knit my soul to an approved wanton.

Leon. Dear my lord, if you, in your own proof Have vanquish'd the resistance of her youth,

And made defeat of her virginity,—

Clau. I know what you would say; If I have known her, You'll say, she did embrace me as a husband,

And so extenuate the 'forehand sin :

No, Leonato,

I never tempted her with word too large ;
But, as a brother to his sister, show'd

Bashful sincerity, and comely love.

Hero. And seem'd I ever otherwise to you?

Claud. Out on thy seeming! I will write against it: You seem to me as Dian in her orb ;

As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown ;9

But you are more intemperate in your blood
Than Venus, or those pamper'd animals

That rage in savage sensuality.

Hero. Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide?
Leon. Sweet prince, why speak not you?
D.Pedro. What should I speak ?:

I stand dishonour'd, that have gone about

To link my dear friend to a common stale.

Leon. Are these things spoken? or do I but dream? D.John. Sir, they are spoken, and these things are true. Bene. This looks not like a nuptial.

Hero. True, O God!

Claud. Leonato, stand I here ?

Is this the prince? Is this the prince's brother?

Is this face Hero's? Are our eyes our own?

Leon. All this is so; But what of this, my lord?

Claud. Let me but move one question to your daughter;

And, by that fatherly and kindly power'

That you have in her, bid her answer truly.

Leon. I charge thee do so, as thou art my child.
Hero. O God defend me! how am I beset!

What kind of catechizing call you this?

Claud. To make you answer truly to your name.
Hero. Is it not Hero? Who can blot that name

-chaste as is the bud-] Before the air has tasted its sweetness. JOH i.e. natural power. Kind is nature.

JOHNSON.