Whifper her ear, and tell her, I and Urfula Walk in the orchard, and our whole difcourse Is all of her; fay, that thou overheard'st us; And bid hear steal into the pleached bower, • Where honey-fuckles, ripen'd by the fun, • Forbid the fun to enter; like to favourites, • Made proud by princes, that advance their pride

6

Against that power that bred it:' there will she h

To listen our purpose: this is thy office;

Bear thee well in it, and leave us alone.

Marg. I'll make her come, I warrant, presentl

[

Hero. Now, Urfula, when Beatrice doth come As we do trace this alley up and down, Our talk must only be of Benedick When I do name him, let it be thy part To praise him more than ever man did merit. My talk to thee must be, how Benedick Is fick in love with Beatrice; of this matter Is little Cupid's crafty arrow made, That only wounds by hear-fay Now begin.

Enter Beatrice, running towards the arbour. For look, where Beatrice, like a lapwing, runs Close by the ground to hear our conference. Urf. The pleasant'st angling is to fee the fish Cut with her golden oars the filver stream, And greedily devour the treacherous bait; So angle we for Beatrice, who e'en now Is couched in the woodbine-coverture: Fear you not my part of the dialogue.

Hero. Then we go near her, that her ear lose noth Of the false sweet bait that we lay for it.No, truly, Urfula, she's too difdainful; I know her fpirits are as coy and wild As haggards of the rock.

Urf. But are you fure,

That Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely?

Hero. So fays the Prince, and my new-trothed Lon Urf. And did they bid you tell her of it, Madam? Hero. They did intreat me to acquaint her of it; But I perfuaded them, if they lov'd Benedick,

To wish him wrestle with affection,

And never to let Beatrice know of it.

Urf Why did you fo? doth not the gentleman

Deserve as full, as fortunate a bed,
As ever Beatrice shall couch upon ?

Hero O god of love! I know he doth deferve
As much as may be yielded to a man:
But nature never fram'd a woman's heart
Of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice.
Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes,
Mifprizing what they look on; and her wit
Values itself fo highly, that to her
All matter else seems weak; she cannot love,.
Nor take no fhape nor project of affection,
She is fo felf-endeared.

Urf. Sure I think so;

And therefore certainly it were not good
She knew his love, lest she make sport at it.

Hero. Why, you speak truth. I never yet faw man, How wife, how noble, young, how rarely featur'd, But she would spell him backward. If fair-face'd,

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She'd fwear the gentleman should be her fister;

• If black, why, nature, drawing of an antic,

• Made a foul blot; if tall, a launce ill-headed;

If low, an aglet very vilely cut;

• If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds;

If filent, why, a block moved with none.'

So turns the every man the wrong fide out,

And never gives to truth and virtue that
Which fimpleness and merit purchaseth.

Urf. Sure, fure, such carping is not commendable.
Hero. No; for to be so odd, and from all fashions,
As Beatrice is, cannot be commendable.
But who dare tell her fo? If I should fpeak,
She'd mock me into air; O she would laugh me
Out of myself, press me to death with wit.
Therefore let Benedick, like cover'd fire,
Confume away in fighs, waste inwardly;
It were a better death than die with mocks,
Which is as bad as 'tis to die with tickling.
Urf. Yet tell her of it; hear what she will say.
Hero. No, rather I will go to Benedick,

And And counsel him to fight against his paffion. And, truly, I'll devise some honeft flanders To ftain my cousin with; one doth not know How much an ill word may impoifon liking.

Urf. O, do not do your coufin fuch a wrong She cannot be fo much without true judgment, (Having fo fwift and excellent a wit As she is priz'd to have), as to refuse So rare a gentleman as Benedick. Hero. He is the only man of Italy, Always excepted my dear Claudio.

Urf. I pray you be not angry with me, Mada Speaking my fancy; Signior Benedick, For shape, for bearing, argument, and valour, Goes foremost in report through Italy.

Hero. Indeed he hath an excellent good name Urf. His excellence did earn it ere he had it. When are you marry'd, Madam?

Hero. Why, every day; to-morrow; come, g I'll shew thee some attires, and have thy counsel Which is the best to furnish me to-morrow.

Urf. She's lim'd, I warrant you; we have ca her, Madam.

Hero. If it prove so, then loving goes by haps Some Cupids kill with arrows, fome with traps. [Ex

Beatrice, advancing. Beat. What fire is in my ears? can this be tru Stand I condemn'd for pride and scorn fo mu Contempt, farewel! and maiden-pride, adieu ! No glory lives behind the back of fuch. And, Benedick, love on, I will requite thee; Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand; If thou dost love, thy kindness shall incite thee To bind our loves up in a holy band. For others say, thou dost deserve; and I Believe it better than reportingly.

[

SCENE II. Leonato's house. Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick, and Leona Pedro. I do but stay till your marriage be conf mate, and then go I toward Arragon,

Claud. I'll bring you thither my Lord, if you'll vouchsafe me.

Pedro. Nay, that would be as great a foil in the new glofs of your marriage, as to fhew a child his new coat, and forbid him to wear it. I will only be bold with Benedick for his company: for, from the crown of his head to the fole of his foot, he is all mirth; he hath twice or thrice cut Cupid's bow-string, and the little hangman dare not shoot at him: he hath a heart as found as a bell, and his tongue is the clapper; for what his heart thinks, his tongue speaks.

Bene. Gallants, I am not as I have been.
Leon. So fay I; methinks you are fadder.
Claud. I hope he is in love.

Pedro. Hang him, truant, there's no true drop of blood in him, to be truly touch'd with love if he be fad, he wants money.

Bene. I have the tooth-ach.

Pedro Draw it.

Bene. Hang it

Claud. You must hang it first, and draw it afterwards.
Pedro. What! figh for the tooth-ach!

Leon. Which is but a humour, or a worm.

Bene. Well, every one can master a grief but he that has it.

Claud. Yet say I, he is in love
Pedro.

"There is no appearance of fancy in him, "unless it be a fancy that he hath to strange disguites; as to be a Dutchman to-day, a Frenchman to-morrow; or in the shape of two countries at once; a "German from the waste downward, all flops; and a Spaniara from the hip upward, no doublet less he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it to appear he is.

Un

Claud. If he be not in love with fome woman, there is no believing old figns: he brushes his hat o'mornings; what should that bode'

Pedro. Fiath any man teen him at the barber's ? Claud. No, but the barber's man hath been feen with him, and the ol i ornament of his cheek hath already

fluff'd tennis-balls.

VOL. II.

E

Leon.

Leon. Indeed he looks younger than he did lofs of a beard.

Pedro. Nay, he rubs himself with civet; са fmell him out by that?

Claud, That's as much as to say, the sweet y in love.

Pedro. The greatest note of it is his melancho
Claud. And when was he wont to wash his fa
Pedro. Yea, or to paint himself? for the wh

hear what they say of him.

Claud. Nay, but his jesting spirit, which is now into a lute-string, and now govern'd by ftops Pedro. Indeed that tells a heavy tale for him. clude he is in love.

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Claud. Nay, but I know who loves him. Pedro. That would I know too: I warrant. that knows him not.

Claud. Yes, and his ill conditions, and in def of all, dies for him.

Pedro. She shall be bury'd with her face upw Bene. Yet is this no charm for the tooth-ach. Signior, walk afide with me; I have study'd eig nine wife words to speak to you, which these ho horses must not hear [Exeunt Benedick and Leor

Pedro For my life, to break with him about trice.

Claud. 'Tis even fo. Hero and Margaret hav this play'd their parts with Beatrice; and ther two bears will not bite one another when they me

SCENE III. Enter Don John. John. My Lord and brother, God fave you. Pedro Good den, brother

John. If your leisure serv'd, I would speak with Pedro. In private ?

John. If it please you; yet Count Claudio hear; for what I would speak of, concerns him. Pedro. What's the matter?

John Means your Lordship to be marry'd to-m

row?

Pedro. You know he does.

[To Claus