But, I pray you, who is his companion? is there no young fquarer now, that will make a voyage with him to the devil?

Mell. He is moft in the company of the right noble Claudio.

Beat. O lord, he will hang upon him like a disease; he is fooner caught than the peftilence, and the taker runs prefently mad. God help the noble Claudio, if he have caught the Benedick; it will coft him a thoufand pounds ere he be cur'd.

Mell. I will hold friends with you, Lady.
Beat. Do, good friend.

Leon. You'll ne'er run mad, Neice.
Beat. No, not 'till a hot January.

Mell. Don Pedro is approach'd.

Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick, Balthazar, and Don John.

Pedro. Good Signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid coft, and you encounter it,

Leon. Never came trouble to my houfe in the like. nefs of your Grace; for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but when you depart from me, forrow abides, and happiness takes his leave.

Pedro. You embrace your charge too willingly: I think this is your daughter.

2

Leon. Her mother hath many times told me fo.

young Squarer-] A Squarer I take to be a choleric, quarrelfome fellow, for in this fenfe Shakespeare uses the word to Square. So in Midsummer Night's Dream it is faid of Oberon and Titanir, that they never meet but

VOL. III.

they fquare. So the fenfe may be, Is there no hot-blooded youth that will keep him company through all his mad pranks?

3 You embrace your charge-] That is, your burthen, your encumbrance.

Bene. Were you in doubt, Sir, that you afkt het? Leon. Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a

child

Pedro. You have it full, Benedick; we may guess by this what you are, being a man: truly the lady fathers herself; be happy, lady, for you are like an honourable father.

Bene. If Signior Leonato be her father, the wouldnot have his head on her fhoulders for all Messina, as like him as fhe is.

Beat. I wonder, that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick; no body marks you.

Bene. What, my dear lady Difdain! are you yet living?

Beat, Is it poffible, Difdain fhould die, while fhe hath fuch meet food to feed it, as Signior Benedick? Courtefie itself must convert to Difdain, if you come in her prefence.

Bene. Then is courtefie a turncoat; but it is cer-tain, I am lov'd of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love none.

Beat. A dear happiness to women; they would elfe have been troubled with a pernicious fuitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that; I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man fwear he loves me.

Bene. God keep your ladyfhip ftill in that mind! fo fome gentleman or other fhall fcape a predeftinate fcratcht face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere fuch a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.

Beat. A bird of my tongue is better than a beaft of yours.

Bene. I would, my horfe had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer; but keep your way o'God's name, I have done.

4

Beat.

Beat. You always end with a jade's trick; I know you of old.

Pedro. This is the fum of all:"Leonato, Signior Claudio, and Signir Benedick,my dear friend Leonato hath invited you all; I tell him, we fhall ftay here at the least a month; and he heartily prays, fome occafion may detain us longer: I dare fwear, he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart.

Leon. If you fwear, my Lord, you fhall not be forfworn. Let me bid you welcome, my lord, being reconciled to the prince your brother; I owe you all duty.

John. I thank you; I am not of many words, but I thank you.

Lem. Please it your Grace lead on?"

Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together. [Exeunt all but Benedick and Claudio.

Claud. Benedick, didft thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato?

Bene. I noted her not, but I look'd on her.
Claud. Is he not a modeft young lady?

Bene. Do you queftion me, as an honest man should do, for my fimple true judgment? or would you have me speak after my cuftom, as being a profeffed tyrant to their fex?

Claud. No, I pr'ythee, fpeak in fober judgment.

Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks, fhe is too low for an high praife, too brown for a fair praife; and too little for a great praife; only this commendation I can afford her, that were fhe other than fhe is, fhe were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.

Claud. Thou think'ft, I am in fport; I pray thee, tell me truly how thou lik'ft her.

N 2

Bene.

Bene. Would you buy her, that you enquire after her?

Claud. Can the world buy fuch a jewel?

Bene. Yea, and a cafe to put it into. But speak you this with a fad brow? or do you play the flouting Jack, to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter? come, in what key shall a man take you to go in the Song?

Claud. In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that I ever look'd on.

Bene. I can fee yet without fpectacles, and I fee no fuch matter; there's her Coufin, if fhe were not poffest with such a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty, as the first of May doth the laft of December: but I hope, you have no intent to turn husband, have you? Claud. I would scarce truft myself, tho' I had fworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.

Bene. Is't come to this, in faith? hath not the world one man, but he will wear his cap with fufpicion; fhall I never see a batchelor of threefcore again? go to, i'faith, if thou wilt needs thruft thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and figh away Sundays: look, Don Pedro is return'd to feek you.

4

to tell us Cupid is a rare hare-finder, &c.] I know not whether I conceive the jeft here intended. Claudio hints his love of Hero. Benedick afks whether he is ferious, or whether he only means to jeft, and tell them that Cupid is a good bare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter. A man praising a pretty lady in jeft, may fhew the quick fight of Cupid, but what has it to do with the carpentry of Vulcan? Perhaps the

thought lies no deeper than this, Do you mean to tell us as neru what we all know already?

5 wear his cap with fufpicion ?] That is, fubject his head to the difquiet of jealousy.

6 figh away Sundays :] A proverbial expreffion to fignify that a man has no reft at all; when Sunday, a day formerly of eafe and diverfion, was paffed fo uncomfortably. WARBURTON.

SCENE

SCENE IV.

Re-enter Don Pedro and Don John.

Pedro. What fecret hath held you here, that you follow'd not to Leonato's houfe?

Bene. I would, your Grace would constrain me to tell, Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance.

Bene. You hear, Count Claudio, I can be fecret as a dumb man, I would have you think fo; but on my alliegiance,-mark you this,-on my allegiance.-He is in love. With whom?-now that is your Grace's part. Mark how fhort his anfwer is with Hero, Leonato's fhort daughter.

Claud. If this were fo, fo were it uttered ".

Bene. Like the old tale, my lord, it is not fo, nor 'twas not fo; but, indeed, God forbid it fhould be fo. Claud. If my paffion change not fhortly, God forbid it should be otherwise.

Pedro. Amen, if you love her, for the Lady is very well worthy.

Claud. You fpeak this to fetch me in, my Lord. Pedro. By my troth, I fpeak my thought. Claud. And, in faith, my Lord, I spoke mine. Bene. And by my two faiths and troths, my Lord, I speak mine.

Claud. That I love her, I feel.

Pedro. That she is worthy, I know.

Bene. That I neither feel how she should be loved, nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the ftake.