Page images
PDF
EPUB

punishment; and alfo the watch heard them talk of one Deformed: they fay, he wears a key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it; and borrows money in God's name, the which he hath us'd fo long, and never paid, that now men grow hard-hearted, and will lend nothing for God's fake. Pray you, examine him upon that point.

Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honest pains. Dogb. Your Worship fpeaks like a moft thankful and reverend youth; and I praise God for

Leon. There's for thy pains.

Dogb. God fave the foundation?

you.

Leon. Go, I difcharge thee of thy prifoner; and I thank thee.

Dogb. I leave an errant knave with your Worship, which, I beseech your Worship to correct yourself, for the example of others. God keep your Worship; I wish your Worship well: God reftore you to health; I humbly give you leave to depart; and if a merry meeting may be wifh'd, God prohibit it. Come, neighbour. [Exeunt. Leon. Until to-morrow morning, Lords, farewel. Ant. Farewel, my Lords; we look for you to

2

-

morrow.

he wears a key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it: and borrows money in God's name,] There could not be a pleafanter ridicule on the fashion, than the conftable's defcant on his own blunder. They heard the confpirators fatyrize the fabion; whom they took to be a man, furnamed, Deformed. This the conftable applies with exquifite humour to the courtiers, in a defcription of one of the moft fantastical fashions of that time, the men's wearing rings in their cars, and indulging a favourite

[blocks in formation]

Pedro. We will not fail.

Claud. To-night I'll mourn with Hero.

Leon. Bring you these fellows on, we'll talk with Margaret,

How her acquaintance grew with this lewd fellow.

SCENE

[Exeunt feverally.

VI.

Bene.

PR

Changes to Leonato's House.

Enter Benedick, and Margaret.

RAY thee, fweet Mistress Margaret, deserve well at my hands, by helping me to the fpeech of Beatrice. Marg. Will

my beauty?

you then write me a fonnet in praise of

Bene. In fo high a ftyle, Margaret, that no man living fhall come over it; for, in moft comely truth, thou deservest it.

Marg. To have no Man come over me? why, fhall I always keep below stairs?

Bene. Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth, it catches.

Marg. And yours as blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not.

Bene. A most manly wit, Margaret, it will not hurt

3 To have no Man come over me? why, fhall I always keep below Stairs?] Thus all the printed Copies, but fure, erroneously for all the Jeft, that can lie in the Paffage, is deftroy'd by it. Any Man might come over her, literally speaking, if the always kept below Stairs. By the

Correction I have ventur'd to make, Margaret, as I prefume, muft mean, What! fhall I always keep above Stairs? i. e. Shall I for ever continue a ChamTHEOBALD. bermaid?

I fuppofe, every reader will find the meaning of the old copies.

S 4

a wo

a woman; and fo, I pray thee, call Beatrice; I give thee the bucklers 4.

Marg. Give us the fwords; we have bucklers of

our own.

Bene. If you use them, Margaret, you must put in the pikes with a vice, and they are dangerous weapons for maids.

Marg. Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who, I think, hath legs. [Exit Margaret. Bene. And therefore will come. [Sings.] The God of love, that fits above, and knows me, and knows me, how pitiful I deferve, I mean, in finging; but in loving, Leander the good fwimmer, Troilus the first employer of pandars, and a whole book full of thefe quondam carpet-mongers, whofe names yet run fmoothly in the even road of a blank verfe; why, they were never fo truly turn'd over and over, as my poor self, in love; marry, I cannot fhew it in rhime; I have try'd; I can find out no rhime to lady but baby, an innocent's rhime; for fcorn, born, a hard rhime; for fchool, fool, a babling rhime; very ominous endings; no, I was not born under a rhiming planet, for I cannot woo in feftival terms.

[blocks in formation]

Sweet Beatrice, would't thou come when I call thee? Beat. Yea, Signior, and depart when thou bid me. Bene. O, ftay but 'till then.

Beat. Then, is fpoken; fare you well now; and yet ere I go, let me go with that I came for, which is,

4

I give thee the bucklers. I fuppole that to give the bucklers is, to yield, or to lay by

all thoughts of defence, lo clypeum abjicere. The reft deferves no comment

with

with knowing what hath paft between you and Claudio. Bene. Only foul words, and thereupon I will kifs thee.

Beat. Foul words are but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noifome; therefore I will depart unkift.

Bene. Thou haft frighted the word out of its right fense, so forcible is thy wit; but, I must tell thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I must fhortly hear from him, or I will fubfcribe him a coward; and I pray thee, now tell me, for which of my bad parts didft thou firft fall in love with me?

Beat. For them all together; which maintain'd fo politick a ftate of evil, that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them: but for which of my good parts did you firft fuffer love for me?

Bene. Suffer love! a good epithet; I do fuffer love, indeed, for I love thee against my will..

Beat. In fpight of your heart, I think; alas! poor heart, if you fpight it for my fake, I will fpight it for yours; for I will never love that, which my friend

hates.

Bene. Thou and I are too wife to woo peaceably.

Beat. It appears, not in this confeffion; there's not one wife man among twenty that will praife himself.

Bene. An old, an old inftance, Beatrice, that liv'd 5 in the time of good neighbours; if a man do not erect in this age his own tomb ere he dies, he fhall live no longer in monuments, than the bells ring, and the widow weeps.

Beat. And how long is that, think you?

6

Bene. Queftion?-why, an hour in clamour, and

5 in the time of good neigh bours; i. e. When men were not envious, but every one gave another his due. The reply is

extremely humourous.

a quar

WARBURTON.

6 Question? why an hour, &c.] . e. What a question's there,

a quarter in rhewm; therefore it is most expedient for the wife, if Don worm (his confcience) find no impediment to the contrary, to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myfelf; fo much for praifing myfelf; who, I myfelf will bear witnefs, is praise-worthy; and now tell me, how doth your Coufin? Beat. Very ill.

Bene. And 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 hafte.

Enter Urfula.

Urf. Madam, you must come to your uncle; yonder's old coil at home; it is proved, my lady Hero hath been falfely accus'd; the Prince and Claudio mightily abus'd; and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone: will you come prefently?

Beat. Will you go hear this news, Signior? Bene. I will live in thy eyes, die in thy lap, and be bury'd in thy heart; and moreover I will go with thee to thy uncle. [Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »