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terfeit of paffion came fo near the life of paffion, as fhe difcovers it.

Pedro. Why, what effects of paffion fhews fhe?
Claud. Bait the hook well, this fifh will bite.

[Afide. Leon. What effects, my Lord? fhe will fit you, you heard my daughter tell you how.

Claud She did, indeed

Pedro. How, how, I pray you? you amaze me: I would have thought her fpirit had been invincible against all affaults of affection.

Leon. I would have fworn it had, my Lord; efpecially against Benedick.

Bene. [Afide] I fhould think this a gull, but that the white-bearded fellow fpeaks it; knavery cannot fure hide himself in fuch reverence,

Claud. He hath ta'en th' infection, hold it up.

[Afide. Pedro. Hath fhe made her affection known to Benedick?

Leon. No, and fwears he never will; that's her

torment.

Claud. 'Tis true, indeed, fo your daughter fays: fhall I, fays fhe, that have fo oft encounter'd him with fcorn, write to him that I love him?

Leon. This fays fhe now, when fhe is beginning to write to him; for fhe'll be up twenty times a-night, and there will fhe fit in her fmock, till fhe have writ a fheet of paper. My daughter tells us all.

Claud. Now you talk of a fheet of paper, I remem ber a pretty jeft your daughter told us of.

Leon. O,- when the had writ it, and was reading it over, fhe found Benedick and Beatrice between the fheet.

Claud. That

Leon. O, fhe tore the letter into a thousand halfpence; rail'd at herself, that the fhould be fo immodeft, to write to one that she knew would flout her : I measure him, fays fhe, by my own fpirit, for I fhould flout him if he writ to me; yea, though I love him, I fhould.

Claud. Then down upon her knees fhe falls, weeps,

fobs

fobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curfes; O fweet Benedick! God give me patience!

Leon. She doth, indeed, my daughter fays fo; and the ecstasy hath fo much overborne her, that my daughter is fometime afraid she will do defperate outrage to herself; it is very true.

Pedro. It were good, that Benedick knew of it by fome other, if fhe will not discover it.

Claud. To what end? He would but make a fport of it, and torment the poor lady worse.

Pedro. If he fhould, it were an alms to hang him fhe's an excellent fweet lady, and (out of all fufpicion) fhe is virtuous.

Claud. And fhe is exceeding wife.

Pedro. In every thing but in loving Benedick.

;

Leon. O my Lord, wifdom and blood combating in fo tender a body, we have ten proofs to one, that blood hath the victory; I am forry for her, as I have juft caufe, being her uncle and her guardian.

Pedro. I would fhe had bestow'd this dotage on me; I would have dafft all other refpects, and made her half myfelf. I pray you tell Benedick of it, and hear what he will say.

Leon. Were it good, think you?

Claud. Hero thinks furely fhe will die; for fhe fays, fhe will die if he love her not, and she will die ere the make her love known; and fhe will die if he woo her, rather than fhe will bate one breath of her accustom'd croffnefs.

Pedro. She doth well; if fhe fhould make tender of her love, 'tis very poffible he'll fcorn it; for the man, as you know all, hath a contemptible spirit.

Glaud. He is a very proper man.

wife.

Pedro. He hath indeed a good outward happiness, Claud. 'Fore God, and, in my mind, very Pedro. He doth indeed fhew fome fparks that aftlike wit.

Leon. And I take him to be valiant.

Pedro. As Hector, I affure you: and in the managing of quarrels you may fay he is wife; for either her avoids them with great difcretion, or undertakes them

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with a Christian-like fear *. Well, I am forry for niece: fhall we go feek Benedick, and tell him of her love?

your

Claud. Never tell him, my Lord; let her wear it out with good couħfel.

Leon. Nay, that's impoffible, fhe may wear her heart out first

Pedro. Well, we will hear further of it by your daughter; let it cool the while. I love Benedick well; and I could with he would modeftly examine himfelf,. to fee how much he is unworthy to have fo good a lady.

Leon. My Lord, will you walk? dinner is ready. Claud. If he do not doat on her upon this, I will never truft my expectation. [Afide. Pedro. Let there be the fame net spread for her, and that must your daughter and her gentlewoman carry; the fport will be, when they hold an opinion of one another's dotage, and no fuch matter; that's the scene that I would fee, which will be merely a dumb show. Let us fend her to call him to dinner, [Afide. [Exeunt.

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SCENE X. Benedick advances from the arbour. Bene.-" This can be no trick, the conference was fadly borne; they have the truth of this from Hero; they feem to pity the lady; it feems her affections "have the full bent. Love me! why, it must be requited. I hear how I am cenfur'd: they say I will "bear myfelf proudly, if I perceive the love come from her; they fay too, that fhe will rather die than give any fign of affection. I did never think to marry

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I must not feem proud-Happy are they that "hear their detractions, and can put them to mending. They fay the lady is fair; 'tis a truth I can "bear them witnefs: and virtuous;-'tis fo, I cannot

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Leon. If he do fear God, he muft neceffarily keep peace; if he break the peace, he ought to enter into a quarrel with fear and trembling. Pedro. And fo will he do; for the man doth fear God, how foever it fams not in him, by fome large jets he will make. Well, &c.

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"reprove it: and wife, but for loving me-by my troth, "it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument "of her folly; for I will be horribly in love with her. "I may chance to have fome odd quirks and rem"nants of wit broken on me, because I have rail'd fo long against marriage But doth not the appetite "alter? A man loves the meat in his youth, that he cannot endure in his age. Shall quips and fentences, "and these paper-bullets of the brain, awe a man from "the career of his humour? no; the world must be "peopled. When I faid, I would die a bachelor, I "did not think I should live till I were marry'd. Here ́ ́ "comes Beatrice: by this day, fhe's a fair lady; I do fpy fome marks of love in her."

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Enter Beatrice.

Beat. Against my will, I am fent to bid you come in to dinner.

Bene. Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains. Beat. I took no more pains for thofe thanks, than you take pains to thank me; if it had been painful, I would not have come.

Bene. You take pleasure then in the meffage.

Beat. Yea, juft fo much as you may take upon a knife's point, and choak a daw withal: you have no ftomach, Signior; fare you well.

[Exit.

Bene. Ha! against my will I am fent to bid you come in to dinner; there's a double meaning in that. I took no more pains for thofe thanks, than you took pains to thank me :—that's as much as to fay, any pains that I take for you is as eafy as thanks. If I do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not love her, I am a Jew; : I will go get her picture. [Exit.

ACT III.

SCENE I.

Continues in the orchard.

Enter Hero, Margaret, and Urfula.

OOD Margaret, run thee into the parlour,

Hero There fhalt thou find my coufin Beatrice,

Propofing with the Prince and Claudio;

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Whisper

Whisper her ear, and tell her, I and Urfula
Walk in the orchard, and our whole difcourfe
Is all of her; fay, that thou overheard'ft 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
Against that power that bred it:' there will the hide
To liften our purpose: this is thy office;

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Bear thee well in it, and leave us alone.

Marg. I'll make her come, I warrant, presently.
[Exit.

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 muft 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
Clofe by the ground to hear our conference.
Urf. The pleafant'ft angling is to fee the fish
Cut with her golden oars the silver 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 lofe nothing Of the false sweet bait that we lay for it.

No, truly, Urfula, fhe'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 fo entirely?

Hero. So fays the Prince, and my new-trothed Lord. 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,

T.

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