Beat. And a good foldier to a lady? but what is he to a lord?

Meff. A-lord to a lord, a man to a man, stuff'd with all honourable virtues.

Beat. It is fo, indeed: he is no less than a stuff'd man: but for the stuffing, well, we are all mortal...

Leon. You must not, Sir, mistake my niece, there is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her; they never meet, but there's a skirmifh of wit between them.

Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict, four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man govern'd with one: fo that, if he have wit enough to keep himself from harm, let himi bear it for a difference between himself and his horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reafonable creature. Who is his companion now? he hath every month a new fworn brother.

Meff. Is it poffible?

Beat. Very easily possible; he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next block.

Meff. I fee, Lady, the gentleman is not in your books.

Beat.

No; an he were, I would burn my fludy.. "But, I pray you, who is his companion? is there no young squarer now that will make a voyage with "him to the devil?"

Meff. He is most 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 pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the Noble Claudio, if he have caught the Benedick; it will cost him a thou fand pounds ere he be cur'd.

Mes. I will hold friends with you, Lady.

Beat. Do, good friend.

Leon. You'll ne'er run mad, niece.
Beat. No, not till a hot January.
Mef. 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 cost, and you encounter it.

Leon. Never came trouble to my house in the likeness 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.

Leon. Her mother hath many times told me fo. Bene. Were you in doubt, Sir, that you ask'd her? 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 herfelf; be happy, Lady, for you are like an honourable father.

Bene. If Signior Leonato be her father, she would not have his head on her shoulders for all Messina, as like him as the is.

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

Bene. What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living?

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

Bene. Then is Courtesy a turn-coat; but it is certain 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 suitor. 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

Bene. God keep your Ladyship still in that mind! fo fome gentleman or other shall scape a predeftinate fcratch'd face.

Beat. "

Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere fuch a face as your's were." Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher. Beat. A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of your's.

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

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

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

Leon. If you fwear, my Lord, you shall 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.

Leon. Please it your Grace lead on? Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together. [Exeunt all but Benedick and Claudio.

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

Bene. I noted her not, but I look'd on her.
Claud. Is the not a modest young Lady?

Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my fimple true judgement? or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their fex?

Claud. No, I pr'ythee, speak in sober judgement. Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks she is too low for an high praise, too brown for a fair praife, and too little for a great praises only this commendation I can

A 3

"afford

"afford her, that were the other than she is, she were

unhandfome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her."

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

Bene. Wou'd you buy her, that you inquire after her?

Claud. Can the world buy such 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 fong?

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

Bene. I can fee yet without spectacles, and I fee no fuch matter; there's her coufin, if she were not poffefs'd with fuch a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty, as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you ? Claud. I would scarce truft myself, though 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 fee a batchelor of threefcore again? Go to; i'faith, if thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and figh away Sundays. Look, Don Pedro is return'd to seek you.

SCENE IV. Re-enter Don Pedro.

Pedro. What fecret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato's house?

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 allegiance, mark you this, on my allegiance :- he is in love; with whom? now that is your Grace's part: mark, how short his answer is, with Hero, Leonato's short 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 should be fo. Claud. If my paffion change not shortly, God forbid it should be otherwise.

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

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

1 speak mine,

Claud. That Llove her, I feel.

Pedro. That she is worthy, I know.

:

Bene. That I neither feel how the should be loved, nor know how the should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the stake.. Pedro. Thou wast ever an obstinate heretic in the

defpight of beauty.

Glaud. And never could maintain his part, but in the force of his will.

Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewife give her most humble thanks: but that I will have a recheate winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invisible baldric, all women shall pardon me; because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to truft none; and the fine is, (for the which I may go the finer), I will live a bachelor.

Pedro. 1 shall fee thee, ere I die, look pale with love.

Bene. "With anger, with fickness, or with hunger, "my Lord, not with love: prove, that ever I lose more " blood with love, than I will get again with drink

ing, pick out mine eyes with a ballad-maker's pen, " and hang me up at the door of a brothel-house for "the fign of blind Cupid."

Pedro. Well, if ever thou dost fall from this faith, thou wilt prove a notable argument.

Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat, and shoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the shoulder, and call'd Adam *.

Alluding to one Adam Bell, a famous archer of old.

Pedro.