Signior Leonato, truth it is, good Signior, Leon. That eye my daughter lent her, 'tis moft true. Bene. And I do with an eye of love requite her. Leon. The fight whereof, I think, you had from me, From Claudio and the Prince; but what's your will? In which, good Friar, I fhall defire your help. SCENE X. Enter Don Pedro and Claudio, with Attendants. 1 Pedro. Good morrow to this fair affembly. : Claudio, We here attend you; are you yet determin'd Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick; why, what's the matter, That you have fuch a February-face, So full of froft, of storm and cloudiness? Claud. I think, he thinks upon the favage bull: Tufh, fear not, man, we'll tip thy horns with gold, And fo all Europe shall rejoice at thee; As once Europa did at lufty Jove, When he would play the noble beast in love. Bene. Bene. Bull Jove, Sir, had an amiable low, And fome fuch ftrange bull leapt your father's cow; And got a calf, in that fame noble feat, Much like to you; for you have juft his bleat. Enter Antonio, with Hero, Beatrice, Margaret, and Urfula, mask'd. Claud. For this I owe you; here come other recknings. Which is the lady I must seize upon? Ant. This fame is fhe, and I do give you her. Claud. Why, then fhe's mine; Sweet, let me fee your face. Leon. No, that you fhall not, 'till you take her hand Before this Friar, and fwear to marry her. Claud. Give me your hand; before this holy Friar, I am your husband if you like of me. Hero. And when I liv'd, I was your other wife. [Unmaskings And when you lov'd, you were my other husband. Claud. Another Hero? Hero. Nothing certainer. One Hero dy'd defil'd, but I do live; And, furely, as I live, I am a maid. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero, that is dead! Friar. All this amazement can I qualifie. When, after that the holy rites are ended, Bene. Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice? Beat: Beat. I answer to that name; what is your will? Beat. Why, no, no more than reafon, Bene. Why, then your Uncle, and the Prince, and Claudio, have been deceiv'd; they swore, you did. Beat. Do not you love me? Bene. Troth, no, no more than reason. Beat. Why, then my Coufin, Margaret and Urfula, Have been deceiv'd; for they did fwear, you did. Bene. They fwore, you were almoft fick for me. Beat. They fwore, you were well-nigh dead for me. Bene. 'Tis no matter; then you do not love me? Claud. And I'll be fworn upon't, that he loves her; For here's a paper written in his hand, A halting fonnet of his own pure brain, Hero. And here's another, Writ in my Coufin's hand, ftolen from her pocket, Containing her affection unto Benedick. Bene. A miracle! here's our own hands against our hearts; come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity. Beat. I would not deny you; but, by this good day, I yield upon great perfuafion, and partly to fave your 2 I would not deny you,, &c.] Mr. Theobold fays, is not this mock-reasoning? She would not deny him, but that he yields upon great perfuafion. In changing the Negative I make no doubt but I have retriev'd the poet's humour: and fo changes not into yet. But is not this a Mock Critic? who could not fee that the plain obvious fenfe of the common reading was this, I cannot find in my heart to deny you, but for all that I yield, after having stood out great perfuafions to fubmiffion. He had faid, I take thee for your life; for as I was told, you were in a confumption. Bene. Peace, I will ftop your mouth. [Killing ber. Pedro. How doft thou, Benedick, the married man? Bene. I'll tell thee what, Prince; a College of witcrackers cannot flout me out of my humour: doft thou think, I care for a fatire, or an epigram? no: "if a "man will be beaten with brains, he fhall wear no 66 thing handsome about him;" in brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can fay against it; and therefore never flout at me, for what I have faid againft it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclufion; for thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but in that thou art like to be my kinfman, live unbruis'd, and love my coufin. Claud. I had well hoped, thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgell'd thee out of thy fingle life, to make thee a double dealer; which, out of queftion, thou wilt be, if my Coufin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee. Bene. Come, come, we are friends; let's have a Dance ere we are marry'd, that we may lighten our own hearts, and our wives heels. Leon. We'll have dancing afterwards. Bene. First, o' my word; therefore, play, mufick. Prince, thou art fad, get thee a wife, get thee a wife; there is no staff more reverend than one tipt with horn. pity, the replies, I would not deny thee. i. e. I take thee for pity too: but as I live I am won to this compliance by importunity of friends. Mr. Theobald by altering not to yet makes it fuppofed, that be had been importunate, and that he had often denied; which was not the cafe. Enter |
