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SCENE changes to Leonato's House.

Enter Leonato, Benedick, Margaret, Urfula, Antonio, Friar, and Hero.

Friar⋅ D

IDI not tell you,

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Leon. So are the Prince and Claudio, who
accus'd her,

Upon the error that you heard debated.
But Margaret was in fome fault for this;
Although against her will, as it appears,
In the true courfe of all the queftion.

Ant. Well; I am glad, that all things fort fo well,
Bene. And fo am I, being else by faith enforc'd
To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.

Leon. Well, Daughter, and you gentlewomen all, Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves,

And when I fend for you, come hither mask'd:
The Prince and Claudio promis'd by this hour
To vifit me; you know your office, brother,
You must be father to your brother's daughter,
And give her to young Claudio.

[Exeunt Ladies.

Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance.
Bene. Friar, I muft intreat your pains, I think.
Friar. To do what, Signior?

Bene. To bind ine, or undo me, one of them ;
Signior Leonato, truth it is, good Signior,
Your niece regards me with an eye of favour.

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 ?
Bene. Your anfwer, Sir, is enigmatical;

But for my will, my will is, your good will
May ftand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd
I' th' ftate of honourable marriage;

In which, good Friar, I fhall defire your help.
Leon. My heart is with your liking.
Friar. And my help.

Enter

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Enter Don Pedro and Claudio, with Attendants.\
Pedro. Good-morrow to this fair affembly.
Leon. Good-morrow, Prince; good-morrow, Claudio.
We here attend you; are you yet determin'd
To day to marry with my brother's daughter?
Claud. I'll hold my mind, were the an Ethiope.
Leon. Call her forth, brother, here's the Friar ready.
[Exit Antonio.
Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick; why, what's the matter.
That you have fuch a February-face,

So full of froft, of ftorm and cloudiness?

Claud. I think, he thinks upon the favage bull: Tuh, fear not, man, we'll tip thy horns with gold, And fo all Europe fhall rejoice at thee;

As once Europa did it lufty Jove,

When he would play the noble beast in love.

Bene. Bull Jove, Sir, had an amiable low,

And some such strange bull leap'd your father's cow;
And got a calf, in that fame noble feat,

Much like to you; for you have just 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 feize upon?

Ant. This fame is fhe, and I do give you her.

Claud. Why, thenfhe's mine; Sweet, let me fee your face. Leon. No, that you shall 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.

[Unmasking.

And when you lov'd, you were my other husband.
Claud. Another Hero ? (29)

(29) Claud. Another Hero!

Hero

Hero,

Nothing certainer a

One

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!
Leon. She dy'd, my lord, but whiles her flander liv'd.
Friar. All this amazement can I qualify.
When, after that the holy rites are ended,
I'll tell thee largely of fair Hero's death :
Mean time let wonder feem familiar,
And to the chapel let us prefently.

Bene. Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice?
Beat. I answer to that name; what is your will
Bene. Do not you love me?

Beat. Why, no; no more than reafon.

Bene. Why, then your Uncle, and the Prince, and Claudio, have been deceiv'd; they fwore, you did. Beat. Do not you love me?

Bene. Troth, no, no more than reafon.

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 ?
Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompence.
Leon. Come, Coufin, I am fure you love the gentleman.
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,
Fashion'd to Beatrice.

Hero. And here's another,

Writ in my Coufin's hand, ftoll'n from her pocket,
Containing her affection unto Benedick.

One Hero dy'd; but I do live,

And furely as I live I am a meid.] Befides that the last line but one wants a whole foot in measure, it is as defective in the meaning: For how are the words made out? One Ilero dy'd, and yet that Hero lives, but how is the then another Hero? The fupplement, which I have reftor'd from the old Quarto, folves all that difficulty, and makes the laft line reafonable.

Bene

Bene. A miracle! here's our own hands againft our hearts; come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity.

(30) Beat. I would yet deny you; but, by this good day, I yield upon great perfuafion, and partly to fave your life; for as I was told, you were in a confumption. (31) Bene. Peace, I will top your mouth.

[Kifing ber Pedro. How doft thou, Benedick the married man? Bene. I'll tell thee what, Prince; a College of wit crackers 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 shall wear nothing handfome about him; in brief, fince I do purpose to marry,

(30) I would not deny you, but by this good day I yield upon great perfuafion, &c.] Is not this ftrange Mock-reafoning in Beatrice? She would not deny him, but that the yields upon. great perfuafion.. By changing the Negative, I make no doubt but I have retriev'd the poet's humour.

(31) Leon. Peace, I will stop your mouth.] What can Leonato mean by this? Nay, pray, peace, Niece; don't keep up this obftinacy * of profeffions, for I have proofs to ftop your mouth." The ingenious Dr. Thirlby agreed with me, that this ought to be given to Benedick, who, upon faying it, kiffes Beatrice : and this being done before the whole company, how natural is the reply which the Prince makes upon it?

How dof thou, Benedick, the married man.

Befides, this mode of speech, preparatory to a falute, is familiar to our Poet in common with other ftage-writers. So before, in this Play, Beatrice fays to Hero;

Speak, Coufin; or (if you cannot,) ftop his mouth with a kiss, and let not him fpeak neither.

So, again, in Troilus and Crfida, where he fears that she is saying too fond things:

Crefs.

Stop my mouth.

Troil. And shall, albeit fweet mufick issues thence. [Kisses kora So, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady;

Widow. Sir, you speak like a worthy brother. And so much I do credit your fair language, that I fhall love your brother; and fo love him, but I fhall blush to say more.

Eld Love. Stop her mouth.
And Webfler in his Dutchefs of Malfy.

Dutch.

[To his brother, who kiffes ber.

-I'll ftop your mouth.

Anto. Nay, that's but one: Venus had two foft Doves
To draw her Chariot :-I must have another.

[Kiffing him

[Kiffing ber.

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 against 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. Enter Meffenger.

Me. My Lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Messina.

Bene. Think not on him 'till to-morrow: I'll devife thee brave punishments for him. Strike up, Pipers.

[Dance. [Exeunt omnes.

THE

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