Enter BORACHIO, Bora. I came yonder from a great fupper; the prince, your brother, is royally entertain'd by Leonato; and I can give you intelligence of an intended marriage. D. John. Will it ferve for any model to build mifchief on? What is he for a fool, that betroths himself to unquietnefs? Bora. Marry, it is your brother's right hand. D. John. Who? the most exquifite Claudio? Bora. Even he. D. John. A proper fquire! And who, and who? which way looks he? Bora. Marry, on Hero, the daughter and heir of Leonato. D. John. A very forward March-chick! How came you to this? Bora. Being entertain'd for a perfumer, as I was fmoking a mufty room, comes me the prince and Claudio, hand in hand, in fad conference: I whipt me behind the arras; and there heard it agreed upon, that the prince fhould woo Hero for himself, and having obtained her, give her to count Claudio. D. John. Come, come, let us thither; this may prove food to my difpleafure: that young start-up hath all the glory of my overthrow; if I can crofs him any way, I bless myself every way: You are both fure, and will affift me? Con. To the death, my lord. D. John. Let us to the great fupper; their cheer is the greater, that I am fubdued: 'Would the cook were of my mind!-Shall we go prove what's to be done? Bora. We'll wait upon your lordship. ACT II. SCENE I. A Hall in LEONATO's Houfe. [Exeunt. Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, HERO, BEATRICE, and Others. Leon. Was not count John here at supper? Ant. 4 Sad in this, as in future inftances, fignifies ferious. STEEVENS. Sboth fure,] i. e. to be depended on. STEEVENS. Ant. I faw him not. Beat. How tartly that gentleman looks! I never can fee him, but I am heart-burn'd an hour after." Hero. He is of a very melancholy difpofition. Beat. He were an excellent man, that were made just in the mid-way between him and Benedick: the one is too like an image, and fays nothing; and the other, too like my lady's eldeft fon, evermore tattling. Leon. Then half fignior Benedick's tongue in count John's mouth, and half count John's melancholy in fignior Benedick's face, Beat. With a good leg, and a good foot, uncle, and money enough in his purfe, fuch a man will win any woman in the world,-if he could get her good will. Leon. By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a hufband, if thou be fo fhrewd of thy tongue.. Ant. In faith, she is too curft. Beat. Too curft is more than curft: I fhall leffen God's fending that way for it is faid, God fends a curft cow short horns ; but to a cow too curft he fends none. Leon. So, by being too curft, God will fend you no horns. Beat. Juft, if he fend me no hufband; for the which bleffing, I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening: Lord! I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face; I had rather lie in the woollen.7 Leon. You may light upon a husband, that hath no beard.. Beat. What fhould I do with him? drefs him in my apparel, and make him my waiting gentlewomen? He that hath a beard, is more than a youth; and he that hath no beard, is iefs than a man: and he that is more than a youth, is not for me; and he that is lefs than a man, I am not for him; Therefore I will even take fix-pence in earnest of the bear-herd, and lead his apes into hell. Leon. Well then, go you into hell? 8 Beat 6 The pain commonly called the heart-burn, proceeds from an acid humour in the ftomach, and is therefore properly enough imputed to tart looks. JOHNSON. 7 I fuppofe the means-between blankets, without sheets. X STEEVENS Of the two next fpeeches Dr. Warburton fays, All this impious nonsense + I thank the mecans a shroud an ous past (though IDs not know whether Thakspeais time) exacting conragent of the wooden manufacture that me, Beat. No; but to the gate: and there will the devil meet like an old cuckold, with horns on his head, and fay, Get you to heaven, Beatrice, get you to heaven; here's no place for you maids: fo deliver I up my apes, and away to Saint Peter for the heavens; he shows me where the bachelors fit, and there live we as merry as the day is long. Ant. Well, niece, [To HERO.] I truft, you will be ruled by your father. Beat. Yes, faith; it is my coufin's duty to make courtesy, and fay, Father, as it pleaje you :—but yet for all that, coufin, let him be a handfome fellow, or elfe make another courtesy, and fay, Father, as it please me. Leon. Well, n'ece, I hope to fee you one day fitted with a husband. Beat. Not till God make men of fome other metal than earth. Would it not grieve a woman to be over-master'd with a piece of valiant duft? to make an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl? No, uncle, I'll none: Adam's fons are my brethren; and truly, I hold it a fin to match in my kindred. Leon. Daughter, remember, what I told you: if the prince do folicit you in that kind, you know your answer. 2 Beat. The fault will be in the mufick, coufin, if you be not woo'd in good time: if the prince be too important,9 tell him, there is a measure in every thing, and fo dance out the answer. For hear me, Hero; Wooing, wedding, and repenting, is as a Scotch jig, a measure, and a cinque-pace: the firft fuit is hot and hafty, like a Scotch jig, and full as fantastical; the wedding, mannerly-modeft, as a measure full of state and ancientry; and then comes repentance, and, with his bad legs, falls into the cinque-pace fafter and fafter, till he fink into his grave. Leon thrown to the bottom, is the players?, and foifted in without rhyme or reafin. He therefore puts them in the margin. They do not deferve indeed fo honourable a place; yet I am afraid they are too much in the manner of our author, who is fometimes trying to purchase merriment at too dear a rate. JOHNSON. I have restored the lines omitted. STEEVENS. 9-Important here, and in many other places, is importunate. JOHNSON. 2 A measure in old language, befide its ordinary meaning, fignified alfo dance. MALONE. all people st. be banned in woollon. Leon. Coufin, you apprehend paffing fhrewdly. Beat. I have a good eye, uncle; I can fee a church by day-light. Leon. The revellers are entering; brother, make good room. Enter Don PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, BALTHAZAR; Don JOHN, BORACHIO, MARGARET, URSULA, and others, malk'd. D. Pedro. Lady, will you walk about with your friend? Hero. So you walk foftly, and look fweetly, and say nothing, I am yours for the walk; and, especially, when I walk away. D. Pedro. With me in your company ? Hero. I may fay fo, when I please. D. Pedro. And when please you to fay fo? Hero. When I like your favour; for God defend, the lute fhould be like the cafe! 5 D. Pedro. My vifor is Philemon's roof; within the house is Jove. Hero. Why, then your visor fhould be thatch'd. D. Pedro. Speak low, if you fpeak love. [Takes her afide. Bene. Well, I would you did like me. Marg. So would not I, for your own fake; for I have many ill qualities. Bene. Which is one? Marg. I fay my prayers aloud. Bene. I love you the better; the hearers may cry, amen. Marg. 4 Friend, in our author's time, was the common term for a lover. S alfo in French and Italian. MALONE. Mr. Malone might have added, that this term was equally applicable to both fexes; for, in Meafure for Measure, Lucio tells Ifabella that her brother had got his friend with child." STEEVENS. 5 i. e. that your face fhould be as homely and course as your mask. "Tis plain, the poet alludes to the story of Baucis and Philemon from Ovid: and this old couple, as the Roman poet defcribes it, lived in thatch'd cottage: - ftipulis & canna teta paluftri." THEOBALD. Marg. And God keep him out of my fight, when the dance is done!-Answer, clerk. Balth. No more words; the clerk is anfwer'd. Urf. I know you well enough; you are fignior Antonio. Ant. At a word, I am not. Urf. I know you by the waggling of your head. Ant. To tell you true, I counterfeit him. Urf. You could never do him fo ill-well, unless you were the very man: Here's his dry hand 6 up and down; you are he, you are he. Ant. At a word, I am not. Urf. Come, come; do you think I do not know you by your excellent wit? Can virtue hide itfelf? Go to, mum, you are he graces will appear, and there's an end. Beat. Will you not tell me who told you fo? Bene. No, you shall pardon me. Beat. Nor will you not tell me who you are? Bene. Not now. Beat. That I was difdainful,-and that I had my good wit out of the Hundred merry Tales; "-Well, this was fignior Benedick that faid fo. Bene. What's he? Beat. I am fure, you know him well enough. Bene. Not I, believe me. Beat. Did he never make you laugh? Bene. I pray you, what is he? Beat. Why, he is the prince's jefter: a very dull fool; only 6 A dry hand was anciently regarded as the fign of a cold conftitution. STEEVENS, 7 The book, to which Shakspeare alludes, might be an old tranflation of Les cent Nouvelles Nouvelles. The original was published at Paris, in the black letter, before the year 1500, and is faid to have been written by fome of the royal family of France. Ames mentions a tranflation of it prior to the time of Shakspeare. STEEVENS. This book was certainly printed before the year 1575, and in much epute, as ap pears from the mention of it in Laneham's Letter concerning he entertainment at Kenelworth-Caftle. REED. The Hundred merry Tales can never have been a translation of Les cent Nouvelles Nouvelles, many of which are very tragical relations, and none of them calculated to furnish a lady with good wit. It should feem rather to have been a fort of jeft-book. RITSON. |