Carpet-mengers, whofe names yet run fmoothly in the even road of a blank verfe; why, they were never fo truly turn'd over and over, as my poor felf in love; marry, I cannot fhew it in rhime; I have try'd; I can find out no rhime to lady but taby, an innocent's rhime; for corn, horn, a hard rhime; for School, fool, a babling rlime; very ominous endings; no, I was not born under a rhiming planet, for I cannot woo in festival

terms.

Enter Beatrice.

Sweet Beatrice, would'ft thou come when I call thee? Beat. Yea, Signior, and depart when you bid me. Bene. O, ftay but 'till then.

Beat. Then, is fpoken; fare you well now; and yet ere I go, let me go with that I came for, which is, with knowing what hath palt between you and Claudio.

Bene. Only foul words, and thereupon I will kifs thee, Beat. Foul words are but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noifome; therefore I will depart unkit.

Bene. Thou haft frighted the word out of its right fenfe, fo forcible is thy wit; but I muft tell thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I muft fhortly hear from him, or I will fubfcribe him a coward; and, I pray thee, now tell me, for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me?

Beat. For them altogether, which maintain'd fo politick a ftate of evil, that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them: but for which of my good parts did you fuffer love for me?

Bene. Suffer love! a good epithet; I do fuffer love, indeed, for I love thee againft my will.

Beat. In fpight of your heart, I think; alas! poor heart, if you fpight it for my fake, I will fpight it for yours; for I will never love that, which my friend hates.

Bene. Thou and I are too wife to woo peaceably. Beat. It appears not in this confeffion; there's not one wife man among twenty that will praife himself. Bene. An old, an cld inftance, Beatrice, that liv'd

in the time of good neighbours; if a man do not ere& in this age his own tomb ere he dies, he fhall live no longer in monuments, than the bells ring, and the widow weeps.

Beat. And how long is that, think you?

Bene. Queftion?-why, an hour in clamour, and a quarter in rheum; therefore it is moft expedient for the wife, if Don worm (his confcience) find no impediment to the contrary, to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myself; fo much for praifing myself; who, I myself will bear witnefs, is praife-worthy; and now tell me, how doth your Cousin ?

Beat. Very ill.

Bene. And how do you ?

Beat, Very ill too.

Bene. Serve God, love me, and mend; there will I leave you too, for here comes one in hafte.

Enter Urfula.

Urfu. Madam, you must come to your uncle; yon. der's old coil at home; it is proved, my lady Hero hath been falfely accus'd; the Prince and Claudio mightily abus'd; and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone will you come prefently?

Beat. Will you go hear this news, Signior? Bene. I will live in thy eyes, die in thy lap, and be bury'd in thy heart; and moreover I will go with thee to thy uncle. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to a CHURCH.

Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, and Attendants with tapers.

Claud. Atten. It is, iny lord,

S this the monument of Leonato?

EPITAPH.

Done to death by flanderous tongues
Was the Hero, that here lyes:

Death, in guerdon of her wrongs,
Gives her fame which never dies.

So

So the life, that dy'd with fhame,
Lives in death with glorious fame.

Hang thou there upon the tomb,
Praising her when I am dumb.

Claud. Now mufick found, and fing your folemn hyma.

SONG.

Pardon, Goddess of the night,
Thofe that flew thy virgin knight;
For the which with fongs of woe,
Round about her tomb they go.
Midnight, affift our moan;
Help us to figh and groan
Heavily, heavily:

Graves, yawn and yield your dead,
"Till death be uttered,

Heavily, heavily.

Claud. Now unto thy bones good night; Yearly will I do this Rite.

Pedro. Good-morrow, mafters, put your torches out, The wolves have prey'd; and, look, the gentle day, Before the wheels of Phœbus, round about

Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey: Thanks to you all, and leave us; fare you well. Claud. Good-morrow, mafters; each his feveral way Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds; And then to Leonato's we will go.

Claud. And Hymen now with luckier iffue fpeed's, (28) Than this, for whom we render'd up this woe! [Exeunt.

(28) And Hymen now with luckier issue speeds,

Than this, for whom we render'd up this woe.] Claudio could not know, without being a prophet, that this new-propos'd matcir fhould have any luckier event than that defign'd with Hero. Certainly, therefore, this should be a wifh in Claudio; and, to this end, the poet might have wrote, Speed's ; i, e. speed us; and to it becomes a prayer to Hymens Dr. Thirty

SCENE changes to Leonato's Houfe.

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

Friar. D

>

ID I not tell you, fhe was innocent ?
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 elfe 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.
Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance,
Bene. Friar, I muft intreat your pains, I think.
Friar. To do what, Signior?

[Exeunt Ladies.

Bene. To bind me, 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 most 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
l' 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

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 storm and cloudiness?

Claud. I think, he thinks upon the favage bull: Tush, 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 beaft in love.

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

And fome fuch ftrange bull leap'd your father's cow ;
And got a calf, in that fame noble feat,

Much like to you; for you have juft his bleat.

Enter Anto:io, 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, then the'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.

And when

you

[Unmasking.

Claud. Another Hero ? (29)

lov'd, you were my other husband.

(29) Claud. Another Hero!

Hero.

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