I mean in singing; but in loving,-Leander the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer of brokers, and a whole bookfull of these quondam carpetmongers, ,55 whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank verse,—why, they were never so truly turned over and over as my poor self in love. Marry, I cannot show it in rhyme; I have tried: I can find out no rhyme to "lady" but "baby," an innocent rhyme; for "scorn," "horn," —a hard rhyme; for "school," "fool,”'—a babbling rhyme; very ominous endings: no, I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms.56_____

Beat. Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I will depart unkissed.

Bene. Thou hast frighted the word out of his right sense, so forcible is thy wit. But I must tell thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I must shortly hear from him, or I will subscribe him a coward. And, I pray thee now, tell me for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me?

so politic a state of evil, that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them. But for which of my good parts did you first suffer love for me?

Bene. "Suffer love,"- -a good epithet! I do suffer love indeed, for I love thee against my will.

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

Bene. Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.

Beat. It appears not in this confession: there's not one wise man among twenty that will praise himself.

Bene. An old, an old instance," Beatrice, that lived in the time of good neighbours. If a man do not erect in this age his own tomb ere he dies, he shall live no longer in monument than the bell rings and the widow weeps.

Beat. And how long is that, think you?

Bene. Question :59-why, an hour in clamour, and a quarter in rheum: therefore is it most expedient for the wise (if Don Worm, his conscience, trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myself. So find no impediment to the contrary) to be the much for praising myself, who, I myself will bear witness, is praiseworthy. And now tell me, how doth your cousin?

and buckler practice; and, passing into current use, meant 'I yield,' 'I own myself defeated.'

54. The god of love, &c. This was the commencement of an old song of the time.

55. Quondam carpet-mongers. "Quondam" is a word (generally used jocosely) for 'having formerly existed.' "Carpetmongers" has been said to have the same signification as 'carpet knights; that is, knights who have received knighthood on a carpet, in times of peace, by mere court favour. But, by carpet-mongers," Benedick rather seems to mean those who are lovers of ease, frequenters of carpets, kneeling or lyingperhaps both, kneeling and telling lies-at ladies' feet.

56. Festival terms. Fine language; phraseology fit for a grand occasion. "Festival terms " here is like "speaks holiday" in "Merry Wives." See Note 10, Act iii. of that play.

[Exeunt.

57. An old instance. Shakespeare sometimes uses the word "instance" for maxim or proverbial saying.

58. In the time of good neighbours. In the time when good fellowship and neighbourly feeling prevailed; when men would give credit to each other for their respective merits.

59. Question. Into this single word is colloquially condensed: 'That is your question-now comes my answer.'

60. Rheum. Shakespeare uses this word variously; here, and elsewhere, for the aqueous matter from the lachrymal glands,

tears.

61. Old coil. "Old" signifies abundant, excessive; "coil " means confusion, bustle, uproar, noise, tumult. In Act iii. sc. 3, we have :-"The wedding being there to-morrow, there is a great coil to-night." See Note 23, Act i., "Two Gentlemen of Verona ;" and Note 56, Act i., "Merry Wives."

SCENE III.-The inside of a church. Enter DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and Attendants, with music and tapers.

Claud. Is this the monument of Leonato ?
Atten. It is, my lord.

Claud. [Reads from a scroll.]

"Done to death by slanderous tongues

Was the Hero that here lies:
Death, in guerdon 63 of her wrongs,

Gives her fame which never dies.
So the life that died with shame,
Lives in death with glorious fame.
Hang thou there upon the tomb,

[Appending it; as EPITAPH. Praising her when I am dumb."

Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn.

SONG.

Pardon, goddess of the night,

Those that slew thy virgin knight;64

For the which, with songs of woe,

Round about her tomb they go.

Midnight, assist our moan;

Help us to sigh and groan,
Heavily, heavily:

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

Heavily, heavily. 65

Claud. Now, unto thy bones good night!—
Yearly will I do this rite.

D. Pedro. Good morrow, master; put your torches out:

The wolves have prey'd; and look, the gentle day, Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about

Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey. Thanks to you all, and leave us; fare you well. Claud. Good morrow, masters: each his several way.

D. Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds;

And then to Leonato's we will go. Claud. And Hymen now with luckier issue speeds, Than this, for whom we render'd up this woe.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-A room in LEONATO's house. Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, BENEDICK, BEATRICE, MARGARET, URSULA, FRIAR FRANCIS, and HERO. F. Fran. Did I not tell you she was innocent?

62. Done to death. An old form of 'put to death;' originating, probably, in the French idiom, faire mourir.

63. Guerdon. Recompense, compensation.

64 Knight. Applied to maidens as well as to men, by poetical writers formerly; probably in its meaning of disciple or follower, as vowed to Diana the virgin goddess, who was addicted to the knightly sport of the chase.

65 Heavily, heavily. This is the reading of the Quarto here: which is given in the Folio, 'Heavenly, heavenly.' But it appears to us that "Heavily, heavily "is a repeated burthen to the song.

66. Margaret. In all the old copies, this character makes her appearance here; though most modern editors omit her name

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

Upon the error that you heard debated:
But Margaret was in some fault for this,'
Although against her will, as it appears
In the true course of all the question.

Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well.67

Bene. And so 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 send for you, come hither mask'd. The prince and Claudio promis'd by this hour To visit me.e.—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 must entreat your pains, I think. F. Fran. To do what, signior?

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 sight whereof I think you had from

me,

From Claudio, and the prince: but what's your will?

Bene. Your answer, sir, is enigmatical:
But, for my will, my will is, your good will
May stand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd
In the state of honourable marriage :-
In which, good friar, I shall desire your help.
Leon. My heart is with your liking.
F. Fran.
And my help.—
Here come the prince and Claudio.

Enter DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO, with Attendants.
D. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair assembly.
Leon. Good morrow, prince; good morrow,
Claudio:

We here attend you. 68 Are you yet determin'd To-day to marry with my brother's daughter? Claud. I'll hold my mind, were she an Ethiop. Leon. Call her forth, brother; here's the friar ready. [Exit ANTONIO.

from the list of those who now enter. But she has been acquitted of having willingly participated in the plot against her mistress's honour and peace, therefore the poet allowed her to take her place as usual by her lady's side in the last scene of the play. That she is spoken of in the third person by Leonato does not prove her absence any more than the Friar's saying of Hero, "Did I not tell you she was innocent?" proves Hero to be absent. The train of ladies seem to enter on the stage somewhat by themselves; as is shown by Leonato's addressing them specially, after speaking with the gentlemen around him, in the words-"Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all," &c. 67. All things sort so well. See Note 30, Act iv. 63. We here attend you. "Attend was sometimes used in the sense of 'await,' 'expect;' French, attendre.