truer than thofe that are so wash'd; how much better is it

to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping! Beat, I pray you, is Signior Montanto the wars or no?

Me. I know none of that name, Lady; fuch in the army of any fort.

return'd from

there was none

Leon. What is he that you ask for, neice? Hero. My coufin means Signior Benedick of Padua. Mej. O, he's return'd, and as pieasant as ever he was. Beat. He fet up his bills here in Meffina, and challeng'd Cupid at the flight; and my uncle's fool reading the challenge, fubfcrib'd for Cupid, and challeng'd him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he kill'd and eaten in these wars but how many hath he kill'd for indeed I promised to eat all of his killing.

Leon. 'Faith, neice, you tax Signior Benedick too much'; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not.

Me. He hath done good fervice, Lady, in these wars. Beat. You had mufty victuals, and he hath holp to eat it; he's a very valiant trencher-man, he hath an excellent ftomach.

Meff. And a good foldier too, Lady.

Beat. And a good foldier to a lady? but what is he to a lord?

Me. A lord to a lord, a man to a man, stuft with all honourable virtues.

Beat. It is fo indeed, he is no less than a ftuft man: but for the ftuffing, well! we are all mortal,

Leon, You must not, Sir, miflake my niece; there is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick, and her; they never meet but there's a fkirmish of wit between them.

Beas. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our laft conflict, four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man govern'd with one: So that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a dif ference between himself and his horfe; for it is all the

She gives him this name to ridicule in him the character of a blaftering foldier, the word Montante in Spanish fignifying a two-banded sword, ...wearth

wearth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable creature. Who is his companion now? he hath every month a new fworn brother.

Melf. Is it poffible?

Beat. Very easily poffible; he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next block. Me. I fee, Lady, the gentleman is not in your books. Beat. No; if he were I would burn my study. But I pray you, who is his companion? is there no young squarer now, that will make a voyage with him to the devil?

Me. He is moft in the company of the right noble Clau dio.

Beat. O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease ; he is fooner caught than the peftilence, and the taker runs prefently mad. God help the noble Claudio, if he have caught the Benedick, it will coft him a thousand pound ere it be cur'd.

Meff. I will hold friends with you, Lady.
Beat, Do, good friend.

Leon. You'll ne'er run mad, neice.

Beat. No, not till a hot January.

Meff. Don Pedro is approach'd.

SCENE

II.

Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick, Balthazar and Don

John.

Pedro. Good Signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid coft, and you encounter it.

Leon. Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your Grace; for trouble being gone, comfort fhould remain ; but when you depart from me, forrow abides, and happiness takes his leave.

Pedro. You embrace your charge moft willingly: I think this is your daughter.

Leon. Her mother hath many times told me fo.

Bene. Were you in doubt, that you askt her?

Leon. Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a child. Pedro. You have it full, Benedick; we may guess by Wearth is an old English word to fignifie the wear or wearing of any thing.

M 2

this

this what you are, being a man: truly the Lady fathers her felf; be happy, Lady, for you are like an honourable father.

Bene. If Signior Leonato be her father, fhe would not have his head on her fhoulders for all Messina, as like him as fhe is.

Beat. I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick; no body marks you.

Bene. What, my dear lady Difdain! are you yet living? Beat. Is it poffible difdain fhould die, while she hath fuch meet food to feed it, as Signior Benedick? courtefie it self must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence.

Bene. Then is courtefie a turn-coat; but it is certain I am lov'd of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love none.

Beat. A dear happiness to women! they would elfe have been troubled with a pernicious fuitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that; I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man fwear he loves me.

Bene. God keep your ladyfhip ftill in that mind! fo fome gentleman or other fhall 'fcape a predeftinate scratcht face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, if 'twere fuch a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.

Beat. A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.

Bene. I would my horfe had the speed of your tongue, and fo good a continuer ; but keep your way a God's name, I have done.

Beat. You always end with a jade's trick; I know you of old.

Pedro. This is the fum of all: Don John, Signior Claudio, and Signior Benedick, my dear friend Leonato hath invited you all I tell him we shall ftay here at the leaft a month, and he heartily prays fome occafion may detain us longer I dare fwear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart.

Leon.

Leon. If you fwear, my Lord, you shall not be forfworn. Let me bid you welcome, my Lord; being reconciled to the Prince your brother, I owe you all duty. [To Don John. Jobn. I thank you ; am not of many words, but I thank you.

Leon. Please it your Grace lead on?

Pedro. Your hand, Leonato ; we will go together.

[Exeunt all but Benedick and Claudio. SCENE II

Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato ?

Bene, I noted her not, but I look'd on her.

Claud. Is the not a modeft young lady?

Bene. Do you queftion me, as an honeft man fhould do, for my fimple true judgment? or would you have me speak: after my cuftom, as being a profeffed tyrant to their sex? Claud. No, I pry'thee speak in fober judgment."

Bene. Why, 'faith, methinks fhe is too low for an high praife, too brown for a fair praife, and too little for a great praife; only this commendation I can afford her, that were the other than fhe is, the were unhandfome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.

Claud. Thou think'ft I am in fport; I pray thee, tell me truly how thou lik'ft her.

Bene. Would you buy her, that you enquire after her? Claud. Can the world buy fuch a jewel?)

Bene. Yea, and a cafe to put it in too; but fpeak you this with a fad brow? or do you play the flouting jack, to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter? come, in what key fhall a man take you, to go in the fong?

Claud. In mine eye, fhe is the fweeteft Lady that I ever look'd on.

Bene. I can yet see without spectacles, and I fee no fuch matter; there's her coufin, if the were not poffeft with fuch a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty, as the first of May doth the laft of December: but I hope you have no intent to turn hufband, have you?

Claud. I would scarce truft my self, tho' I had fworn the contrary, if Here would be my wife.

M 3

Bene.

Bene. Is't come to this, in faith? hath not the world one man, but he will wear his cap with fufpicion? fhall I never fee a batchelor of threefcore again? go to, i'faith, if thou wilt needs thruft thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and figh away Sundays: look, Don Pedro is return'd to feek you.

SCENE IV. Re-enter Don Pedro.

'Pedro. What fecret hath held you here, that you follow'd not to Leonato's house?

"Bene. I would your Grace would conftrain me to tell. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance.

Bene. You hear, Count Claudio; I can be fecret as a dumb man, I would have you think fo; but on my allegiance, mark you this, on my allegiance :- - he is in love; with whom? now that is your Grace's part: mark how thort his anfwer is; with Hero, Leonato's short daughter.

Claud. If this were fo, fo were it uttered.

Bene. Like the old tale, my Lord, it is not fo, nor 'twas not fo; but indeed, God forbid it fhould be fo.

Claud. If my paffion change not fhortly, God forbid it fhould be otherwife.

Pedro. Amen, if you love her, for the Lady is very well worthy.

Claud. You fpeak this to fetch me in, my Lord.
Pedro, By my troth, I fpeak my thought.

Claud, And, in faith, my Lord, I spoke mine. Bene. And by my two faiths and troths, my Lord, I fpeak' mine,

Claud. That I love her, I feel.

Pedro, That fhe is worthy, I know.

Bene. That I neither feel how the fhould be loved, nor, know how the fhould be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the ftake.

Pedro. Thou waft ever an obftinate heretick in the defpight of beauty.

Claud. And never could maintain his part, but in the force of his will.

Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that the bought me up, I likewife give her most humble thanks

but