Claud. What! courage, man: what tho' care kill'd a cat, thou haft mettle enough in thee to kill care.

Bene. Sir, I fhall meet your wit in the career, if you charge it against me. I pray you chufe another fubject. Claud. Nay, then give him another staff; this last was broke crofs.

Pedro. By this light, he changes more and more: I think he be angry indeed.

Claud. If he be, he knows how to turn his girdle.
Bene. Shall I fpeak a word in your ear?

Claud. God blefs me from a challenge!

Bene. You are a villain; I jeft not. I will make it good how you dare, with what you dare, and when you dare. Do me right, or I will proteft your cowardife. You have kill'd a sweet Lady, and her death fhall fall heavy on you. Let me hear from you.

Claud. Well, I will meet you, fo I may have good cheer. Pedro. What, a feast?

Claud. I'faith, I thank him, he hath bid me to a calveshead and a capon, the which if I do not carve most curioufly, fay my knife's naught. Shall I not find a woodcock too?

Bene. Sir, your wit ambles well, it goes eafily.

Pedro. I'll tell thee how Beatrice prais'd thy wit the other day I faid thou hadst a fine wit; right, fays fhe, a fine little one; no, faid I, a great wit; juft, said she, a great grofs one; nay, faid I, a good wit; juft, faid the, it hurts no body; nay, faid I, the gentleman is wife; certain, faid fhe, a wife gentleman; nay, faid I, he hath the tongues; that I believe, faid fhe, for he fwore a thing. to me on Monday night which he forfwore on Tuesday morning; there's a double tongue, there's two tongues. Thus did fhe an hour together tranf-shape thy particular virtues, yet at last she concluded with a figh, thou waft the propereft man in Italy.

Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and said she car'd not.

Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet for all that, an if she did not hate him deadly, fhe would love him dearly; the old man's daughter told us all.

Claud.

Claud. All, all; and moreover, God faw him when be was bid in the garden.

Pedro. But when fhall we fet the falvage bull's horns on the fenfible Benedick's head?

Claud. Yea, and text underneath, Here dwells Benedick the married man.

Bene. Fare you well, boy, you know my mind; I will leave you now to your goffip-like humour'; you break jefts as braggarts do their blades, which, God be thank'd, hurt not. My Lord, for your many courtefies I thank you; I muft difcontinue your company; your brother the bastard is fled from Melfina; you have among you killed a sweet and innocent Lady. For my Lord lack-beard there, he and I fhall meet, and 'till then peace be with him! [Ex. Bene, Pedro. He is in earnest.

Claud. In most profound earnest, and, I'll warrant you, for the love of Beatrice.

Pedro. And hath challeng'd thee?

Claud. Moft fincerely.

Pedro. What a pretty thing man is, when he goes in his doublet and hofe, and leaves off his wit!

Claud. He is then a giant to an ape, but then is an ape a doctor to fuch a man.

Pedro. But foft you, let me fee, pluck up my heart and be fad; did he not fay my brother was fled?

SCENE IV.

Enter Dogberry, Verges, Conrade and Borachio guarded. Dogb. Come you, Sir, if juftice cannot tame you, fhe fhall ne'er weigh more reafons in her balance; nay, if you be a curfing hypocrite once, you must be look'd to.

Pedro. How now,

rachio one!

two of my brother's men bound? Bo

Claud. Hearken after their offence, my Lord. Pedro. Officers, what offence have these men done? Dogb. Marry, Sir, they have committed falfe report, moreover they have fpoken untruths; fecondarily, they are flanders; fixth and laftly, they have bely'd a Lady; thirdly, they have verify'd unjust things; and to conclude, they are lying knaves.

Pedro. First, I afk thee what they have done; thirdly,

I ask thee what's their offence; fixth and lafly, why they are committed; and to conclude, what you lay to their charge?

Claud. Rightly reafon'd, and in his own divifion; and by my troth, there's one meaning well fuited.

Pedro. Whom have you offended, mafters, that you are thus bound to your answer? This learned Constable is too cunning to be understood. What's your offence?

Bora. Sweet Prince, let me go no further to mine anfwer; do you hear me, and let this Count kill me: I have deceiv'd even your very eyes; what your wifdoms could not discover, these fhallow fools have brought to light, who in the night overheard me confeffing to this man, how Don John your brother incens'd me to flander the Lady Hero, how you were brought into the orchard, and faw me court Margaret in Hero's garments, how you difgrac'd her when you should marry her; my villainy they have upon record, which I had rather feal with my death, than repeat over to my fhame; the Lady is dead upon mine and my master's faife accufation; and briefly, I defire nothing but the reward of a villain.

Pedro. Runs not this fpeech like iron through your blood? Claud. I have drunk poifon while he utter'd it. Pedro. But did my brother fet thee on to this? Bora. Yea, paid me richly for the practice of it. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treachery, And fled he is upon this villainy.

Claud, Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appear In the rare femblance that I lov'd it firft.

Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs, by this time our Sexton hath reform'd Signior Leonato of the matter; and, mafters, do not forget to fpecifie, when time and place fhail ferve, that I am an afs.

Verg. Here, here comes mafter Signior Lecnato, and the Sexton too.

SCENE V. Enter Leonato, and Sexton.
Leon. Which is the villain? let me fee his eyes,

That when I note another man like him,

I may avoid him; which of thefe is he?

Bora, If you would know your wronger, look on me.

Leon.

Leon. Art thou, art thou the slave that with thy breath Haft kill'd mine innocent child?

Bora. Even I alone.

Leon. No, not fo, villain, thou bely'ft thy felf; Here ftand a pair of honourable men,

A third is fled, that had a hand in it:

I thank you, Princes, for my daughter's death
Record it with your high and worthy deeds,
'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it.
Claud. know not how to pray your patience,
Yet I muft fpeak: chufe your revenge your felf,
Expofe me to what penance your invention
Can lay upon my fin; yet finn'd I not,
But in mistaking.

Pedro. By my foul, nor I;

And yet to fatisfie this good old man,
I would bend under any heavy weight

That he'll enjoyn me to.

Leon. You cannot bid my daughter live again, That were impoffible; but I pray you both,

Poffefs the people in Messina here

How innocent the dy'd; and if your love
Can labour ought in fad invention,
Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb,
And fing it to her bones, fing it to-night:
To-morrow morning come you to my house,
And fince you could not be my fon-in-law,
Be yet my nephew; my brother hath a daughter
Almoft the copy of my child that's dead,
And the alone is heir to both of us,

Give her the right you should have given her coufin,

And fo dies my revenge.

Claud. O noble Sir!

Your over-kindness doth wring tears from me:
I do embrace your offer, and dispose

For henceforth of

poor Claudio.

Leon. To-morrow then I will expect your coming,
To-night I take my leave. This naughty man
Shall face to face be brought to Margaret,
Who, I believe, was pack'd in all this wrong,

Hir'd to it by your brother.

Bora. No, by my foul, fhe was not;

Nor knew not what she did when she spoke to me.
But always hath been juft and virtuous,

In any thing that I do know by her.

Dogb. Moreover, Sir, which indeed is not under white and black, this plaintiff here, the offender, did call me afs; I beseech you, let it be remembred in his punishment; and alfo the Watch heard them talk of one Deformed: they fay he wears a key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it, and borrows mony in God's name, the which he hath us'd fo long, and never paid, that now men grow hard-hearted, and will lend nothing for God's fake. Pray you examine him upon that point.

Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honeft pains.

Dogb. Your worship fpeaks like a moft thankful and reverend youth; and I praife God for you.

Leon. There's for thy pains.

Dogb. God fave the foundation!

Leon. Go, I difcharge thee of thy prifoner; and I thank thee.

Dogb. I leave an errant knave with your Worship, which I beseech your Worship to correct your felf, for the example of others. God keep your Worship; I wish your Worship well: God reftore you to health; I humbly give you leave to depart; and if a merry meeting may be wish'd, God prohibit it. Come, neighbour. [Exeunt. Leon. Until to-morrow morning, Lords, farewel, Ant. Farewel, my Lords, we look for you to-morrow. Pedro. We will not fail.

Claud. To-night I'll mourn with Hero.

Leon. Bring you these fellows on,we'll talk with Margaret, How her acquaintance grew with this lewd fellow.

[Exeunt feverally. SCENE VI. Leonato's House.

Enter Benedick and Margaret.

Bene. Pray thee, sweet mistress Margaret, deferve well at my hands, by helping me to the fpeech of Beatrice. Marg. Will you then write me a fonnet in praise of my beauty? VOL. II.

R

Bene