252 A Room in Leonato's House. Enter Don PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, and LEONATO. D. Pedro. I do but ftay till your marriage be confummate, and then go I toward Arragon. Claud. I'll bring you thither, my lord, if you'll vouchfafe me. D. Pedro. Nay, that would be as great a foil in the new glofs of your marriage, as to fhew a child his new coat, and forbid him to wear it. I will only be bold with Benedick for his company; for, from the crown of his head to the fole of his foot, he is all mirth; he hath twice or thrice cut Cupid's bow-ftring, and the little hangman dare not fhoot at him: he hath a heart as 7 Taming my wild beart to thy loving hand;] This image is taken from falconry. She had been charged with being as wild as baggards of the rock; the therefore fays, that wild as her beart is, she will tame it to the band. JOHNSON. 8 ➡as to fhew a child bis new coat, and forbid him to wear it.] So, in Romeo and Juliet: As is the night before fome festival, "To an impatient child, that hath new robes, "And may not wear them." STEEVENS. 9the little hangman dare not shoot at bim :] This character of Cupid came from the Arcadia of Sir Philip Sidney: "Millions of yeares this old drivel Cupid lives; "While still more wretch, more wicked he doth prove: In this our world a bangman for to be "Of all thofe fooles that will have all they fee." found as a bell, and his tongue is the clapper; for what his heart thinks, his tongue fpeaks'. Bene. Gallants, I am not as I have been. D. Pedro. Hang him, truant; there's no true drop of blood in him, to be truly touch'd with love: if he be fad, he wants money. Bene. I have the tooth-ach. D. Pedro. Draw it. Bene. Hang it! Claud. You muft hang it firft, and draw it afterwards. D. Pedro. What? figh for the tooth-ach? Leon. Where is but a humour, or a worm ? Bene. Well, Every one can mafter a grief" but he that has it. Claud. Yet fay I, he is in love. D. Ped. There is no appearance of fancy 3 in him, unlefs it be a fancy that he hath to ftrange difguifes; as to be a Dutchman to-day; a Frenchman to-morrow; or in the shape of two countries at once, as, a German from the waist downward, all flops+; and a Spaniard from the hip upward, no doublet: Unless he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it to appear he is. Claud. If he be not in love with fome woman, there is no believing old figns: he brushes his hat o'mornings; What fhould that bode? D. Pedro. Hath any man feen him at the barber's? Claud. No, but the barber's man hath been seen with 1- as a bell, and bis tongue is the clapper ; &c.] A covert allufion to the old proverb: "As the fool thinketh, "So the bell clinketh." STEEVENS. 2 can mafter a grief-] The old copies read corruptly-cannot. The correction was made by Mr. Pope. MALONE. 3 There is no appearance of fancy &c.] Here is a play upon the word fancy, which Shakspeare ufes for love as well as for humour, caprice, or affectation. JOHNSON. all flops;] Slops are loofe breeches. STEEVENS. -no doublet:] Or, in other words, all cloak. MALONE. him; and the old ornament of his cheek hath already ftuff'd tennis-balls 5. Leon. Indeed, he looks younger than he did, by the lofs of a beard. D. Pedro. Nay, he rubs himself with civet: Can you fmell him out by that? Claud. That's as much as to fay, The fweet youth's in love. D. Pedro. The greateft note of it is his melancholy. Claud. And when was he wont to wash his face? D. Pedro. Yea, or to paint himself? for the which, I hear what they fay of him. Claud. Nay, but his jefting fpirit; which is now crept into a lute-ftring, and now govern'd by ftops. D. Pedro. Indeed, that tells a heavy tale for him: Conclude, conclude, he is in love. Claud. Nay, but I know who loves him. D. Pedro. That would I know too; I warrant, one that knows him not. Claud. Yes, and his ill conditions7; and, in defpight of all, dies for him. 5 D. Pedro. She fhall be buried with her face upwards. - Bene. and the old ornament of his cheek bath already stuff'd tennis-balls.] So, in A Wonderful-Prognoftication for this Year of our Lord 1591; written by Nathe, in ridicule of Richard Harvey :—“ they may fell their haire by the pound to ftuffe tennice balles." STEEVENS. crept into a lute firing-] Love-fongs in our author's time were generally fung to the mufick of the lute. So, in K. Henry IV. P. I. "as melancholy as an old lion, or a lover's lute." MALONE. 7 - bis ill conditions:] i. e. qualities. MALONE. She fhall be buried with her face upwards.] Mr. Theobald's emendation [with her beels upwards] appears to be very specious. The meaning feems to be, that the who acted upon principles contrary to others, fhould be buried with the fame contrariety. JOHNSON. Theobald's conjecture may be fupported by a paffage in The Wild Goofe Chace of B. and Fletcher: - if I die o' th' firft fit, I am unhappy, "And worthy to be buried with my beels upwards." The paffage, indeed, may mean only-She shall be buried in her lover's arms. So, in The Winter's Tale: "Flo. What? like a corfe? "Per. No, like a bank for love to lie and play on; "But quick, and in mine arms. STEEVENS. This laft is, I believe, the true interpretation. Our author often quotes Lilly's Grammar; (fee p. 268.) and here perhaps he remem bered Bene. Yet is this no charm for the tooth-ach.-Old fignior, walk afide with me; I have ftudied eight or nine wife words to speak to you, which these hobby-horses [Exeunt BENE. and LEONATO. muft not hear. D. Pedro. For my life, to break with him about Beatrice. Claud. 'Tis even fo: Hero and Margaret have by this play'd their parts with Beatrice; and then the two bears will not bite one another, when they meet. Enter Don JOHN. D. John. My lord and brother, God fave you. D. John. If your leifure ferv'd, I would fpeak with you. D. John. If it please you;-yet count Claudio may hear; for what I would speak of, concerns him. D. Pedro. What's the matter? D. John. Means your lordship to be marry'd to-mor[To Claudio. row? D. Pedro. You know, he does. D. John. I know not that, when he knows what I know. Claud. If there be any impediment, I pray you, difcover it. D. John. You may think, I love you not; let that appear hereafter, and aim better at me by that I now will manifeft: For my brother, I think, he holds you well; and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect your enfuing marriage: furely, fuit ill spent, and labour ill bestow'd! D. Pedro. Why, what's the matter? D. John. I came hither to tell you, and, circumstances fhorten'd, (for fhe hath been too long a talking of,) the lady is difloyal. Claud. Who? Hero? D. John. Even fhe; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero 9. bered a phrafe that occurs in that book, p. 59, and is thus interpreted: "Tu cubas fupinus, thou lieft in bed with thy face upwards."-Heels and face never could have been confounded by either the eye or the ear. 9 Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's planted this farcasm into his All for Love: bella's Cleopatra, every man's Cleopatra," MALONE. Hero.] Dryden has trans"Your Cleopatra ; DolaSTEEVENS. Claud. Claud. Difloyal ? D. John. The word is too good to paint out her wickednefs; I could fay, fhe were worfe; think you of a worse title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not till further warrant: go but with me to-night, you shall fee her chamber-window enter'd; even the night before her wedding-day if you love her then, to-morrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour to change your mind. Claud. May this be fo? D. Pedro. I will not think it. D. John. If you dare not truft that you fee, confess not that you know: if you will follow me, I will fhew you enough; and when you have seen more, and heard more, proceed accordingly. Claud. If I fee any thing to-night why I fhould not marry her; to-morrow, in the congregation, where I fhould wed, there will I fhame her. D. Pedro. And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to difgrace her. D. John. I will difparage her no farther, till you are my witneffes: bear it coldly but till midnight, and let the iffue fhew itself. D. Pedro. O day untowardly turned! [Exeunt. Enter DOG BERRY and VERGES, with the Watch. Dog. Are you good men and true? Ver. Yea, or elfe it were pity but they fhould fuffer falvation, body and foul. Dog. Nay that were a punishment too good for them, if they should have any allegiance in them, being chofen for the prince's watch. Ver. Well give them their charge', neighbour Dogberry. -give them their charge,] It appears from feveral of our old come. dies, that to charge his fellows, was a regular part of the duty of the conftable of the Watch. MALONE. Dog. |