Pedro Welly as time fhall try; in time the fa vage bull doth bear the yoke.

Bene. The favage bull may, but if ever the fen fible Benedick bear it, pluck off the bull's horns, and fet them in my forehead, and let me be vilely painted; and in fuch great letters as they write, Here is a good horfe to hire, let them fignify under my fign, Here you may fee Benedick the married:

man.

Claud. If this fhould ever happen, thou wouldest be horn-mad.

Pedro. Nay, if Cupid hath not spent all his quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this thortly....

Bene. I look for an earthquake too then.

Pedro. Well, you will temporize with the hours. In the mean time, good Signior Benedick, repairto Leonato's, commend me to him, and tell him I will not fail him at fupper; for indeed, he hath made great preparation.

Bene. I have almost matter enough in me for fuch an embaffage, and fo I commit you. Claud. To the tuition of God; from my house, if I had it.

Pedro. The fixth of July, your loving friend, Benedick.

Bene. Nay, mock not, mock not; the body of your discourse is fometime guarded with fragments,

Like ghofts of Adam, Bell, and Clymme:..

Sol fets for fear they'll fhoot at him.

By the paffage which I bave above quoted from Law Tricks, 'tis plain Sir William's editor has falfely pointed the laft line but one. We muft correct it thus

Like ghofts of Adam Bell, and Clymme;

'Tis this wight, no doubt, whom our Author here alludes to: and had I the convenience of confulting Afcham's Toxophilus, I might probably grow better acquainted with his history.

and the guards are but flightly bafted on neither: ere you flout old ends any further, examine your confcience, and fo I leave you. [Exit

Claud. My Liege, your Highness now may do me good.

Pedro. My love is thine to teach; teach it but how, And thou shalt fee how apt it is to learn Any hard lesson that may do thee good. Claud. Hath Leonato any fon, my Lord'? Pedro. No child but Hero, fhe's his only heir: Doft thou affect her, Claudio?

Claud. O my Lord,

When you went onward on this ended action,
I looked upon her with a foldier's eye;
That liked, but had a rougher tafk in hand
Than to drive liking to the name of love:
But now I am returned, and that war-thoughts
Have left their places vacant, in their rooms
Come thronging foft and delicate defires,
All prompting me how fair young Hero is,
Saying, I liked her ere I went to wars.

Pedro. Thou wilt be like a lover presently,
And tire the hearer with a book of words:
If thou doit love fair Hero, cherith it,,
And I will break with her, and with her father;
And thou shalt have her: was't not to this end
That thou beganneft to twist fo fine aftery?
Claud. How fweetly do you minister to love,
That know love's grief by his complexion !
But left my liking might too fudden feem;,
I would have falved it with a longer treatise.
Pedra. What need the bridge much breader than
The fairest grant is the recefty;
[the flood?
Look, what will ferve, is fit; 'tis once, thou loveit;§
And I will fit thee with the remedy.

1

I know we fhall have revelling to-night;,

I will affume thy part in fome difguife, las And tell fair Hero Ham Claudio;.

』!

And in her bofom I'll unclafp my heart,
And take her hearing prifoner with the force
And ftrong encounter of my amorous tale:
Then, after, to her father will I break;
And the conclufion is, fhe fhall be thine.
In practice let us put it prefently.

Re-enter LEONATO and ANTONIO.

$

[Exeunt

Leon. How now, brother, where is my coufin your fon? hath he provided this mufic?

Ant. He is very bufy about it; but, brother, I can tell you news that you yet dreamed not of. Leon. Are they good?

Ant. As the event ftamps them; but they have a good cover, they fhow well outward. The Prince and Count Claudio, walking in a thick-pleached alley in my orchard, were thus over-heard by a man of mine; the Prince difcovered to Claudio, that he. loved my niece your daughter, and meant to acknowledge it this night in a dance; and if he found. her accordant, he meant to take the present time by the top, and inftantly break with you of it..

Leon. Hath the fellow any wit that told you this? Ant. A good fharp fellow; I will fend for him, and question him yourself.

Leon. No, no; we will hold it as a dream, 'till it appear itself: but I will acquaint my daughter withal, that she may be the better prepared for anfwer, if peradventure this be true., Go you and tell ber of it. Coufins, you know what you have to do. Several cross the fage here.] 0, 1 cry you mercy, friend, go you with me and I will use your skill; good coufin, have a care this busy time. [Exeunt.

Enter Don JOHN and CONRAD.27 bar A Conr. What the good-jer, my Lord, why are you thus out of measure fad?

John. There is no meafure in the occafion that breeds it, therefore the fadnefs is without limit. Conr. You fhould hear reason.

John. And when I have heard it, what bleffing bringeth it.

Conr. If not a prefent remedy, yet a patient fuffer

ance.

John. I wonder that thou (being, as thou fayeft thou art, born under Saturn) goeft about to apply a moral medicine to a mortifying mifchief. I cannot hide what I am: I must be fad when I have caufe, and fimile at no man's jefts; eat when I have ftomach, and wait for no man's leifure; fleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no man's business; laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humour.

Conr. Yea, but you must not make the full fhow of this, 'till you may do it without controlment. You have of late ftood out against your brother, and he hath taken you newly into his grace, where it is impoffible you fhould take root, but by the fair weather that you make yourself; it is needful that you frame the feafon for your own harvest.

John. I had rather be a canker in a hedge, than a rofe in his grace; and it better fits my blood to be difdained of al, than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any: in this, (though I cannot be faid to be a flattering honest man), it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain; I am trufted with a muzzle, and enfranchifed with a clog, therefore I have decreed not to fing in my cage :

if I had my mouth, I would bite; if I had my Tiberty, I would do my liking: in the mean time let me be that I am, and feek not to alter me.

Conr. Can you make no ufe of your discontent? John, I will make all use of it, for I ufe it only. Who comes here? what news, Borachio?

Enter BORACHIO.

Bora. I come yonder from a great fupper; the Prince, your brother, is royally entertained by Leonato, and I can give you intelligence of an in tended marriage.

John. Will it ferve for any model to build mifchief on? what is he for a fool that betroths him-felf to unquietnefs?

Bora. Marry, it is your brother's right hand.
John. Who, the most exquifite Claudio?

Bora. Even he..

John. A proper fquire! and who, and who? which way looks he?

Bora. Marry, on Hero, the daughter and heir: of Leonato.

John. A very forward March chick! How come you to this?

Bora. Being entertained for a perfumer, as L was fmoking a muity room, comes me the. Prince; and Claudio hand in hand m fad conference: I whipt behind the arras, and there heard it agreed upon, that the Prince fhould woo Here for himfelf, and having obtained her, give her to Count Claudio.

John. Come, conte, let us thither; this may prove food to my difpleafure: that young fart-ups hath the glory of my overthrow; if I can crofs. him any way, I blefs myfelf every way; you are both fure, and will affift me.