Hero. My Cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua. Meff. O, he's return'd, and as pleasant as ever he

was.

6

i

Beat. He fet up his bills here in Messina, and challeng'd Cupid at the flight; and my Uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscrib'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 promis'd to eat all of his killing. art.

Leon. Faith, Neice, you tax Signior Benedick too much; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not. Meff. He hath done good service, Lady, in these

wars.

Beat. You had musty victuals, and he hath holp to eat it; he's a very valiant trencher-man, he hath an excellent stomach.

Meff. And a good foldier too, Lady...

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

Meff. A lord to a lord, a man to a man, stufft with all honourable virtues.

Beat. It is fo, indeed: he is no less than a stufft man: but for the stuffing, - well, we are all mortal.

Leon. You must not, Sir, mistake my Niece; there is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her; they never meet, but there's a skirmish of Wit between them.

Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by That. In our last

6

- challeng'd Cupid at the flight; the disuse of the bow makes this passage obscure. Benedick is represented as challeng. ing Cupid at archery. To challenge at the fight is, I believe, to wager who shall shoot the arrow furthest without any particular mark. To challenge at the

bird-bolt, seems to mean the same as to challenge at children's archery, with small arrows fuch as are discharged at birds. In Twelfth Night, Lady Olivia opposes a bird-bolt to a cannon bullet, the lightest to the heaviest of missive weapons.

conflict,

€

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 difference between himself and his horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable creature. Who is his companion now? he hath every month a new fworn brother.

Meff. Is it possible?

Beat. Very easily possible; he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next

block.

Meff. I fee, Lady', the gentleman is not in your books.

7

L

Beat. No; an he were, I would burn my Study.

- four of his five wits] In our author's time, wit was the general, term for intellectual powers. So Davies on the Soul, Wit, Seeking truth, from cause to cause afcends,

And never refts till it the first

8 wit enough to keep himself WARM,] But how would that make a difference between him and bis borse? We should read, Wit enough to keep himself FROM HARM. This fuits the fatirical turn of her speech, in the character she would give of Benedick; and this would make the difference spoken of. For 'tis the nature of horses, when wounded, to run upon the point of the weapon. WARBURTON.

be wears bis faith] Not religious Profeffion, but Profession of friendship; for the speaker gives it as the reason of her asking, who was now his Companion? that he had every month a new fowarn brother.

2

But, I pray you, who is his companion ? is there no young squarer now, that will make a voyage with him to the devil?

Meff. He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio.

Beat. O lord, he will hang upon him like a disease; he is fooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio, if he have caught the Benedick; it will cost him a thoufand pounds ere he 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 cost, and you encounter it.

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

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

2

Leon. Her mother hath many times told me so.

young Squarer-] A Squarer I take to be a choleric, quarrelsome fellow, for in this sense Shakespeare uses the word to Square. So in Midsummer Night's Dream it is faid of Oberon and Titanir, that they never meet but VOL. III.

2

they square. So the sense may be, Is there no hot-blooded youth that will keep him company through all his mad pranks ?

3 You embrace your charge-] That is, your burthen, your en cumbrance.

N

Bene.

1

Bene. Were you in doubt, Sir, that you afkt her?
Leon. Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a

-child

Pedro. You have it full, Benedick; we may guess by this what you are, being a man: truly the lady fathers herself; be happy, lady, for you are like an honourable father.

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

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

Bene. What, my dear lady Disdain! are you yet living?

Beat, Is it possible, Disdain should die, while she hath such meet food to feed it, as Signior Benedick? Courtefie itself must convert to Disdain, if you come in her prefence.

Bene. Then is courtefie a turncoat; 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 else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. 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 swear he loves me.

Bene. God keep your ladyship still in that mind! so some gentleman or other shall scape a predeftinate fcratcht face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an '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 beaft of yours.

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

4

Beat.

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

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

Leon. If you swear, 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.

:

John. I thank you; I 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 III.

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

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

Claud. Is she not a modest young lady ?

Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my fimple true judgment? or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a profefssed tyrant to their sex ?

Claud. No, I pr'ythee, speak in sober judgment. Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks, she is too low for an high praise, too brown for a fair praise; and too little for a great praise; only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, the were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.

1

Claud. Thou think'st, I am in sport; I pray thee,

tell me truly how thou lik'st her.

N2

Bene