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Bene. Would you buy her, that you enquire after her?

Claud. Can the world buy such a jewel?

Bene. Yea, and a case to put it into. But speak 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 shall a man take you to go in the Song?

Claud. In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that I ever look'd on.

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

Claud. I would scarce trust myself, tho' I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.

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

4 to tell us Cupid is a rare hare-finder, &c. ) I know not whether I conceive the jest here intended. Claudio hints his love of Hero. Benedick asks whether he is ferious, or whether he only means to jest, and tell them that Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter. A man praising a pretty lady in jest, may thew the quick fight of Cu. pid, but what has it to do with the carpentry of Vulcan? Perhaps the

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SCENE IV.

Re-enter Don Pedro and Don John.

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

Bene. I would, your Grace would constrain me to tell. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance.

Bene. You hear, Count Claudio, I can be secret as a dumb man, I would have you think so; but on my alliegiance, mark you this, on my allegiance.-He is in love. With whom?-now that is your Grace's part. Mark how short his answer is with Hero, Leonato's short daughter.

Claud. If this were so, so were it uttered '. Bene. Like the old tale, my lord, it is not so, nor 'twas not fo; but, indeed, God forbid it should be fo. Claud. If my paffion change not shortly, God forbid it should be otherwise.

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

Glaud. You speak this to fetch me in, my Lord.
Pedro. By my troth, I speak my thought.
Claud. And, in faith, my Lord, I spoke mine.
Bene. And by my two faiths and troths, my Lord,

I speak mine.

Claud. That I love her, I feel.

Pedro. That she is worthy, I know.

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

stake.

7 Claud. If this were so, so were it uttered.] This and the three next speeches I do not well understand; there seems something omitted relating to Hero's consent, or to Claudio's marriage, else I know not what Claudio can wish not to be otherwise. The Copies all read alike. Perhaps

it may be better thus,

Claud. If this were fo, fo were

it. Bene. Uttered like the old tale, &c. Claudio gives a fullen answer, if it is fo, so it is. Still there seems something omitted, which Claudio and Pedro concur in wishing. N3

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Pedro

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Pedro. Thou wast ever an obstinate heretick in the despight 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 she brought me up, I likewise give her moft humble thanks; but that I will have a recheate winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me; because I will not do them the Wrong to mistrust any, I will do my felf the Right to trust none; and the fine is, (for the which I may go the finer,) I will live a batchelor.

Pedro. I shall fee thee, ere I die, look pale with love.

Bene. With anger, with fickness, or with hunger, my lord, not with love: prove, that ever I lose more blood with love, than I will get again with drinking, pick out mine eyes with a balladmaker's pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel-house for the Sign of blind Cupid.

Pedro. Well, if ever thou dost fall from this faith, thou wilt prove a notable argument 1.

Bene. If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat, and shoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the shoulder, and call'd Adam.

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Pedro. Well, as time shall try; in time the savage bull doth bear the yoke.

Bene. The favage bull may, but if ever the sensible Benedick bear it, pluck off the bull's-horns, and fet them in my forehead, and let me be vilely painted; and in such great letters as they write, Here is good Horse to hire, let them signifie under my Sign, Here you may fee Benedick the marry'd man.

Claud. If this should ever happen, thou would'st be horn-mad.

Pedro, Nay 3, if Cupid hath not spent all his quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this shortly. Bene. I look for an earthquake too then.

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

Bene. I have almost matter enough in me for fuch an embassage, and so 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

paffing good Archer, yet no Tobaconist. By this it appears, that Adam Bell at that time of day was of Reputation for his Skill at the Bow. I find him again mentioned in a Burlesque Poem of Sir William Davenant's, called, The long Vacation in London.

THEOBALD.

Adam Bell was a companion of Robin Hood, as may be seen in Robin. Hood's Garland; in which, if I do not mistake, are these lines,

For he brought Adam Bell, Chim

of the Clough, And William of Cloudeslea, To shoot with this forefter for forty marks,

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And the forefter heat them all three. - if Cupid hath not spent all his quiver in Venice] All modern writers agree in repre-senting Venice in the fame light that the Ancients did Cyprus. And 'tis the Character of the People that is here alluded to.

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discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but flightly basted on neither: ere you flout old ends any further, examine your confcience,

and so I leave you.

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[Exit.

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Claud. My Liege, your Highness now may do mẹ

good.

Pedro. My love is thine to teach, teach it but how,

And thou shalt see 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, she's his only heir;

Doft thou affect her, Claudio?

Claud. O my lord,

When you went onward on this ended action,
I look'd upon her with a foldier's eye;
That lik'd, but had a rougher task in hand
Than to drive liking to the name of love;
But now I am return'd, and that war-thoughts
Have left their places vacant; in their rooms
Come thronging soft and delicate Desires,
All prompting me how fair young Hero is;
Saying, I lik'd 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 dost love fair Hero, cherish it,
And I will break with her, and with her Father;
And Thou shalt have her. Was't not to this end,
That thou began'st to twist so fine a story ?

Claud. How sweetly do you minister to love,
That know love's grief by his complection!
But left my liking might too fudden seem,

4 - ere you flout old ends, &c.] Before you endeavour to diftinguish your self any more by antiquated allusions, examine whether you can fairly claim them for your own.

This I think is the meaning: or it may be understood in another sense, examine, if your Sarcasms do not touch your filf.

I would

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