Pedro, Firft, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offence; fixth and laftly, 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 conftable is too cunning to be understood. What's your offence?

Borg. 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 wif doms could not discover, thefe 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 fhould marry her; my villany 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 false 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, and paid me richly for the practice of it. Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treachery; And fled he is upon this villany.

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

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 fpecific, when time and place fhall ferve, that I am an afs.

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

Enter

Enter Leonato, and Sexton.

Leon. Which is the villain? let me fee his eyes; That when I note another man like him,

I avoid him; which of these is he? may

Bora. If you would know your wronger, look on me, Leon. Art thou, art thou the flave, that with thy breath

Has kill'd mine innocent child?

Bora. Yea, 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;
bethink you of it.
'Twas bravely done, if you

Claud. I know not how to pray your patience,
Yet I must speak: chufe your revenge your self,
Impose me to what penance your invention
Can lay upon my fin; yet finn'd I not,

But in miftaking.

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 Meffina here

2

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 houfe,
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.

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 the did, when she spoke to me. But always hath been just 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 (26) the watch heard them

(26) The Watch beard them talk of one Deformed; they say, he wears a Key in his Ear, and a Lock hanging by it, and borrows money in God's Name, &c.] There could not be a more agreeable Ridicule upon the Fafhion, than the Conftable's Defcant upon his own Blunder. One of the most fantastical Modes of that Time was the indulging a favourite Lock of Hair, and fuffering it to grow much longer than all its Fellows; which they always brought before, (as we do the Knots of a Tye-Wig.) ty'd with Ribbands or Jewels. King Charles the 1ft wore One of these favourite Locks, as his Hiftorians take Notice, and as his Pictures by Vandike prove: And whoever has been converfant with the Faces of that Painter, must have obferv'd a great many drawn in that Fashion. In Lord CLARENDON's Hiftory compleated, (a Book in Octavo) being a Collection of Heads engrav'd from the Paintings of Vandike, we may fee this Mode in the Prints of the Duke of Buckingham, Earl of Dorfet, Lord Goring, &c. all great Courtiers. As to the Key in the Ear, and the Lock hanging by it, there may be a Joak in the Ambiguity of the Terms. But whether we think, that Shakespeare meant to ridicule the Fafhion in the abstracted Senfe; or whether he fneer'd at the Courtiers, the Parents of it, we fhall find the Defcription equally fatirical. The Key in the Ear might be fuppos'd literally: For they wore Rings, Lockets, and Ribbands in a Hole made in the Ear; and fometimes, Rings one within another: But it might be likewife allegorically understood, to fignify, the great Readiness the Courtiers had in giving Ear to, or going into new Follies or Fashions. As for borrowing Money and never paying, That is an old Common Place against the Court and Followers of Fashions. Mr. Warburton.

talk

talk of one Deformed: they fay, he wears a key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it; and borrows money 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 honest pains.

Dogb. Your Worship speaks like a moft thankful and reverend youth; and I praise God for you. Leon. There's for thy pains.

Dogb. God fave the foundation!

Leon. Go, I discharge thee of thy prisoner; 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 restore 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 changes to Leonato's House.

Enter Benedick, and Margaret.

Bene. PRAY

ORAY thee, fweet miftrefs Margaret, deserve 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?

Bene. In fo high a style, Margaret, that no man living fhall come over it; for, in moft comely truth, thou deservest it.

Marg.

(27) Marg. To have no Man come over me? why, hall I always keep above stairs?

Bene. Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth, *it catches.

Marg. And yours as blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not.

Bene. A moft manly wit, Margaret, it will not hurt a woman; and fo, I pray thee, call Beatrice; I give thee the bucklers.

Marg. Give us the fwords; we have bucklers of

our own.

Bene. If you ufe them, Margaret, you must put in the pikes with a vice, and they are dangerous weapons

'for maids.

Marg. Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who, I think, hath legs. [Exit Margaret. Bene. And therefore will come. [Sings.] The God of love, that fits above, and knows me, and knows me, how pitiful I deferve,-I mean, in finging; but in loving, Leander the good fwimmer, Troilus the first employer of pandars, and a whole book full of thefe quondam carpet-mongers, whofe names, yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank verfe; why, they were never fo truly turn'd over and over, as my poor felf in love; marry, I cannot fhew it in rhime; I have try'd; I can find out no rhime to lady but baby, an innocent's rhime;" for fcorn, horn, a hard rhime; for school, fool, a babling rhime; very ominous endings; no, I was not born under a rhiming planet, for I cannot woo in feftival terms.

Sweet Beatrice, would't thou come when I call thee?

T

(27) To have no Man come over me? why, shall I always keep below Stairs?] Thus all the printed Copies, but, fure, erroneously: for all the Jeft, that can lie in the Paffage, is deftroy'd by it. Any Man might come over her, literally speaking, if the always kept below Stairs. By the Correction I have ventur'd to make, Margaret, as I prefume, muft mean, What! fhall I always keep above Stairs? i. e, Shall I for Jever continue a Chambermaid ?

Beat.