away myself for you, and dote upon the exchange.

Beat. Speak, cousin; his mouth with a kiss, neither.

or, if you cannot, stop and let not him speak,

D. Pedro. In faith, Lady, you have a merry heart.

Beat, Yea, my Lord; I thank it, poor fool, it keeps on the windy side of care: My cousin tells him in his ear, that he is in her heart.

Claud. And so she doth, cousin.
Beat. Good Lord, for alliance!

Thus goes

every one to the world but I, and I am sun burn'd; I may sit in a corner, and cry, heigh ho! for a husband.

D. Pedro. Lady Beatrice, I will get you one.

Beat. I would rather have one of your father's getting: Hath your Grace ne'er a brother like you? Your father got excellent husbands, if a maid could come by them.

D. Pedro. Will you have me, Lady?

Beat. No, my Lord, unless I might have another for working days; your Grace is too costly to wear every day; - But, I beseech your Grace, pardon me; I was born to speak all mirth, and

D. Pedro. Your silence most offends me, and to be merry best becomes you; for, out of question, you were born in a merry hour.

Beat. No, sure, my Lord, my mother cry'd; but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born. Cousins, God give you joy!

Leon. Niece, will you look to those things I told you of?

Beat. I cry you mercy, uncle.

ce's pardon.

By your Gra [Exit BEATRICE.

D. Pedro. By my troth, a pleasant spirited lady.

Leon. There's little of the melancholy element in her, my Lord: she is never sad, but when she sleeps; and not ever sad then; for I have heard my daughter say, she hath often dream'd of unhappiness, and waked herself with laughing.

- D. Pedro. She cannot endure to hear tèll of a husband.

Leon. O, by no means; she mocks all her wooers out of suit.

D. Pedro. She were an excellent wife for Be nedick.

:

Leon. O Lord, my Lord, if they were but weck married, they would talk themselves mad.

a

D. Pedro. Count Claudio, when mean you to go to church?

Claud. Tomorrow, my Lord: Time goes on crutches, till love have, all his rites.

Leon. Not till Monday, my dear son, which is hence a just sevennight; and a time too brief too, to have all things auswer my mind.

D. Pedro. Come, you shake the head at so long a breathing; but, I warrant thee, Claudio, the time shall not go dully by us; I will, in the interim, undertake one of Hercules' labours; which is, to bring Signior Benedick, and the lady Beatrice into a mountain of affection, the one with the other. I would fain have it a match; and I donbt not but to fashion it, if you three will but minister such assistance as I shall give you direction.

Leon. My Lord, I am for you, though it cost me ten nights' watchings.

Claud. And I, my Lord.

Hero. I will do any modest office, my Lord, to help my cousin to a good husband.

D. Pedro. And Benedick is not the unhope. fullest husband that I know: thus far can I praise him he is of a noble strain, of approved valour, and confirm'd honesty. I will teach you how to humour your cousin, that she shall fall in love with Benedick: and I, with your two helps, will so practise on Benedick, that in despite of

his quick wit and his queasy, stomach, fall in love with Beatrice..

he shall

If we can do this,

Cupid is no longer an archer; his glory shall be ours, for we are the only love-gods. Go in with me, and I will tell you my drift.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Another Room in LEONATO's House.

·Enter Don JOHN and BORACHIO.

D. John. It is so; the Count Claudio shall marry the daughter of Leonato.

Bora. Yea, my Lord; but I can cross it.

D. John. Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be medicinable to me: I am sick in-displeasure to him; and whatsoever comes athwart his affection, ranges evenly with mine. How canst

thou cross this marriage?

Bora. Not honestly, my Lord; but so convertly that no dishonesty shall appear in me.

D. John. Show me briefly how.

Bora. I think, I told your Lordship, a year since, how much I am in the favour of Margaret, the waiting- gentlewoman to Hero.

D. John. I remember.

Bora. I can, at any unseasonable instant of the night, appoint her to look out of her lady's chamber-window.'

D. John. What life is in that, to be the death of this marriage?

Bora. The poison of that lies in you to temper. Go you to the Prince your brother; spare not to tell him, that he hath wrong'd his honour in marrying the renowned Claudio (whose estimation do you mightily hold up) to a contaminated stale, such a one as Hero.

D. John. What proof shall I make of that? Bora. Proof enough to misuse the Prince, to vex Claudio, to undo Hero, and kill Leonato: Look you for any other issue?

D. John. Only to despite them, will I endeavour any thing.

Bora. Go then, find me a meet hour to draw. Don Pedro and the Count Claudio, alone: tell them, that you know that Hero loves me; intend a kind of zeal both to the Prince and Claudio, as in love of your brother's honour who hath made this match; and his friend's reputation, who is thus like to be cozen'd with the semblance of a maid, that you have discover'd thus. They will scarcely believe this without trial:. offer them instances; which shall bear no less likelihood, to see me at her chamber window; hear me call Margaret, Hero; hear Margaret term me Borachio; and bring them to see this, the very night before the intended wedding: for, in the mean time, I will so fashion the matter, that Hero shall be absent; and there shall appear such seeming truth in Hero's disloyalty, that jealousy shall be call'd assurance, and all the preparation over

than

thrown.

D. John. Grow this to what adverse issue it can, I will put it in practice: Be cunning in the working this, and thy fee is a thousand ducats.

Bora. Be you constant in the accusation, my cunning shall not shame me.

and

D. John. I will presently go learn their day of marriage. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

LEONATO's Garden.

Enter BENEDICK and a Boy.

Bene. Boy,

Boy. Signior.

Bene. In my chamber window lies a book; bring it hither to me in the orchard.

Boy. I am here already, Sir.

Bene. I know that; but I would have thee hence, and here again. [Exit Boy.] I do much wonder, that one man, seeing how much another man is a fool when he dedicates his, behaviours to love, will, after he hath laugh'd at such shallow follies in others, become the argument of his own scorn, by falling in love: And such a man is Claudio. I have known, when there was no musick with him but the drum and the fife; and now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe: I have known, when he would have walk'd ten mile afoot, to see a good armour; and now will he lie ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to speak plain, and to the purpose, like au hopest man, and a soldier;, and now. is he turn'd orthographer; his words are a very fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes. May I be so con