Beat. No, not till a hot January.
Mess. Don Pedro is approach'd.

Enter Don PEDRO, attended by BALTHAZAr and others; Don JOHN, CLAUDIO, and BENEDICK.

D. 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 goue, comfort should remain; but, when you depart from me, sorrow abides, and happiness takes his leave. D. Pedro. You embrace your charge too will ingly. I think, this is your daughter. Leon. Her mother hath many times told me so. Bene. Were you in doubt, Sir, that you ask'd her? Leon. Signior Benedick, no, for then were you a child.

D. 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, she 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? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence.

Bené. Then is courtesy a turn-coat: But it is certain, I am loved 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 homour 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 predestinate scratched face.

Beat. Scratching could not make. it worse, + an 'were such a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.

Beat. A bird of my tongue, is better than a beast 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.

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

-

D. Pedro. This is the sum of all: Leonato, Signior Claudio, and Signior 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, some occasion may detain us long er: I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart.

*

my

Leon. If you swear, my Lord, you shall not be forsworn. Let me bid you welcome, Lord: being reconciled to the Prince your brother, I owe you all duty.

D. John. I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thank you.

Leon. Please it your Grace lead on?

D. Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go to gether. [Exeunt all but BENEDICK and CLAUDIO.

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

Bene. I noted her not; but I looked on her.. Claud. Is she not a modest young lady?

Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgement? or would you have me speak a ter iny custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex?

Claud. No, I pray thee, speak in sober judge.

ment.

Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks she is too low for a 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, she were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.

Claud. Thou thinkest, I am in sport; I pray thee, tell me truly how thou likest her.

Bene. Would you buy her, that you inquire 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 sad 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 ever I looked on.

Bene. I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter: there's her cousin, an she were not possessed with 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, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my

wife.

Bene. Is it come to this, i'faith? Hath not the world one man, but he will wear his cap with suspicion? Shall I never see a batchelor of three score again? Go to, i'faith; an thon wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, it, and sigh away Sundays. returned to seek you.

D. Pedro

wear the print of Look, Don Pedro is

Re-enter Don PEDRO.

What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato's?

Bene. I would, your Grace would constrain me to tell.

D. Pedro. 1 charge thee on thy allegiance.

With who?

Bene. You hear, Count Claudio: I can be secret as a dumb man, I would have you think so; but on my allegiance, mark you this, on my allegiance: He is in love. now that is your Grace's part. short his answer is: short daughter.

Mark, how With Hero, Leonato's

so, were it utter'd.
my Lord: it is not so,

Claud. If this were so, Bene. Like the old tale, nor 'twas not so; but, indeed, God forbid it should be so.

Claud. If my passion change not shortly, God forbid it should be otherwise.

D. Pedro. Amen, if you love her; for the lady is very well worthy.

Claud. You speak this to fetch me in, my Lord.

D. 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 spoke mine.

Claud. That I love her, I feel.

D. Pedro. That she is worthy, I know.

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.

D. Pedro. Thou wast ever an obstinate heretick in the despite 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 most humble thanks: but that I will have a recheat 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 myself the right to none; and the fine is, (for the which I may go the finer,) I will live a bachelor.

trust

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

Bene. With anger, with sickness, 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 my eyes with a balladmaker's pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel house, for the sign of blind Cupid. D. Pedro. Well, if ever thou dost fall from this faith, thou wilt prove a notable argument.

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

D. Pedro. Well, as time shall try:

In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke.