MARG. By my troth, it's not so good; and I warrant your cousin will say so. HERO. My cousin 's a fool, and thou art another; I'll wear none but this. MARG. I like the new tire within excellently, if the hair were a thought browner: and your gown 's a most rare fashion, i' faith. I saw the duchess of Milan's gown, that they praise so.

HERO. O, that exceeds, they say.

MARG. By my troth it's but a night-gown in respect of yours: Cloth of gold, and cuts, and laced with silver; set with pearls down sleeves, side-sleeves, and skirts, round underborne with a blueish tinsel: but for a fine, quaint, graceful, and excellent fashion, yours is worth ten on 't.

HERO. God give me joy to wear it, for my heart is exceeding heavy!
MARG. "T will be heavier soon, by the weight of a man.

HERO. Fie upon thee! art not ashamed?

MARG. Of what, lady? of speaking honourably? Is not marriage honourable in a beggar? Is not your lord honourable without marriage? I think, you would have me say, saving your reverence,—“ a husband: an bad thinking do not wrest true speaking, I'll offend nobody: Is there any harm in, “the heavier for a husband?" None, I think, an it be the right husband, and the right wife; otherwise 't is light, and not heavy: Ask my lady Beatrice else, here she comes.

HERO. Good morrow, coz.

Enter BEATRICE.

BEAT. Good morrow, sweet Hero.

HERO. Why, how now! do you speak in the sick tune?

BEAT. I am out of all other tune, methinks.

MARG. Clap us into-"Light o' love; "19 that goes without a burthen; do you sing it, and I'll dance it.

BEAT. Yed light o' love, with your heels;-then if your husband have stables enough, you'll look he shall lack no barns.

MARG. O illegitimate construction! I scorn that with my heels.

BEAT. T is almost five o'clock, cousin; 't is time you were ready. By my troth I am exceeding ill: hey ho!

MARG. For a hawk, a horse, or a husband?

The false hair.

This is usually pointed, "set with pearls, down sleeves." The pearls are to be set down the sleeves.

Side-sleeves-long sleeves-or full sleeves-from the Anglo-Saxon, sid-ample-long. The deep and broad sleeves" of the time of Henry IV. are thus ridiculed by Hoccleve:

"Now hath this land little neede of broomes

To sweepe away the filth out of the streete,
Sen side-sleeves of pennilesse groomes

Will it up licke, be it drie or weete."

a Ye. All the old copies have ye. The modern reading is, "Yea, 'Light o' love,' with your heels." The jest of Beatrice, whatever it be, does not consist in the mere repetition of the name of the tune.

BEAT. For the letter that begins them all, Ha.

MARG. Well, an you be not turned Turk, there's no more sailing by the star. BEAT. What means the fool, trow b?

MARG. Nothing I; but God send every one their heart's desire!

HERO. These gloves the count sent me, they are an excellent perfume.

BEAT. I am stuffed, cousin, I cannot smell.

MARG. A maid, and stuffed! there 's goodly catching of cold.

BEAT. O, God help me! God help me! how long have you professed apprehension?

MARG. Ever since you left it: doth not my wit become me rarely?

BEAT. It is not seen enough, you should wear it in your cap.-By my troth, I am sick.

MARG. Get you some of this distilled Carduus Benedictus 2o, and lay it to your heart; it is the only thing for a qualm.

HERO. There thou prick'st her with a thistle.

BEAT. Benedictus! why Benedictus? you have some moral in this Benedictus. MARG. Moral! no, by my troth, I have no moral meaning; I meant, plain holythistle. You may think, perchance, that I think you are in love: nay, by 'r lady, I am not such a fool to think what I list; nor I list not to think what I can; nor, indeed, I cannot think, if I would think my heart out of thinking, that you are in love, or that you will be in love, or that you can be in love: yet Benedick was such another, and now is he become a man: he swore he would never marry; and yet now, in despite of his heart, he eats his meat without grudging: and how you may be converted, I know not; but, methinks, you look with your eyes as other women do.

BEAT. What pace is this that thy tongue keeps?

MARG. Not a false gallop.

17

Re-enter URSULA.

Madam, withdraw; the prince, the count, signior Benedick, don John, and 11 the gallants of the town, are come to fetch you to church.

*

. Help to dress me, good coz, good Meg, good Ursula.

[Exeunt.

epigram by Heywood, 1566, explains this jest; and gives us the old pronunciation of ache, ⚫h John Kemble adhered in despite of "the groundlings:"

"H is amongst worse letters in the cross-row;

For if thou find him either in thine elbow,

In thine arm, or leg, in any degree;

In thine head, or teeth, or toe, or knee;

Into what place soever I may pike him,

Wherever thou find ache thou shalt not like him."

has pointed out that even in the time of Sir Richard Blackmore, aches was pronounced llable:

"Cripples, with aches and with age opprest,

Crawl on their crutches to the grave for rest."

-I trow. So in The Merry Wives of Windsor:'-"Who's there, trow ?"

SCENE V.-Another Room in Leonato's House.

Enter LEONATO, with DOGBERRY and VERGES.

LEON. What would you with me, honest neighbour?

DOGB. Marry, sir, I would have some confidence with you that decerns you nearly.

LEON. Brief, I pray you; for, you see, it is a busy time with me.

DOGB. Marry, this it is, sir.

VERG. Yes, in truth it is, sir.

LEON. What is it, my good friends?

DOGB. Goodman Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter: an old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt, as, God help, I would desire they were; but, in faith, honest, as the skin between his brows.

VERG. Yes, I thank God, I am as honest as any man living, that is an old man, and no honester than I.

DOGB. Comparisons are odorous: palabras, neighbour Verges.

LEON. Neighbours, you are tedious.

DOGB. It pleases your worship to say so, but we are the poor duke's officers; but, truly, for mine own part, if I were as tedious as a king I could find in my heart to bestow it all of your worship.

LEON. All thy tediousness on me! ha!

DOGB. Yea, and 't were a thousand times a more than 't is: for I hear as good exclamation on your worship, as of any man in the city; and though I be but a poor man I am glad to hear it.

VERG. And so am I.

LEON. I would fain know what you have to say.

VERG. Marry, sir, our watch to-night, excepting your worship's presence, have ta'en a couple of as arrant knaves as any in Messina.

DOGB. A good old man, sir; he will be talking; as they say, When the age is in, the wit is out; God help us! it is a world to see!-Well said, i' faith, neighbour Verges :-well, God 's a good man; an two men ride of a horse, one must ride behind :-An honest soul, i' faith, sir; by my troth he is, as ever broke bread: but God is to be worshipped: All men are not alike; alas, good neighbour !

LEON. Indeed, neighbour, he comes too short of you.

DOGB. Gifts, that God gives.

LEON. I must leave you.

DOGB. One word, sir: our watch, sir, have, indeed, comprehended two aspicious. persons, and we would have them this morning examined before your worship.

LEON. Take their examination yourself, and bring it me; I am now in great haste, as may appear unto you".

Times, in the folio. The quarto has pound.

So the folio. In the quarto, " as it may appear unto you."

DOGB. It shall be suffigance.

LEON. Drink some wine ere you go: fare you well.

Enter a Messenger.

MESS. My lord, they stay for you to give your daughter to her husband.
LEON. I will wait upon them; I am ready.

[Exeunt LEONATO and Messenger. DOGB. Go, good partner, go, get you to Francis Seacoal; bid him bring his pen and inkhorn to the gaol: we are now to examination a these men.

VERG. And we must do it wisely.

DOGB. We will spare for no wit, I warrant you; here's that [touching his forehead] shall drive some of them to a non com: only get the learned writer to set down our excommunication, and meet me at the gaol.

• Examination, in the quarto. In the folio, examine.

[Exeunt.

Enter DON PEDRO, DON JOHN, LEONATO, Friar, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, HERO, and BEATRICE, &c.

LEON. Come, friar Francis, be brief; only to the plain form of marriage, and

you shall recount their particular duties afterwards.

FRIAR. You come hither, my lord, to marry this lady?

CLAUD. No.

LEON. To be married to her: friar, you come to marry her a.

We follow the punctuation of the original. The meaning is destroyed by the modern mode of pointing the passage,―

"To be married to her, friar; you come to marry her."