man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion.

For thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but in that* thou art like to be my kiosman, live unbruised, and love my cousin.

Claud. I had well hoped, thou would'st have deDied Beatrice, that I might have cudgelled thee out of thy single life, to make thee a double dealer; which, out of question, thou wilt be, if my cousin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee.

Bene. Come, come, we are friends let's have a dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our hearts, and our wives' heels.

Leon. We'll have dancing afterwards.

Bene. First, o'my word; therefore, play, music.Prince, thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee x wife: there is no staff more reverend than one tipped with horn.

Enter a Messenger. Mess. Mylord, your brother John is ta'en iu flight, And brought with armed men hack to Messina.

Bene. Think not on him till to-morrow; I'll de vise thee brave punishments for him.--Strike up, pipers.

[Dance. [Ereunt.

* Because.

This play may be justly said to contain two of the most sprightly characters that Shakspeare ever drew. The wit, the humourist, the gentleman, and the sol. dier, are combined in Benedick. It is to be lamented, indeed, that the first and most splendid of these distinctions, is disgraced by unnecessary profaneness; for the goodness of his heart is hardly suffi. cient to atone for the licence of his tongue. The top

sarcastic levity, which flashes out in the conversation of Beatrice, may be excused on account of the steadiness and friendship so apparent in her beha. viour, when she urges her lover to risque his life by a challenge to Claudio. In the conduct of the fable, however, there is an imperfection similar to that which Dr. Johnson has pointed out in The Merry Wives of Windsor :-the second contrivance is less ingenious than the first :-or, to speak more plainly, the same incident is become stale by repetition. I wish some other method had been found to entrap Beatrice, than that very one which before had been successfully practised on Benedick.

Much Ado About Nothing (as I understand from one of Mr. Vertue's MSS.), formerly passed under

the title of Benedick and Beatrix, Heming the " player received, on the 20th of May, 1613, the sum of forty pounds, and twenty pounds more as his majesty's gratuity, for exhibiting six plays at Hampton Court, among which was this comedy,

STEEVENS.

MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S

DR E A M.

Theseus, duke of Athens.
Egeus, futher to Hermia.
Lysander, L.

Demetrius, Š in love with Hermia.

Philostrate, master of the revels to Theseus.
Quince, the carpenter.
Snug, the joiner.
Bottom, the weater.
Flute, the bellows-mender.
Snout, the tinker.
Starveling, the tailor.
Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, betrothed to

Theseus.
Hermia, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander.
Helena, in love with Demetrius.
Oberon, king of the fairies.
Titania, queen of the fairies.
Puck, or Robin-good fellow, a fairy.
Peas-blossom,
Cobweb,

fairies,
Moth,
Mustard seed,
Pyramus,
Thisbe,

Characters in the interlude, per-
Wall,

formed by the clowns,
Moonshine,
Lion,
Other fairies attending their king and queen.

Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta.
Scene, Athens, and a wood not far from it.

SCENE I. Athens. A room in the palace of

Theseus.

Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostrate, and at

tendants.

Theseus.
Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon: but, oh, methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires,
Like to a step-dame, or a dowager,
Long withering out a young man's revenue.
Hip. Four days will quickly steep themselves in

nights;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then thie moon, like to a silver bow
New bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our solemnities.

Go, Philostrate,
Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments;
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;