John. I had rather be a canker in a hedge, than a rose in his grace; and it better fits my blood to be disdained of all, than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any in this, though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. I am trusted with a muzzle, and enfranchised with a clog; therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I would bite; if I had my liberty, I would do my liking in the mean time, let me be that I am, and seek not to alter me.

:

1

your

discontent?

Con. Can you make no use of John. I make all use of it, for I use it only. Who comes here? What news, Borachio?

Enter BORACHIO.

Bora. I came yonder from a great supper: the prince, your brother, is royally entertained by Leonato, and I can give you intelligence of an intended marriage.

John. Will it serve for any model to build mischief on? What is he for a fool that betroths himself to unquietness? Bora. Marry, it is your brother's right hand.

John. Who? the most exquisite Claudio?

Bora. Even he.

John. A proper squire! And who, and who? which way looks he?

Bora. Marry, on Hero, the daughter and heir of Leonato. John. A very forward March-chick. How came you to this? Bora. Being entertained for a perfumer, as I was smoking a musty-room, comes me the prince and Claudio, hand in hand, in sad conference: I whipt me' behind the arras, and there heard it agreed upon, that the prince should woo Hero for himself, and having obtained her, give her to count Claudio.

John. Come, come; let us thither: this may prove food to my displeasure. That young start-up hath all the glory of my overthrow if I can cross him any way, I bless myself every way. You are both sure, and will assist me ?

Con. To the death, my lord.

1 BUT I am] That, modern editions; "but," 4to. and folios.

2 I make all use of it, for I use it only.] So the 4to, 1600, which is right: John is speaking in the present tense. The folio, 1623, reads, all use of it," &c.

3

I whipt ME] The folio, 1623, omits "me."

"I will make

John. Let us to the great supper: their cheer is the greater, that I am subdued. 'Would the cook were of my mind!-Shall we go prove what's to be done? Bora. We'll wait upon your lordship.

[Exeunt.

ACT II. SCENE I.

A Hall in LEONATO'S House.

Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, HERO, BEATRICE, and others.

Leon. Was not count John here at supper?

Ant. I saw him not.

Beat. How tartly that gentleman looks: I never can see him, but I am heart-burned an hour after.

Hero. He is of a very melancholy disposition.

Beat. He were an excellent man, that were made just in the mid-way between him and Benedick: the one is too like an image, and says nothing; and the other too like my lady's eldest son, evermore tattling.

Leon. Then, half signior Benedick's tongue in count John's mouth, and half count John's melancholy in signior Benedick's face,

Beat. With a good leg, and a good foot, uncle, and money enough in his purse, such a man would win any woman in the world,—if he could get her good will.

Leon. By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband, if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue.

Ant. In faith, she's too curst.

Beat. Too curst is more than curst: I shall lessen God's sending that way, for it is said, "God sends a curst cow short horns;" but to a cow too curst he sends none.

Leon. So, by being too curst, God will send you no horns? Beat. Just, if he send me no husband; for the which blessing, I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening. Lord! I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face: I had rather lie in the woollen.

Leon. You may light on a husband that hath no beard.

Beat. What should I do with him? dress him in my apparel, and make him my waiting gentlewoman? He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard

is less than a man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me; and he that is less than a man I am not for him: therefore I will even take sixpence in earnest of the bearward', and lead his apes into hell.

Leon. Well then, go you into hell?

Beat. No; but to the gate; and there will the devil meet me, like an old cuckold with horns on his head, and say, “Get you to heaven, Beatrice, get you to heaven; here's no place for you maids:" so, deliver I up my apes, and away to Saint Peter for the heavens: he shows me where the bachelors sit, and there live we as merry as the day is long.

Ant. Well, niece, [to HERO,] I trust, you will be ruled by your father.

Beat. Yes, faith; it is my cousin's duty to make courtesy, and say, "Father, as it please you:" but yet for all that, cousin, let him be a handsome fellow, or else make another courtesy, and say, "Father, as it please me."

Leon. Well, niece, I hope to see you one day fitted with a husband.

Beat. Not till God make men of some other metal than earth. Would it not grieve a woman to be over-mastered with a piece of valiant dust? to make an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl? No, uncle, I'll none: Adam's sons are my brethren; and truly, I hold it a sin to match in my kindred.

Leon. Daughter, remember, what I told you: if the prince do solicit in that kind, you you know your answer.

Beat. The fault will be in the music, cousin, if you be not woo'd in good time: if the prince be too important", tell him, there is measure in every thing, and so dance out the answer: for, hear me, Hero; wooing, wedding, and repenting, is as a Scotch jig, a measure, and a cinque-pace: the first suit is hot and hasty, like a Scotch jig, and full as fantastical; the wedding, mannerly, modest, as a measure, full of state and ancientry; and then comes repentance, and with his bad legs falls into the cinque-pace faster and faster, till he sink apace into his grave.

4

sixpence in earnest of the BEAR-WARD,] Spelt berrord in the old copies, a colloquial corruption of Bear-ward, showing how it was then pronounced. 5 - if the prince be too IMPORTANT,] i. e. Importunate.

6

till he sink apace into his grave.] "Apace" is from the corr. fo. 1632, and the pun gives additional point to the passage. "Cinque-pace" was pronounced like sink-a-pace.

Leon. Cousin, you apprehend passing shrewdly.

Beat. I have a good eye, uncle: I can see a church by daylight.

Leon. The revellers are entering, brother. Make good room!

Enter Don PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, BALTHAZAR; JOHN', BORACHIO, MARGARET, URSULA, and maskers.

D. Pedro. Lady, will you walk about with your friend? Hero. So you walk softly, and look sweetly, and say nothing, I am yours for the walk; and, especially, when I walk away.

D. Pedro. With me in your company?

Hero. I may say so, when I please.

D. Pedro. And when please you to say so?

Hero. When I like your favour; for God defend, the lute should be like the case'!

D. Pedro. My visor is Philemon's roof; within the house is Jove'.

Hero. Why, then your visor should be thatch'd.

D. Pedro. Speak low, if you speak love.

Bene. Well, I would did like me.

you

[Takes her aside.

Marg. So would not I, for your own sake; for I have many

ill qualities.

Bene. Which is one?

Marg. I say my prayers aloud.

Bene. I love you the better; the hearers may cry Amen. Marg. God match me with a good dancer!

Balth. Amen.

Marg. And God keep him out of my sight, when the dance is done!-Answer, clerk.

7 Balthazar; JOHN,] The 4to. and folio here both read, "Balthazar or dumb John;" and Reed argued that Shakespeare might have called John "dumb John," on account of his taciturnity! Balthazar and John were two distinct persons, and the former could not be called also dumb John-" Balthazar or dumb John." "John the bastard" was necessarily present, and "dumb John" was doubtless a mishearing for " Don John as he was sometimes called.

8 — and maskers.] "With a drum," adds the folio, 1623, showing the sort of music they brought with them.

9- for God defend, the lute should be like the case!] i. e. God forbid that your face should be like your mask.

1 - within the house is Jove.] "Jove" is the reading of the 4to, and the true reading, but the folios have love. The allusion is to the story of Baucis and Philemon in Ovid. Met. 8.

Balth. No more words: the clerk is answered'.

Urs. I know you well enough: you are signior Antonio.

Ant. At a word, I am not.

Urs. I know you by the waggling of your head.

Ant. To tell you true, I counterfeit him.

Urs. You could never do him so ill-well, unless you were

the very man.

he, you are he.

Here's his dry hand up and down: you are

Ant. At a word, I am not.

Urs. Come, come: do you think I do not know you by your excellent wit? Can virtue hide itself? Go to, mum, you are he graces will appear, and there's an end.

Beat. Will you not tell me who told you so?

Bene. No, you shall pardon me.

Beat. Nor will you not tell me who you are?

Bene. Not now.

Beat. That I was disdainful, and that I had my good wit out of the "Hundred merry Tales "."-Well, this was signior Benedick that said so.

Bene. What's he?

Beat. I am sure, you know him well enough.

Bene. Not I, believe me.

Beat. Did he never make you laugh?

Bene. I pray you, what is he?

Beat. Why, he is the prince's jester: a very dull fool, only his gift is in devising impossible slanders: none but libertines delight in him; and the commendation is not in his wit, but in his villainy, for he both pleases men, and angers them, and

2 - the clerk is answered.] We distribute the dialogue as in the old copies. Some useless ink has been spilled to show that all the male speeches, from "Well, I would you did like me," belong to Balthazar. The fact is, that Margaret turns from Benedick with the words "God match me with a good dancer!" maliciously implying that Benedick is a bad one; and then Balthazar takes up the dialogue with "Amen," meaning that he is what Benedick is not. Margaret, in a manner, admits it, but wishes him out of her sight when the dance is done, he being good at nothing but dancing.

3 — the “Hundred merry Tales."] An old jest book, of which only a fragment remains it was reprinted in 1835, just after it had been recovered. It was originally printed by Rastell, between 1517 and 1533; but it had no doubt often been reprinted in the time of Shakespeare, and was a chap-book well known to his audiences. See "Notes and Queries," III. 151, a letter dated London, 9 March, 1602, (i. e. 1602-3,) by which it appears that Queen Elizabeth, just before her death, "delighted to hear some of the Hundred Merry Tales and such like" read to her.