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Beat. No, sure, my lord, my mother cried; but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born 50 Cousins, 51 God give you joy! Leon. Niece, will you look to those things I told you of?

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Beat. I cry you mercy, uncle.

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By your grace's pardon.

[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 dreamed of unhappiness, 52 and waked herself with laughing.

D. Pedro. She cannot endure to hear tell of a husband.

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

D. Pedro. She were an excellent wife for Benedick.

Leon. O lord! my lord, if they were but a week married, they would talk themselves mad.

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

Claud. To-morrow, my lord. Time goes on crutches, till love have all his rites.

Leon. Not till Monday, my dear son, which is hence a just seven-night; and a time too brief too, to have all things answer my mind. 53

D. Pedro. Come, you shake the head at so long a breathing; 54 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, 55 the one with the other. I would fain have it a match; and I doubt 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.

D. Pedro. And you too, gentle Hero?

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

D. Pedro. And Benedick is not the unhopefullest husband that I know. Thus far can I praise him: he is of a noble strain, 56 of approved valour, and confirmed honesty. I will teach you how to humour your cousin, that she

50) So erwidert in All's well that ends well (A. 1, Sc. 1) Helena auf Parolles' Versprechen, ihrer gedenken zu wollen: Monsieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable star.

51) Als cousins redet sie Claudio und Hero an.

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53) Die Zeit ist auch zu kurz, um Alles für die Hochzeit so in Ordnung zu haben, wie

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55) a mountain of affection scherzhaft

ein Haufen von Zuneigung, ungeheuer viel

Liebe. So in Comedy of Errors (A. 4, Sc. 4) the mountain of mad flesh.

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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, he shall fall in love with Beatrice. If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer: his glory shall be ours, for we are the only love-gods. with me, and I will tell you my drift.

SCENE. II.

Another Room in LEONATO's House.

Enter JOHN and BORACHIO.

Go in [Exeunt.

John. It is so: the count Claudio shall marry the daughter of Leonato. Bora. Yea, my lord; but I can cross it.

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 covertly that no dishonesty shall appear in me.

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.

John. I remember.

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

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 wronged his honour in marrying the renowned Claudio (whose estimation do you mightily hold up) to a contaminated stale, 1 such a one as Hero.

John. What proof shall I make of that?

Bora. Proof enough to misuse 2 the prince, to vex Claudio, to undo Hero, and kill Leonato. Look you for any other issue?

John. Only to despite them, I will 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 3 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 cozened with the semblance of a maid) that you have discovered thus. They

ST) queasy stomach = ein Magen, der nicht leicht Etwas verträgt, bezeichnet hier Benedick's schwer zu befriedigenden Geschmack überhaupt.

1) stale =

Köder, eine gemeine Weibsperson, die Jeden anlockt. 2) to misuse = täuschen, zum Besten haben.

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will scarcely believe this without trial: offer them instances, which shall bear no less likelihood than to see me at her chamberwindow, hear me call Margaret, Hero; hear Margaret term me Claudio; 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 5 of Hero's disloyalty, that jealousy shall be call'd assurance, and all the preparation overthrown.

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, and my cunning shall not

shame me.

John. I will presently go learn their day of marriage.

SCENE III.

LEONATO'S Garden.

[Exeunt.

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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 laughed 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 music 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 walked ten mile afoot to see a good armour; and now will he lie ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a new doublet. 2 He was wont to speak plain, and to

4) Theobald wollte für Claudio, das in Q. und Fol. steht, Borachio lesen, weil Borachio und nicht Claudio den geheimen Liebhaber der angeblichen Hero vorstellen sollte. Malone meint, dass Hero nach einer geheimen Verabredung den Borachio als Claudio anreden solle, um etwaige Lauscher über die Person zu täuschen. Sollte jedoch Theobald Recht haben, so rührte die Verwechslung der beiden Namen jedenfalls von Sh. selbst her und Claudio stand schon so in der Handschrift. 5) truth in Q.; truths in Fol.

6) Der blosse Argwohn, in Bezug auf Hero's Untreue, wird schon für eine Gewissheit gelten, und alle Vorbereitungen zur Hochzeit werden vereitelt werden.

1) drum und fife, kriegerische Instrumente, stehen im Gegensatz zu tabor und pipe, Instrumente, die zum Tanze oder zu Serenaden ertönen.

2) Er denkt, indem er schlaflos im Bette liegt, über den Schnitt nach, den er seinem neuen Wammse geben will, um darin seiner Geliebten zu gefallen.

the purpose, like an honest man, and a soldier; and now is he turn'd orthographer: 3 his words are a very fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes. May I be so converted, and see with these eyes? I cannot tell; I think not: I will not be sworn, but love may transform me to an oyster; but I'll take my oath on it, till he have made an oyster of me, he shall never make me such a fool. One woman is fair, yet I am well: another is wise, yet I am well: another virtuous, yet I am well; but till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace. Rich she shall be, that 's certain; wise, or I'll none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her; fair, or I 'll never look on her; mild, or come not near me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good discourse, an excellent musician, and her hair shall be of what colour it please God. 5 Ha! the prince and monsieur Love! 6 I will hide me in the arbour.

4

[Withdraws. Enter Don PEDRO, LEONATO, and CLAUDIO, followed by BALTHAZAR and Musicians. 7

D. Pedro. Come, shall we hear this music?

Claud. Yea, my good lord. How still the evening is,

As hush'd on purpose to grace harmony!

D. Pedro. See you where Benedick hath hid himself?
Claud. O, very well, my lord: the music ended,

We'll fit the kid-fox 8 with a penny-worth.

D. Pedro. Come, Balthazar, we 'll hear that song again.
Balth. O! good my lord, tax not so bad a voice

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To slander music any more than once.

3) orthographer, wie Pope das orthography der Q. und Fol. emendirt, bezieht sich hier mehr auf die peinliche Sorgfalt in der Wahl gesuchter Ausdrücke im Reden als auf deren Rechtschreibung. Von der richtigen Aussprache und nicht von der Schreibung wird orthography auch in Love's Labour's Lost (A. 5, Sc. 1) gebraucht: such rackers of orthography as to speak dout fine, when he should say doubt. Wortspiele mit noble = edel, und = Rosenobel, eine Münze, und angel = Engel, und eine Englische Goldmünze, kommen auch sonst bei Sh. vor.

5) Die Commentatoren finden hier eine Anspielung auf die damalige Damenmode, das Haar zu färben oder falsches Haar zu tragen. Vielleicht ist aber der Sinn nur: wenn meine künftige Geliebte alle diese erwähnten Vorzüge besitzt, so soll mir die Farbe ihres Haares gleichgültig sein.

6) So heisst der verliebte Orlando in As you like it (A. 3, Sc. 3) good signior Love, und nennt dafür den melancholischen Jaques: good monsieur Melancholy.

7) Die Q. hat Enter Prince, Leonato, Claudio, musick, und dann nach Claudio's zweiter Rede noch einmal Enter Balthazar with musick. Die Fol. hat nur die eine Bühnenweisung Enter Prince, Leonato, Claudio, and Jack Wilson, d. h. Wilson, ein auch sonst als Sänger erwähnter Schauspieler, spielte auf dem Sh.'schen Theater die Rolle des Balthasar. Die richtige Bühnenweisung rührt von Dyce her; die meisten Hgg. lassen Balthasar mit den Musikanten erst später auftreten.

8) Für kid-fox junger Fuchs, las Warburton hid fox.

Jemandem Etwas auflegen, ihm zumuthen. Sb. verwechselt to tax und to

9) to tax =
task auch sonst.

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D. Pedro. It is the witness still of excellency,

To put a strange face on his own perfection.

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I pray thee, sing, and let me woo no more.

Balth. Because you talk of wooing, I will sing;
Since many a wooer doth commence his suit
To her he thinks not worthy; yet he woos,

Yet will he swear, he loves.

D. Pedro.

Nay, pray thee, come:

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There's not a note of mine that 's worth the noting.

D. Pedro. Why, these are very crotchets that he speaks; Note, notes, forsooth, and noting! 11

Bene. [Aside.] Now, divine air! now is his soul ravish'd! strange, that sheeps' guts should hale souls out of men's bodies? horn for my money, when all 's done. 12

Balth. [Sings.] Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,

Men were deceivers ever;

One foot in sea, and one on shore;
To one thing constant never.
Then sigh not so,

But let them go,

And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into, Hey nonny, nonny. 13

Sing no more ditties, sing no mo
Of dumps so dull and heavy;
The fraud of men was ever so,
Since summer first was leavy..
Then sigh not so, &c.

D. Pedro. By my troth, a good song.

Balth. And an ill singer, my lord.

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10) Es ist stets ein Zeichen oder Zeugniss des Ausgezeichneten, dass es seinen eigenen Vorzügen ein sprödes, zurückhaltendes Aussehen giebt, dass es zögert, damit hervorzutreten.

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11) noting, in Beziehung auf das von Balthasar gebrauchte Wort, emendirt Theobald das nothing der Q. und Fol. Dasselbe Wortspiel in Romeo and Juliet (A. 4, Sc. 5) Do you note me? An you re us, and fa us, you note us. Ebendaselbst auch das Wortspiel mit crotchet Viertelnote, und: Grille: I will carry no crotchets. 12) Benedick will für sein Geld lieber ein Horn blasen hören, als solchen sentimentalen Gesang.

13) Ein sinnloser Refrain zu verschiedenen Liedern, der auch in Hamlet (A. 4, Sc. 5) und in K. Lear (A. 3, Sc. 4) vorkommt. Hier bezeichnet es eine lustige Melodie. In der folgenden Strophe liest die Fol. The fraud of men were ever so.

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