like the shaven Hercules 22 in the smirched worm-eaten tapestry, where his cod-piece seems as massy as his club?

Con. All this I see, and I see that the fashion wears out more apparel than the man. But art not thou thyself giddy with the fashion too, that thou hast shifted out of thy tale into telling me of the fashion?

Bora. Not so neither; but know, that I have to-night wooed Margaret, the lady Hero's gentlewoman, by the name of Hero: she leans me out at her mistress' chamber-window, bids me a thousand times good night, I tell this tale vilely - I should first tell thee, how the Prince, Claudio, and my master, planted, and placed, and possessed 23 by my master Don John, saw afar off in the orchard this amiable encounter. 24

Con. And thought they Margaret was Hero?

Bora. Two of them did, the prince and Claudio; but the devil, my master, knew she was Margaret, and partly by his oaths, which first possessed them, partly by the dark night, which did deceive them, but chiefly by my villainy, which did confirm any slander that Don John had made, away went Claudio enraged; swore he would meet her, as he was appointed, next morning at the temple, and there, before the whole congregation, shame her with what he saw over-night, and send her home again without a husband.

1 Watch. We charge you in the prince's name, stand.

2 Watch. Call up the right master constable. We have here recovered the most dangerous piece of lechery, 25 that ever was known in the commonwealth. 1 Watch. And one Deformed is one of them: I know him, a' wears a lock. 26

Con. Masters, masters!

2 Watch. You'll be made bring Deformed forth, I warrant you.
Con. Masters, 27

1 Watch. Never speak: we charge you, let us obey 28 you to go with us. Bora. We are like to prove a goodly commodity, being taken up of these men's bills. 29

22) the shaven Hercules ist, nach Steevens' Deutung, Hercules im Dienst der Omphale. Anspielungen auf Wandtapeten, die mit mythologischen oder biblischen Bildern bemalt waren, kommen öfter bei Sh. vor.

23) possessed doppelsinnig = von einer Sache benachrichtigt oder überzeugt, und = besessen, wie von einem Teufel. In letzterer Beziehung sagt Borachio gleich nachher the devil, my master.

24) amiable encounter = zärtliches, verliebtes Rendezvous.

25) Für lechery will er treachery sagen.

26) d. h. a love-lock eine Haarlocke, die, mit einer Bandschleife verziert, hinterm Ohre lang herabhing, eine Mode, über die auch Sh.'s Zeitgenossen sich lustig machen. 27) Q. und Fol. verbinden die folgenden Worte des Wächters noch mit Masters und legen Alles dem Conrad in den Mund. Die richtige Abtheilung rührt von Theobald her. 28) obey sagt er missverständlich für das Gegentheil charge oder command.

=

29) to take up auf Credit eine Waare (commodity) aufnehmen, and verhaften, einstecken; bill = Schuldschein, Rechnung, = und Hellebarde, die Waffe dieser Nacht

wächter.

Con. A commodity in question, 30 I warrant you. Come, we 'll obey

you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

A Room in LEONATO'S House.

Enter HERO, MARGARET, and URSULA.

Hero. Good Ursula, wake my cousin Beatrice, and desire her to rise.

Urs. I will, lady.

Hero. And bid her come hither.

Urs. Well.

1

Marg. Troth, I think, your other rebato were better.
Hero. No, pray thee, good Meg, I'll wear this.

[Exit URSULA.

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 2 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 o'gold, and cuts, and laced with silver, set with pearls down sleeves, side sleeves, 3 and skirts round, underborne with a bluish 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?

30) question = gerichtliche Untersuchung, Verhör.

1) rebato = gesteifter Halskragen. Für rebato, wie Q. und Fol. nach der herkömmlichen Orthographie der Zeit schreiben, setzen die Hgg. meistens rabato.

Der neue Kopfputz da drinnen, in Eurem Zimmer, würde Euch noch besser stehen, wenn Euer Haar, in Uebereinstimmung damit, um eine Schattirung, um einen Gedanken dunkler wäre. Steevens deutet the hair auf das falsche Haar, aus dem der Kopfputz bestehe.

3) Steevens streicht das von manchen Hggn. nach pearls gesetzte Komma, wodurch side sleeves lange herabhängende Aermel, als Apposition und nähere Bestimmung zu dem vorhergehenden sleeves erscheint: das Kleid war die Aermel herunter mit Perlen besetzt, und diese Aermel hingen lang herab.

4) honourable

=

ehrenvoll, und Titel eines vornehmen Mannes, wie Claudio. Ebenso doppelsinnig stehen, wie oft bei Sh., die Adjectiva heavy Gewicht, und = schwermüthig, so wie light

schwer von leicht von Gewicht, und leicht

fertig.

4*

I think, you would have me say, saving your reverence,

a husband: an bad

thinking do not wrest true speaking, I 'll offend no body. 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.

have stables enough, you'll see he shall lack no barns. 6

Marg. O illegitimate construction! I scorn that with my heels. 7

Beat. "T is almost five o'clock, cousin: 't is time you were ready. By

my troth, I am exceeding ill. Heigh ho!

Marg. For a hawk, a horse, or a husband? 8

Beat. For the letter that begins them all, H.

Marg. Well, an you be not turned Turk, there's no more sailing by

the star.

Beat. What means the fool, trow? 10

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! 12 there 's goodly catching of cold.

11

5) Eine muntere Tanzmelodie, die als etwas leichtfertig auch in Two Gentlemen of Verona (A. 1, Sc. 2) erwähnt wird. Eben so fasst Beatrice in ihrer Antwort den Sinn von Light o' love auf.

6) Wortspiel zwischen barn Scheune, und Kind.

7) to scorn with the heels

=

= Etwas mit den Fersen verächtlich von sich weisen. So in Merchant of Venice (A. 2, Sc. 2) scorn running with thy heels. Hier zugleich anknüpfend an das vorhergehende with your heels in Bezug auf light o' love. 8) Margarethe fasst exceeding ill sich krankhaft nach Etwas sehnend, wie sick for in diesem Sinne häufig vorkommt, und nennt scherzhaft dreierlei Dinge, nach denen Beatrice sich möglicherweise sehne. Alle diese drei fangen mit dem Buchstaben han, der, ache ausgesprochen, so klingt, wie ache wurde.

Schmerz, in Sh.'s Zeit ausgesprochen

9) to turn Turk von seinem Glauben abfallen, wie Beatrice ihren Männerhass bisher gleichsam als einen Glaubensartikel hegte und jetzt ihm abgesagt hat. Wenn diese Beobachtung täuscht, so kann der Schiffer sich auch nicht mehr auf den Stand des Sterns verlassen, nach dessen Richtschnur er segelt.

10) trow = traun!

11) Parfümirte Handschuhe kommen als ein Modeartikel öfter vor, so in Winter's Tale (A. 4, Sc. 3) Gloves as sweet as damask roses.

12) stuffed = verstopft in der Nase, verschnupft, und = vollgemacht, schwanger.

Beat. O, God help me! God help me! how long have you profess'd apprehension? 13

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, and lay it to your heart: it is the only thing for a qualm.

Hero. There thou prick'st her with a thistle. 14

Beat. Benedictus! why Benedictus? you have some moral 15 in this Benedictus.

Marg. Moral? no, by my troth, I have no moral meaning; I meant, plain holy-thistle. 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 16 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.

man:

Beat. What pace is this that thy tongue keeps?

Marg. Not a false gallop.

Re-enter URSULA.

Urs. Madam, withdraw; 17 the prince, the count, signior Benedick, Don John, and all the gallants of the town, are come to fetch you to church. Hero. Help to dress me, good coz, good Meg, good Ursula. [Exeunt.

=

13) apprehension Witz, schnelle Auffassungsgabe, wie Margarethe sie an den Tag legt, da sie Beatrice's Worte aufgreift und deutet.

14) Carduus Benedictus = heilsame Distel. Damit prickelt Margarethe die Beatrice, insofern der Name dieses Heilmittels zugleich an eine Distel und an Benedick erinnert. Cogan in seinem Haven of Health (1589) sagt von diesem Heilmittel: This herb may worthily be call'd Benedictus, or Omnimorbia, that is, a salve for every sore, not known to physicians of old time, but lately revealed by the special providence of Almighty God.

15) moral =

Nutzanwendung, die sich aus einer Fabel oder Geschichte ergiebt, zugleich der tiefere, allegorische Sinn, der in einem Worte liegt.

* 16) Jetzt ist er ein Mensch, wie die Andern auch, d. h. für Liebe empfänglich. In demselben Sinne zur Bezeichnung dieses gewöhnlichen, natürlichen Zustandes sind auch die folgenden Worte he eats his meal without grudging zu fassen, und, in Bezug auf Beatrice dann: you look with your eyes etc. Ihr habt vor andern Frauen nichts voraus, seht ebenso aus den Augen, wie die andern.

17) d. h. zieht Euch in Eure Kammer zurück, um Euch zur Hochzeit anzukleiden.

SCENE V.

Another Room in LEONATO's House.

Enter LEONATO, with DOGBERRY and VERGES. 1

Leon. What would you with me, honest neighbour?

Dogb. Marry, Sir, I would have some confidence with you, that decerns 2 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?

4

Dogb. Goodmann Verges, Sir, speaks a little off the matter: 3 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. 5

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.

6

Dogb. It pleases your worship to say so, but we are the poor duke's officers; 7 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.

8 Yea, an 't were a thousand pound 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.

1) Enter Leonato, and the Constable, and the Headborough in Q. und Fol.

2) Er sagt confidence für conference, und decerns für concerns.

3) off the matter

was nicht zur Sache gehört, was vom Gegenstande fern liegt. Q. und Fol. haben of the matter, was auch Rowe noch beibehielt. 4) blunt für das Gegentheil, etwa sharp.

5) Dieser sprichwörtliche Ausdruck kommt schon vor Sh. vor.

=

6) odorous für odious, und palabras für spanisch pocas palabras wenig Worte, fasst Euch kurz, eine Redensart, deren man sich damals in England mehrfach bedient zu haben scheint, und die auch in Taming of the Shrew (Induction) sich entstellt findet: paucas pallabris.

7) Er will sagen the duke's poor officers, wie in Measure for Measure (A. 2, Sc. 2)

If it please your honour, I am the poor duke's constable.

im Sinne von gracious.

8) pound in Q.; times in der Fol.

Dogberry fasst tedious