is out. God be well, God's honest soul, i" faned: all men

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! 9 – Well said, i'faith, neighbour Verges: — well, God 's a good man: an two men ride of a horse, one must ride behind. 10 — 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 11 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. 12

Dogb. It shall be suffigance. 13
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'll wait upon them: I am ready.

[Exeunt LEONATO and Messenger. Dogb. Go, good partner, go; get you to Francis Seacoal ; 14 bid him bring his pen and inkhorn to the gaol: we are now to examination these men. 15

Verg. And we must do it wisely.

Dogb. We will spare for no wit, I warrant you; here 's that 16 shall drive some of them to a non com: 17 only get the learned writer to set down our excommunication, 18 and meet me at the gaol.

[Exeunt.

$) it is a world to see, eine häufig wiederkehrende Phrase, die Holt White richtiger

mit it is worth seeing, als Steevens mit it is wonderful to see erklärt. So steht
in Barret's Alvearie it is a world to hear für das lateinische Audire est operae
pretium. — Auch das folgende God 's a good man ist sprichwörtlich von einer genüg-
samen, zufriedenen Lebensanschauung.
Unter demjenigen der beiden Reiter auf demselben Pferde, der hinten sitzt, versteht

Dogberty seinen Amtsgenossen; er selbst sitzt vorn auf dem Pferde. 11) comprehended für apprehended, und aspicious für suspicious. 12) So die Fol.; die Q. hat as it may appear unto you. 13) suffigance für sufficient. 14) In A. 3, Sc. 3 wurde George Seacoal unter den bestallten Constablern erwähnt. 15) So mit charakteristischen Sprachfehler die Q.; die Fol. hat to examine those men. 9) Manche Hgg. fügen zur Erklärung die Bühnenweisung ein: touching his forehead. *T) non com, herkömmlich abgekürzt aus dem lateinischen non compos mentis = von

Sionen, sagt Dogberry für non plus: to drive to a non-plus = Jemanden in die

Enge treiben. 16) Er meint examination.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

The Inside of a Church. Enter Don PEDRO, John, Leonato, Friar, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, HERO,

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. 1
Friar. Lady, you come hither to be married to this count?
Hero. I do.

Friar. If either of you know any inward impediment, why you should not be conjoined , 2 I charge you on your souls to utter it.

Claud. Know you any, Hero?
Hero. None, my lord.
Friar. Know you any, count?
Leon. I dare make his answer; none.

Claud. 0, what men dare do! what men may do! what men daily do, not knowing what they do! 3

Bene. How now! Interjections ? 4 Why then, some be of laughing, as, ha! ha! he! 4

Claud. Stand thee by, friar. 5 – Father, by your leave:
Will you with free and unconstrained soul
Give me this maid, your daughter?

Leon. As freely, son, as God did give her me.

Claud. And what have I to give you back, whose worth May counterpoise this rich and precious gift?

D. Pedro. Nothing, unless you render her again. i

Claud. Sweet prince, you learn me noble thankfulness. -
There, Leonato, take her back again :
Give not this rotten orange to your friend;
She 's but the sign and semblance of her honour. -

Behold, how like a maid she blushes here:
0, what authority and show of truth
Can cunning sin cover itself withal !
Comes not that blood, 6 as modest evidence,
To witness simple virtue? Would you not swear,
All you that see her, that she were a maid,
By these exterior shows? But she is none:
She knows the heat of a luxurious 7 bed;
Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.

Leon. What do you mean, my lord?
Claud.

Not to be married , s
Not to knit my soul to an approved wanton.

Leon. Dear my lord, if you, in your own proof, 9
Have vanquish'd the resistance of her youth,
And made defeat of her virginity, -

Claud. I know what you would say: if I have known her, 10
You 'll say, she did embrace me as a husband,
And so extenuate the 'forehand sin:
No, Leonato,
I never tempted her with word too large; 11
But, as a brother to his sister, showed
Bashful sincerity, and comely love.

Hero. And seem'd I ever otherwise to you?

Claud. Out on thee, seeming ! 12 I will write against it:
You seem to me as Dian in her orb,
As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown;
But you are more intemperate in your blood
Than Venus, or those pamper'd animals
That rage in savage sensuality.

Hero. Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide ? 13

that blood ist hinweisend = das Blut, das jetzt in Hero's Wange steigt und ein

Schamerröthen bedeuten soll. ņ) luxurious = wollüstig, geil. 8) Claudio fasst to mean, das Leonato = was wollt Ihr damit sagen? gebraucht, viel

mehr = beabsichtigen : I mean not be married. 99 proof bezieht sich auf das vorhergehende approved = bewährt, erprobt: wenn Ihr in

der Erprobung, die Ihr selbst mit Hero angestellt habt 1. s. w. 10) to know = erkennen, in geschlechtlichem Sinn. 11 Vgl. A. 2, Sc. 3, Anm. 27. 12) So Q. und Fol. – seeming ist die in Hero personificirte Heuchelei, welche Claudio

apredet, wie in Winter's Tale (A. 4, Sc. 3) die Perdita als enchantment, and in K. John (A. 3, Sc. 4) die Constanze als fair affliction angeredet wird. — Die mei

sten Hgg. ändern mit Pope: Out on thy seeming, und Knight Out on the seeming! 13) wide = weit vom Ziel, in der Irre, verkehrt. So in Troilus and Cressida

(A. 3, Sc. 1) No, no; no such matler, you are wide. – Die folgende Rede theilen

Claud. Sweet prince, why speak not you ?
D. Pedro.

What should I speak?
I stand dishonour'd, that have gone about
To link my dear friend to a common stale.

Leon. Are these things spoken , 14 or do I but dream?
John. Sir, they are spoken, and these things are true.
Bene. This looks not like a nuptial. 15
Hero.

True! 16 () God!
Claud. Leonato, stand I here?
Is this the prince? Is this the prince's brother?
Is this face Hero's? Are our eyes our own?

Leon. All this is so; but what of this, my lord ?

Claud. Let me but move one question to your daughter,
And, by that fatherly and kindly 17 power
That you have in her, bid her answer truly.

Leon. I charge thee do so, 18 as thou art my child.

Hero. O God, defend me! how am I beset! – What kind of catechizing call you this ?

Claud. To make you answer truly to your name.

Hero. Is it not Hero ? 19 Who can blot that name
With any just reproach?
Claud.

Marry, that can Hero:
Hero itself can blot out Hero's virtue.
What man was he talk'd with you yesternight
Out at your window, betwixt twelve and one?
Now, if you are a maid, answer to this.

Hero. I talk'd with no man at that hour, my lord.

D. Pedro. Why, then are you no maiden. – Leonato,
I am sorry you must hear: Upon mine honour,
Myself, my brother, and this grieved count,
Did see her, hear her, at that hour last night,
Talk with a ruffian at her chamber-window;
Who hath, indeed, most like a liberal 20 villain ,

Confess'd the vile encounters they have had
A thousand times in secret.

John. Fie, fie: they are not to be nam'd, my lord,
Not to be spoke of;
There is not chastity enough in language,
Without offence to utter them. Thus, pretty lady,
I am sorry for thy much misgovernment. 21

Claud. O Hero! what a Hero hadst thou been.
If half thy outward graces had been placed
About thy thoughts, and counsels of thy heart!
But, fare thee well, most foul, most fair! farewell,
Thou pure impiety, and impious purity ! 22
For thee I 'll lock up all the gates of love,
And on my eye-lids shall conjecture 23 hang,
To turn all beauty into thoughts of harm,
And never shall it more be gracious. 24

Leon. Hath no man's dagger here a point for me? (HERO Swoons.
Beat. Why, how now, cousin! wherefore sink you down?

John. Come, let us go. These things, come thus to light,
Smother her spirits up.

[Exeunt Don PEDRO, John, and CLAUDIO. Bene. How doth the lady? Beat.

Dead, I think: – help, uncle! -
Hero! why, Hero! – Uncle! – Signior Benedick! – friar!

Leon. O fate! take not away thy heavy hand:
Death is the fairest cover for her shame,
That may be wish'd for.
Beat.

How now, cousin Hero ?
Friar. Have comfort, lady.
Leon. Dost thou look up ?
Friar.

Yea; wherefore should she not?
Leon. Wherefore? Why, doth not every earthly thing
Cry shame upon her ? Could she here deny
The story that is printed in her blood? –
Do not live, Hero; do not ope thine eyes;
For did I think thou wouldst not quickly die,