D. Pedro.

The former Hero! Hero that is dead!

Leon. She died, my lord, but whiles her slander liv'd. 15

Friar. All this amazement can I qualify:

When after that the holy rites are ended,
I'll tell you largely of fair Hero's death:
Mean time, let wonder seem familiar, 16
And to the chapel let us presently.
Bene. Soft and fair, friar.
Beat. I answer to that name.
Bene. Do not you love me?

Which is Beatrice?

[Unmasking.] What is your will?

Beat. Why, no; no more than reason.

Bene. Why, then, your uncle, and the prince, and Claudio, have been

deceived: they swore you did. 17

Beat. Do not you love me?

Bene. Troth, no; no more than reason.

Beat. Why, then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula,

Are much deceiv'd; for they did swear

you 9

did.

Bene. They swore that you were almost sick for me.
Beat. They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me.
Bene. T is no such 18 matter.

Then, you do not love me?

Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompense.

Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman.
Claud. And I'll be sworn upon 't, that he loves her;

For here's a paper, written in his hand,

A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, 19

Fashion'd to Beatrice.

Bene. A miracle! here 's our own hands 20 against our hearts. Come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity.

14) defil'd, das zufällig in der Fol. ausgefallen, steht im Gegensatze zu a maid wie I do

live zu died.

15) Sie war nur so lange todt, als die üble Nachrede von ihr lebte: als diese Verläumdung verschwunden war, lebte sie wieder.

16) Nehmt das, was Euch als ein Wunder erscheint, vorläufig bis auf weitere Erklärung als etwas Gewöhnliches, Altbekanntes hin.

17) Die Q. druckt diese Rede Benedick's als Prosa, wie er auch sonst in Prosa redet.

Die meisten Hgg. machen Verse daraus, indem sie mit Hanmer setzen for they swore you did.

18) such fehlt in der Fol.

19) ein lahmes, schlecht gebautes Sonett, das lediglich aus seinem eigenen Gehirn stammt. 20) hand = Handschrift, und Hand.

Beat. I would not deny you; 21 but, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and, partly, to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption.

Bene. Peace! I will stop your mouth. 22

D. Pedro. How dost thou, Benedick, the married man? 23

Bene. I'll tell thee what, prince; a college of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humour. Dost thou think, I care for a satire, or an epigram? No: if a man will be beaten with brains, a' shall wear nothing handsome about him. In brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it; and therefore never flout at me for what 24 I have said against it, for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion. For thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but, in that 25 thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin. Claud. I had well hoped, thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgelled thee out of thy single 26 life, to make thee a doubledealer; 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 own hearts, and our wives' heels.

Leon. We'll have dancing afterward.

Bene. First, of my word; therefore, play, music!

-

Prince, thou art

sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife: there is no staff more reverend than one tipped with horn. 27

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight,

And brought with armed men back to Messina.

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

[Dance. Exeunt.

21) Ich möchte Euch keinen Korb geben, aber ich gebe nur nach, weil man mir so stark zugeredet hat, Euch zu nehmen.

22) Diese Worte, welche Q. und Fol. dem Leonato zuschreiben, gab zuerst Theobald dem Benedick und fügte zur Erklärung die Bühnenweisung Kissing her hinzu.

23) Er bezieht sich auf das, was Benedick früher gesagt (A. 1, Sc. 1) let them signify under my sign: Here you may see Benedick the married man.

24) what fehlt in der Fol.

25) in that insofern als.

26) single life = einzelnes Leben,

und = Junggesellenstand, im Gegensatz zu doubleder doppelt verfährt.

dealer = zweideutiger Mensch, und =

27) Ein Stab, dessen Griff aus Horn besteht, wie ihn alte Leute trugen.

So heisst es in

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales von einem Mönch: His felaw had a staf tipped with horn. Zugleich ist hier staff das Abzeichen der Würde des Fürsten, und in horn liegt die überall wiederkehrende Anspielung auf das Horn des Hahnrei.

SHAKSPERE'S

THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

HERAUSGEGEBEN UND ERKLÄRT

ΤΟΝ

DR. NICOLAUS DELIUS.

ELBERFELD, 1859.
VERLAG VON R. L. FRIDERICHS.