night, which he forfwore on Tuesday morning; there's a double tongue, there's two tongues. Thus did fhe, an hour together, tranf-shape thy particular virtues; yet, at laft, fhe concluded with a figh, thou waft the propereft man in Italy.

CLAUD. For the which fhe wept heartily, and faid, he cared not.

D. PEDRO. Yea, that he did; but yet, for all that, an if she did not hate him deadly, fhe would •love him dearly: the old man's daughter told us all.

CLAUD. All, all; and moreover, God faw him when he was hid in the garden.

D. PEDRO. But when shall we fet the favage bull's horns on the fenfible Benedick's head?

CLAUD. Yea, and text underneath, Here dwells Benedick the married man?

BENE. Fare you well, boy; you know my mind; I will leave you now to your goffip-like humour: you break jefts as braggarts do their blades, which, God be thanked, hurt not. - - My lord, for your many courtefies I thank you: I must difcontinue your company: your brother, the baftard, is fled from Meffina: you have, among you, kill'd a sweet and innocent lady: For my lord Lack-beard, there, he and I fhall meet; and till then, peace be with him. [Exit BENEDICK.

D. PEDRO. He is in earnest.
CLAUD. In moft profound earneft; and, I'll war-
rant you, for the love of Beatrice.

D. PEDRO. And hath challeng'd thee?
CLAUD. Moft fincerely.

D. PEDRO. What a pretty thing man is, when he

goes in his doublet and hofe, and leaves off his wit! +

4

Enter DOGBERRY, VERGES, and the Watch, with CONRADE and BORACHIO.

CLAUD. He is then a giant to an ape: but then is an ape a doctor to fuch a man.

D. PEDRO. But, foft you, let be;' pluck up, my

4 What a pretty thing man is, when he goes in his doublet and hofe, and leaves off his wit!] It was efteemed a mark of levity and want of becoming gravity, at that time, to go in the doublet and hofe, and leave off the cloak, to which this well-turned expreffion alludes. The thought is, that love makes a man as ridiculous, and exposes him as naked as being in the doublet and hose without a cloak. WARBURTON.

I doubt much concerning this interpretation, yet am by no means confident that my own is right. I believe, however, these words refer to what Don Pedro had faid juft before "And hath challenged thee?" and that the meaning is, What a pretty thing a man is, when he is filly enough to throw off his cloak, and go in his doublet and hofe, to fight for a woman? In The Merry Wives of Windfor, when Sir Hugh is going to engage with Dr. Caius, he walks about in his doublet and hofe: "Page. And youthful ftill in your doublet and hofe, this raw rheumatick day!" There is reafons and caufes for it," fays Sir Hugh, alluding to the duel he was going to fight... I am aware that there was a particular fpecies of fingle combat called Rapier and cloak; but I suppose, nevertheless, that when the fmall fword came into common use, the cloak was generally laid afide in duels, as tending to embarrass the combatants. MALONE.

Perhaps the whole meaning of the paffage is this: -What an inconfiftent fool is man, when he covers his body with clothes, and at the fame time divefts himself of his understanding!

STEEVENS.

↳ But, foft you, let be;] The quarto and first folio read corruptly let me be, which the editor of the second folio, in order to obtain fome fenfe, converted to - let me fee. I was once idle enough to fuppofe that copy was of fome authority; but a minute examination of it has fhewn me that all the alterations made in it

heart, and be fad! Did he not fay, my brother was fled?

7

DOGB. Come, you, fir; if juftice cannot tame you, she shall ne'er weigh more reafons in her balance: nay, an you be a curfing hypocrite once, you must be look'd to.

D. PEDRO. How now, two of my brother's men bound! Borachio, one!

CLAUD. Hearken after their offence, my lord! D. PEDRO. Officers, what offence have these men done?

DOGB. Marry, fir, they have committed falfe report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; fecondarily, they are flanders; fixth and lastly, they have bely'd a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things: and, to conclude, they are lying knaves.

D. PEDRO. First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offence; fixth and laftly, why they are committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge.

were merely arbitrary, and generally very injudicious. Let be were without doubt the author's words. The fame expreffion occurs again in Antony and Cleopatra, A& IV. fc. iv. "What's this for? Ah, let be, let be."

MALONE.

If let be, is the true reading, it must mean, let things remain as they are. I have heard the phrase used by Dr. Johnson himself. Mr. Henley obferves, that the fame expreffion occurs in St. Matt. xxvii. 49. STEEVENS.

Again, in The Winter's Tale, A& V. fc. iii. Leontes fays, “Let be, let be." REED.

6 -pluck up, my heart, and be fad!] i. e. roufe thyfelf, my heart, and be prepared for serious confequences! STEEVENS.

7

-ne'er weigh more reafons in her balance:] A quibble between reafons and raifons. RITSON.

CLAUD. Rightly reafoned, and in his own divifion; and, by my troth, there's one meaning well fuited. 8

D. PEDRO. Whom have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? this learned conflable is too cunning to be underflood: What's your offence?

BORA. Sweet prince, let me go no further to mine answer; do you hear me, and let this count kill me. I have deceived even your very eyes: what your wifdoms could not discover, these fhallow fools have brought to light; who, in the night, overheard me confeffing to this man, how Don John your brother incenfed me to flander' the lady Hero; how you were brought into the orchard, and faw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; how you difgraced her, when you should marry her: my villainy they have upon record; which I had rather feal with my death, than repeat over to my fhame: the lady is dead upon mine and my maiter's falfe accufation; and, briefly, I defire nothing but the reward of a villain.

D. PEDRO. Runs not this fpeech like iron through your blood?

CLAUD. I have drunk poifon, whiles he utter'd it. D. PEDRO. But did my brother fet thee on to

this?

BORA. Yea, and paid me richly for the practice of it.

8 —one meaning well fuited.] That is, one meaning is put into many different dresses; the prince having asked the fame question in four modes of fpeech. JOHNSON.

9

incens'd me to flander, &c.] That is, incited me. The word is ufed in the fame fenfe in Richard III. and Henry VIII.

See Minfheu's Di&. in v. MALONE.

M. MASON,

D. PEDRO. He is compos'd and fram'd of treachery:

And fled he is upon this villainy.

CLAUD. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth ap

pear

In the rare femblance that I lov'd it firft.

DOGB. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this time our Sexton hath reform'd fignior Leonato of the matter: And masters, do not forget to specify, when time and place shall serve, that I am an ass. VERG. Here, here comes mafter fignior Leonato, and the Sexton too.

"Re-enter LEONATO and ANTONIO, with the Sexton.

LEON. Which is the villain? Let me fee his eyes; That when I note another man like him,

I

may avoid him: Which of thefe is he?

BORA. If you would know your wronger, look

on me.

LEON. Art thou the flave, that with thy breath haft kill'd

Mine innocent child?

BORA.

Yea, even I alone.

LEON. No, not fo, villain; thou bely'ft thyself; Here ftand a pair of honourable men,

A third is fled, that had a hand in it:

I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death;
Record it with your high and worthy deeds;
"Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it.

CLAUD. I know not how to pray your patience, Yet I must speak: Choose your revenge yourself;