Bene. You are a villain; I jeft not. I will make it good how you dare, with what you dare, and when you dare. Do me right, or I will protest your cowardise. You have kill'd a sweet lady, and her death shall fall heavy on you. Let me hear from you.

Claud. Well, I will meet you, so I may have good cheer.

Pedro. What, a feast?

Claud. I' faith, I thank him; he hath bid me to a calves-head and a capon, the which if I do not carve must curioufly, fay, my knife's naught. Shall I not find a woodcock too?

Bene. Sir, your wit ambles well; it goes eafily. Pedro. I'll tell thee, how Beatrice prais'd thy wit the other day: I faid, thou hadst a fine wit; right, fays she, a fine little one; no, faid I, a great wit; juft, faid she, a great gross one; nay, faid I, a good wit; just, said she, it hurts no body; nay, faid I, the gentleman is wife; certain, faid she, a wife gentleman; nay, faid I, he hath the tongues; that I believe, faid she, for he swore a thing to me on Monday night, which he forswore on Tuesday morning; there's a double tongue, there's two tongues. Thus did she an hour together trans share thy particular virtues; yet, at last, she concluded with a figh, thou wast the propereft man in Italy.

Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and said, she

car'd not.

Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet for all that, and if the did not hate him deadly, she would love him dearly; the old man's daughter told us all.

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

Pedro. But when shall we fet the falvage bull's horns on the sensible 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 gofip-like humour; you break jests as braggarts do their blades, which, God be thank'd,

MUCH ADO about NOTHING. 73

d, hurt not. My lord, for your many courtefies ak you; I must discontinue your company; your r, the bastard, is fled from Messina; you have ayou killed a sweet and innocent lady. For my ack-beard there, he and I shall meet; and 'till peace be with him!

ro. He is in earnest.

[Exit Benedick.

ad. In most profound earnest, and, I'll warrant For the love of Beatrice.

ro. And hath challeng'd thee?

ad. Most sincerely.

o. What a pretty thing man is, when he goes doublet and hose, and leaves off his wit!

ter Dogberry, Verges, Conrade and Borachio

guarded.

ed. He is then a giant to an ape; but then is an Loctor to fuch a man.

Fo. But, soft you, let me fee, pluck up my heart fad; did he not say, my brother was fled ?

b. Come, you, Sir; if justice cannot tame you, Il ne'er weigh more reasons in her balance; nay, 1 be a curfing hypocrite once, you must be

to.

0. How now, two of my brother's men bound? Pio, one?

d. Hearken after their offence, my lord. -0. Officers, what offence have these men done? 5. Marry, Sir, they have committed false report ;^ -er, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they ders; fixth and lastly, they have bely'd a lady;

they have verify'd unjust things; and, to conthey are lying knaves.

-0. First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdask thee what's their offence; fixth and lastly, Ley are committed; and, to conclude, what you heir charge ?

d. Rightly reason'd, and in his own division; my troth, there's one meaning well fuited.

0. Whom have you offended, masters, that you

L. II.

D

are

are thus bound to your answer? This learned conftable is too cunning to be understood. What's your of fence?

me:

were

Bora. Sweet Prince, let me go no further to mine aniwer: do you hear me, and let this Count kill I have deceiv'd even your very eyes; what your wifdoms could not discover, these shallow fcols have brought to light, who in the night overheard me confeffing to this man, how Don John your brother incens'd me to slander the lady Hero; how you brought into the orchard, and faw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; how you disgrac'd her, when you should marry her; my villany they have upon record, which I had rather feal with my death, than repeat over to my shame; the lady is dead upon mine and my mafter's false accufation; and briefly, I defire nothing but the reward of a villain.

Pedro. Runs not this speech like iron through your

blood?

Claud. I have drunk poison, while he utter'd it.
Pedro. But did my brother fet thee on to this ?
Bora. Yea, and paid me richly for the practice of it.
Pedro. He is compos'd and fram'd of treachery;

And fled he is upon this villany.

Claud. Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appear In the rare semblance that I lov'd it first.

Dogb. Come, bring away the plaintiffs; by this time, our Sexton hath reform'd Signior Leonato of the matter; and masters, do not forget to specifie, when time and place shall serve, that I am an afs.

Verg. Here, here comes master Signior Leonato, and the Sexton too.

Enter Leonato, and Sexton.

Leon. Which is the villain? let me see his eyes;
That when I note another man like him,
I may avoid him; which of these is he?

Bora. If you would know your wronger, look on me.
Leon. Art thou, art thou the flave, that with thy

A

breath

Haft

Haft kill'd mine innocent child?

Bora. Yea, even I alone.

Leon. No, not so, villain; thou bely'st thy self;

Here stand 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: chuse your revenge your felf;
Impose me to what penance your invention
Can lay upon my fin; yet finn'd I not,
But in mistaking.

Pedro. By my foul, nor I;
And yet, to satisfie this good old man,
I would bend under any heavy weight,
That he'll enjoyn me to.

Leon. You cannot bid my daughter live again,
That were impoffible; but, I pray you both,
Possess the People in Messina here
How innocent she dy'd; and if your love
Can labour aught in sad invention,
Hang her an Epitaph upon her tomb,
And fing it to her bones; fing it to night:
To morrow morning come you to my house,
And fince you could not be my fon-in-law,
Be yet my nephew; my brother hath a daughter,
Almost the copy of my child that's dead,
And the alone is heir to both of us;

Give her the Right you should have given her Coufin,

And fo dies my revenge.

Claud. O noble Sir!

Your over-kindness doth wring tears from me:

I do embrace your offer; and dispose

For henceforth of poor Claudio.

Leon. To morrow then I will expect your Coming,

To night I take my leave. This naughty man

Shall face to face be brought to Margaret,

Who, I believe, was pack'd pack'd in all this wrong,

Hir'd to it by your brother.

D2

Bora.

Bora. No, by my foul, she was not;
Nor knew not what she did, when she spoke to me.
But always hath been just and virtuous,
In any thing that I do know by her.

Dogb. Moreover, Sir, which indeed is not under white and black, this plaintiff here, the offender, did call me ass: I beseech you, let it be remembred in his punishment; and also the watch heard them talk of one Deformed: they say, he wears a key in his ear, and a lock hanging by it; and borrows money in God's name, the which he hath us'd so long, and never paid, that now men grow hard-hearted, and will lend nothing for God's fake. Pray you, examine him upon that point.

Leon. I thank thee for thy care and honest pains. Dogb. Your Worship speaks like a most thankful and

reverend youth; and I praise God for you. Leon. There's for thy pains.

Dogb. God save the foundation!

Leon. Go, I discharge thee of thy prisoner; and I thank thee.

Dogb. I leave an errant knave with your Worship, which, I beseech your Worship, to correct your self, for the example of others. God keep your Worship; I wish your Worship well: God restore you to health; I humbly give you leave to depart; and if a merry meeting may be wish'd, God prohibit it. Come, neighbour. [Exeunt.

Leon. Until to morrow morning, Lords, farewel. Ant. Farewel, my Lords; we look for you to morrow. Pedro. We will not fail.

Claud. To night I'll mourn with Hero.

Leon. Bring you these fellows on, we'll talk with

Margaret,

How her acquaintance grew with this lewd fellow.

[Exeunt feverally.