Death, in guerdon of her wrongs',

Gives her fame which never dies.
So the life, that died with shame,
Lives in death with glorious fame.

Hang thou there upon the tomb,
Praising her when I am dumb2.—

Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn.

SONG.

Pardon, goddess of the night,
Those that slew thy virgin knight;
For the which, with songs of woe,
Round about her tomb they go.
Midnight, assist our moan;
Help us to sigh and groan,
Heavily, heavily:

Graves, yawn, and yield your dead,
Till death be uttered3,

Heavily, heavily.

Claud. Now, unto thy bones good night!
Yearly will I do this rite1.

D. Pedro. Good morrow, masters: put your torches out.

1 Death in GUERDON of her wrongs] "Guerdon" is reward.

Praising her when I am DUMB.] This is the reading of the folio, which is, probably, right. The 4to has dead for "dumb.”

Till death be UTTERED,] The meaning of this line is obscure; but it may be doubted whether by "Till death be uttered" we are to understand merely, as Boswell suggests, "till death be spoken of :" the verb "uttered" is perhaps to be taken in the sense of put forth, put out, or put away, and then the sense of Graves, yawn, and yield your dead, Till death be uttered,”

66

may be, until death be destroyed. In the next line, the 4to. has "heavily, heavily,” and the folio, 1623, “heavenly, heavenly," which reading is adopted by the folio, 1632. Understanding "uttered" as we have explained it, the folio may be right; but as the sense appears very doubtful, it has been thought right to preserve the reading of the oldest authority.

Yearly will I do this rite.] This couplet, in the old editions, is given to the "lord" before mentioned, but it clearly belongs to Claudio. This was the opinion of Rowe.

The wolves have prey'd; and look, the gentle day, Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about

Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey. Thanks to you all, and leave us fare you well. Claud. Good morrow, masters: each his several way. D. Pedro. Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds;

And then to Leonato's we will go.

Claud. And Hymen now with luckier issue speeds, Than this, for whom we render'd up this woe!

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

A Room in LEONATO's House.

Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, BENEDICK, BEATRICE, URSULA, Friar, and HERO.

Friar. Did I not tell you she was innocent?
Leon. So are the prince and Claudio, who accus'd
her

Upon the error that you heard debated:
But Margaret was in some fault for this,
Although against her will, as it appears
In the true course of all the question.

Ant. Well, I am glad that all things sort so well. Bene. And so am I, being else by faith enforc'd To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.

Leon. Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all,
Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves,
And, when I send for you, come hither mask'd :
The prince and Claudio promis'd by this hour
To visit me. You know your office, brother;
You must be father to your brother's daughter,
And give her to young Claudio.

[Exeunt Ladies. Ant. Which I will do with confirm'd countenance. Bene. Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think.

Friar. To do what, signior?

Bene. To bind me, or undo me; one of them.Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior,

Your niece regards me with an eye of favour.

Leon. That eye my daughter lent her: 'tis most

true.

Bene. And I do with an eye of love requite her.

Leon. The sight whereof, I think, you had from me, From Claudio, and the prince. But what's your will? Bene. Your answer, sir, is enigmatical:

But, for my will, my will is, your good will
May stand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd
In the state of honourable marriage :-
In which, good friar, I shall desire your help.
Leon. My heart is with your liking.
Friar.

Here come the prince, and Claudio 5.

And my help.

Enter Don PEDRO and CLAUDIO, with Attendants.

D. Pedro. Good morrow to this fair assembly. Leon. Good morrow, prince; good morrow, Claudio : We here attend you. Are you yet determin'd To-day to marry with my brother's daughter? Claud. I'll hold my mind were she an Ethiop. Leon. Call her forth, brother: here's the friar ready.

[Exit ANTONIO.

D. Pedro. Good morrow, Benedick. Why, what's

the matter,

That you have such a February face,

So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness?

Claud. I think, he thinks upon the savage bull.Tush! fear not, man, we'll tip thy horns with gold, And all Europa shall rejoice at thee,

As once Europa did at lusty Jove,

When he would play the noble beast in love.

Here come the prince, and Claudio.] This line is omitted in all the folio editions.

VOL. II.

T

Bene. Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low;

And some such strange bull leap'd your father's cow,
And got a calf in that same noble feat,

Much like to you, for you have just his bleat.

Re-enter ANTONIO, with the Ladies masked.

Claud. For this I owe you: here come other reckonings.

Which is the lady I must seize upon?

Leon. This same is she, and I do give you her. Claud. Why, then she's mine.-Sweet, let me see your face.

Leon. No, that you shall not, till you take her hand Before this friar, and swear to marry her.

Claud. Give me your hand before this holy friar: I am your husband, if you like of me.

Hero. And when I liv'd, I was your other wife:

[Unmasking. And when you lov'd, you were my other husband. Claud. Another Hero?

Hero.

Nothing certainer.

One Hero died defil'd'; but I do live,

And, surely as I live, I am a maid.

D. Pedro. The former Hero! Hero that is dead!
Leon. She died, my lord, but whiles her slander liv'd.
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,
And to the chapel let us presently.

6 Leon. This same is she,] The old copies give this speech to Leonato ; but since the time of Theobald it has been assigned to Antonio. Though Antonio was formally to give away the lady at the altar, as her pretended father, Leonato may very properly interpose this observation: it is the more probably his from what follows, and there is no sufficient reason for altering the arrangement of the 4to. and folios.

7 One Hero died DEFIL'D ;] The folios omit " defil'd," which is found in the 4to, 1600.

Bene. Soft and fair, friar.-Which is Beatrice? Beat. I answer to that name. [Unmasking.] What is your will?

Bene. Do not you love me?

Beat.

Why, no; no more than reason.

Bene. Why, then, your uncle, and the prince, and

Claudio,

Have been deceived: they swore you did3.

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 did. Bene. They swore that you were almost sick for me. Beat. They swore that you were well-nigh dead for

me.

Bene. "Tis no such matter.-Then, you do not love me?

Beat. No, truly, but in friendly recompense.

Leon. Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentle

man.

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,

Fashion'd to Beatrice.

Hero.

And here's another,

Writ in my cousin's hand, stol'n from her pocket,
Containing her affection unto Benedick.

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

Beat. I would not deny you;-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.

Have been deceived: they swore you did.] This is the text of both 4to. and folios. Sir T. Hanmer, "to improve the metre," inserted for before "they." Shakespeare might have very good reason for varying, in this respect, from the line below, put into the mouth of Beatrice. In the same way the replies of Beatrice and Benedict are varied " Why, no," "Troth, no," &c.