Beat. And a good soldier to a lady;-But what is he to a lord?

Mess. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues.

Beat. It is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuffed man*: hut for the stuffing-Well, we are all mortal.

Leon. You must not, sir, mistake my niece: there is a kind of merry war betwixt siguior Benedick and her: they never meet, but there is a skirmish of wit between them.

Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict, four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one : so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse: for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable creature.--Who is his companion now! He hath every month a new sworn brother,

Mess. Is it possible?

Beat. Very easily possible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next blockt.

Mess. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.

Beat. No: ap he were, I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young squarert now, that will make a voyage with him to the devil ?

Mess. He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio.

Beat. O Lord! he will hang upon him like a dis. ease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the 'taker runs presently mad. God help the poble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, it will cost him a thousand pound ere he be cured.

Mess. I will hold friends with you, lady.
Beat. Do, good friend.

+ Mould for a hata Quarrelsoine felloy,

I, niece.

iy. 1.

by Balthazar, and and Benedick.

Beat. A dear happiness to women; they
else have been troubled with a pernicious suite
thank God, and my cold blood, I am of you
mour for that; I had rather hear my dog bark
crow, than a man swear he loves me.

Bene, God keep your ladyship still in that si
so some gentleman or other shall 'scape a pre
nate scratched face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it wors
'twere such a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot teacher.
Beat. A bird of my tongue, is better than

iato, you are come n of the world is to

of yours.

my house in tlie le being gone, comfou depart from me, kes his leave. charge* too willingter. times told me so. that you asked her? for then were you a

Bene. I would my horse had the speed of tongue; and so good a continuer: But keel way o'God's name; I have done.

Beat. You always end with a jade's trick ;

you of old.

Benedick: we may =g a man. Truly, the ; lady! for you are

zer father, she would Hers, for all Messina,

11 still be talking, sig

you. Disdain! are you get

D. Pedro. This is the sum of all: Leona
nior Claudio, and signior Benedick,-my dea
Leonato,

liath invited you all. I tell him,
stay here at the least a month; and he hearti
some occasion may detain os longer: 1 dan
he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart
- Leon. If you swear, my lord, you shal
forsword. Let me bid you welcome, my lor
reconciled to the prince your brother, low
duty.

D. John. I thank you: I am not of ma
but I thank you.

Leon. Please it your grace lead on?

D. Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we w ther.

(Exeunt all brut Benedick an
Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the
of seignior Leonato?

Bene. I noted her not; but I looked on
Claud. Is she not a modest young lady

Bene. Do you question me, as an h
should do, for my simple true judgemen

En should die, while Jit, as signior Beneonvert to disdain, if

urn.coat:But it is i, only you excepted :

heart that I had not none,

Beat. A dear happiness to women; they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God, and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that; I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me.

Bene. God keep your ladyship still in that mind! so some gentlemau or other shall 'scape a predesti. nate scratched face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.
Beat. A bird of my tongue, is better than a beast

of yours.

Benc. I would my horse had the speed of your tongue; and so good a continuer: But keep your way o'God's name; I have done.

Beat. You always end with a jade's trick ; I know

you of old.

D. Pedro. This is the sum of all: Leonato,-sig nior Claudio, and signior Benedick, my dear friend Leonato, hath invited you all. I tell him, we shall stay here at the least a month; and he heartily prays some occasion may detain us longer: I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart.

Leon, If you swear, my lord, you shall not be forsworn.

Let me bid you welcome, my lord : being reconciled to the prince your brother, I owe you all duty.

D. John. I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thank you.

Leon. Please it your grace lead on?

D. Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together. (Exeunt all but Benedick and Claudio.

Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of seignior Leonato?

Bene. I noted her not; but I looked on her.
Claud. Is she not a modest young lady?

Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgement; orwould

Re-enter Don Pedro.

D. Pedro. What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato's ?

Bene. I would, your grace would constrain me to tell, D. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance.

Bene. You hear, Count Claudio: I can be secret as a dumb man, I would have you think so; but on my allegiance,-mark you this, on my allegiance: He is in love. With who ?-now that is your grace's part.–Mark, how short his answer is :-With Hero, Leonato's short daughter.

Claud. If this were so, so were it attered,

Bene. Like the old tale, my lord: it is not so, mor'twas not su; but, indeed, God forbid it should be so.

Claud. If my passion change not shortly, God forbid it should be otherwise.

D. Pedro. Amen, if you love her; for the lady is very well wortlıy.

Claud. You speak this to fetch me in, my lord. D. Pedro. By my troth, I speak my thought. Claud. And, in faith, my lord, I spoke mine.

Bene. And, by my two faiths and troths, my lord, I spoke mine.

Claud. That I love her, I feel,
D. Pedro. That she is worthy, I know,

Bene. That I neither feel how she should be loved, nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the stake.

D. Pedro. Thou wast ever an obstinate heretick in the despite of beauty.

Cluud. And never could maintain his part, but in the force of his will.

Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that slie brought me up, I likewise give her most