important, tell him, there is meafure in every thing, and fo dance out the Anfwer; for hear me Hero, wooing, wedding, and repenting, is as a Scotch jig, a measure, and a cinque-pace; the firft fuit is hot and hafty, like a Scotch jig, and full as fantastical; the wedding mannerly modeft, as a measure, full of state and anchentry; and then comes repentance, and with his bad legs falls into the cinque-pace faster and faster, 'till he finks into his grave. Leon. Coufin, you apprehend paffing fhrewdly. Beat. I have a good eye, uncle, I can fee a church by day-light. Leon. The revellers are entring, brother; make good room. Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick, Balthazar, and others in Maquerade. Pedro. Lady, will you walk about with your friend? Hero. So you walk foftly, and look fweetly, and fay nothing, I am yours for the walk, and efpecially when I walk away: Pedro. With me in your company? Hero. I may fay fo, when I please. Pedro. And when please you to fay fo? Hera. When I like your favour; for God defend, the lute should be like the cafe! Pedro. (5) My vifor is Philemon's roof; within the houfe is Jove. Hero. the copies. I have reftor'd with all the old books, important; i. e. if the prince be too forcible, preffing, lays too much stress on his Suit, &c. The poet employs this word again, in the like fignification, in K. Lear. -therefore great France My mourning, and important tears hath pitied. (5) My v for is Pailemon's roof, within the boue is Love.] Thus the whole ftream of the cop es, from the first downwards. I must own, this paffage for a long while appear'd very obscure to me, and gave me much trouble in attempting to underftand it. Hero fays to Don Pedro, God forbid, the lute fhould be like the cafe! i. e. that your face fhould be as homely and as courfe as your mark. Upon this, Don Pedro compares his vifor to Philemon's roof. 'Tis Hero. Why, then your visor fhould be thatch'd. Balth. Well; I would, you did like me. (6) plain, the poet alludes to the ftory of Baucis and Philemon from OVID: And this old couple, as the Roman poet defcribes it, liv'd in a thatch'd cottage ; -Stipulis & canna teƐta paluftri. But why, within the house is Love? Baucis and Philemon, 'tis true, bad liv'd to old age together, and a comfortable state of agreement. But piety and hospitality are the top parts of their character. Our poet unquestionably goes a little deeper into the ftory. Tho' this old pair liv'd in a cottage, this cottage receiv'd two fraggling Gods, (Jupiter and Mercury) under its roof. So Don Pedro is a prince; and tho' his vifor is but ordinary, he would infinuate to Hero, that he has fomething god-like within; alluding either to his dignity, or the qualities of his perfon and mind. By these circumftances, I am fure, the thought is mended; as, I think verily, the text is too by the change of a single letter. within the boufe is Jove. I made this correction in my SHAKESPEARE reflor'd; and Mr. Pope has vouchfaf'd to adopt it, in his last edition. Nor is this emendation a little confirm'd by another paffage in our author, in which he plainly alludes to the fame ftory. As you like it. Clown. I am here with thee and thy Goats, as the most capricious poet, boneft Ovid, was amongst the Goths. Jaq. O knowleage ill inhabited, worse than Jove in a thatch'd Houfe. I am naturally drawn here to correct a paffage in Beaumont and Fletcher's Two Noble Kinsmen, where a fault of the like kind has obtain' in all the copies. here love himself fits fm'ling; Juft fuch another wanton Ganymede Set Love a fire with, and enforc'd the God Snatch up the goodly boy, and fet him by him All my readers, who are acquainted with the poetical history here alluded to, will concur with me in the certainty of the following emendation: Juft fuch another wanton Ganymede Set Jove a-fire with, (6) Balth. Well; I would, you did like me.] This and the two following little fpeeches, which I have placed to Balibazar, are in all the printed copies given to Benedick. But, 'tis clear, the dialogue here ought to be betwixt Balthazar, and Margaret : Benedick a little lower converfes with Beatrice; and fo every man talks with his woman once round. Marg. Marg. So would not I for your own fake, for I have many ill qualities. Balth. Which is one? Marg. I fay my Prayers aloud. Balth. I love you the better, the hearers may cry Amen. Marg. God match me with a good dancer! Balth. Amen. Marg. And God keep him out of my fight when the dance is done! Anfwer, clerk. Balth. No more words, the clerk is answer'd. Urf. I know you well enough; you are Signior Antonio. Urf. I know you by the wagling of your head. Urf. You cou'd never do him fo ill-well, unless you were the very man; here's his dry hand up and down; you are he, you are he. Ant. At a word, I am not. Urf. Come, come, do you think, I do not know you by your excellent wit? can virtue hide itfelf? go to, mum, you are he: graces will appear, and there's an end. Beat. Will you not tell me, who told you fo? Beat. Nor will you not tell me, who you are? Bene. Not now. Beat. That I was disdainful, and that I had my good Wit out of the Hundred merry Tales; well, this was Signior Benedick that faid fo. Bene. What's he? Beat, I am fure, you know him well enough. Bene. Not I, believe me. Beat. Did he never make you laugh? Bene. I pray you, what is he? Beat. Why, he is the Prince's jefter; a very dull fool, only his gift is in devifing impoffible flanders: none but libertines delight in him, and the commendation is not in his wit, but in his villany; for he both pleaseth men and angers them, and then they laugh at him, and beat him; I am fure, he is in the fleet; I would, he had boarded me. Bene. When I know the gentleman, I'll tell him what you fay. Beat. Do, do, he'll but break a comparison or two on me; which, peradventure, not mark'd, or not laugh'd at, ftrikes him into melancholy, and then there's a partridge wing fav'd, for the fool will eat no fupper that night. We must follow the leaders. [Mufick within. Bene. In every good thing. Beat. Nay, if they lead to any ill, I will leave them at the next turning. Manent John, Borachio, and Claudio. [Exeunt, John. Sure, my brother is amorous on Hero, and hath withdrawn her father to break with him about it: the ladies follow her, and but one vizor remains. Bora. And that is Claudio; I know him by his Bearing. John. Are you not Signior Benedick? Claud. You know me well, I am he. John. Signior, you are very near my brother in his love, he is enamour'd on Hero; I pray you, diffuade him from her, she is no equal for his birth; you may do the part of an honest man in it. Claud. How know ye, he loves her? John. I heard him fwear his affection. Bora. So did I too, and he fwore he would marry her to night. John. Come, let us to the banquet. [Exeunt John and Bor. Claud. Thus anfwer I in the name of Benedick, But hear this ill news with the ears of Claudio. 'Tis certain fo, the Prince wooes for himself. Friendship is conftant in all other things, Save in the office and affairs of love; 'Therefore all hearts in love ufe their own tongues, Let every eye negotiate for itself, And truft no agent; beauty is a witch, Against whofe charms faith melteth into blood. This is an accident of hourly proof, Which I mistrusted not. Farewel then, Hero! Enter Benedick, Bene. Count Claudio? Claud. Yea, the fame. Bene. Come, will you go with me? Bene. Even to the next willow, about your own bu• finefs, Count. What fashion will you wear the garland of? about your neck, like an Ufurer's chain? or under your arm, like a Lieutenant's scarf? you must wear it one way, for the Prince hath got your Hero. Claud. I wish him joy of her. Bene. Why, that's fpoken like an honest drover; fo they fell bullocks: but did you think, the Prince would have ferved you thus ? Claud. I pray you, leave me. Bene. Ho! now you ftrike like the blind man ; 'twas the boy that ftole your meat, and you'll beat the post. Claud. If it will not be, I'll leave you. [Exit. Bene. Alas, poor hurt fowl! now will he creep into fedges. But that my lady Beatrice should know me, and not know me! the Prince's fool! ha? it may be, go under that Title, because I am merry; yea, but so I am apt to do myself wrong: I am not fo reputed. It is the bafe (tho' bitter) difpofition of Beatrice, that puts the world into her perfon, and fo gives me out; well, I'll be reveng❜d as I may. Enter Don Pedro. Pedro. Now, Signior, where's the Count? did you fee him? Bene. Troth, my lord, I have play'd the part of lady Fame. I found him here as melancholy as a lodge in a warren, I told him (and I think, told him true) that your Grace had got the Will of this young lady, and I offer'd him my company to a willow tree, either to . make him a garland, as being forfaken, or to bind him up a rod, as being worthy to be whipt. Pedro. |