749married, they would talke themselues madde.

750Prince. Counte Claudio, when meane you to goe to

751Church?

752Clau. To morrow my Lord, Time goes on crutches,

753till Loue haue all his rites.

754Leonata. Not till monday, my deare sonne, which is

755hence a iust seuen night, and a time too briefe too, to haue

756all things answer minde.

757Prince. Come, you shake the head at so long a brea-

758thing, but I warrant thee Claudio, the time shall not goe

759dully by vs, I will in the interim, vndertake one of Her-

760cules labors, which is, to bring Signior Benedicke and the

761Lady Beatrice into a mountaine of affection, th'one with

762th'other, I would faine haue it a match, and I doubt not

763but to fashion it, if you three will but minister such assi-

764stance as I shall giue you direction.

765Leonata. My Lord, I am for you, though it cost mee

766ten nights watchings.

767Claud. And I my Lord.

768Prin. And you to gentle Hero?

769Hero. I will doe any modest office, my Lord, to helpe

770my cosin to a good husband.

771Prin. And Benedick is not the vnhopefullest husband

772that I know: thus farre can I praise him, hee is of a noble

773straine, of approued valour, and confirm'd honesty, I will

774teach you how to humour your cosin, that shee shall fall

775in loue with Benedicke, and I, with your two helpes, will

776so practise on Benedicke, that in despight of his quicke

777wit, and his queasie stomacke, hee shall fall in loue with

778Beatrice: if wee can doe this, Cupid is no longer an Ar-

779cher, his glory shall be ours, for wee are the onely loue-

780gods, goe in with me, and I will tell you my drift. Exit.

782Ioh. It is so, the Count Claudio shal marry the daugh-

783ter of Leonato.

784Bora. Yea my Lord, but I can crosse it.

785Iohn. Any barre, any crosse, any impediment, will be

786medicinable to me, I am sicke in displeasure to him, and

787whatsoeuer comes athwart his affection, ranges euenly

788with mine, how canst thou crosse this marriage?

789Bor. Not honestly my Lord, but so couertly, that no

790dishonesty shall appeare in me.

791Iohn. Shew me breefely how.

792Bor. I thinke I told your Lordship a yeere since, how

793much I am in the fauour of Margaret, the waiting gentle-

794woman to Hero.

795Iohn. I remember.

796Bor. I can at any vnseasonable instant of the night,

797appoint her to look out at her Ladies chamber window.

798Iohn. What life is in that, to be the death of this mar-

799riage?

800Bor. The poyson of that lies in you to temper, goe

801you to the Prince your brother, spare not to tell him, that

802hee hath wronged his Honor in marrying the renowned

803Claudio, whose estimation do you mightily hold vp, to a

804contaminated stale, such a one as Hero.

805Iohn. What proofe shall I make of that?

806Bor. Proofe enough, to misuse the Prince, to vexe

807Claudio, to vndoe Hero, and kill Leonato, looke you for a-

808ny other issue?

809Iohn. Onely to despight them, I will endeauour any

810thing.

811Bor. Goe then, finde me a meete howre, to draw on

812Pedro and the Count Claudio alone, tell them that you

813know that Hero loues me, intend a kinde of zeale both

814to the Prince and Claudio (as in a loue of your brothers

815honor who hath made this match) and his friends repu-

816tation, who is thus like to be cosen'd with the semblance

817of a maid, that you haue discouer'd thus: they will scarce-

818ly beleeue this without triall: offer them instances which

819shall beare no lesse likelihood, than to see mee at her

820chamber window, heare me call Margaret, Hero; heare

821Margaret terme me Claudio, and bring them to see this

822the very night before the intended wedding, for in the

823meane time, I will so fashion the matter, that Hero shall

824be absent, and there shall appeare such seeming truths of

825Heroes disloyaltie, that iealousie shall be cal'd assurance,

826and all the preparation ouerthrowne.

827Iohn. Grow this to what aduerse issue it can, I will

828put it in practise: be cunning in the working this, and

829thy fee is a thousand ducates.

830Bor. Be thou constant in the accusation, and my cun-

831ning shall not shame me.

832Iohn. I will presentlie goe learne their day of marri-

833age. Exit.

835Bene. Boy.

836Boy. Signior.

837Bene. In my chamber window lies a booke, bring it

838hither to me in the orchard.

839Boy. I am heere already sir. Exit.

840Bene. I know that, but I would haue thee hence, and

841heere againe. I doe much wonder, that one man seeing

842how much another man is a foole, when he dedicates his

843behauiours to loue, will after hee hath laught at such

844shallow follies in others, become the argument of his

845owne scorne, by falling in loue, & such a man is Claudio,

846I haue known when there was no musicke with him but

847the drum and the fife, and now had hee rather heare the

848taber and the pipe: I haue knowne when he would haue

849walkt ten mile afoot, to see a good armor, and now will

850he lie ten nights awake caruing the fashion of a new dub-

851let: he was wont to speake plaine, & to the purpose (like

852an honest man & a souldier) and now is he turn'd ortho-

853graphy, his words are a very fantasticall banquet, iust so

854many strange dishes: may I be so conuerted, & see with

855these eyes? I cannot tell, I thinke not: I will not bee

856sworne, but loue may transforme me to an oyster, but Ile

857take my oath on it, till he haue made an oyster of me, he

858shall neuer make me such a foole: one woman is faire, yet

859I am well: another is wise, yet I am well: another vertu-

860ous, yet I am well: but till all graces be in one woman,

861one woman shall not come in my grace: rich shee shall

862be, that's certaine: wise, or Ile none: vertuous, or Ile ne-

863uer cheapen her: faire, or Ile neuer looke on her: milde,

864or come not neere me: Noble, or not for an Angell: of

865good discourse: an excellent Musitian, and her haire shal

866be of what colour it please God, hah! the Prince and

867Monsieur Loue, I will hide me in the Arbor.

869Prin. Come, shall we heare this musicke?

870Claud. Yea my good Lord: how still the euening is,

871As husht on purpose to grace harmonie.

872Prin. See you where Benedicke hath hid himselfe?

873Clau. O very well my Lord: the musicke ended,

874Wee'll fit the kid-foxe with a penny worth.

875Prince. Come Balthasar, wee'll heare that song again.

876Balth. O good my Lord, taxe not so bad a voyce,

877To slander musicke any more then once.

878Prin. It is the witnesse still of excellency,