Hero. God give me joy to wear it, for my heart is exceeding heavy!

Marg. "Twill be heavier soon by the weight of a

man.

Hero. Fie upon thee! art not asham'd?

Marg. Of what, lady? of speaking honourably? Is not marriage honourable in a beggar? Is not your lord honourable without marriage? I think you

would have me say, saving your reverence, a husband: an bad thinking do not wrest true speaking, I'll offend nobody: Is there any harm in-the heavier for a husband? None, I think, an it be the right husband, and the right wife; otherwise 'tis light, and not heavy: Ask my lady Beatrice else; here she comes.

Enter BEATRICE.

Hero. Good morrow, coz.

Beat. Good morrow, sweet Hero.

Hero. Why, how now! do you speak in the sick tune ?

Beat. I am out of all other tune, methinks.

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Marg. Clap us into Light o' love;" that goes without a burden: do you sing it, and I'll dance it. Beat. Yea, Light o' love," with your heels! then if your husband have stables enough, you'll look he shall lack no barns.5

66

Marg. O illegitimate construction! I scorn that with my heels.

Beat. "Tis almost five o'clock, cousin; 'tis time

4 The name of a popular old dance tune mentioned again in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and in several of our old dramas. 5 A quibble between barns, repositories for corn, and bairns, rhildren, formerly pronounced barns. So, in The Winter's Tale Mercy on us, a barn! a very pretty barn!"

you were ready. By my troth I am exceeding ill : hey ho!

Marg. For a hawk, a horse, or a husband?

Beat. For the letter that begins them all, H. Marg. Well, an you be not turn'd Turk, there's no more sailing by the star.

Beat. What means the fool, trow ?8

Marg. Nothing I; but God send every one their heart's desire!

Hero. These gloves the count sent me they are an excellent perfume.

Beat. I am stuff'd, cousin; I cannot smell.

Marg. A maid, and stuff'd! there's goodly catching of cold.

Beat. O, God help me! God help me! how long have you profess'd apprehension?

Marg. Ever since you left it: doth not my wit become me rarely?

Beat. It is not seen enough; you should wear it in your cap. — By my troth, I am sick.

Marg. Get you some of this distill'd Carduus Benedictus, and lay it to your heart: it is the only thing for a qualm

6 Because of.

7 That is for an ache or pain, pronounced like the letter h. See The Tempest, Act i. sc. 2, note 34. Heywood has an epigram which best elucidates this:

"His worst among letters in the cross-row,

For if thou find him either in thine elbow,

In thine arm or leg, in any degree;

In thine head, or teeth, or toe, or knee;

Into what place soever H may pike him,

Wherever thou find him ache thou shalt not like him."

8 So, in The Merry Wives of Windsor :

166 Who's there, trow?" This obsolete exclamation of inquiry is a contraction of trow ye? think you? believe you?

9 Carduus Benedictus, or the blessed thistle, was one of the ancient herbs medicinal, like those which in our day a much-expe

Hero. There thou prick'st her with a thistle. Beat. Benedictus! why Benedictus? you have some moral 10 in this Benedictus.

Marg. Moral! no, by my troth, I have no moral meaning; I meant, plain holy-thistle. You may think, perchance, that I think you are in love: nay, by'r lady, I am not such a fool to think what I list; nor I list not to think what I can; nor, indeed, I cannot think, if I would think my heart out of thinking, that you are in love, or that you will be in love, or that you can be in love. Yet Benedick was such another, and now is he become a man: he swore he would never marry; and yet now, in despite of his heart, he eats his meat without grudging: and how you may be converted, I know. not; but methinks you look with your eyes as other women do.

11

Beat. What pace is this that thy tongue keeps ? Marg. Not a false gallop.

Re-enter URSULA.

Urs. Madam, withdraw: the prince, the count, signior Benedick, Don John, and all the gallants of the town, are come to fetch you to Church.

Hero. Help to dress me, good coz, good Meg, good Ursula.

[Exeunt.

rienced motherhood has often applied successfully to the "ills that flesh is heir to." Thus, in Cogan's Haven of Health, 1595: "This herb, for the singular virtue hath, is worthily named Benedictus, or Omnimorhia, that is, a salve for every sore, not known to the physicians of old time, but lately revealed by the special providence of Almighty God."

H.

10 That is, some hidden meaning, like the moral of a fable. Thus, in the Rape of Lucrece: "Nor could she moralize his wanton sight." And in The Taming of the Shrew: "To expound the meaning or moral of his signs and tokens."

11 That is, feeds on love, and likes his food.

SCENE V. Another Room in LEONATO's House

Enter LEONATO, with DOGBERRY and VERGES.

Leon. What would you with me, honest neigh bour?

Dogb. Marry, sir, I would have some confidence with you, that decerns you nearly.

Leon. Brief, I pray you; for you see it is a busy time with me.

Dogb. Marry, this it is, sir.

Verg. Yes, in truth it is, sir.

Leon. What is it, my good friends?

Dogb. Goodman Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter: an old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt, as, God help, I would desire they were; but, in faith, honest as the skin between his brows.

Verg. Yes, I thank God, I am as honest as any man living, that is an old man, and no honester than I.

Dogb. Comparisons are odorous: palabras,' neighbour Verges.

Leon. Neighbours, you are tedious.

2

Dogb. It pleases your worship to say so, but we are the poor Duke's officers; but, truly, for mine own part, if I were as tedious as a king, I could find in my heart to bestow it all of your worship. Leon. All thy tediousness on me? ha!

How this Spanish word came into our language is uncertain. It seems to have been current for a time, even among the vulgar, and was probably introduced by our sailors, as well as the corrupted form, palaver. We have it again in the mouth of Sly the Tinker: "Therefore paucas pallabris: let the world slide, Sessa."

2 This stroke of pleasantry, arising from the transposition of the epithet poor, has already occurred in Measure for Measure. El bow says, "If it please your honour, I am the poor Duke's con stable."

Dogb. Yea, an 'twere a thousand pound more than 'tis; for I hear as good exclamation on your worship, as of any man in the city; and though I be but a poor man, I am glad to hear it.

Verg. And so am I.

Leon. I would fain know what you have to say.

Verg. Marry, sir, our watch to-night, excepting your worship's presence, have ta'en a couple of as arrant knaves as any in Messina.

Dogb. A good old man, sir; he will be talking: as they say, When the age is in, the wit is out. God help us! it is a world to see! 3 Well said, i'faith, neighbour Verges: -well, God's a good man: an two men ride of a horse, one must ride behind.. An honest soul, i'faith, sir; by my troth he is, as ever broke bread: but God is to be worshipp'd: All men are not alike; alas! good neighbour!

Leon. Indeed, neighbour, he comes too short of you.

Dogb. Gifts, that God gives.

Leon. I must leave you.

Dogb. One word, sir: Our watch, sir, have, indeed, comprehended two aspicious persons, and we would have them this morning examined before your worship.

Leon. Take their examination yourself, and bring it me: I am now in great haste, as it may appear unto you.

Dogb. It shall be suffigance.

3 This was a common apostrophe of admiration, equivalen to it is wonderful, or it is admirable. Baret in his Alvearie, 1580, explains "It is a world to heare" by "It is a thing worthie the hearing, audire est operæ pretium." In Cavendish's Life of Wol sey we have "Is it not a world to consider?"