terfeit of passion came so near the life of passion
as she discovers it.

D. Pedro. Why, what effects of passion shows she?
Claud. Bait the hook well; this fish will bite.
Leon. What effects, my lord? She will sit you, you
heard my daughter tell you how.

Claud. She did, indeed.

D. Pedro. How, how, I pray you?. You amaze me:
I would have thought her spirit had been in-
vincible against all assaults of affection.
Leon. I would have sworn it had, my lord; espe-
cially against Benedick.

Bene. I should think this a gull, but that the white-
bearded fellow speaks it: knavery cannot, sure,
hide himself in such reverence.

Claud. He hath ta'en the infection: hold it up.
D. Pedro. Hath she made her affection known to
Benedick?

Leon. No; and swears she never will: that's her
torment.

Claud. 'Tis true, indeed; so your daughter says:
'Shall I,' says she,' that have so oft encountered
him with scorn, write to him that I love him?' 130
Leon. This says she now when she is beginning to
write to him; for she 'll be up twenty times a
night; and there will she sit in her smock till
she have writ a sheet of paper: my daughter
tells us all.

Claud. Now you talk of a sheet of paper, I remember
a pretty jest your daughter told us of.
Leon. O, when she had writ it, and was reading it
over, she found Benedick and Beatrice between
the sheet?

140

Scene 3

Claud. That.

Leon. O, she tore the letter into a thousand half

pence; railed at herself, that she should be so immodest to write to one that she knew would flout her; I measure him,' says she, 'by my own spirit; for I should flout him, if he writ to me; yea, though I love him, I should.' Claud. Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses; 'O sweet Benedick! God give me patience!' Leon. She doth indeed; my daughter says so: and the ecstasy hath so much overborne her, that my daughter is sometime afeard she will do a desperate outrage to herself: it is very true. D. Pedro. It were good that Benedick knew of it by some other, if she will not discover it.

Claud. To what end? He would make but a sport of it, and torment the poor lady worse.

150

D. Pedro. An he should, it were an alms to hang him. She's an excellent sweet lady; and, out 160 of all suspicion, she is virtuous.

Claud. And she is exceeding wise.

D. Pedro. In every thing but in loving Benedick.
Leon. O, my lord, wisdom and blood combating in so

tender a body, we have ten proofs to one that
blood hath the victory. I am sorry for her,
as I have just cause, being her uncle and her
guardian.

D. Pedro. I would she had bestowed this dotage on
me: I would have daffed all other respects, and 170
made her half myself. I pray you, tell Bene-
dick of it, and hear what a' will say.

Lcon. Were it good, think you?

Claud. Hero thinks surely she will die;

for she says

and she will

she will die, if he love her not;
die, ere she make her love known; and she will
die, if he woo her, rather than she will bate one
breath of her accustomed crossness.

D. Pedro. She doth well: if she should make tender

of her love, 'tis very possible he'll scorn it; for 18› the man, as you know all, hath a contemptible spirit.

Claud. He is a very proper man.

D. Pedro. He hath indeed a good outward happiness.
Claud. Before God! and in my mind, very wise.
D. Pedro. He doth indeed show some sparks that are
like wit.

Claud. And I take him to be valiant.

D. Pedro. As Hector, I assure you: and in the managing of quarrels you may say he is wise; for 190 either he avoids them with great discretion, or undertakes them with a most Christian-like fear. Leon. If he do fear God, a' must necessarily keep peace: if he break the peace, he ought to enter into a quarrel with fear and trembling.

D. Pedro. And so will he do; for the man doth fear God, howsoever it seems not in him by some large jests he will make. Well, I am sorry for your niece. Shall we go seek Benedick, and tell him of her love?

Claud. Never tell him, my lord: let her wear it out with good counsel.

Leon. Nay, that's impossible: she may wear her heart out first.

200