If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds;
If filent, why, a block moved with none,
So turns she every man the wrong side out,
And never gives to truth and virtue that,
Which fimpleness and merit purchaseth.

Ursu. Sure, sure, such carping is not commendable.

Hero. No; for to be so odd, and from all fashions, As Beatrice is, cannot be commendable, But who dare tell her fo : if I should speak, She'd mock me into air ; O, she would laugh me Out of myself, press me to death with wit. Therefore let Benedick, like cover'd fire, Consume away in fighs, waste inwardly; It were a better death than die with mocks, Which is as bad as 'tis to die with tickling.

Ursu. Yet tell her of it; hear what she will says

Hero. No, rather I will go to Benedick,
And counsel him to fight against his passion.
And, truly, I'll devile some honeft handers
To itain my Cousin with; one doth not know,
How much an ill-word may impoison liking.

Ursu. O, do not do your Coufin such a wrong; She cannot be so much without true judgment, (Having so swift and excellent a wit, quality of the wearer; and were commonly in the shape of little images; or at least had a head cut at the extremity, as is seen at the end of the start of old-fashion'd spoons. And as a tall man is before compard to a Launce ill-beaded; fo, by the same figure, a little man is very aptly liken’d to an Aglet ill-cut.

Mr. Warburton. I'll subjoin a few passages in confirmation of my friend's beautifu conjecture.

Taming of the Shrew.

Wby, give bim Gold enough, and marry bim to a Puppet, or are Aglet-baby, &c. The Two Noble Kinsmen of Beaumont and Fletcber ;

I'm very cold; and all the stars are out too,

The little stars, and all ; that look like Aglers,
And Sir John Harrington, in his tranNation of Aricfto's Orlarda
Furioso. Book V. St. 47.

The gown I ware was white, and richly set
With Aglets, pearl, and lace of gold well garnifh'd:
My stately trefies cover'd with a net
Of beaten gold, mof pure and brightly vargin'd, &c.

As

As fhe is priz'd to have) as to refuse
So rare a gentleman as Benedick.

Hero. He is the only man of Italy,
Always excepted my dear Claudio.

Urfu. I pray you, be not angry with me, Madam.
Speaking my fancy; Signior Benedick,
For shape, for bearing, argument and valour,
Goes foremost in report through Italy.

Hero. Indeed, he hath an excellent good name.

Urfu. His excellence did earn it, ere he had it. When are you marry'd, Madam?

Hero. Why, every day; to-morrow; come, go ini, I'll shew thee fume attires, and have thy counsel Which is the best to furnish me to-morrow.

Urfu. She's lim’d, I warrant you; we have caught wher, Madam.

Mrro. If it prove fo, then loving goes by haps ;
Some cupids kill with arrows, fome with traps. (Excunha

Beatrice, advancing.
Beat. What fire is in my ears ? can this be true?

Stand I condemn’d for Pride and Scorn so much?
Contempt, farewell and maiden pride, adieu !

No glory lives betinand the back of such. And Benedick, love o::, !*!' requite thee ;

Taming my wi? heart thy loving hand; If thou doft love, my sindits shall incite thee

To bind our loves up in a holy band.
For others say, thou dost deserve and I
Believe it better than reportingly.

SCENE, Leonato's House.
Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick and Leonato.

Do but ftay 'till your marriage be consum

mate, and then go I toward Arragon. Claud. I'll bring you thither, my lord, if you'll vouch

Pedro. Nay, That would be as great a foil in the new gleis, of your marriage, as to thew a child his new coat

and..

[Exito

Pedro.

{afe me.

and forbid him to wear it. I will only be bold with Benedick for his company; for, from the crown of his head to the fole of his foot, he is all mirth; he hath twice or thrice cut Cupid's bow-string, and the little hangman dare not shoot at him; he hath a heart as found as a bell, and his tongue is the clapper ; for what his heart thinks, his tongue speaks.

Bene. Gailants, I am not as I have been.
Leon. So say I; methinks you are fadder.
Claud. I hope, he is in love.

Pedro. Hang him, truant; there's no true drop of blood in him, to be truly touch'd with love; if he be sad, he wants money.

Bene. I have the tooth-ach. Pedro. Draw it. Bene. Hang it. Claud. You must hang it first, and draw it afterwards. Pedro, What? sigh for the tooth-ach ! Leon. Which is but a humour, or a worm.

Bene. Well, every one can master grief but he that has it.

Claud. Yet say I, he is in love.

Pedro. There is no appearance of fan.cy in him, unless it be a fancy that he hath to strange disguises, as to be a Dutch man to-day, a French man to-morrow; or in the shape of two countries at once, a German from the walte downward, all flops, and a Spaniard from the hip upward, no doublet : Unless he have a fancy to this toolery, as it appears he hati, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it to appear

he is. Claud. If the be not in love with some woman, there is no believing old signs; he brushes his hat o'mornings; what should that bode ?

Pedro. Hath any man seen him at the barber's ?

Claud. No, but the barber's man hath been seen with him; and the old ornament of his cheek hath already ttuft tennis-balls.

Leon. Indeed, he looks younger than he did by the loss of a beard.

Pedro. Nay, he rubs himfelf with civet i can you smell him out by that?

Claud.

Claud. That's as much as to fay, the sweet youth's in love.

Pedro. The greatest note of it is his melancholy.
Claud. And when was he wont to wash his face?

Pedro. Yea, or to paint himself? for the which, I hear what they say of him.

Claud. Nay, but his jefting spirit, which is now crept into a lute-string and now governed by stops

Pedro. Indeed that tells a heavy tale for him. Con. clude, he is in love.

Claud. Nay, but I know who loves him.

Pedro. That would I know too: I warrant, one that knows him not.

Claud. Yes, and his ill conditions, and in despight of all, dies for him.

Pedro. She shall be bury'd with her heels upwards. (14)

Bene. Yet is this no charm for the tocth-ach. Old Signior, walk aside with me, I have study'd eight or nine wise words to speak to you which these hobbyhorses must not hear. [Exeunt Benedick and Leonato.

Pedro. For my life, to break with him about Beatrice.

Claud. 'Tis even fo. Hero and Margaret have by this play'd their parts with Beatrice; and then the two bears will not bite one another, when they meet.

(14) Sbe shall be buried with ber Face upwards.] Thus the whole set of editions : But what is there any ways particular in this ? Are not all men and women buried so ? Sure the poet means, in oppofition to the general rule, and by way of distinction, with her beels.up. wards, or face , downwards. I have chose the first reading, because I find it the expression in vogue in our author's time. So Beaumont and Fletcher in their Wild-Goose Cbase.

Whilft I have meat and drink, love cannot starve me;
For if I die i'th' first fit, I'm unhappy;

And worthy to be buried with my heels upwards.
And in The Woman's Prize; or, The Tamer tam'd:

Some few,
For these are rareft, they are said to kill
With kindness and fair usage ; but what they are,
My Catalogue discovers, not; only 'tis thought,

They're buried in old walls witbibeir bels uprard.
And again, in The Coxcomb;

Judge me, I do but jest with thee : what, an fhe were inverted wirb ber beels upward, like a traytor's coat?

Enter

[To Claudio.

Enter Don John. John My Lord and brother, God save you. Pedro. Good den, brother. John. If your leisure ferv'd, I would speak with you. Pedro. In private ?

John. If it please you; yet Count Claudio may hear ; for, what I would speak of, concerns him.

Pedro. What's the matter?
John. Means your lordship to be marry'd to-morrow.
Pedro. You know, he does.
John. I know not that, when he knows what I know.

Claud. If there be any impediment, I pray you discover it,

John. You may think, I love you not, let that appear hereafter; and aim better at me by that I now will manifeft; for my brother, I think, he holds you well, and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect your ensuing marriage; surely, Suit ill spent, and Labour ill bestow'd. Pedro. Why, what's the matter?

John. I came hither to tell you, and circumstances shortend, (for the hath been too long a talking of) the Lady is disloyal.

Claud. Who? Hero?

John. Even the, Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero. · Claud. Disloyal ?

John. The word is too good to paint out her wickednels; I could say, the were worse ;

think
you

of a worse title, and I will fit her to it; wonder not 'till further warrant; go but with me to-night, you shall see her chamber-window enter'd, ev’n the night before her wedding-day; if you love her, then to-morrow wed her ; but it would better fit your honour to change your mind.

Claud. May this be fo?
Pedro. I will not think it.

John. If you dare not trust that you see, confefs not that you

if
you

will follow me, I will shew you enough ; and when

you have seen more and heard more, proceed accordingly.

Claud.

know;