He hath a heart as sound as a bell; and his tongue is the clapper, for what his heart thinks, his tongue speaks.

Benedick. Gallants, I am not as I have been.

116 reportingly i.e., mere hearsay

3.2.3-4 vouchsafe permit

10-1 ] cut Cupid s bowstring i.e., avoided falling in love

Leonato. So say I. Methinks you are sadder.°

Claudio. I hope he be in love.

Don Pedro. Hang him truant?° There’s no true drop of blood in him to be truly touched with love. If he be sad, he wants money.

Benedick. I have the toothache.

Don Pedro. Draw it.°

Benedick. Hang it!

Claudio. You must hang it first and draw it afterwards.

Don Pedro. What? Sigh for the toothache?

Leonato. Where is but a humor or a worm.°

Benedick. Well, everyone cannot master a grief but he that has it.°

Claudio. Yet say I he is in love.

Don Pedro. There is no appearance of fancy° in him, unless it be a fancy that he hath to strange disguises; as to be a Dutchman today, a Frenchman tomorrow ; or in the shape of two countries at once, as a German from the waist downward, all slops,° and a Spaniard from the hip upward, no doublet. Unless he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it appear he is.

Claudio. If he be not in love with some woman, there is no believing old signs; ‘a brushes his hat o’ mornings. What should that bode?

16 sadder graver

18 truant i.e., as unfaithful to his antiromantic stance

22 Draw it extract it (but draw also means eviscerate; traitors were hanged, drawn, and quartered. Draw it thus leads to the exclamation Hang it)

26 a humor or a worm (supposed causes of tooth decay, humor = secretion)

27-28 Well ... has it i.e., a man has to have a grief first before he can master it (Benedick does not admit that he has a grief; but some editors emend cannot to “can”)

30 fancy love

34 slops loose breeches

35 doublet close-fitting jacket

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

Claudio. No, but the barber’s man hath been seen with him, and the old ornament of his cheek hath already stuffed tennis balls.°

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

Don Pedro. Nay, ‘a rubs himself with civet.° Can you smell him out by that?

Claudio. That’s as much as to say, the sweet youth’s in love.

Don Pedro. The greatest note of it is his melancholy.

Claudio. And when was he wont to wash his face?

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

Claudio. Nay, but his jesting spirit, which is now crept into a lutestring, and now governed by stops.°

Don Pedro. Indeed that tells a heavy tale for him. Conclude, conclude, he is in love.

Claudio. Nay, but I know who loves him.

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

Claudio. Yes, and his ill conditions;° and in despite of all, dies° for him.

Don Pedro. She shall be buried with her face up- wards.°

Benedick. Yet is this no charm for the toothache. Old signior, walk aside with me; I have studied eight or nine wise words to speak to you, which these hobby horses° must not hear.

44—the old ornament... tennis balls (cf. Beatrice’s remark,

2.1.29—30 “I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face”)

48 civet perfume

54 to paint himself to use cosmetics

57 stops frets (on the lute)

63 conditions qualities

63—64 in despite of all notwithstanding

64 dies (1) pines away (2) is willing to “die” in the act of sex

65—66 She shall... upwards (continues sexual innuendo)

[Exeunt Benedick and Leonato.]

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

Claudio. ‘Tis even so. Hero and Margaret have by this played their parts with Beatrice, and then the two bears will not bite one another when they meet.

Enter John the Bastard.

Don John. My lord and brother, God save you.

Don Pedro. Good den,° brother.

Don John. If your leisure served, I would speak with you.

Don Pedro. In private?

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

Don Pedro. What’s the matter?

Don John. [To Claudio] Means your lordship to be married tomorrow?

Don Pedro. You know he does.

Don John. I know not that, when he knows what I know.

Claudio. If there be any impediment, I pray you dis- cover it.

Don John. You may think I love you not; let that appear hereafter, and aim better at me° by that° I now will manifest. 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 labor ill bestowed!

69-70 hobbyhorses jokers (originally an imitation horse fastened around the waist of a morris dancer)

77 Good den good evening

92 aim better at me judge better of me

92 that that which

Don Pedro. Why, what’s the matter?

Don John. I came hither to tell you, and, circumstances short‘ned (for she has been too long a-talking of), the lady is disloyal.

Claudio. Who? Hero?

Don John. Even she—Leonato’s Hero, your Hero, every man’s Hero.

Claudio. Disloyal?

Don John. The word is too good to paint out her wick edness. I could say she were worse. Think you of a worse title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not till further warrant. Go but with me tonight, you shall see her chamber window ent‘red, even the night before her wedding day. If you love her then, tomorrow wed her. But it would better fit your honor to change your mind.

Claudio. May this be so?

Don Pedro. I will not think it.

Don John. If you dare not trust that you see, confess not that you know. If you will follow me, I will show you enough; and when you have seen more and heard more, proceed accordingly.

Claudio. If I see anything tonight why I should not marry her tomorrow, in the congregation where I should wed, there will I shame her.

Don Pedro. And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to disgrace her.

Don John. I will disparage her no farther till you are my witnesses. Bear it coldly° but till midnight, and let the issue show itself.

125 coldly calmly

Don Pedro. O day untowardly turned!

Claudio. O mischief strangely thwarting!

Don John. O plague right well prevented! So will you say when you have seen the sequel. [Exeunt.]

[Scene 3. A street.]

Enter Dogberry and his compartner [Verges,]
with the Watch.

Dogberry. Are you good men and true?

Verges. Yea, or else it were pity but they should suffer salvation,° body and soul.

Dogberry. Nay, that were a punishment too good for them if they should have any allegiance in them, being chosen for the Prince’s watch.

Verges. Well, give them their charge,° neighbor Dogberry.

Dogberry. First, who think you the most desartless man to be constable?

First Watch. Hugh Oatcake, sir, or George Seacole, for they can write and read.

Dogberry. Come hither, neighbor Seacole. God hath blessed you with a good name. To be a well-favored° man is the gift of fortune, but to write and read comes by nature.

Second Watch. Both which, Master Constable—

Dogberry. You have; I knew it would be your answer. Well, for your favor, sir, why, give God thanks and make no boast of it; and for your writing and read ing, let that appear when there is no need of such vanity.