the
celebration of his marriage with Hero.

Claudio was to wait but a few days before he was to be married to his
fair lady; yet he complained of the interval being tedious, as indeed
most young men are impatient when they are waiting for the
accomplishment of any event they have set their hearts upon: the
prince, therefore, to make the time seem short to him, proposed as a
kind of merry pastime that they should invent some artful scheme to
make Benedick and Beatrice fall in love with each other. Claudio
entered with great satisfaction into this whim of the prince, and
Leonato promised them his assistance, and even Hero said she would do
any modest office to help her cousin to a good husband.

The device the prince invented was, that the gentlemen should make
Benedick believe that Beatrice was in love with him, and that Hero
should make Beatrice believe that Benedick was in love with her.

The prince, Leonato, and Claudio began their operations first: and
watching upon an opportunity when Benedick was quietly seated reading
in an arbour, the prince and his assistants took their station among
the trees behind the arbour, so near that Benedick could not choose but
hear all they said; and after some careless talk the prince said: 'Come
hither, Leonato. What was it you told me the other day that your niece
Beatrice was in love with signior Benedick? I did never think that lady
would have loved any man.' 'No, nor I neither, my lord.' answered
Leonato. 'It is most wonderful that she should so dote on Benedick,
whom she in all outward behaviour seemed ever to dislike.' Claudio
confirmed all this with saying that Hero had told him Beatrice was so
in love with Benedick, that she would certainly die of grief, if he
could not be brought to love her; which Leonato and Claudio seemed to
agree was impossible, he having always been such a railer against all
fair ladies, and in particular against Beatrice.

The prince affected to hearken to all this with great compassion for
Beatrice, and he said: 'It were good that Benedick were told of this.'
'To what end?' said Claudio; 'he would but make sport of it, and
torment the poor lady worse.' 'And if he should,' said the prince, 'it
were a good deed to hang him; for Beatrice is an excellent sweet lady,
and exceeding wise in everything but in loving Benedick.' Then the
prince motioned to his companions that they should walk on, and leave
Benedick to meditate upon what he had overheard.