Claudio fhall render me a dear account; as you hear of me, fo think of me; go comfort your cousin: I muft say she is dead; and fo farewel. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Changes to a prifon.

Enter Dogberry, Verges, Borachio, Conrade, the Town-Clerk and Sexton in gowns.

To. Cl. Is our whole diffembly appear'd?

Dogb. O, a ftool and a cufhion for the Sexton !
Sexton. Which be the malefactors?

Verg. Marry, that am I and my partner.

Dogh. Nay, that's certain, we have the exhibition. to examine.

Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be examin'd? let them come before Mafter Conftable.

is

To. Cl. Yea, marry, let them come before me. What your name, friend?

Bora. Borachio.

To. Cl. Pray, write down, Borachio. Your's, firrah ? Con. I am a gentleman, Sir, and my name is Conrade.

To. Cl. Write down, Mafter Gentleman Conrade. Mafters, do you ferve God?

Both. Yea, Sir, we hope.

To. Cl. Write down, that they hope they ferve God; and write God first; for God defend, but God fhould go before fuch villains.-Mafters, it is proved already, that you are little better than falfe knaves, and it will go near to be thought fo fhortly; how aufwer you for yourselves?

Con. Marry, Sirs, we fay we are none.

To Cl." A marvellous witty fellow, I affure you, but "I will go about with him. Come you hither, firrah,

66

a word in your ear, Sir; I fay to you, it is thought "s you are both falfe knaves."

Bora. Sir, I fay to you, We are none.

To. Cl." Well, ftand afide; 'fore God, they are "both in a tale; have you writ down, that they are "none ? "

Sexton. Mafter Town-Clerk, you go not the way to

E 3

examine,

examine, you must call the watch that are their ac

cufers.

To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the defteft way; let the watch come forth. Mafters, I charge you in the Prince's name accufe thefe men.

Enter Watchmen.

1 Watch. This man faid, Sir, that Don John the Prince's brother was a villain.

To Cl Write down, Prince John a villain; why this is flat perjury, to call a Prince's brother villain.

Bora. Mafter Town-clerk

To Cl Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like thy look, I promise thee.

Sexton. What heard you him say else?

2 Watch. Marry, that he had receiv'd a thousand ducats of Don John, for accufing the Lady Hero wrongfully.

To Cl. Flat burglary, as ever was committed.
Dogb. Yea, by th' mafs, that it is.

Sexton. What elfe, fellow ?

1 Watch. And that Count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to difgrace Hero before the whole affembly, and not marry her.

To. CI O villain! thou wilt be condemn'd into everlafting redemption for this.

Sexton. What elfe?

2 Watch. This is all.

Sexton And this is more, Mafters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning fecretly ftol'n away: Hero was in this manner accus'd, and in this very manner refus'd, and upon the grief of this fuddenly dy'd. Master Constable, let thefe men be bound, and brought to Leonato; I will go before, and thew him their examination.

Dogb. Come, let them be opinion'd.

Sexton. Let them be in hand.

[Exit.

Conr Off, Coxcomb!

Dogh. God's my life, where's the Sexton? let him write down the Prince's officer Coxcomb. Come, bind them, thou naughty varlet.

Conr. Away! you are an afs, you are an afs.

Dogb.

Dogb. Doft thou not suspect my place? doft thou not fufpect my years? O, that he were here to write me down an afs! but, Masters, remember that I am an afs; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an afs. No, thou villian, thou art full of piety, as fhall be prov'd upon thee by good witnefs. "I am a wife fellow, and which is more, an officer; " and which is more, an houfholder; and which is "more, as pretty a piece of flesh as any in Meflina, "and one that knows the law; go to, and a rich fel"low enough; go to, and a fellow that hath had loffes; and one that hath two gowns, and every thing handsome about him. Bring him away; O "that I had been writ down an afs! Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

Before Leonato's house.

Enter Leonato and Antonio.

Ant. IF you go on thus, you will kill yourself;
And 'tis not wisdom thus to fecond grief
Against yourself.

Leon. I pray thee, ceafe thy counsel,
Which falls into mine ear as profitless
As water in a fieve; give not me counfel,
Nor let no comforter delight mine ear,

But fuch a one whofe wrongs. do fuit with mine.
Bring me a father, that fo lov'd his child,
Whofe joy of her is overwhelm'd like mine,
And bid him fpeak of patience;

Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine,
And let it anfwer every train for strain:
As thus for thus, and fuch a grief for fuch,
In every lineament, branch, shape, and form.
If fuch a one will fmile, and ftroke his beard,
And forrow waive; cry, Hem! when he should grone;
'Patch grief with proverbs; make misfortune drunk
With candle-wafters; bring him yet to me,
And I of him will gather patience.

But there is no fuch man; for, brother, men.

"Can

"Can counfel, and give comfort to that grief

Which they themselves not feel; but tafting it,
"Their counsel turns to paffion, which before
Would give preceptial medicine to rage;
Fetter ftrong madness in a filken thread;
• Charm ach with air, and agony with words.
No, no; 'tis all mens' office to speak patience
To those that wring under the load of forrow;
But no man's virtue, nor fufficiency,

6.

6.

To be fo moral, when he fhall endure

The like himself: therefore give me no counfel;
My griefs cry louder than advertisement.'

Ant. Therein do men from children nothing differ. Leon. I pray thee, peace; I will be flesh and blood;. For there was never yet philofopher, • That could endure the tooth-ach patiently; However they have writ the ftyle of gods, And made a pifh at chance and fufferance.' Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself: Make thofe that do offend you, suffer too.

Leon. There thou speak'ft reafon; nay, I will do so. My foul doth tell me, Hero is bely'd; And that fhall Claudio know, fo fhall the Prince; And all of them that thus difhonour her.

SCENE II. Enter Don Pedro and Claudio.

Ant. Here comes the Prince and Claudio haftily.
Pedro. Good den, good den.

Claud. Good day to both of you.

Leon. Hear you, my Lords.

Pedro. We have fome hafte, Leonato.

Leon. Some hafte, my Lord! well, fare you well, my Lord.

Are you fo hafty now? well, all is one.

Pedro. Nay, do not quarrel with us, good old man. Ant. If he could right himself with quarrelling,.. Some of us would lie low.

Claud. Who wrongs him?

Leon. Marry, thou doft wrong me, thou diffembler,

thou!

Nay,

Nay, never lay thy hand upon thy fword,
I fear thee not.

Gland Marry, befhrew my hand,

If it should give your age fuch cause of fear;
In faith, my hand meant nothing to my fword.
Leon. Tufh, tufh, man, never fleer and jeft at me.
I fpeak not like a dotard, nor a fool;
As, under privilege of age, to brag

What I have done being young, or what would do,
Were I not old. Know, Claudio, to thy head,
Thou haft fo wrong'd my innocent child and me,
That I am force'd to lay my reverence by;
And, with grey hairs, and bruise of many days,
Do challenge thee to trial of a man:

I say, thou haft bely'd mine innocent child,
Thy flander hath gone through and through her heart,
And fhe lies bury'd with her ancestors,

O, in a tomb where never fcandal flept,
Save this of her's, fram'd by thy villany!
Claud. My villany?

Leon. Thine, Claudio; thine, I fay..
Pedro. You fay not right, old man.
Leon. My Lord, my Lord,

I'll prove it on his body, if he dare;
Defpight his nice fence and his active practice,
His May of youth, and bloom of luftyhood.

Claud. Away, I will not have to do with you.
Leon. Can't thou fo doffe me? thou haft kill'd my
child;

If thou kill'ft me, boy, thou fhalt kill a man.

Ant. He fhall kill two of us, and men, indeed;
But that's no matter, let him kill one first;
Win me and wear me, let him anfwer me;
Come, follow me, boy; come, boy, follow me ;
Sir boy, I'll whip you from your foining fence;
Nay, as I am a gentleman, I will.

Leon. Brother,

Ant. Content yourfelf; God knows, I lov'd my niece;

And fhe is dead, flander'd to death by villains,
That dare as well anfwer a man, indeed,
As I dare take a ferpent by the tongue.

Boys,