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Claudio fhall render me a deár account; as you hear of me, fo think of me; go comfort your coufin: I must say fhe is dead; and fo farewell. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Changes to a prifon.

Enter Dogberry, Verges, Borachio, Conrade, the TownClerk, and Sexton in

gowns.

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

Dogb. Q, a ftool and a cushion for the Sexton!

Sexton. Which be the malefactors?

Verg. Marry, that am I and my partner.

Dogb. 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. your name, friend?

Bora. Borachio.

What

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

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

Both. Yea, Sir, we hope.

To. Cl. Write down, that they hope they serve 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 anfwer you for yourselves? Conr. 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, ❝a word in your ear, Sir; 1 fay to you, it is thought "you are both false 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

E 3

way to examine,

examine, you must call the watch that are their accufers. To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the efteft way; let the watch come forth. Malters, I charge you in the Prince's name accuse these men.

Enter Watchman.

I 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 Pri ce's brother villain.

Bora. Mafter Town-clerk.

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

Sexton. What heard you him fay elfe?

2 Watch. Marry, that he had receiv'd a thousand du cats 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?

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

To. Cl. 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, Masters, 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. Mafter Conftable, let these men be bound, and brought to Leonato; I will go before, and fhew him their examination.

Dogb. Come, let them be opinion'd.

Sexton. Let them bein hand.

Conr. Off, Coxcomb!

[Exit.

Dogb. 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 fufpect 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 ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an afs. No, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as shall 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 Meffina, and one that knows "the law; go to, and a rich fellow enough; go to, and a "fellow that hath had loffes; and one that hath two gowns, and every thing handfome about him. Bring "him away; O that I had been writ down an ass!"

66

[Exeunt.

Ant.

ACT V. SCENE I.

Before Leonato's house.

Enter Leonato and Antonio.

IF you go on thus, you will kill yourfelf;

And 'tis not wifdom thus to fecond grief
Against yourself.

Leon. I pray thee, cease thy counsel,
Which falls into mine ears 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;

Meafure his woe the length and breadth of mine,
And let it answer every ftrain for strain:
As thus for thus, and fuch a grief for such,
In every lineament, E.anch, fhape, and form.
If fuch a one will fmile, and stroke his beard,

And forrow wave; cry, Hem! when he fhould groan;
• Patch grief with proverbs; make misfortune drunk
With candle-wafters; bring him yet to me,
And 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 tasting it,
Their counfel 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 thofe that wring under the load of forrow;
• But no man's virtue, nor fufficiency,

To be fo moral, when he fhall endure

The like himfelf: 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 pish at chance and sufferance.'
Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself:
Make thofe that do offend you, fuffer too.

Leon. There thou speak'ft reafon; nay, I will do fo..

My foul doth tell me, Hero is bely'd;

And that fhall Claudio know, fo fhall the Prince;
And all of them that thus dishonour her.

SCENE II. Enter Don Pedro and Claudio.

Ant. Here comes the Prince and Claudio hastily.
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

Are

Lord.

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!

Kay,

Nay, never lay thy hand upon thy fword,

I fear thee not.

Claud. Marry, beshrew 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, nevér 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 forc'd to lay my reverence by;
And, with grey hairs, and bruife of many days,
Do challenge thee to trial of a man:

I fay, thou haft bely'd mine innocent child,

Thy flander hath gone through and through her heart;
And the lies bury'd with her ancestors,

O, in a tomb where never scandal flept,
Save this of hers, fram'd by thy villainy!
Claud. My villainy?

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 firft;
Win me and wear me, let him answer me;
Come, follow me, boy; come, boy, follow me;
Sir boy, I'll whip you from you foining fence;
Nay, as I am a gentleman, I will.

Leon. Brother,

Ant. Content yourself; God knows, I
I lov'd
And she 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, apes, braggarts, jacks, milkfops!

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