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 examine, you must call the watch that are their accufers. To. Cl. Yea marry, that's the defteft way, let the Watch come forth; mafters, I charge you in the Prince's name accuse these men. Enter Watchmen. 1 Watch. This man said, 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 promife thee. Sexton. What heard you him fay 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? 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, mafters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning fecretly ftol'n away: Hero was in this manner accus'd, in this very manner refus'd, ard upon the grief of this fuddenly dy'd. Mafter Conftable, let thefe men be bound and brought to Leonato; I will go before, and fhew him their examination. [Exit. Dogb. Come, let them be opinion'd. Conr. Let us be in the hands of Coxcomb. 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. Doft thou not fufpect my place? doft thou not fufpect my years? O that he were here to writ 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 als; no, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as fhall be prov'd upon thee by good witness; I am a wife fellow, and which is more, an officer; and which is more, an houfhoulder; 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 afs! [Exeunt. ACT V. Before Leonato's House. SCENE I. Enter Leonato and Antonio, Ant. you go on thus, you will kill your felf, And 'tis not wisdom thus to fecond grief Against your self. Leon. I pray thee, cease thy counsel, But fuch a one whose wrongs do fuite with mine; But there is no fuch man; for, brother, men Q3 Would Would give preceptial medicine to rage, To be fo moral, when he fhall endure The like himself; therefore give me no counsel, 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; And made a pifh at chance and fufferance. Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself. Make those that do offend you suffer 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 difhonour her. SCENE II. Enter Don Pedro and Claudio. 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. Some of us would lye low. Claud. Who wrongeth him? Leon. Marry, thou doft wrong me, thou diffembler thou! Nay, never lay thy hand upon thy fword, I fear thee not. Claud. Marry, befhrew my hand, If it fhould give your age fuch caufe of fear; Leon. Leon. Tush, tufh, man, neyer 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, I fay, thou haft bely'd my innocent child, Thy flander hath gone through and through her heart, I'll Leon. Thine, Claudio, thine I fay. prove it on his body if he dare; Defpight his nice fence and his active practice, Claud. Away, I will not have to do with you. Leon, Brother! Ant. Content your felf; God knows I lov'd As I dare take a ferpent by the tongue. Leon. Brother Anthony! my neice.. Ant. Hold you content? what, man? I know them, yea, And what they weigh, even to the utmost scruple: Scambling, out-facing, fashion-mongring boys, That That lie, and cog, and flout, deprave and flander, Leon. But, brother Anthony! Ant. Come, 'tis no matter, Do not you meddle, let me deal in this. Pedro. Gentlemen both, we will not rack your patience. My heart is forry for your daughter's death; But, on my honour, fhe was charg'd with nothing But what was true, and very full of proof. Leon. My Lord, my Lord. Pedro. I will not hear you.. Leon. No! Come, brother, away, I will be heard. Ant. And fhall, Or fome of us will fmart for it. [Exeunt ambo. SCENE III. Enter Benedick. Pedro. See, fee, here comes the man we went to feek. Claud. Now, Signior, what news? Bene. Good day, my Lord. Pedro. Welcome, Signior; you are almost come to part almost a fray. Claud. We had like to have had our two noses fuapt off with two old men without teeth. Pedro. Leonato and his brother; what think'ft thou? had we fought, I doubt we fhould have been too young for them. Bene. In a falfe quarrel there is no true valour : I came to feek you both. Claud. We have been up and down to feek thee; for we are high proof melancholy, and would fain have it beaten away: wilt thou ufe thy wit? Bene. It is in my fcabbard; fhall I draw it? Pedro. Doft thou wear thy wit by thy fide? Claud. Never any did fo, though very many have been befide their wit, I will bid thee draw, as we do the mintrels; draw to pleasure us. Pedro. As I am an honest man he looks pale: art thou fick or angry? Claud |