m

O that I were a man for his fake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my fake! But manhood is melted into courtefies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lie, and fwears it :-I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving.

Bene. Tarry, good Beatrice: By this hand, I love thee. Beat. Use it for my love fome other way than fwearing by it.

Bene. Think you in your foul, the count Claudio hath wrong'd Hero?

Beat. Yea, as fure as I have a thought, or a foul.

Bene. Enough, I am engag'd, I will challenge him; I will kifs your hand, and fo leave you: By this hand, Claudio fhall render me a dear account: As you hear of me, fo think of me. Go comfort your cousin : I must say, she is dead; and fo farewell. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Prifon.

Enter Sexton in a gown, Dogberry, Verges, Borachio, and Conrade.

Dogb. Is our whole diffembly appear'd?

Verg. O, a ftool and a cushion for "the fexton!

Sexton. Which be the malefactors?

Dogb. Marry, that am I and my partner.

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

m trim ones too:]-clever men too.

n the fexton!]-a corruption of facriftan, of the inferior order of ecclefiaftics.

Sexton.

Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be examin'd? let them come before mafter constable. Dogb. Yea, marry, let them come before me.-What is your name, friend?

Bora. Borachio.

Dogb. Pray, write down-Borachio.-Yours, firrah? Conr. I am a gentleman, fir, and my name is Conrade, Dogb. Write down-mafter gentleman Conrade.-Mafters, do you ferve God?

Both. Yea, fir, we hope.

Dogb. 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 false knaves, and it will go near to be thought so fhortly; How anfwer you for yourselves? Conr. Marry, fir, we say, we are none.

Dogb. A marvellous witty fellow, I affure you; but I will go about with him.-Come you hither, firrah; a word in your ear, fir; I fay to you, it is thought you are false knaves.

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

Dogb. Well, ftand afide.-'Fore God, they are both in a tale :-Have you writ down-that they are none?

Sexton. Mafter constable, you go not the way to examine; you must call the watch that are their accufers. Dogb. Yea, marry, that's the eftest way :-Let the watch come forth :-Mafters, I charge you in the prince's name accuse these men.

Enter Watchmen.

I Watch. This man faid, fir, that Don John, the prince's brother, was a villain.

efteft]-defteft, cleverest.

Dogb.

Dogb. Write down-prince John a villain :-Why this is flat perjury, to call a prince's brother-villain. Bora. Mafter conftable,

Dogb. Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like thy look, I promise 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. Dogb. Flat burglary, as ever was committed.

Verg. Yea, by the mass, that it is.

Sexton. What else, fellow?

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

Dogb. O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this.

Sexton. What else?

2 Watch. This is all.

Sexton. And this is more, masters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning fecretly ftolen away; Hero was in this manner accus'd, in this very manner refus'd, and upon the grief of this, fuddenly dy'd.-Mafter constable, let these men be bound, and brought to Leonato's; I will go before, and fhew him their examination. [Exit. Dogb. Come, let them be opinion'd.

Verg. Let them be in hand.

Conr. Off, coxcomb!

Dogb. God's my

life! where's the fexton? let him write. down-the prince's officer, coxcomb.-Come, bind them: -Thou naughty varlet!

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

Dogb. Doft thou not fufpect my place? Doft thou not fufpect my years?-O that he were here to write me down

P band.]-in band-ufed frequently for bond.

-an

-an afs!-but, masters, remember, that I am an ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass :-No, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as shall be proved upon thee by good witness: 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 is 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 handsome about him:-Bring him away. O, that I had been writ down-an afs ![Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

Before Leonato's Houfe.

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 ears as profitless
As water in a fieve: give not me counsel;
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,
Whose joy of her is overwhelm'd like mine,
And bid him speak of patience;

Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine,
And let it answer every strain for strain;

As thus for thus, and fuch a grief for fuch,
In every lineament, branch, fhape, and form:
If fuch a one will fmile, and stroke his beard;

And,

And, forrow wag! cry; hem, when he should groan; 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 counfel, and give comfort to that grief
Which they themselves not feel; but, tasting 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 men's 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 himself: therefore give me no counsel;
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, fuffer too.

Leon. There thou speak'st reason: nay, I will do fo:

And, forrow wag! cry; hem,]-Bid it begone.-Bid forrow, wag; hem.-Cry, forrow, wag! and hem.-And, forry wag! cry hem! And forrowing cry hem-in token of defiance. In forrow wag; i. e. play the

cry

wag.

candle-wafters ;]-among boon companions, fuch as keep late hours; by attending to the lucubrations of the Stoicks.

S

no man's virtue, nor fufficiency,]-none is equal to the task.
than advertisement.]-to be calmed by mere advice.

"arit the ftyle of gods,]-affected the most highflown language. made a pib]-in allufion to their pretended apathy.

My