SCENE changes to a Prison.

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

To. Cl.

S our

appear'd?

Is our whole diffembly appear for the fexton!

a

Sexton. Which be the malefactors?

Verg. Marry, that am I and my Partner.

Dog. 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.

To. Cl. Yea, marry, let them come before me; what is your name, friend?

Bora. Borachio.

To. Cl. Pray write down, Borachio. Yours, Sirrah? Conr. 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. (19)

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 answer you for yourselves?

Conr. Marry, Sir, 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; I fay to you, it is thought you are both falfe knaves.

(19) Both. Yea, Sir, we hope.

To. Cl. Write down, that they hope, they ferve God: and write God firft, for God defend, but God fhould go before fuch Villains-] This fhort paffage, which is truly humorous and in character, I have added from the old Quarto. Befides, it supplies a defect: for, without it, the Towy-Cle k afks a queftion of the prifoners, and goes on without Aaying for any answer to it.

Bora.

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

To. Cl. Well, stand 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. (20) To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the defteft way, let the Watch come forth; masters, I charge you in the Prince's name accuse these men.

Enter Watchmen.

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 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 thoufand 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 disgrace Hero before the whole assembly, and not marry her.

(20) To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the eafieft way, let the Watch com forth.] This, eafieft, is a fophiftication of our modern editors, who were at a lofs to make out the corrupted reading of the old copies. The Quarto, in 1600, and the first and fecond editions in Folio all concur in reading;

Yea, marry, that's the efteft way, &c.

A letter happen'd to flip out at prefs in the first edition; and 'twas too hard a task for the fubfequent editors to put it in, or guefs at the word under this accidental depravation. There is no doubt, but the author wrote, as I have reflor'd the text ;

Yea, marry, that's the deftek ray, &c.

i. e. the readieft, most commodious way. The word is pure Saxon. Deaflice, debite, congrue, duely, fitly. Gedærzlice, opportune, commede, fitly, conveniently, feasonably, in good time, commodiously. Vid. Spelman's Saxon Glofs. To. Cl.

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

Sexton. What else?

2 Watch. This is all.

Sexton. And this is more, mafters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning fecretly ftol'naway: 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 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.

(21) Conr. Let them 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.

Cour. Away! you are an afs, 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 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 villain, 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 Melfina, 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.

(21) Sexton. Let them be in the hands of Coxcomb.] The generality of the editions place this line to the Sexton. But, why he should be pert upon his brother-officers, there feems no reafon from any fuperior qualifications in him; or any fufpicion he fhews of knowing their ig norance. The old Quarto gave me the first umbrage for placing it to Conrade; and common fenfe vouches that it ought to come from one of the prifoners, in contempt of the defpicable wretches who had them in cuftody.

ACT

V.

SCENE, before Leonato's Houfe.

Enter Leonato and Antonio.

ANTONIO.

I'

F

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

Leon. I pray thee, ceafe thy counfel,
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,
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 answer every strain for ftrain :
As thus for thus, and fuch a grief for fuch,
In every lineament, branch, fhape and form;
If fuch a one will smile and ftroke his beard, (22)

(22) If fuch a one rill smile, and stroke his beard,

And

And hallow, wag, cry bem, when be should groan,] Mr. Rowe is the first authority that I can find for this read ng. But what is the intention, or how are we to expound it?" If a man will balloo, and "whoop, and fidget, and wriggle about, to fhew a pleasure when he "fhould groan," &c. This does not give much decorum to the fentiment. The old Quarto, and the 1ft and 2d Folio editions all read,

And forrow, wagge, cry bem, &c.

We don't, indeed, get much by this reading; tho', I flatter myself, by a flight alteration it has led me to the true one,

And forrow wage; cry, bem! when he should groan; i. e. If fuch a one will combat with, ftrive against forrow, &c. Nor is this word infrequent with our author in thefe fignifications.

So, in his Lear;

To wage; against the enmity o'th' air,
Neceffity's ftrong pinch.

So,

And Sorrow wage; cry, hem! when he should groan;
Patch grief with proverbs; make misfortune drunk
With candle-waffers; 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 tafting 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 fpeak patience (23)
To thofe, that wring under the load of forrow;
But no man's virtue, nor fufficiency,

To be fo moral, when he fhall endure

So, in Okello;

Neglecting an attempt of eafe and gain,
To wake and wage a danger profitlefs.
And in the rft Henr. IV.

I fear the pow'r of Percy is too weak
To wage an inftant tryal with the king.

(23) No, no, tis all men's office to speak patience
To thofe, that wing under the load of forrow;
But no man's virtue, nor Sufficiency,

To be fo moral, when he shall endure

The like bimfelf.] Patience under misfortunes eafier advis'd, than maintain'd, is one of the topics of Shakespeare, for which Mr. Gildon old us, he had met with no parallels among the ancients: And this obfervation is particularly directed to the paffage now before us. A man of fo much reading must certainly be betray'd by his memory in this point: For I have long ago obferv'd no less than five paffages, all which feem to be a very reasonable foundation for our author's fentiments on this fubject.

Facile omnes, quum valemus, recta Confilia ægrotis damus ;
Tu fi bic fis, aliter fentias.

Ελαφρὸν ὅτις σημάτων ἔξω πόδα

Ἔχει, παραινεῖν, νεθετεῖν τε τοὺς κακῶς

Terent.

Philem.

Eurip.
Idem.

The