Beat. You kill me to deny; farewel.
Bene. Tarry, sweet Beatrice.

Beat. I am gone, tho' I am here; there is no love in you; nay, I pray you, let me go.

Bene. Beatrice,
Beat. In faith, I will go.
Bene. We'll be friends first.

Beat. You dare easier be friends with me, than fight with mine enemy.

Bene, Is Claudio thine enemy?

Beat. Is he not approved in the height a villain, that
hath flander'd, scorn’d, dishonour'd my kinswoman !
· O that I were a man! What! bear her in hand until
they come to take hands, and then, with public accusa-
tion, uncover'd flander, unmitigated rancour-O God,
that I were a man ! I would eat his heart in the mar-
ket-place.

Bene. Hear me, Beatrice.
Beat. Talk with a man out at a window !-

-a proper faying!

Bene. Nay, but Beatrice.

Beat. Sweet Hero ! she is wrong'd, she is flander'd, she is undone.

Bene. Beat.

Beat. Princes and Counts ! surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count-comfect, a sweet gallant, sureJy! 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 curtefies, valour into compliment, and men are only turn’d into tongue, and trim ones too. He is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lye, and swears it, I cannot be a man with withing, 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 soul the Count Claudio hath wrong'd Hero?

Beat. Yea, as sure as I bave a thought or a soul.

Bene. Enough ; I am engag’d; I will challenge him, I will kiss your hand, and so leave you ; by this hand,

:

Claudio shall render me a dear account ; as you hear of me, so think of me; go comfört

your cousin I must fay she is dead; and so farewel.

[Exeunt, SCENE IV. Changes to a prison. Enter Dogberry, Verges, Borachio, Conrade, the Town

Clerk and Sexton in gowns.
To. Cl. Is our whole diffembly appear'd ?
Dogb. O, a stool and a cushion for the Sexton !
Șexton. 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 Master Constable,

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

Bora. Borachio.
To. Gl. Pray, write down Borachio. Your's, sirrah ?

Canr. I am a gentleman, Sic, and my name is Gone rade.

T..GI. Write down, Mafter Gentleman Conrade. Masters, 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 sould go before such villains.-Masters, it is proved already, that you are little better than false knaves, and it will go near to be thought so shortly ; how answer

you

for yourselves ?

Conr. Marry, Sirs, we say we are none.

To. Cl. “ A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you, “ but I will go about with him. . Come.you hither, firo

rah, a word in your ear, Sir; I fay to you, it is thought you are both falfe knaves.” Bora. Sir, I say to you, We are none.

To. Cl. “ Well, stand afide; 'fore God, they are s both in a tale; have you w down, that they are

none ?

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

examine, you must call the watch that are their accusers.

To. CI, Yea, marry, that's the deftest way ; let the watch come forth. Masters, I charge you in the Prince's mame accuse thefe 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. Master Town-Clerk

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

Sexton. What heard you him fay elfe ?"

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

To. Cl. Flat burglary, as ever was committed.
Dogb. Yea, by th' mafs, that it is.
Sexton. What else, fellow?

I Watch. And that Count Claudio did mean, upoo his words, to disgrace Hero before the whole assembly, and not marry her.

To, GI. O villain! thou wilt be condemn'dinto ever. lafting redemption for this.

Sexton. What else ?
z Watch. This is all.

Sexton. And this is more, Mafters, than you can dem Dy. Prince John is this morning secretly stoln away: Hero was in this manner accus’d, and in this very manner refus'd, and upon the grief of this suddenly dy'da Mafter Contable, let these men be bound, and brought to Leonato ;, I will go before, and shew him their exa mination.

Dogb. Come, let them be opinion d..
Sexton. Let them be in hand.

[Exit. · Conr. Off, Coxeomb!

Dogbi. God's my life, where's the Sexton ? let him. write down the Prince's officer Caxcomb. Come, bind shem, thau naughty, varlet.

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

Dogb. Dost thou not fufpect my place? doft thou not suspect my years ? O, that he were here to write me down an ass! but, Mafters, 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 prov'd upon thee by good witness. 6. I am a wise fellow, and which is more, an officer; “ and which is more, an houfholder ; and which is

more, as pretty a piece of Aesh as any in Mellina, " and one that knows the law; go to, and a rich fele “ low enough; go to, and a fellow that hath had “ losses; and one that hath two gowns, and every

thing handsome about him. Bring him away; O " that I had been writ down an ass ! [Exeunt.

А сту. - S C Ε Ν Ε Ι.

Before Leonato's house.

Enter Leonato and Antonio.
Ant. F you go on thus, you will kill yourself;

And 'tis not wisdom thus to second 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 such a one whose wrongs do fuit with mine. Bring me a father, that so 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 ftrain : As thus for thus, and such a grief for such, In every lineament, branch, Ahape, and form. If such a one will smile, and stroke bis, beard, And sorrow 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 such man; for, brother, men

• Can counsel, 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 strong 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 sorrow;
• But no man's virtue, nor fufficiency,
• To be so moral, when he shall endure
The like himself: therefore give me no con

counsel; • My griefs cry louder than advertisement.

Ånt. Therein do men from children nothing differ. Leon. I pray thee, peace; I will be flesh and

blood; - For there was never yet philosopher, · That could endure the tooth-ach patiently ; • However they have writ the style of gods, • And made a pish at chance and sufferance.

Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself : Make those that do offend you, suffer too.

Leon. There thou speak’st reason; nay, I will do fo. My soul doth tell me, Hero is bely'd; And that shall Claudio know, so shall the Prince; And all of them that thus dishonour 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 some haste, Leonato.
Leon. Some hafte, my Lord! well, fare you well,

my Lord.

Are you so hasty 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!