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Beat. You kill me to deny; farewel.

Bene. Tarry, fweet 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 firft.

Beat. You dare eafier 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, fcorn'd, difhonour'd my kinfwoman! O that I were a man! What! bear her in hand until they come to take hands, and then, with public accusation, uncover'd flander, unmitigated rancour r-O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place.

Bene. Hear me, Beatrice.

Beat. Talk with a man out at a window !

per faying!

Bene. Nay, but Beatrice.

-a pro

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

Bene. Beat.

Beat. Princes and Counts! furely, a princely teftimony, a goodly count-comfect, a fweet gallant, furely! 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 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. Ufe 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 coufin : I must fay fhe is dead; and fo farewel.

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[Exeunt.

Changes to a prifen.

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

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

Dogb. O, 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.

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

Bora. Borachio.

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

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

Both. Yea, Sir, we hope.

To. Cl. Write down, that they hope they ferve God; and write God first; for God defend, but God should 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?

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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, fire "rah, a word in your ear, Sir; I fay to you, it is thought you are both falfe knaves."

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

To. Cl. 66 Well, ftand afide; 'fore God, they are "both in a tale; have you writ down, that they are 86 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 deftest way; let the watch come forth. Mafters, I charge you in the Prince's name accufe thefe 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 promise thee.

Sexton. What heard you him fay elfe?

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 afsembly, 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 demy. Prince John is this morning fecretly ftol'n away: Hero was in this manner accus'd, and in this very man ner refus'd, and upon the grief of this fuddenly dy'd. Mafter Contable, 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 be in hand.

Conr. Off, Coxcomb!

[Exit.

•Dogh. God's my life, where's the Sexton ? let him write down the Prince's officer Coxcomb. Come, bind hem, 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 write me down an afs! but, Mafters, 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 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 in Meffina, "and one that knows the law; go to, and a rich fel"low 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 !- [Exeunt.

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ACT

V.. SCENE

I.

Ant.

Before Leonato's house.

Enter Leonato and Antonio.

F you go on thus, you will kill yourself;
And 'tis not wisdom thus to fecond grief

IA

Against yourself.

Leon. I pray thee, ceafe thy counsel,
Which falls into mine ears as profitlefs
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;

Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine,
And let it anfwer every ftrain for ftrain:
As thus for thus, and fuch a grief for fuch,
In every lineament, branch, shape, and form.

If fuch a one will fmile, and stroke his beard,

And forrow waive; cry, Hem! when he fhould 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 fuch man; for, brother, men

• Can counsel, and give comfort to that grief
"Which they themselves not feel; but tafting it,
• Their counsel tùrns to paffion, which before
Would give preceptial medicine to rage;

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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 those that wring under the load of forrow;
But no man's virtue, nor fufficiency,

• To be fo moral, when he shall 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 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 fpeak'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.

Ant. Here comes the Prince and Claudio haftily.
Pedro. Good den, good den.

Claud. Good day to both of
Leon. Hear you, my Lords?

you.

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. 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!

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