Beat. Princes and counties! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count, count comfect; a sweet gallant, surely! O that I were a man for his sake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into courtesies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim3 ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules that only tells a lie, and swears it.—I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving.

[Going.

SCENE II. A Prison.

Enter DOGBERRY, VERGES, and Sexton, in gowns; and the Watch, with CONRADE and BORACHIO.

Dog. Is our whole dissembly appear'd? Verg. O, a stool and a cushion for the sexton. Sex. Which be the malefactors? Dog. Marry, that am I and my partner. Verg. Nay, that 's certain; we have the exhibition to examine.

Sex. But which are the offenders that are to be examined? let them come before master constable.

Dog. Yea, marry, let them come before me. [Conrade and Borachio are brought forward. --What is your name, friend?

Bora. Borachio.

11

Dog. Write down-that they hope they serve God:-and write God first; for God defend but God should 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?

Con. Marry, sir, we say we are none.

Dog. A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but I will go about with him."--Come you hither, sirrah: a word in your ear, sir; I say to you, it is thought you are false knaves. Bora. Sir, I say to you we are none. Dog. Well, stand aside.-'Fore God, they are both in a tale. Have you writ downthat they are none?

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Sex. Master constable, you go not the way to examine: you must call forth the watch that are their accusers.

Dog. Yea, marry, that's the eftest way.

Let the watch come forth.-Masters, I charge you, in the prince's name, accuse these men. 40 First Watch. This man said, sir, that Don John, the prince's brother, was a villain.

Dog. Write down-Prince John a villain. -Why, this is flat perjury, to call a prince's brother villain.

Bora. Master constable,

Dog. Pray thee, fellow, peace: I do not like thy look, I promise thee.

Sex. What heard you him say else?

Sec. Watch. Marry, that he had received a thousand ducats of Don John for accusing the Lady Hero wrongfully.

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Dog. God's my life, where 's the sexton? let him write down-the prince's officer, coxcomb. -Come, bind them.-Thou naughty varlet!

Con. Away! you are an ass, you are an ass. Dog. Dost thou not suspect my place? dost thou not suspect my years?-O that he were here to write me down an ass!-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 wise fellow; and, which is more, an officer; and, which is more, a householder; and, which is more, as pretty a piece of flesh as any in Messina; and one that knows the law, go to; and a rich fellow 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.

1 To, i.e. with regard to, or to do with (my sword). 2 Fleer sneer. 3 To thy head, ie. to thy face.

Reverence, my right to be treated with reverence (as an old man).

5 Bruise, used figuratively = the wear and tear.
To trial of a man, i e. to a combat, man to man.

7 Fram'd, devised, invented. 8 Fence, skill in fencing. Practice, exercise. 10 Lustihood, physical vigour. 12 Foining, thrusting.

11 Daf me, i.e. put me off.

13 Content yourself, i.e. calm yourself.

That lie, and cog, 18 and flout,19 deprave,20 and slander,

Go anticly, show outward hideousness,
And speak off half a dozen dangerous 22 words,
How they might hurt their enemies, if they
durst;
And this is all.

Leon. But, brother Anthony,-
Ant.

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Come, 't is no matter: Do not you meddle; let me deal in this. D. Pedro. Gentlemen both, we will not wake23 your patience.

My heart is sorry for your daughter's death: But, on my honour, she was charg'd with nothing

But what was true, and very full of proof.24 Leon. My lord, my lord,

D. Pedro. I will not hear you.

Leon. No?-Come, brother, away. - I will be heard.

Ant. And shall, or some of us will smart forit. [Exeunt Leonato and Antonio.

D. Pedro. See, see; here comes the man we went to seek.

Enter BENEDICK.

Claud. Now, signior, what news? Bene. Good day, my lord.

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3

Bene. Sir, I shall meet your wit in the career, an you charge it against me. I pray you choose another subject.

Claud. Nay, then, give him another staff: this last was broke cross.4

D. Pedro. By this light, he changes more and more: I think he be angry indeed. 141 Claud. If he be, he knows how to turn his girdle.

Bene. Shall I speak a word in your ear? Claud. God bless me from a challenge! Bene. You are a villain;-I jest not:-I will make it good how you dare, with what you dare, and when you dare.-Do me right, or I will protest your cowardice. You have kill'd a sweet lady, and her death shall fall heavy on you. Let me hear from you.

6

151

Claud. Well, I will meet you, so I may have good cheer.

D. Pedro. What, a feast? a feast?

Claud. I' faith, I thank him; he hath bid me to a calf's-head and a capon; the which if

1 Doubt suspect.

2 High-proof, i.e. in a high degree.

3 In the career, i.e. in tilting, as at a tournament.

4 Broke cross, i.e. broke athwart or across the oppo

nent's body: an expression taken from tilting.

To turn his girdle, i.e. to challenge (us). See note 354.

6 Do me right, i.e. give me satisfaction.

7 And a capon, perhaps a pun, i.e. a (fool's) cap on.

D. Pedro. I'll tell thee how Beatrice prais'd thy wit the other day. I said, thou hadst a fine wit: "True," says she, a fine little one. รา "No," said I, "a great wit:" "Right," says she, "a great gross one." "Nay," said I, "a good wit:" "Just," said she, "it hurts nobody." "Nay," said I, "the gentleman is. wise:" "Certain," said she, "a wise gentleman. "11 "Nay," said I, "he hath the tongues:"15 "That I believe," said she, "for he swore a thing to me on Monday night, which he forswore on Tuesday morning; there's a double tongue; there's two tongues." Thus did she, an hour together, trans-shape 13 thy particular virtues: yet at last she concluded with a sigh, thou wast the prop'rest 14 man in Italy.

Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and said she car'd not.

D. Pedro. Yea, that she did; but yet, for all that, an if she did not hate him deadly,15 she would love him dearly:-the old man's daughter told us all.

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Claud. All, all; and, moreover, God saw him when he was hid in the garden. ]

D. Pedro. But when shall we set the savage bull's horns on the sensible Benedick's head?

Claud. Yea, and text underneath, “Here dwells Benedick, the married man"?

Bene. Fare you well, boy: you know my mind. I will leave you now to your gossiplike humour: you break jests as braggarts do their blades, which, God be thank'd, hurt not. -My lord, for your many courtesies I thank you: I must discontinue your company: your brother the bastard is fled from Messina: you have among you kill'd a sweet and innocent lady. For my Lord Lackbeard there, he and I shall meet: and till then peace be with him.