well, you are to call at all the ale-houses, and bid them that are drunk get them to bed.

2 Watch. How if they will not?

Dogb. Why then let them alone 'till they are fober; if they make you not then the better anfwer, you may fay, they are not the men you took them for.

2 Watch. Well, Sir.

Dogb. If you meet a thief, you may fufpect him by virtue of your office to be no true man; and for fuch kind of men, the lefs you meddle or make with them, why, the more is for your honesty.

2 Watch. If we know him to be a thief, fhall we not lay hands on him?

8

Dogb. Truly, by your office you may; but, I think, they that touch pitch will be defil'd: the most peacable way for you, if you do take a thief, is, to let him fhew himself what he is, and fteal out of your company.

Verg. You have been always call'd a merciful man, Partner.

Dogb. Truly, I would not hang a dog by my will, much more a man who hath any honefty in him.

Verg. If you hear a child cry in the night, you must call to the nurse and bid her still it.

2 Watch. How if the nurse be afleep, and will not hear us?

Dogb. Why, then depart in Peace, and let the child wake her with crying: for the ewe that will not hear her lamb when it baes, will never answer a calf when he bleats.

Verg. 'Tis very true.

Dogb. This is the end of the Charge: you, conftable, are to prefent the Prince's own perfon; if you meet the Prince in the night, you may stay him.

is ftill carried by the watchmen at Litchfield. It was the old weapon of the English infantry, which,

fays Temple, gave the most ghaftly and deplorable wounds. It may be called fecuris falcata.

Verg

Verg. Nay, bi'rlady, that, I think, he cannot.

Dogb. Five fhillings to one on't with any man that knows the Statues, he may ftay him; marry, not without the Prince be willing: for, indeed, the Watch ought to offend no man; and it is an offence to ftay a man against his will.

Verg. Bi'rlady, I think, it be fo.

Dogb. Ha, ha, ha! well, mafters, good night; an there be any matter of weight chances, call up me; keep your fellow's counfels and your own, and good night; come, neighbour.

2 Watch. Well, mafters, we hear our charge; let us go fit here upon the church-bench 'till two, and then all to bed.

Dogb. One word more, honeft neighbours. I pray you, watch about Signior Leonato's door, for the Wedding being there to-morrow, there is a great coil to night; adieu; be vigilant, I befeech you.

[Exeunt Dogberry and Verges.

Bora. Mais, and my elbow itch'd, I thought there would a scab follow.

Conr. I will owe thee an answer for that, and now forward with thy tale.

Bora. Stand thee close then under this pent-house, for it drizzles rain, and I will, like a true drunkard, utter all to thee.

Watch. [Afide.] Some Treafon, mafters; yet stand

clofe.

Bora.

Bora. Therefore know, I have earned of Don John a thousand ducats.

Conr. Is it poffible that any Villany should be fo dear?

Bora. Thou should'st rather ask, if it were poffible ' any villany fhould be fo rich? for when rich villains have need of poor ones, poor ones may make what price they will.

Conr. I wonder at it.

2

Bora. That fhews, thou art unconfirm'd; thou knoweft, that the fashion of a doublet or a hat, or a cloak, is nothing to a man.

Conr. Yes, it is apparel.

Bora. I mean the fashion.

Conr. Yes, the fafhion is the fashion.

Bora. Tufh, I may as well fay, the fool's the fool; but fee'st thou not, what a deformed thief this fashion is ?

Watch. I know that Deformed; he has been a vile thief these seven years; he goes up and down like a gentleman: I remember his name.

Bora. Didit thou not hear fome body?

Conr. No, 'twas the vane on the house.

Bora. Seeft thou not, I fay, what a deformed thief this fashion is how giddily he turns about all the hotbloods between fourteen and five and thirty; fometimes, fashioning them like Pharao's foldiers in the reechy Painting; fometimes, like the God Bell's priefts in the old church window; 3 fometimes, like the fhaven Hercules

cules in the fmirch'd worm-eaten tapeftry, where his codpiece feems as mafly as his club.

Conr. All this I fee, and fee, that the fashion wears out more apparel than the man; but art not thou thyfelf giddy with the fashion too, that thou haft fhifted out of thy tale into telling me of the fashion?

Bora. Not fo neither; but know, that I have tonight wooed Margaret, the Lady Hero's Gentlewoman, by the name of Hero; the leans me out at her mistress's chamber-window, bids me a thousand times good night I tell this tale vilely-I fhould firft tell thee, how the Prince, Claudio, and my master, planted and placed, and poffeffed by my mafter Don John, faw a far off in the orchard this amiable encounter.

Conr. And thought they, Margaret was Hero? Bora. Two of them did, the Prince and Claudio; but the devil my mafter knew she was Margaret; and partly by his oaths, which firft poffeft them, partly by the dark night, which did deceive them, but chiefly by my villany, which, did confirm any flander that Don John had made, away went Claudio enraged; fwore, he would meet her as he was appointed next morning at the Temple, and there before the whole

occafion, when he brings his knight and fquire to an inn, where they found the story of Dido and Eneas reprefented in bad tapestry. On Sancho's feeing the tears fall from the eyes of the forfaken queen as big as walnuts, he hopes that, when their atchievements became the general fubject for these fort of works, fortune will fend them a better artist.What authorized the poet to give this name to Sumfon was the folly of certain Chriftian mythologifts, who pretend that the Grecian Hercules was the Jewish Samfon. The

retenue of our author is to be commended: The fober audience of that time would have been offended with the mention of a venerable name on fo light an occafion. Shakespeare is indeed fometimes licentious in thefe matters: But to do him juftice, he generally feems to have a fenfe of religion, and to be under its influence. What Pedro fays of Benedick, in this comedy, may be well enough applied to him. The man doth fear God, however it seems not to be in him by fome large jests he will make. WARBURTON.

Congre

Congregation fhame her with what he faw o'er night, and fend her home again without a husband.

1 Watch. We charge you in the Prince's name, ftand.

2 Watch. Call up the right màfter conftable; we have here recovered the most dangerous piece of lechery that ever was known in the common-wealth.

I Watch. And one Deformed is one of them; I know him, he wears a lock.

Conr. Mafters, masters, 4

2 Watch. You'll be made bring Deformed forth, I warrant you.

Conr. Mafters,

1 Watch. Never fpeak; we charge you, let us obey you to go with us.

Bora. We are like to prove a goodly Commodity, being taken up of thefe mens bills.

Conr. A commodity in queftion, I warrant you. Come, we'll obey you.

Hero.

SCENE VI.

Hero's Apartment in Leonato's Houfe.

Enter Hero, Margaret and Urfula.

OOD Urfula, wake my coufin Beatrice, I and defire her to rife.

G

Urf. I will, lady.

Hero. And bid her come hither.

• In former copies : Conr. Mafters, Mafters, 2 Watch. You'll be made bring Deformed forth, I warrant you, Conr. Mafters, never freak, we charge you, let us obey you to go with us.] The Regulation which I have made in this laft Speech, tho' against this Authority of all

the printed Copies, I flatter myfelf, carries its Proof with it, Conrade and Borachio are not defigned to talk abfurd Nonsense. It is evident therefore, that Conrade is attempting his own Juftification; but is interrupted in it by the Impertinence of the Men" in office. THEOBALD. Q 2

Urf.