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know if you will follow me, I will show you enough; and when you have feen more, and heard more, proceed accordingly.

Claud. If I fee any thing to-night why I fhould not marry her to-morrow; in the congregation where I should wed, there will I fhame her.

Pedro. And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to difgrace her.

John. I will difparage her no farther, 'till you are my witneffes; bear it coldly but 'till night, and let the iffue fhow itself. Pedro. O day untowardly turned!

Claud. O mischief ftrangely thwarting!
John. O plague right well prevented!
So will you fay when you have seen the sequel.

[Exeunt.

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Enter Dogberry, and Verges, with the Watch.

RE you good men and true?

Dogb. Verg. Yea, or else it were pity but they should ARE

fuffer falvation, body and foul.

Dogb. Nay, that were a punishment too good for them, if they should have any allegiance in them, being chosen for the prince's watch.

Verg. Well, give them their charge, neighbour Dogberry. Dogb. First, who think you the most difartlefs man to be conftable? I Watch. Hugh Oatecake, fir, or George Seacole; for they can

write and read.

Dogb. Come hither, neighbour Seacole: god hath bless'd you with a good name: to be a well-favour'd man is the gift of fortune; but to write and read comes by nature.

2 Watch. Both which, mafter constable—

Dogb. You have: I knew, it would be your answer. Well, for your favour, fir, why, give god thanks, and make no boast of it;

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and for your writing and reading, let that appear when there is no need of fuch vanity: you are thought here to be the most senseless and fit man for the conftable of the watch; therefore, bear you the lanthorn: this is your charge: you shall comprehend all vagrom men; you are to bid any man stand in the prince's

name.

2 Watch. How if he will not stand?

Dogb. Why, then take no note of him, but let him go; and presently call the rest of the watch together, and thank god you are rid of a knave.

Verg. If he will not stand when he is bidden, he is none of the prince's fubjects.

Dogb. True, and they are to meddle with none but the prince's fubjects: you fhall also make no noife in the streets; for, for the watch to babble and talk, is most tolerable, and not to be endur'd.

2 Watch. We will rather sleep than talk; we know what belongs to a watch.

Dogb. Why, you speak like an ancient and most quiet watchman; for I cannot fee how fleeping should offend: only have a care that your bills be not ftolen: 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 sober; if they make you not then the better answer, you may say, they are not the men you took them for.

2 Watch. Well, fir.

your

men,

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Dogb. If you meet a thief, you may fufpect him by virtue of office to be no true man; and, for fuch kind of 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?

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

Verg.

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 honesty in him.

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

2 Watch. How if the nurse be asleep, 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 anfwer a calf when he bleats.

Verg. 'Tis very true.

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

Verg. Nay, birlady, 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 stay a man against his will.

Verg. Birlady, I think, it be fo.

Dogb. Ha, ha, ha! well, masters, good night: an there be any matter of weight chances, call up me: keep your fellows' counsel, 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 fignior Leonato's door; for the wedding being there tomorrow, there is a great coil to-night: adieu; be vigilant, I befeech you. [Exeunt Dogb. and Verg.

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Bora. Mafs, and my elbow itch'd; I thought, there would a fcab 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 drizles rain, and I will, like a true drunkard, utter all to thee.

Watch. Some treason, masters; yet stand close.

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 should 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.

Bora. That shows 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 fashion is the fashion.

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

Watch. I know that Deformed; he has been a vile thief this feven years; he goes up and down like a gentleman: I remember

his name.

Bora. Didst 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 hot-bloods between fourteen and five and thirty? fometimes, fashioning them like Pharao's foldiers in the reechy painting, fometimes, like the god Bel's priests in the old church-window, fometimes, like the shaven Hercules in the fmirch'd worm-eaten tapestry, where his codpiece feems as maffy as his club?

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Conr. All this I fee, and fee that the fashion wears out more apparel than the man ; but art not thou thyself giddy with the

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fashion, that thou hast shifted out of thy tale into telling me of the fashion?

Bora. Not fo neither; but know that I have to-night wooed Margaret, the lady Hero's gentlewoman, by the name of Hero; fhe leans me out at her mistress's chamber-window, bids me a thousand times good night—I tell this tale vilely — I should firft tell thee, how the prince, Claudio, and my mafter, planted, and plac'd, and poffeffed by my mafter don John, faw far off in the orchard this amiable encounter.

Conr. And thought thy Margaret was Hero?

Bora. Two of them did, the prince and Claudio, but the devil my master knew fhe was Margaret; and partly by his oaths, which first poffefs'd 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 congregation, shame her with what he faw o'er night, and fend her home again without a husband.

I Watch. We charge you in the prince's name stand.

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

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

Conr. Mafters, masters,

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

you.

Conr. Masters,

I 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 these mens bills.

Conr. A commodity in question, I warrant you: come, we'll obey you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

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