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Beat. You kill me to deny: farewell

Bene. Tarry, sweet Beatrice.

Beat. I am gone, though 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 slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman?—O, that I were a man! What! bear her in hand until they come to take hands; and then with public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour,-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 ?-a proper saying.

Bene. Nay but, Beatrice ;

Beat. Sweet Hero!-she is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone.

Bene. Beat

Beat. Princes, and counties! Surely a princely testimony, a goodly Count Confect; 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 compliments, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim 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.

Bene. Tarry, good Beatrice: by this hand, I love thee.

Beat. Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it.

Bene. Think you in your soul the ccunt Claudio hath wronged Hero?

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

Bene. Enough, I am engaged, 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, comfort your cousin: I must say she is dead; and so, farewell.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-A Prison.

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

Dogb. Is our whole dissembly appeared?
Verg. O, a stool and a cushion for the sexton !
Sexton. Which be the malefactors?

Dogb. Marry, that am I and my partner. Verg. Nay, that's certain; we have the exhibition to examine.

Sexton. But which are the offenders that are to be examined? Let them come before master

constable.

Dogb. Yea, marry, let them come before me. -What is your name, friend?

Bora. Borachio.

Dogb. Pray, write down, Borachio.-Yours, sirrah?

Con. I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is

Conrade.

Dogb. Write down, master gentleman Conrade. -Masters, do you serve God?

Con. Bora. Yea, sir, we hope.

Dogh. 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.

Dogb. 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.

Dogb. Well, stand aside.-'Fore God, they are both in a tale. Have you writ down, that they

are none?

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

Dogb. Yea, marry, that's the eftest way.—Let the watch come forth :-Masters, I charge you, in the prince's name, accuse these men.

1 Watch. This man said, sir, that don John, the prince's brother, was a villain.

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

Bora. Master constable,

Dogb. Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like thy look, I promise thee.

Sexton. What heard you him say else?

2 Watch. Marry, that he had received a thousand ducats of don John, for accusing the lady Hero wrongfully.

Dogb. Flat burglary, as ever was committed.
Verg. Yea, by the mass, that it is.

Sexton. What else, fellow?

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

Dogb. O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this. Sexton. What else?

2 Watch. This is all.

Sexton. And this more, masters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning secretly stolen away; Hero was in this manner accused, in this very manner refused, and upon the grief of this suddenly died.-Master constable, let these men be bound, and brought to Leonato; I will go before, and show him their examination.

Dogb. Come, let them be opinioned.
Verg. Let them be in the hands-
Con. Off, coxcomb!

[Exit.

Dogb. God's my life! where's the sexton ? let him write down, the prince's officer, coxcomb. Come, bind them-thou

varlet !

naughty

Dost

Con. Away! you are an ass, you are an ass. Dogb. Dost thou not suspect my place? 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 is 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 everything handsome about him.— Bring him away. O, that I had been writ down -an ass! [Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I.-Before Leonato's House.

I'

Leon.

Enter LEONATO and ANTONIO.

Antonio.

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

Against yourself.

I pray thee, cease thy counsel, Which falls into mine ears as profitless

As water in a sieve: give not me counsel;
Nor let no comforter delight mine ear,

But such a one whose wrongs do suit with mine.
Bring me a father, that so loved 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 strain;
As thus for thus, and such a grief for such,
In every lineament, branch, shape, and form :
If such a one will smile, and stroke his beard;
Cry, sorrow wag; and hem, when he should

groan;

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