Manent Benedick and Beatrice.

Bene. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this wh
Beat. Yea, and I will weep a while longer.
Bene. I will not defire that.

Beat. You have no reason, I do it freely.

Bene. Surely, I do believe, your fair cousin is wron Beat. Ah, how much might the man deserve of

that would right her!

Bene. Is there any way to shew such friendship? Beat. A very even way, but no such friend. Bene. May a man do it?

Beat. It is a man's office, but not yours.

Bene. I do love nothing in the world fo well as yo

is not that strange?

Beat. As strange as the thing I know not; it were poffible for me to say, I loved nothing so well as yo but believe me not; and yet I lye not; I confess nothin nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my coufin.

Bene. By my sword, Beatrice, thou lov'st me.
Beat. Do not swear by it, and eat it.

Bene. I will swear by it that you love me; and I w

make him eat it, that says, I love not you.

Beat. Will you not eat your word?

Bene. With no fauce that can be devis'd to it;

protest, I love thee.

Beat. Why then, God forgive me.

Bene. What offence, sweet Beatrice?

Beat. You have stay'd me in a happy hour; I wa

about to protest, I lov'd you.

Bene. And do it with all thy heart.

Beat. I love you with so much of my heart, tha

none is left to protest.

Bene. Come, bid me do any thing for thee.

Beat. Kill Claudio.

Bene. Ha! not for the wide world.

Beat. You kill me to deny; farewel.

Bene. Tarry, fweet Beatrice.

T

MUCH ADO about NOTHING. 63

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 slander'd, scorn'd, dishonour'd my kinfwoman! O, that I were a man! what! bear her in hand until they come to take hands, and then with publick accufation, uncover'd 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 faying!

Bene. Nay, but Beatrice.

Beat. Sweet Hero! she is wrong'd, she is slander'd, she is undone.

Bene. Beat

Beat. Princes and Counts! surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count-comfect, a sweet gallant, surely! 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 lie, 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. Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it.

Bene. Think you in your foul, the Count Claudio hath wrong'd Hero?

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

Bene. Enough, I am engag'd; 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 fo farewel.

[Exeunt. SCENE

SCENE changes to a Prison.

Enter Dogberry, Verges, Borachio, Conrade, the Town-Clerk and Sexton in Gowns.

To. Cl.

I

S our whole dissembly appear'd?
Dog. O, a stool and a cushion for the fexton I

Sexton. Which be the malefactors ?
Verg. Marry, that am I and my Partner.

Dog. 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 master constable.

To. Cl. Yea, marry, let them come before me; what

is your name, friend? Bora. Borachio.

To. Cl. Pray, write down, Borachio. Yours, Sirrah? Conr. I am a gentleman, Sir, and my name is Con

rade.

To. Cl. Write down, master gentleman Conrade; mafters, do you serve God?

Both. Yea, Sir, we hope. (15)

To. Cl. Write down, that they hope they ferve God: and write God first: for God defend, but God should go before fuch 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 your selves ?

Conr. Marry, Sir, we say, we are none. To. Cl. A marvellous witty fellow, I affure you, but I will go about with him. Come you hither, firrah,

(15) Both. Yea, Sir, we hope.

To. Cl. Write down, that they hope, they serve God: and write God first; for God defend, but God should go before (ch Villains-] This short Passage, which is truly humourous and in character, I have added from the old Quarto. Besides, it fupplies a Defect: for without it, the Town-Clerk asks a Question of the Prisoners, and goes on without staying for any

a word in your ear, Sir; I say to you, it is thought you are both false knaves.

Bora. Sir, I say to you, we are none.

To. Cl. Well, stand aside; 'fore God, they are both in a tale; have you writ down, that they are none ?

Sexton. Master town-clerk, you go not the way to examine, you must call the watch that are their ac. cufers.

(16) To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the deftest way, let the Watch come forth; masters, I charge you in the Prince's name accuse these men.

Enter Watchmen.

1 Watch. This man said, 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. Master town-clerk

To. Cl. 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 receiv'd a thousand dur cats of Don John, for accufing the lady Hero wrongfully.

(16) To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the easiest Way, let the Watch come forth.] This, easieft, is a Sophistication of our modern Editors, who were at a Loss to make out the corrupted Reading of the old Copies. The Quarto, in 1600, and the first and second Editions in Folio ail concur in reading,

Tea, marry, that's the estest war, &c.

A Letter happen'd to hip out at Press in the first Edition; and 'twas too hard a Task for the subsequent Editors to put it in, or guess at the Word under this accidental Depravation. There is no doubt, but the Author wrote, as I have rekor'd the Text;

Tea, marry, that's the deftest way, &c.

i. e. the readiest, most commodious Way. The Word is pure Saxon. Deaflice, debitè, congruè, duely, fitly. Lebærtlice, opportunè, commodè, fitly, conveniently, seasonably, in good time, commodiously..

Vid. Spelman's Saxon Glofs..
To. Cl.
To. Cl. Flat burglary, as ever was committed.
Dogb. Yea, by th' mass, that it is.
Sexton. What else, fellow?

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

To. Cl. O villain! thou wilt be condemn'd into ever

lafting redemption for this. Sexton. What else?

2. Watch. This is all.

Sexton. And this is more, masters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning secretly stoll'n away: Hero was in this manner accus'd, and in this very manner refus'd, and upon the grief of this suddenly dy'd. Master Constable, let these men be bound and brought to Leonato; I will go before, and shew him their examination. [Exit.

Dogb. Come, let them be opinion'd. Conr. Let them be in the hands of Coxcomb! Dogb. God's my life, where's the Sexton? let him write down the Prince's officer Coxcomb: come, bind them, thou naughty varlet.

Conr. Away! you are an ass, you are an afs.

Dogb. Dost thou not suspect my place? dost thou not suspect my years? O, that he were here to write me down an afs! but, masters, remember, that I am an ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an afs; no, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as shall be prov'd upon thee by good witness; I am a wise fellow, and which is more, an officer; and which is more, an housholder; 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,