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DOGB. Goodman Verges, fir, fpeaks a little off the matter; an old man, fir, and his wits are not fo blunt, as, God help, I would defire they were; but in faith; honeft, as the skin between his brows.

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VERG. Yes, I thank God, I am as honeft as any man living, that is an old man, and no honefter than I. s

DOGB. Comparisons are odorous: palabras, neighbour Verges.

LEON. Neighbours, you are tedious.

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DOGB. It pleases your worship to fay fo, but we are the poor duke's officers; but, truly, for mine own part, if I were as tedious as a king, I could find in my heart to beftow it all of your worship.

4 honeft, as the skin between his brows. ] This is a proverbial expreffion. STEEVENS.

So, in Gammar Gurton's Needle, 1575:

"I am as true, I would thou knew, as skin betwene thy brows.", Again, in Cartwright's Ordinary, A& V. fc. ii:

"I am as honeft as the fkin that is between thy brows."

REED.

I am as honeft as any man living, that is an old man, and no honcfter than I.] There is much humour, and extreme good fenfe under the covering of this blundering expreffion. It is a fly infinuation, that length of years, and the being much hackied in the ways of men, as Shakspeare expreffes it, take off the glofs of virtue, and bring much defilement on the manners. For, as a great wit [Swift] fays, Youth is the feafon of virtue: corruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldeft rogue in England is the greatest.

WARBURTON.

Much of this is true, but I believe Shakspeare did not intend to beftow all this reflection on the fpeaker. JOHNSON.

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· palabras, ] So, in The Taming of the Shrew, the Tinker fays, pocas pallabras, i. e. few words. A fcrap of Spanish, which might once have been current among the vulgar, and had appeared, as Mr. Henley obferves, in The Spanish Tragedy: "Pocas pallabras, milde as the lambe." STEEVENS.

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we are the poor duke's officers; ] This ftroke of pleasantry has already occurred in Measure for Measure, A& II. fc. i. where Elbow fays: "If it please your honour, I am the poor duke's conftable." STEEVENS.

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LEON. All thy tediousness on me! ha!

DOGB. Yea, and 'twere a thoufand times more than 'tis: for I hear as good exclamation on your worship, as of any man in the city; and though I be but a poor man, I am glad to hear it.

VERG. And fo am I.

LEON. I would fain know what you have to fay. VERG. Marry, fir, our watch to-night, excepting your worship's prefence, have ta'en a couple of as arrant knaves as any in Meffina.

DOGB. A good old man, fir; he will be talking; as they fay, When the age is in, the wit is out; God help us! it is a world to fee!7 Well faid, i'faith, neighbour Verges:- well, God's a good man; An two men ride of a horfe, one must ride

it is a world to fee! ] i. e. it is wonderful to fee. So, in All for Money, an old morality, 1594: "It is a world to fee how greedy they be of money." The fame phrafe often occurs, with the fame meaning, in Holinfhed. STEEVENS.

Again, in a letter from the Earl of Worcefter to the Earl of Salisbury, 1609: "While this tragedee was acting yt was a world to heare the reports heare."

Lodge's Illuflrations, Vol. III. p. 380.

REED.

Rather, it is worth feeing. Barret in his Alvearie, 1580, explains “It is a world to heare," by it is a thing worthie the hearing. Audire eft operæ pretium. Horat.

And in The Myrrour of good manners compyled in latyn by Domynike Mancyn and tranflate into englyfhe by Alexander Bercley preft. Imprynted by Rychard Rynfon, bl. 1. no date, the line " Eft oper pretium do&os fpectare colonos" is rendered A world it is to fe wyfe tyllers of the grounde." HOLT WHITE.

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well, God's a good man; ] So, in the old Morality or Interlude of Lufty Juventus:

"He wyl fay, that God is a good Man,

"He can make him no better, and fay the beft he can." Again in Amery Gefte of Robin Hoode, bl. 1. no date: "For God is hold a right wife man,

"And fo is his dame," &c. STEEVENS.

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behind: An honeft foul, i'faith, fir; by my troth he is, as ever broke bread; but, God is to be worfhipp'd: All men are not alike; alas good neighbour!

LEON. Indeed, neighbour, he comes too fhort of
you.

DOGB. Gifts, that God gives.
LEON. I must leave you.

DOGB. One word, fir: our watch, fir, have, indeed, comprehended two afpicious perfons, and we would have them this morning examined before your worship.

LEON. Take their examination yourfelf, and bring it me; I am now in great hafle, as it may appear unto you.,

DOGB. It fhall be fuffigance.

LEON. Drink fome wine ere you go: fare you well.

Enter a Meffenger.

MESS. My lord, they flay for you to give your daughter to her husband.

LEON. I will wait upon them; I am ready.

[Exeunt LEONATO and Meffenger.

DOGB. Go, good partner, go, get you to Francis Seacoal, bid him bring his pen and inkhorn to the gaol; we are now to examination these men,

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An two men ride, &c.] This is not out of place, or without meaning. Dogberry, in his vanity of fuperior parts, apologizing for his neighbour, obferves, that of two men on an horfe, one must ride behind. The first place of rauk or understanding can belong but to one, and that happy one ought not to defpife his inferiour. JOHNSON.

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VERG. And we must do it wifely.

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DOGB. We will spare for no wit, I warrant you; here's that [Touching his forehead.] fhall drivè fome of them to a non com: only get the learned writer to fet down our excommunication, and meet me at the gaol. [Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

The infide of a Church.

Enter Don PEDRO, Don JOHN, LEONATO, Friar, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, HERO, and BEATRICE, &c.

LEON. Come, friar Francis, be brief; only to the plain form of marriage, and you fhall recount their particular duties afterwards.

FRIAR. You come hither, my lord, to marry this lady?

CLAUD. No.

LEON. To be married to her, friar; you come to marry her.

FRIAR. Lady, you come hither to be married to this count?

HERO. I do.

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FRIAR. If either of you know any inward impediment why you fhould not be conjoined,, I charge you, on your fouls, to utter it.

to a non com ] i. e. to a non compos mentis; put them out of their wits: or perhaps he confounds the term with non-plus.

MALONE.

3 If either of you know any inward impediment, &c.] This is borrowed from our Marriage Ceremony, which (with a few flight changes in phraseology) is the fame as was used in the time of Shakspeare. ✨

DOUCE.

CLAUD. Know you any, Hero?

HERO. None, my lord.

FRIAR. Know you any, count?

LEON. I dare make his anfwer, none.

CLAUD. O, what men dare do! what men may do! what men daily do! not knowing what they

do!

BENE. How now! Interjections? Why, then some be of laughing, as, ha ha! he!

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CLAUD. Stand thee by, friar :-Father, by your leave;

Will you with free and unconstrained foul
Give me this maid, your daughter?

LEON. As freely, fon, as God did give her me. CLAUD. And what have I to give you back, whose worth

May counterpoife this rich and precious gift?
D. PEDRO. Nothing, unless you render her again.
CLAUD. Sweet prince, you learn me noble thank-
fulness.

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There, Leonato, take her back again;

Give not this rotten orange to your friend;
She's but the fign and femblance of her honour:
Behold, how like a maid fhe blushes here:
O, what authority and flow of truth
Can cunning fin cover itself withal!

Comes not that blood, as modeft evidence,
To witnefs fimple virtue? Would you not fwear,
All you that fee her, that fhe were a maid,
By these exterior fhows? But fhe is none:

-fome be of laughing,] This is a quotation from the Accidence.

JOHNSON.

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