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Friar. 'Tis well confented, prefently away;

For to ftrange fores, ftrangely they flrain the cure. Come, Lady, die to live; this wedding-day

Perhaps is but prolong'd: have patience, and en-
dure.
[Exeunt.

SCENE III. Manent Benedick and Beatrice.
Bene. Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?
Beat. Yea, and I will weep a while longer.

Bene. I will not defire that.

} Beat. You have no reafon, I do it freely.

Bene. Surely I do believe your fair coufin is wrong'd. Beat. Ah, how much might the man deferve of me, that would right her!

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

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

Bene. I do love nothing in the world fo well as you; is not that strange?

Beat As ftrange as the thing I know not. It were as poffible for me to fay, I loved nothing fo well as you; but believe me not, and yet I lie not; I con fefs nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am forry for my coufin!

Bene. By my fword, Beatrice, thou lov'ft me.
Beat. Do not fwear by it, and eat it.

Bene. I will fwear by it that you love me; and I will make him eat it that fays I love not you,

Beat. Will you not eat your word?

Bene. With no fauce that can be devis'd to it; I proteft I love thee.

Beat. Why then, God forgive me.

Bene. What offence, fweet Beatrice?

Beat. You have flay'd me in a happy hour; I was

about to proteft I lov'd you.

Bene. And do it with all thy heart.

Beat. I love you with fo much of my heart, that

none is left to protest.

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

Beat. Kill Claudio.

Bene. Ha! not for the wide world.

E 2

Beat

Beat. You kill me to deny; farewel.

Bene. Tarry, fweet Beatrice.

Beat. I am gone, tho' I am here; there is no love in you; nay, pray you, let me go.

Bene. Beatrice,

Beat. In faith, I will go.

Bene. We'll be friends firft.

Beat. You dare eafier 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 flander'd, fcorn'd, difhonour'd my kinfwoman ! O that I were a man! What! bear her in hand until they come to take hands, and then, with public accufation, uncover'd flander, 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! fhe is wrong'd, she is flander'd, fhe is undone.

Bene. Beat

Beat. Princes and Counts! surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count-comfect, a fweet gallant, furely! 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 lye, and fwears it. I cannot be a man with wifhing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving.

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

Beat. Ufe it for my love fome other way than fwearing by it.

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

Beat. Yea, as fure as I have a thought or a foul. Bene. Enough; I am engage'd; I will challenge him. I will kifs your hand, and so leave you; by this hand, Claudio

Claudio fhall render me a dear account; as you hear of me, so think of me; go comfort your coufin: I muft fay fhe is dead; and fo farewel.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Changes to a prifon.

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

To. Cl. Is our whole diffembly appear'd?
Dogb. O, a ftool and a cushion for the Sexton!
Sexton. Which be the malefactors ?

Verg. Marry, that am I and my partner.

Dogb. 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 Mafter Constable.

is

To. Cl. Yea, marry, let them come before me. What your name, friend?

Bora. Borachio.

To. Cl. Pray, write down, Borachio. Your's, firrah ? ́ Con. I am a gentleman, Sir, and my name is Conrade.

To. Cl. Write down, Mafter Gentleman Conrade. Mafters, do you ferve God?

Both. Yea, Sir, we hope.

To. Cl. Write down, that they hope they ferve God; and write God first; for God defend, but God fhould go before fuch villains.-Mafters, it is proved already, that you are little better than falfe knaves, and it will go near to be thought fo fhortly; how anfwer you for yourselves?

Con. Marry, Sirs, we fay we are none.

To Cl." A marvellous witty fellow, I affure you, but "I will go about with him. Come you hither, firrah, (6 a word in your ear, Sir; I fay to you, it is thought you are both falfe knaves."

Bora. Sir, I fay to you, We are none.

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

Sexton. Mafter Town-Clerk, you go not

E 3

to

the way

examine,

TAN

examine, you must call the watch that are their accufers.

To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the defteft way; let the watch come forth. Mafters, I charge you in the Prince's name accufe thefe men.

Enter Watchmen.

1 Watch. This man faid, 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. Mafter Town-clerk

To Cl Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like thy look, I promife thee.

Sexton. What heard you him say else?

2 Watch. Marry, that he had receiv'd a thousand ducats of Don John, for accufing the Lady Hero wrongfully.

To Cl. Flat burglary, as ever was committed.
Dogb. Yea, by th' mafs, that it is.

Sexton. What elfe, fellow?

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

To. CI O villain! thou wilt be condemn'd into everlafting 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 fecretly ftol'n away: Hero was in this manner accus'd, and in this very manner refus'd, and upon the grief of this fuddenly dy'd. Master Conftable, let thefe men be bound, and brought to Leonato; I will go before, and thew him their examination.

Dogb. Come, let them be opinion'd.

Sexton. Let them be in hand.

Genr Off, Coxcomb!

[Exit.

Dogh. 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 afs, you are an afs.

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Dogb.

Dogb. Doft thou not suspect my place? doft thou. not fufpect my years? O, that he were here to write me down an afs! but, Masters, remember that I am an afs; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an afs. No, thou villian, thou art full of piety, as shall be prov'd upon thee by good witness. "I am a wife fellow, and which is more, an officer; "and which is more, an houfholder; and which is "more, as pretty a piece of flesh as any in Meflina, "and one that knows the law; go to, and a rich fel"low enough; go to, and a fellow that hath had "loffes and one that hath two gowns, and every thing handsome about him. Bring him away; O "that I had been writ down an afs!".

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Exeunt.

Ant. And 'tis not wifdom thus to fecond grief

you go on thus, you will kill yourself;

Against yourself.

Leon. I pray thee, cease thy counsel,
Which falls into mine ear as profitless

As water in a fieve; give not me counfel,
Nor let no comforter delight mine ear,

But fuch a one whofe wrongs. do fuit with mine.
Bring me a father, that fo lov'd his child,
Whofe joy of her is overwhelm'd like mine,
And bid him fpeak of patience;

Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine,
And let it anfwer every train for strain:
As thus for thus, and fuch a grief for fuch,
In every lineament, branch, fhape, and form.
If fuch a one will smile, and stroke his beard,
And forrow waive; cry, Hem! when he should grone;
'Patch grief with proverbs; make misfortune drunk
With candle-wafters; bring him yet to me,

' And I of him will gather patience.

But there is no fuch man; for, brother, men.

"Can

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