fir; I fay to you, it is thought you are 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 the way to examine, you must call the watch that are their accufers. To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the deftest way; let the watch come forth: mafters, I charge you in the prince's name accuse these men. Enter Watchmen. I Watch. This man faid, fir, 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 promise thee. Sexton. What heard you him fay 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' mass, that it is. Sexton. What elfe, fellow? I Watch. And that count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to difgrace Hero before the whole assembly, and not marry her. To. Cl. O villain! thou wilt be condemn'd into everlasting 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, in this very manner refus'd, and upon the grief of this fuddenly dy'd. Mafter constable, let these men be bound, and brought to Leonato; I will go before, and fhow him their examination. Dogb. Come, let them be opinion'd. [Exit. Conr. Conr. Let us be in the hands of Coxcomb. Dogb. God's my life! where's the fexton? let him write down, the prince's officer, Coxcomb. Come, bind them: thou naughty varlet! Conr. Away! you are an ass, you are an ass. Dogb. Doft thou not suspect my place? doft thou not suspect my years? o, that he were here to write me down an afs! but, mafters, 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 fhall be proved 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 loffes, 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. IF ACT V. SCENE I. Before Leonato's house. Enter Leonato, and Antonio. ΑΝΤΟΝΙΟ. F you go on thus, you will kill yourself, Leon. I pray thee, cease thy counsel, But fuch a one whofe wrongs do fuit with mine; Whose joy of her is overwhelm'd like mine, ***** Measure Measure his wo the length and breadth of mine, And forrow waive, cry hem, when he should groan, But there is no fuch man: for, brother, men ; Ant. Therein do men from children nothing differ. That could endure the toothach patiently; Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself: Make those that do offend you fuffer too. Leon. There thou speak'st reason; nay, I will do so. My foul doth tell me, Hero is bely'd; And that fhall Claudio know, fo fhall the prince, And all of them that thus difhonour her. VOL. I. Rrr SCENE SCENE II. Enter Don Pedro, and Claudio. Ant. Here comes the prince, and Claudio, haftily. Claud. Good day to both of you. Leon. Hear you, my lords? Pedro. We have fome hafte, Leonato. Are well, my lord. Leon. Some hafte, my lord! well, fare you well, you fo hafty now? well, all is one. Pedro. Nay, do not quarrel with us, good old man. Some of us would lie low. Claud. Who wrongeth him? Leon. Marry, thou doft wrong me, thou dissembler, thou! Nay, never lay thy hand upon thy fword, I fear thee not. Claud. Marry, beshrew my hand, If it should give your age fuch cause of fear; In faith, my hand meant nothing to my fword. Leon. Tush, tush, man, never fleer and jeft at me; I fpeak not like a dotard, nor a fool; As, under privilege of age, to brag What I have done being young, or what would do, Thou haft so wrong'd my innocent child and me, And, with gray hairs, and bruise of many days, I say, thou hast bely'd my innocent child; Thy flander hath gone through and through her heart, O, in a tomb where never fcandal flept, Leon. Leon. Thine, Claudio, thine, I fay. Pedro. You fay not right, old man. I'll prove it on his body if he dare; Despite his nice fence, and his active practice, Claud. Away, I will not have to do with you. Leon. Canft thou fo doff me? thou haft kill'd my child; If thou kill'st me, boy, thou shalt kill a man. Ant. He fhall kill two of us, and men indeed: But that's no matter; let him kill one firft; Win me and wear me, let him answer me; Come, follow me, boy, come, boy, follow me; Sir boy, I'll whip you from your foining fence; Nay, as I am a gentleman, I will. Leon. Brother! Ant. Content yourself; god knows, I lov'd my neice: And she is dead, flander'd to death by villains, That dare as well anfwer a man indeed, As I dare take a serpent by the tongue. Boys, apes, jacks, braggarts, milkfops! Ant. Hold you content; what, man? I know them, yea, And what they weigh, even to the utmost scruple: Scambling, outfacing, fashion-mongring boys, That lie, and cog, and flout, deprave, and flander, Leon. But, brother Anthony! Ant. Come, 'tis no matter; Do not you meddle, let me deal in this. Pedro. Gentlemen both, we will not rack your patience. My heart is forry for your daughter's death; But, on my honour, fhe was charg'd with nothing Rrr 2 But |