him shew himself what he is, and steal out of your company.

Verg. You have been always call'd a merciful man, Partner.

Dogb. Truly, I would not hang a dog by my will, much more a man who hath any honesty in him.

Verg. If you hear a child cry in the night, you must call to the nurse and bid her still it.

2 Watch. How if the nurse be afsleep, and will not hear us?

Dogb. Why, then depart in Peace, and let the child wake her with crying: for the ewe that will not hear her lamb when it baes, will never answer a calf when he bleats.

Verg. 'Tis very true.

Dogb. This is the end of the Charge: you, constable, are to present the Prince's own person; if you meet the Prince in the night, you may stay him. Verg. Nay, birlady, that, I think, he cannot. Dogb. Five shillings to one on't with any man that knows the Statues, he may stay him; marry, not without the Prince be willing: for, indeed, the Watch ought to offend no man; and it is an offence to stay a man against his will.

Verg. Birlady, I think, it be so.

Dogb. Ha, ha, ha! well, masters, good night; an there be any matter of weight chances, call up me; keep your fellow's counsels and your own, and good night; come, neighbour.

2 Watch. Well, masters, we hear our charge, let us go fit here upon the church-bench 'till two, and then all to bed.

Dogb. One word more, honeft neighbours. I pray you, watch about Signior Leonato's door, for the Wedding being there to morrow, there is a great coil to night; adieu; be vigilant, I beseech you.

VOL. II.

[Exeunt Dogberry and Verges.

E

SCENE

:

SCENE V.

Enter Borachio and Conrade.

Bora. What? Conrade

Watch. Peace, ftir not.

Bora. Conrade, I say.

Conr. Here, Man, I am at thy elbow.

[Afide.

Bora. Mass, and my elbow itch'd, I thought there

would a fcab follow.

Conr. I will owe thee an answer for that, and now forward with thy tale.

Bora. Stand thee close then under this pent-house, for it drizzles rain, and I will, like a true drunkard, utter all to thee.

Watch. Some Treason, masters; yet stand close. Bora. Therefore know, I have earned of Don John a thousand ducats.

1

Conr. Is it possible that any Villany should be so

dear?

Bora. Thou should'st rather ask, if it were possible 7 any villain should be fo rich? for when rich villains have need of poor ones, poor ones may make what price they will.

Conr. I wonder at it.

Bora. That shews,

1

thou art unconfirm'd; thou

knowest, that the fashion of a doublet, or a hat, or

a cloak is nothing to a man.

Conr. Yes, it is apparel.

Bora. I mean the fashion.

Conr. Yes, the fashion is the fashion.

:

Bora. Tush, I may as well fay, the fool's the Fool; but see'st thou not, what a deformed thief this fashion is? Watch. I know that Deformed; he has been a vile thief these seven years; he goes up and down like a gentleman: I remember his name. by the name of Hero; she leans me out at her mistress's chamber-window, bids me a thousand times good night-I tell this tale vildly - I should first tell thee, how the Prince, Claudio, and my master, planted and placed, and possessed by my master Don John, faw a far off in the orchard this amiable encounter.

Bora. Didst thou not hear fome body? Conr. No, 'twas the vane on the house. Bora. Seeft thou not, I say, what a deformed thief this fashion is? how giddily he turns about all the hot-bloods between fourteen and five and thirty, fometimes, fashioning them like Pharao's foldiers in the reachy Painting; sometimes, like the God Bel's priests in the old church-window; 9 fometimes, like the shaven Hercules in the smirch worm-eaten tapeftry, where his codpiece feems as massie as his club. Conr. All this I fee, and fee, that the fashion wears out more apparel than the man; but art not thou thy felf giddy with the fashion too, that thou hast fhifted out of thy tale into telling me of the fashion ?

Bora. Not so neither; but know, that I have to night wooed Margaret, the Lady Hero's Gentlewoman,

9 sometimes, like the shaven Hercules, &c.] By the shaven Hercules is meant Samson, the usual subject of old tapestry. In this ridicule on the fashion, the poet has not unartfully given a stroke at the barbarous workmanship of the common Tapeitty-hangings, then so much in use. The same kind of rai'lery Cervantes has employed on the like occafion, when he brings his knight and squire to an inn, where they found the story of Dido and Aneas repre sented in bad tapestry. On Sanco's feeing the tears fall from the eyes of the forsaken queen as big as walnuts, he hopes that when their atchievements became the general subject for these fort of works, that fortune will send them a better artist. What authorized the poet to give this name to Samson was the folly of certain chriftian mythologifts, who pretend that the grecian Hercules was the jewish Samfon. The retenue of our author is to be commended: The sober audience of that time would have been offended with the mention of a venerable name on so light an occafion. Shakespear is indeed sometimes licentious in these matters: But to do him justice, he generally seems to have a sense of religion, and to be under its influence. What Pedro says of Benedick, in this comedy, may be well enough applied to him. The man doth fear God, however it seems not to be in him by fome large

jefts he will make.

VOL. II.

Conr. And thought they, Margaret was Hero?

Bora. Two of them did, the Prince and Claudio; but the devil my master knew, she was Margaret; and partly by his oaths, which first possest them, partly by the dark night, which did deceive them, but chiefly by my villany, which did confirm any slander that Don John had made, away went Claudio enraged; swore, he would meet her as he was appointed next morning at the Temple, and there before the whole Congregation shame her with what he faw o'er night, and fend her home again without a husband.

I Watch. We charge you in the Prince's name, stand. 2 Watch. Call up the right master conftable; we have here recovered the most dangerous piece of le chery that ever was known in the common-wealth.

I Watch. And one Deformed is one of them; I know him, he wears a lock.

Conr. Masters, masters,

2 Watch. You'll be made bring Deformed forth, I warrant you.

Conr. Masters,

1 Watch. Never speak; we charge you, let us obey you to go with us.

Bora. We are like to prove a goodly Commodity, being taken up of these mens bills.

Conr. A commodity in question, I warrant you:

come, we'll obey you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Hero's Apartment in Leonato's House.

Enter Hero, Margaret and Ursula.

Hero. COOD Urfula, wake my coufin Beatrice, and

defire her to rife.

Urfu. I will, lady.

Hero. And bid her come hither.

Urfu. Well.

Marg. Troth, I think, your other Rebato were better.

Hero. No, pray thee, good Meg, I'll wear this. Marg. By my troth, it's not so good; and I warrant, your coufin will fay fo.

Hero. My coufin's a fool, and thou art another. I'll wear none but this.

Marg. I like the new tire within excellently, if the hair were a thought browner; and your gown's a most rare fashion, i'faith. I saw the Dutchess of Milan's gown, that they praise so.

Hero. O, that exceeds, they say.

Marg. By my troth, it's but a night-gown in respect of yours; cloth of gold and cuts, and lac'd with filver, set with pearls down-fleeves, fide-fleeves and skirts, round underborne with a blueish tinsel; but for a fine, queint, graceful and excellent fashion, your's is worth ten on't.

Hero. God give me joy to wear it, for my heart is exceeding heavy!

Mar. 'Twill be heavier soon by the weight of a

man.

Hero. Fie upon thee, art not asham'd?

Marg. Of what, lady? of speaking honourably? is not marriage honourable in a beggar? is not your Lord honourable without marriage? I think, you would

E 3