Dogb. Comparisons are odorous: palabras, neighbour Verges.

Leon. Neighbours, you are tedious.

Dogb. It pleafes 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 bestow it all of your worship.

Leon. All thy tedioufnefs on me, ha ?

Dogb. Yea, and 'twere a thousand times more than 'tis, for I hear as good exclamation on your worship as of any man in the city; and tho' I be but a pcor man, I am glad to hear it..

Verg. And fo am I.

Leon. I wonld fain know what you have to fay. Verg. Marry, Sir, our Watch to night, excepting your Worship's prefence, hath ta'en a couple of as arrant knaves as any in Melina.

4

Dogb. A good old man, Sir; 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-well faid, i'faith, neighbour Verges-well, he's a good man ; an two men ride an horfe, one muft ride behind-an honeft foul, i'faith, Sir, by my troth he is, as ever broke bread, but God is to be worshipp'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.

For, as a great Wit fays,Youth is the feafon of Virtue; corruptions grow with years, and 1 believe the oldeft rogue in England is the greatest. WARBURTON.

is not out of place, or without meaning. Dogberry, in his vanity of fuperiour parts, apologizing for his neighbour, obferves, that, of two men on a barfe, one must ride behind. The firft place of rank, or understanding, can belong but to one, and that happy one ought not to defpife If two men ride, &c.] This his inferiour.

Much of this is true, but I believe Shakespeare did not intend to beftow all this reflection on the speaker.

Dogb.

Dogb. One word, Sir; our Watch have, indeed, comprehended two aufpicious perfons; and we would have them this morning examin'd before your Worship.

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

Dogb. It fhall be fuffigance.

fare you

well.

Leon. Drink fome wine ere you go: fare

Enter a Mefferger:

Melf. My lord, they ftay for you to give your daughter to her husband.

Leon. I'll wait upon them, I am ready.

[Exeunt Leonato. Dogb. Go, good Partner, go get you to Francis Seacoale, bid him bring his pen and inkhorn to the jail; we are now to examine thofe men.

Verg. And we must do it wifely.

Dogb. We will fpare for no wit, I warrant; here's That [touching his forehead] fhall drive fome of them to a non-come. Only get the learned writer to set down our excommunication, and meet me at the Jail.

[Exeunt.

ACT

A C T IV.

SCENE I.

A CHURCH.

Enter D. Pedro, D. John, Leonato, Friar, Claudio, Benedick, Hero, and Beatrice.

COM

LEONATO.

OME, friar Francis, be brief, only to the plain form of marriage, and you shall recount their particular duties afterwards.

Friar. You come hither, my Lord, to marry this. lady?

Claud. No.

Leon. To be marry'd to her, Friar. You come to marry her.

Friar. Lady, you come hither to be marry'd to this Count.

Hero. I do.

Friar. If either of

you know any inward impediment why you should not be conjoin'd, I charge you

on your fouls to utter it.

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 fome be of laughing, as, ha, ha, he!

Claud. Stand thee by, friar : father, by your leave, Will you with free and unconstrained foul

5 Some be of laughing.] This is a quotation from the Accidence.

Give

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, whofe

worth

May counterpoife this rich and precious gift?
Pedro. Nothing, unless you render her again.
Claud. Sweet Prince, you learn me noble thankful-
nefs :

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 fhew of truth.
Can cunning fin cover itfelf withal!
Comes not that blood, as modeft evidence,
To witness fimple virtue? would you not swear,
All you that fee her, that she were a maid,
By these exterior fhews ? but fhe is none:
She knows the heat of a luxurious bed;
Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.

Leon. What do you mean, my Lord?
Claud. Not to be marry'd,

Not to knit my foul to an approved Wanton.
Leon. Dear my Lord, if you in your own approof
Have vanquish'd the refiftance of her youth,
And made defeat of her virginity

7

Claud. I know what you would fay. If I have known her,

6 luxurious bed;] That is, lafcivious. Luxury is the confeffor's term for unlawful pleafures of the fex.

Dear my Lord, if you in your own Proof] I am furpriz'd, the Poetical Editors did not obferve the Lamenefs of this Verfe. It evidently wants a Syllable in the laft Foot, which I have reftor'd by a Word, which, I pre

fume; the firfl Editors might hefitate at; tho' it is a very proper one, and a Word elsewhere ufed by our Author. Befides, in the Paffage under Examination, this Word comes in a'most neceffarily, as Claudio had faid in the line immediately preceding;

Not knit my Soul to an approved Wanton.

THEOBALD.

You'll

You'll fay, fhe did embrace me as a husband,
And fo extenuate the forehand fin.

No, Leonato,

8

I never tempted her with word too large ';
But, as a brother to his fifter, fhew'd
Bafhful fincerity, and comely love.

Hero. And feem'd I ever otherwife to you?

Claud. Out on thy Seeming! I will write against it': You seem to me as Dian in her orb,

As chafte as is the bud 'ere it be blown :

But you are more intemperate in your
Than Venus, or thofe pamper'd animals
That rage in favage fenfuality.

blood

Hero. Is my Lord well, that he doth speak fo wide?
Leon. Sweet Prince, why speak not you?
Pedro. What fhould I speak?

I ftand difhonour'd, that have gone about
To link my dear friend to a common Stale.

Leon. Are these things fpoken, or do I but dream;
John. Sir, they are fpoken, and thefe things are true.
Bene. This looks not like a Nuptial.

Hero. True! O God!

Claud. Leonato, ftand I here?

Is this the Prince? Is this the Prince's Brother?

Is this face Hero's? are our eyes our own;

Leon. All this is fo; but what of this, my lord? Claud. Let me but move one queftion to your daughter,

And, by that fatherly and kindly power 2
That you have in her, bid her answer truly.

-word too large ;] So he ufes large jefts in this play, for licentious, not restrained within due bounds.

9

I will write against it:] What a libel ? nonsense. We fhould read, I will RATE against it, i. e. rail or revile.

WARBURTON.

As to fubfcribe to any thing is to allow it, fo to write against is to difullow or deny.

chafte as the bud] Before the air has tafted its fweetnefs.