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 conftable. To. Cl. Yea, marry, let them come before me; what is your name, friend? Bora. Borachio. To. Cl. Pray, write down, Borachio. Yours, Sirrah? Conr. 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 firft: 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 answer you for yourfelves? Conr. Marry, Sir, 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, 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 the way to 5 Both. Yea, Sir, we hope. To. Cl. Write down that they hope they ferve God: and write God first; for God defend, but Ged foould go before fuch Villains; This thort Paffage, which is truly humourous and in character, I have added from the old Quarto. Befides, it fupplies a Defect: for, without it, the Town Clerk aks a Question of the Prifoners, and goes on without ftaying for any Anfwer to it. R 4 THEOBALD. examine, examine, you must call the watch that are their accufers. 6 "To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the defteft way, let the Watch come forth; mafters, I charge you in the Prince's name accufe these 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 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. Sexton. What elfe, fellow? 1 Watch. And that Count Claudio did mean, upon To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the eafieft Way, let the Watch come forth.] This, eafieft, is a Sophiflication of our modern. Editors, who were at a Lofs to make out the corrupted Reading of the old Copies. The Quarto, in 1600, and the first and fecond Editions in Folio all concur in reading; Yea, marry, that's the efteft way, &c. A Letter happen'd to flip out at Prefs in the firft Edition; and 'twas too hard a Tafk for the sub fequent Editors to put it in, or guefs at the word under this accidental Depravation. There is no doubt, but the Author wrote, as I have reftor'd the Text; Yea, marry, that's the defteft way, &c. i. e. the readinft, most commodi- Vid. Spelman's Saxon. Gloff. his his words, to difgrace Hero before the whole affembly, and not marry her. To. Cl. O villain! thou wilt be condemn'd inta everlasting redemption for this. Sexton. What else? 2 Watch. This is all. Sexton. And this is more, mafters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning fecretly ftoll'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. Mafter Conftable, let these men be bound and brought to Leonato; I will go before, and fhew him their examination. Dogb. Come let them be opinion'd. 7 Sexton. Let them be in the bands of Coxcomb.] So the Editions. Mr. Theobald gives the words to Conrade, and fays, But why the Sexton fhould be fo pert upon his Brother Officers, there Leems no reafon from any fujeir qualifications in bim; or any fuf. picion be fhews f knowing their ignorance. This is ftrange. The Sexton throughout fhews as good fenfe in their Examination as any Judge upon the bench could do. And as to his fufpicion of their ignorance, he tells the Town clerk That he goes not the way to examine. The meanness of his name hindered our Editor from feeing the Goodness of his Senfe. But this Sexton was an Ecclefiaftic of one of the inferior Orders called the Sacriftan, and not a Brother Officer, as the Editor calls him. I suppose the book from whence the Poet took his fubject was fome old English novel tranflated from the Italian, where [Exit. Coxr. the word Sagristano was rendered Sexton. As in Fairfax's Godfrey of Boulogne. When Phoebus next unclos'd his wakeful eye, Up rofe the SEXTON of that place propbane. The paffage then in question is to be read thus, Sexton. Let them be in hand. Conr. Off, Coxcomb! Degberry would have them pinion'd. The Sexion fays, it was fufficient if they were kept in fafe cuftody, and then goes out. When one of the watchmen comes up to bind them, Conrade fays, Off, Coxcomb! as he fays afterwards to the Constable, Away! you are an afs.-But the Editor adds, The old Quarto gave me the fift umbrage for placing it to Conrade. What these words mean I don't know: But I suspect the old Quarto divides the paffage as I have done. - WARB. There Conr. Off, Coxcomb. Dogb. God's my life, where's the Sexton? let hima write down the Prince's officer Coxcomb: come, bind them, thou naughty varlet. Conr. Away! you are an afs, you are an afs Dogb. Doft thou not fufpect my place? doft thou not fufpect my years? O that he were here to write me down an afs! but, mafters, remember, that I am an afs; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an afs; no, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as fhall 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 flefh as any in Meffina, 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 handfome about him; bring him away; O, that I had been writ down an ais! [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I. Before Leonato's Houfe. Enter Leonato and Antonio. ΑΝΤΟΝΙΟ. F you go on thus, you will kill yourself; Leon. I pray thee, ceafe thy counfel, There is nothing in the old quarto different in this fcene from the common copies, except that the names of two actors, Kempe and Cooley, are placed at the beginning of the fpeeches, infead of the proper words. But But fuch a one whofe wrongs do fuite with mine. Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine, But there is no fuch man; for, brother, men $ If fuch a one will Smile, and firoke his Beard, And hallow, wag, cry hem, when be fhould groan,] Mr. Rowe is the first Authority that I can find for this Reading. But what is the Intention, or how are we to expound it?" If a Man will "ballos, and whoop, and fidget, "and wriggle about, to fhew a "Pleasure when He fhould "groan," &c. This does not give much Decorum to the Sentiment. The old Quarto, and the 1ft and 2d Folio Editions all read, And forrow, wagge; cry hem, &c. We don't, indeed, get much by this Reading; tho', I flatter my felf, by a flight Alteration, it has led me to the true one, And Sorrow wage; cry, kem! ubin be fould groan; i. e. If fuch a one will combat with, frive against Sorrow, &c. Nor is this Word infrequent with our Author in these Significa Sir Thomas Harmer, and after him Dr. Warburton, for weg, read quaive, which is, I fuppofe, the fame as, pat afde, or shift off. None of thefe conjectures fatisty me, nor perhaps any other reader. I cannot but think the true reading nearer than it is imagined. I point thus, If fuch an one will smile, and when he should groan; If Juch an one will fmile, and |