D. PEDRO. For my life, to break with him about Beatrice.

CLAUD. "Tis even fo: Hero and Margaret have by this played their parts with Beatrice; and then the two bears will not bite one another, when they

meet.

Enter Don JOHN.

D. JOHN. My lord and brother, God save you. D. PEDRO. Good den, brother.

D. JOHN. If your leifure ferved, I would speak with you.

D. PEDRO. In private ?

D. JOHN. If it please you ;-yet count Claudio may hear; for what I would speak of, concerns him.

D. PEDRO. What's the matter?

D. JOHN. Means your lordship to be married tomorrow? [To CLAUDIO.

D. PEDRO. You know, he does.

D. JOHN. I know not that, when he knows what I know.

CLAUD. If there be any impediment, I pray you,

discover it.

C

D. JOHN. You may think, I love you not; let that appear hereafter, and aim better at me by that I now will manifeft: For my brother, I think, he holds you well; and in dearnefs of heart hath holp to effect your enfuing marriage: furely, fuit ill fpent, and labour ill bestowed!

D. PEDRO. Why, what's the matter?

D. JOHN. I came hither to tell you; and, sir

cumstances shortened, (for the hath been too long a talking of,) the lady is disloyal.

CLAUD. Who? Hero?

D. JOHN. Even fhe; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.7

CLAUD. Difloyal ?

D. JOHN. The word is too good to paint out her wickedness; I could fay, fhe were worfe; think you of a worse title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not till further warrant: go but with me to-night, you fhall fee her chamber-window entered; even the night before her wedding-day : if you love her then, to-morrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour to change your mind.

CLAUD. May this be so?

D. PEDRO. I will not think it.

D. JOHN. If you dare not trust that you fee, confefs not that you know: if you will follow me, I will fhow you enough; and when you have seen more, and heard more, proceed accordingly.

CLAUD. If I fee any thing to-night why I should not marry her to-morrow; in the congregation, where I should wed, there will I fhame her.

D. PEDRO. And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to difgrace her.

D. JOHN. I will difparage her no farther, till you are my witneffes: bear it coldly but till midnight, and let the iffue fhow itself.

D. PEDRO. O day untowardly turned !

•Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.] Dryden has transplanted this farcasm into his All for Love:

"Your Cleopatra; Dolabella's Cleopatra; every man's Cleopatra." STEEVENS.

CLAUD. O mischief ftrangely thwarting! D. JOHN. O plague right well prevented! So will you fay, when you have feen the fequel. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

A Street.

Enter DOGBERRY and VERGES,8 with the Watch.

DOGB. Are you good men and true?

VERG. Yea, or else it were pity but they should fuffer falvation, body and foul.

DOGB. Nay, that were a punishment too good for them, if they fhould have any allegiance in them, being chofen for the prince's watch.

VERG. Well, give them their charge, neighbour Dogberry.

DOGB. First, who think you the most desartless man to be constable?

1 WATCH. Hugh Oatcake, fir, or George Seacoal; for they can write and read.

DOGB. Come hither, neighbour Seacoal God hath bleffed you with a good name: to be a well

8 Dogberry and Verges,] The first of these worthies had his name from the Dog-berry, i. e. the female cornel, a shrub that grows in the hedges in every county of England. Verges is only the provincial pronunciation of Verjuice.

STEEVENS.

9 Well, give them their charge,] To charge his fellows, feems to have been a regular part of the duty of the conftable of the watch. So, in A New Trick to cheat the Devil, 1639: "My watch is fet-charge given-and all at peace." Again, in The Infatiate Countefs, by Marfton, 1613: "Come on, my hearts; we are the city's fecurity-I'll give you your charge."

MALONE.

favoured man is the gift of fortune; but to write and read comes by nature.

2 WATCH. Both which, mafter conftable,

DOGB. You have; I knew it would be your anfwer. Well, for your favour, fir, why, give God thanks, and make no boaft of it; and for your writing and reading, let that appear when there is no need of fuch vanity. You are thought here to be the most senseless and fit man for the conftable of the watch; therefore bear you the lantern: This is your charge; You fhall comprehend all vagrom men; you are to bid any man ftand, in the prince's name.

2 WATCH. How if he will not stand?

DOGB. Why then, take no note of him, but let him go; and presently call the reft of the watch together, and thank God you are rid of a knave.

VERG. If he will not ftand when he is bidden, he is none of the prince's fubjects.

DOGB. True, and they are to meddle with none but the prince's fubjects:-You fhall also make no noife in the streets; for, for the watch to babble and talk, is moft tolerable and not to be endured.

2 WATCH. We will rather fleep than talk; we know what belongs to a watch.

DOGB. Why, you fpeak like an ancient and most quiet watchman; for I cannot fee how fleeping fhould offend: only, have a care that your bills be not ftolen: Well, you are to call at all the ale

I

bills be not ftolen:] A bill is ftill carried by the watchmen at Lichfield. It was the old weapon of English infantry, which, fays Temple, gave the most ghaftly and deplorable wounds. It may be called fecuris falcata.

JOHNSON.

2.

houfes, and bid those that are drunk get them to bed.

About Shakspeare's time halberds were the weapons borne by the watchmen, as appears from Blount's Voyage to the Levant: certaine Janizaries, who with great ftaves guard each street, as our night watchmen with holberds in London.”

REED.

The weapons to which the care of Dogberry extends, are mentioned in Glapthorne's Wit in a Conftable, 1639: "Well faid, neighbours;

"You're chatting wifely o'er your bills and lanthorns, "As becomes watchmen of difcretion."

Again, in Arden of Feverfham, 1592:

"Are coming tow'rd our house with glaives and bills.” The following representation of a watchman, with his bill on his shoulder, is copied from the title-page to Decker's O per fe O, &c. 4to. 1612:

STEEVENS.

VOL. VI.

H