think he holds you well and in dearness of heart hath holp to
effect your ensuing marriage--surely suit ill spent and labour
ill bestowed!
Pedro. Why, what's the matter?
John. I came
hither to tell you, and, circumstances short'ned (for
she has been too long a-talking of), the lady is disloyal.
Claud. Who? Hero?
John. Even she--Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.
Claud. Disloyal?
John. The word is too good to paint out her wickedness. I could say
she were worse; 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
shall see her
chamber window ent'red, 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?
Pedro. I will not think it.
John. If you dare not trust that you see,
confess not that you
know. If you will follow me, I will show you enough; and when you
have seen more and heard more, proceed accordingly.
Claud. If I see anything to-night why I should not marry her
to-morrow, in the
congregation where I should wed, there will I
shame her.
Pedro. And, as I wooed for thee to
obtain her, I will join with
thee to
disgrace her.
John. I will disparage her no farther till you are my witnesses.
Bear it
coldly but till
midnight, and let the issue show itself.
Pedro. O day untowardly turned!
Claud. O
mischiefstrangely thwarting!
John. O
plague right well prevented!
So will you say when you have seen the Sequel.
Exeunt.
Scene III.
A street.
Enter Dogberry and his compartner [Verges], with the Watch.
Dog. Are you good men and true?
Verg. Yea, or else it were pity but they should suffer salvation,
body and soul.
Dog. Nay, that were a
punishment too good for them if they should
have any
allegiance in them, being chosen for the Prince's watch.
Verg. Well, give them their
charge, neighbour Dogberry.
Dog. First, who think you the most desartless man to be
constable?
1. Watch. Hugh Oatcake, sir, or George Seacoal; for they can write
and read.
Dog. Come
hither, neighbour Seacoal. God hath bless'd you with a
good name. To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune, but
to write and read comes by nature.
2. Watch. Both which, Master Constable--
Dog. You have. I knew it would be your answer. Well, for your
favour, sir, why, give God thanks and make no boast of it; and
for your
writing and
reading, let that appear when there is no
need of such
vanity. You are thought here to be the most
senseless and fit man for the
constable of the watch. Therefore
bear you the lanthorn. This is your
charge: you shall comprehend
all vagrom men; you are to bid any man stand, in the Prince's
name.
2. Watch. How if 'a will not stand?
Dog. Why then, take no note of him, but let him go, and presently
call the rest of the watch together and thank God you are rid of
a knave.
Verg. If he will not stand when he is bidden, he is none of the
Prince's subjects.
Dog. True, and they are to
meddle with none but the Prince's
subjects. You shall also make no noise in the streets; for for
the watch to
babble and to talk is most tolerable, and not to be
endured.
2. Watch. We will rather sleep than talk. We know what belongs to
a watch.
Dog. Why, you speak like an ancient and most quiet
watchman, for I
cannot see how
sleeping should
offend. Only have a care that your
bills be not stol'n. Well, you are to call at all the alehouses
and bid those that are drunk get them to bed.
2. Watch. How if they will not?
Dog. Why then, let them alone till they are sober. If they make you
not then the better answer, You may say they are not the men you
took them for.
2. Watch. Well, sir.
Dog. If you meet a thief, you may
suspect him, by
virtue of your
office, to be no true man; and for such kind of men, the less you
meddle or make with them, why, the more your
honesty.
2. Watch. If we know him to be a thief, shall we not lay hands on
him?
Dog. Truly, by your office you may; but I think they that touch
pitch will be defil'd. The most
peaceable way for you, if you do
take a thief, is to let him show himself what he is, and steal
out of your company.
Verg. You have been always called a
merciful man, partner.
Dog. 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 asleep and will not hear us?
Dog. 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.
Dog. 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, by'r lady, that I think 'a cannot.
Dog. Five shillings to one on't with any man that knows the
statutes, 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. By'r lady, I think it be so.
Dog. Ha, ah, ha! Well, masters, good night. An there be any matter
of weight chances, call up me. Keep your fellows' counsels and
your own, and good night. Come, neighbour.
2. Watch. Well, masters, we hear our
charge. Let us go sit here
upon the church bench till two, and then all to bed.
Dog. One word more, honest neighbours. I pray you watch about
Signior Leonato's door; for the
wedding being there tomorrow,
there is a great coil to-night. Adieu. Be vigitant, I beseech
you. Exeunt [Dogberry and Verges].
Enter Borachio and Conrade.
Bora. What, Conrade!
2. Watch. [aside] Peace! stir not!
Bora. Conrade, I say!
Con. Here, man. I am at thy elbow.
Bora. Mass, and my elbow itch'd! I thought there would a scab
follow.
Con. I will owe thee an answer for that; and now forward with thy
tale.
Bora. Stand thee close then under this penthouse, for it drizzles
rain, and I will, like a true
drunkard, utter all to thee.
2. Watch. [aside] Some
treason, masters. Yet stand close.
Bora. Therefore know I have earned of Don John a thousand ducats.
Con. Is it possible that any villany should be so dear?
Bora. Thou shouldst rather ask if it were possible any villany
should be so rich; for when rich villains have need of poor ones,
poor ones may make what price they will.
Con. I wonder at it.
Bora. That shows thou art un
confirm'd. Thou knowest that the
fashion of a
doublet, or a hat, or a cloak, is nothing to a man.
Con. Yes, it is apparel.
Bora. I mean the fashion.
Con. Yes, the fashion is the fashion.
Bora. Tush! I may as well say the fool's the fool. But seest thou
not what a deformed thief this fashion is?
2. Watch. [aside] I know that Deformed. 'A bas been a vile thief
this seven year; 'a goes up and down like a gentleman. I remember
his name.
Bora. Didst thou not hear somebody?
Con. No; 'twas the vane on the house.
Bora. Seest thou not, I say, what a deformed thief this fashion is?
how giddily 'a turns about all the hot-bloods between fourteen
and five-and-thirty?
sometimes fashioning them like Pharaoh's
soldiers in the reechy
painting,
sometime like god Bel's priests
in the old church window,
sometime like the shaven Hercules in
the smirch'd worm-eaten
tapestry, where his codpiece seems as
massy as his club?
Con. All this I see; and I see that the fashion wears out more
apparel than the man. But art not thou thyself giddy with the
fashion too, that thou hast shifted 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, by the name of Hero. She leans me
out at her mistress'
chamber window, bids me a thousand times
good night--I tell this tale vilely; I should first tell thee how
the Prince, Claudio and my master, planted and placed and
possessed by my master Don John, saw afar off in the
orchard this
amiable encounter.
Con. 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 possess'd 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 enrag'd; 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 saw
o'ernight and send her home again without a husband.
2. Watch. We
charge you in the Prince's name stand!
1. Watch. Call up the right Master Constable. We have here
recover'd the most dangerous piece of lechery that ever was known
in the commonwealth.
2. Watch. And one Deformed is one of them. I know him; 'a wears a
lock.
Con. Masters, masters--
1. Watch. You'll be made bring Deformed forth, I
warrant you.
Con. Masters--
2. Watch. Never speak, we
charge you. Let us obey you to go with
us.
Bora. We are like to prove a
goodlycommodity, being taken up of
these men's bills.
Con. A
commodity in question, I
warrant you. Come, we'll obey you.
Exeunt.
Scene IV.
A Room in Leonato's house.
Enter Hero, and Margaret and Ursula.
Hero. Good Ursula, wake my cousin Beatrice and desire her to rise.
Urs. I will, lady.
Hero. And bid her come
hither.
Urs. Well. [Exit.]
Marg. Troth, I think your other rebato were better.
Hero. No, pray thee, good Meg, I'll wear this.
Marg. By my troth, 's not so good, and I
warrant your cousin will
say so.
Hero. My cousin'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.