Bora. Sir, I say to you, we are none. To. Cl. Well, stand aside; 'fore God, they are both in a tale; have you writ down, that they are none? Sexton. Master town-clerk, you go not the way to examine, you must call the watch that are their accusers. (20) To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the deftest way, let the Watch come forth; masters, I charge you in the Prince's name accuse 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. Master town-clerk, To. Cl. Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like thy look, I promise thee. Sexton. What heard you him say else? 2 Watch. Marry, that he had received a thousand ducats of Don John, for accusing the lady Hero wrong. fully. 10. Cl. Flat burglary, as ever was committed. Sexton. What else, fellow? I Watch. And that Count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to disgrace hero before the whole assembly, and not marry her. (20) To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the easiest way, let the Watch come forth.] This, eafieft, is a sophistication of our modern editors, who were • at a loss to make out the corrupted reading of the old copies. The Quarto, in 1600, and the first and second editions in Folio all concur in reading; Yea, marry, that's the eftest way, &c. A letter happened to flip out at press in the first edition; and 'twas too hard a tafk for the subsequent editors to put it in, or guess at the word under this accidental deprivation. There is no doubt, but the author wrote, as I have restor'd the text; Yea, marry, that's the deftest way, &c. i, e. the readiest, most commodious way. The word is pure Saxon. Deaflice, debite, congrue, duely, fitly. Fredæftlice, opportune, commode, fitly, conveniently, seasonably, in good time, commodioufly. Vid. Spelman's Saxon Gloss. To. Cl. To. Cl. O villain! thou wilt be condemn'd into ever lafting redemption for this. Sexton. What else? 2 Watch. This is all. Sexton. And this is more, masters, than you can deny. Prince John is this morning secretly stol'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. Master Constable, let these men be bound and brought to Leonato; I will go before, and shew him their examination. [Exit. Dogb. Come, let them be opinion'd. (21) Conr. Let them be in the hands of Coxcomb! Dogb. God's my life, where's the Sexton? let him write down the Prince's officer Coxcomb: come, bind them, thou naughty varlet. Conr. Away! you are an ass, you are an afs. Dogb. Doft thou not suspect my place? dost thou not suspect my years? O that he were here to write me down an afs! but, masters, remember, that I am an ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass; no, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as shall 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 flesh as any in Messina, 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 handsome about him! bring him away; O that I had been writ down an ass ! [Exeunt. (21) Sexton. Let them be in the hands of Coxcomb.] The generality of the editions place this line to the Sexton. But, why he should be pert upon his brother-officers, there seems no reason from any superior qualifications in him; or any fufpicion he shews of knowing their ignorance. The old Quarto gave me the first umbrage for placing it to Conrade; and common sense vouches that it ought to come from one of the prisoners, in contempt of the defpicable wretches who had them in custody. ACT I SCENE, before Leonato's House. Enter Leonato and Antonio. ANTONIO. F you go on thus, you will kill yourself; Against yourself. Leon. I pray thee, cease thy counsel, Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine, int it amwer every itrain for itrain : (22) If fuch a one will smile, and ftroke his beard, And And hallow, wag, cry bem, when be should groan.] Mr. Roque 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 balloo, and "whoop, and fidget, and wriggle about, to shew a pleasure when he "should groan, ,&c. This does not give much decorum to the fentiment. The old Quarto, and the 1st and 2d Folio editions all read, And forrow, wagge, cry bem, &c. We don't, indeed, get much by this reading; tho', I flatter myself, by a flight alteration it has led me to the true one, And forrow wage; cry, bem! when he flould groan; i. e. If such a one will combat with, strive against forrow, &c. Nor is this word infrequent with our author in these significations. So, in his Lear; To wage; against the enmity o'th' air, Neceffity's ftrong pinch. SO And Sorrow wage; cry, hem! when he should groan; But there is no such man; for, brother, men To be so moral, when he shall endure So, in Otbello; Neglecting an attempt of ease and gain, And in the ist i enr. IV, I fear the pow'r of Percy is too weak The like himself.] Patience under misfortunes easier advis'd, than maintain'd, is one of the topics of Shakespeare, for which Mr. Gildon told us, he had met with no parallels among the ancients: And this obfervation is particularly directed to the passage now before us. A man of fo much reading must certainly be betray'd by his memory in this point: For I have long ago observ'd no less than five passages, all which feem to be a very reasonable foundation for our author's fentiments on this subject. Facile omnes, quum valemus, recta Confilia ægrotis damus; Tu fi bic fis, aliter fentias. Επαφρὸν ὅτις σημάτων έξω πόδα Πράσσοντας. ̓́Αλλῳ πινέντι ράδιον παραινέσαι Terent. Æfcbyl. Philem. Eurip. The The like himself; therefore give me no counsel; Ant. Therein do men from children nothing differ. For there was never yet philosopher, Ant. Yet bend not all the harm upon yourself: Make those, that do offend you, fuffer too. Leon. There thou speak'st reason; nay, I will do se. My foul doth tell me, Hero is bely'd; And that shall Claudio know, so shall the Prince; And all of them, that thus dishonour her. Enter Don Pedro, nnd Claudio. Ant. Here comes the Prince and Claudio hastily. Claud. Good-day to both of you. Leon. Hear you, my lords ? Pedro. We have fome haste, Leonato. Leon. Some hafte, my lord! well, fare you well, my lord. Are you to hasty now? well, all is one. Pedro. Nay, do not quarrel with us, good old man. Ant. If he could right himself with quarrelling, Some of us would lye low. Claud. Who wrongs him? Leon. Marry, thou dost wrong me, thou dissembler, thou! Nay, never lay thy hand upon thy fword, Claud. Marry, beshrew my hand, If it should give your age such cause of fear; Leon. Tush, tush, man, never fleer and jest at me; I fpeak not like a dotard nor a fool; What I have done being young, or what would do, That I am forc'd to lay my reverence by; And, |