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? Cour. I am a gentleman, Sir, and my name is Conrade. To. Cl. Write down, mafter gentleman Conrade; mafters, do you serve God? Both. Yea, Sir, we hope. S To. Cl. Write down, that they hope they ferve God: and write God first: for God defend, but God should go before fuch villains.-Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than falfe knaves, and it will go near to be thought fo fhortly; how answer for yourselves? Conr. Marry, Sir, we fay, we are none. you 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 aside; '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 s 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;-] This fhort 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 afks a Question of the Prisoners, and goes on without ftaying for any Anfwer to it. R 4 THEOBALD. examine, examine, you must call the watch that are their accufers. To Cl. Yea, marry, that's the defteft way, let the Watch come forth; mafters, I charge you. in the Prince's name accuse these men. Enter Watchmen. I 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 6 To. Cl. Yea, marry, that's the eaficft Way, let the Watch come forth.] This, eafuft, is a Sophiftication 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 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 firit Edition; and 'twas too hard a Task for the subfequent Editors to put it in, or guess 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 readieft, 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 into everlasting redemption for this. Sexton. What elfe? 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. Master 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 Jhould be fo pert upon his Brother Officers, there feems no reafon from any Juperior qualifications in him; or any fufpicion he fheus of 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 Townclerk That he goes not the way to examine. The meanness of his name hindered our Editor from feeing the Goodnefs 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 fuppofe the book from whence the Poet took his fubject was fome old English novel tranflated from the Italian, where [Exit. Conr. the word Sagriftan, was rendered Sexton. As in Fairfax's God frey of Boulogne ; When Phoebus next unclos'd his awakeful eye, Up rofe the SEXTON of that place prophane. The paffage then in question is to be read thus, Sexton. Let them be in hand. [Exit: Conr. Off, Coxcomb! Dogberry would have them pinion'd. The Sexton 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 first umbrage for placing it to Conrade. What these words mean I don't know: But I fuf pect 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 him 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 witnefs; 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 Melfina, 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 afs! [Exeunt. IF ACT V. SCENE I. Enter Leonato and Antonio. ANTONI Ο. F you go on thus, you will kill yourself; Leon. I pray thee, cease thy counsel, 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, inftead of the proper words. But But fuch a one whose wrongs do fuite with mine. Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine, But there is no fuch man; for, brother, men 8 If fuch a one will Smile, and And forrow, wagge, cry hem, &c. We don't, indeed, get much by this Reading; tho', I flatter myfelf, by a flight Alteration it has led me to the true one, And Sorrow wage; cry, hem! when he should groan ; i. e. If fuch a one will combat with, ftrive against Sorrow, &c. Nor is this Word infrequent with our Author in thefe Significa tions. THEOBALD, Sir Thomas Hanmer, and after him Dr. Warburton, for wag read waive, which is, I fuppofe, the fame as, put ofide,or fhift off. None of thefe conjectures fati fy 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 fuch an one will Smile, and |