1524Hero. God giue mee ioy to weare it, for my heart is

1525exceeding heauy.

1526Marga. 'Twill be heauier soone, by the waight of a

1527man.

1528Hero. Fie vpon thee, art not asham'd?

1529Marg. Of what Lady? of speaking honourably? is

1530not marriage honourable in a beggar? is not your Lord

1531honourable without marriage? I thinke you would haue

1532me say, sauing your reuerence a husband: and bad thin-

1533king doe not wrest true speaking, Ile offend no body, is

1534there any harme in the heauier for a husband? none I

1535thinke, and it be the right husband, and the right wife,

1536otherwise 'tis light and not heauy, aske my Lady Beatrice

1537else, here she comes.

1539Hero. Good morrow Coze.

1540Beat. Good morrow sweet Hero.

1541Hero. Why how now? do you speake in the sick tune?

1542Beat. I am out of all other tune, me thinkes.

1543Mar. Claps into Light a loue, (that goes without a

1544burden,) do you sing it and Ile dance it.

1545Beat. Ye Light aloue with your heeles, then if your

1546husband haue stables enough, you'll looke he shall lacke

1547no barnes.

1548Mar. O illegitimate construction! I scorne that with

1549my heeles.

1550Beat. 'Tis almost fiue a clocke cosin, 'tis time you

1551were ready, by my troth I am exceeding ill, hey ho.

1552Mar. For a hauke, a horse, or a husband?

1553Beat. For the letter that begins them all, H.

1554Mar. Well, and you be not turn'd Turke, there's no

1555more sayling by the starre.

1556Beat. What meanes the foole trow?

1557Mar. Nothing I, but God send euery one their harts

1558desire.

1559Hero. These gloues the Count sent mee, they are an

1560excellent perfume.

1561Beat. I am stuft cosin, I cannot smell.

1562Mar. A maid and stuft! there's goodly catching of

1563colde.

1564Beat. O God helpe me, God help me, how long haue

1565you profest apprehension?

1566Mar. Euer since you left it, doth not my wit become

1567me rarely?

1568Beat. It is not seene enough, you should weare it in

1569your cap, by my troth I am sicke.

1570Mar. Get you some of this distill'd carduus benedictus

1571and lay it to your heart, it is the onely thing for a qualm.

1572Hero. There thou prickst her with a thissell.

1573Beat. Benedictus, why benedictus? you haue some mo-

1574rall in this benedictus.

1575Mar. Morall? no by my troth, I haue no morall mea-

1576ning, I meant plaine holy thissell, you may thinke per-

1577chance that I thinke you are in loue, nay birlady I am not

1578such a foole to thinke what I list, nor I list not to thinke

1579what I can, nor indeed I cannot thinke, if I would thinke

1580my hart out of thinking, that you are in loue, or that you

1581will be in loue, or that you can be in loue: yet Benedicke

1582was such another, and now is he become a man, he swore

1583hee would neuer marry, and yet now in despight of his

1584heart he eates his meat without grudging, and how you

1585may be conuerted I know not, but me thinkes you looke

1586with your eies as other women doe.

1587Beat. What pace is this that thy tongue keepes.

1588Mar. Not a false gallop.

1590Vrsula. Madam, withdraw, the Prince, the Count, sig-

1591nior Benedicke, Don Iohn, and all the gallants of the

1592towne are come to fetch you to Church.

1593Hero. Helpe to dresse mee good coze, good Meg,

1594good Vrsula.

1596Leonato. What would you with mee, honest neigh-

1597bour?

1598Const. Dog. Mary sir I would haue some confidence

1599with you, that decernes you nearely.

1600Leon. Briefe I pray you, for you see it is a busie time

1601with me.

1602Const. Dog. Mary this it is sir.

1603Headb. Yes in truth it is sir.

1604Leon. What is it my good friends?

1605Con. Do. Goodman Verges sir speakes a little of the

1606matter, an old man sir, and his wits are not so blunt, as

1607God helpe I would desire they were, but infaith honest

1608as the skin betweene his browes.

1609Head. Yes I thank God, I am as honest as any man li-

1610uing, that is an old man, and no honester then I.

1611Con. Dog. Comparisons are odorous, palabras, neigh-

1612bour Verges.

1613Leon. Neighbours, you are tedious.

1614Con. Dog. It pleases your worship to say so, but we are

1615the poore Dukes officers, but truely for mine owne part,

1616if I were as tedious as a King I could finde in my heart to

1617bestow it all of your worship.

1618Leon. All thy tediousnesse on me, ah?

1619Const.Dog. Yea, and 'twere a thousand times more

1620than 'tis, for I heare as good exclamation on your Wor-

1621ship as of any man in the Citie, and though I bee but a

1622poore man, I am glad to heare it.

1623Head. And so am I.

1624Leon. I would faine know what you haue to say.

1625Head. Marry sir our watch to night, excepting your

1626worships presence, haue tane a couple of as arrant

1627knaues as any in Messina.

1628Con. Dog. A good old man sir, hee will be talking as

1629they say, when the age is in the wit is out, God helpe vs,

1630it is a world to see: well said yfaith neighbour Verges,

1631well, God's a good man, and two men ride of a horse,

1632one must ride behinde, an honest soule yfaith sir, by my

1633troth he is, as euer broke bread, but God is to bee wor-

1634shipt, all men are not alike, alas good neighbour.

1635Leon. Indeed neighbour he comes too short of you.

1636Con. Do. Gifts that God giues.

1637Leon. I must leaue you.

1638Con. Dog. One word sir, our watch sir haue indeede

1639comprehended two aspitious persons, & we would haue

1640them this morning examined before your worship.

1641Leon. Take their examination your selfe, and bring it

1642me, I am now in great haste, as may appeare vnto you.

1643Const. It shall be suffigance. (Exit.

1644Leon. Drinke some wine ere you goe: fare you well.

1645Messenger. My Lord, they stay for you to giue your

1646daughter to her husband.

1647Leon. Ile wait vpon them, I am ready.

1648Dogb. Goe good partner, goe get you to Francis Sea-

1649coale, bid him bring his pen and inkehorne to the Gaole:

1650we are now to examine those men.

1651Verges. And we must doe it wisely.

1652Dogb. Wee will spare for no witte I warrant you:

K3 heeres