2168Win me and weare me, let him answere me,

2169Come follow me boy, come sir boy, come follow me

2170Sir boy, ile whip you from your foyning fence,

2171Nay, as I am a gentleman, I will.

2172Leon. Brother.

2173Brot. Content your self, God knows I lou'd my neece,

2174And she is dead, slander'd to death by villaines,

2175That dare as well answer a man indeede,

2176As I d are take a serpent by the tongue.

2177Boyes, apes, braggarts, Iackes, milke-sops.

2178Leon. Brother Anthony.

2179Brot. Hold you content, what man? I know them, yea

2180And what they weigh, euen to the vtmost scruple,

2181Scambling, out-facing, fashion-monging boyes,

2182That lye, and cog, and flout, depraue, and slander,

2183Goe antiquely, and show outward hidiousnesse,

2184And speake of halfe a dozen dang'rous words,

2185How they might hurt their enemies, if they durst.

2186And this is all.

2187Leon. But brother Anthonie.

2188Ant. Come, 'tis no matter,

2189Do not you meddle, let me deale in this.

2190Pri. Gentlemen both, we will not wake your patience

2191My heart is sorry for your daughters death:

2192But on my honour she was charg'd with nothing

2193But what was true, and very full of proofe.

2194Leon. My Lord, my Lord.

2195Prin. I will not heare you.

2197Leo. No come brother, away, I will be heard.

2199Bro. And shall, or some of vs will smart for it.

2200Prin. See, see, here comes the man we went to seeke.

2201Clau. Now signior, what newes?

2202Ben. Good day my Lord.

2203Prin. Welcome signior, you are almost come to part

2204almost a fray.

2205Clau. Wee had likt to haue had our two noses snapt

2206off with two old men without teeth.

2207Prin. Leonato and his brother, what think'st thou? had

2208wee fought, I doubt we should haue beene too yong for

2209them.

2210Ben. In a false quarrell there is no true valour, I came

2211to seeke you both.

2212Clau. We haue beene vp and downe to seeke thee, for

2213we are high proofe melancholly, and would faine haue it

2214beaten away, wilt thou vse thy wit?

2215Ben. It is in my scabberd, shall I draw it?

2216Prin. Doest thou weare thy wit by thy side?

2217Clau. Neuer any did so, though verie many haue been

2218beside their wit, I will bid thee drawe, as we do the min-

2219strels, draw to pleasure vs.

2220Prin. As I am an honest man he lookes pale, art thou

2221sicke, or angrie?

2222Clau. What, courage man: what though care kil'd a

2223cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care.

2224Ben. Sir, I shall meete your wit in the careere, and

2225you charge it against me, I pray you chuse another sub-

2226iect.

2227Clau. Nay then giue him another staffe, this last was

2228broke crosse.

2229Prin. By this light, he changes more and more, I thinke

2230he be angrie indeede.

2231Clau. If he be, he knowes how to turne his girdle.

2232Ben. Shall I speake a word in your eare?

2233Clau. God blesse me from a challenge.

2234Ben. You are a villaine, I iest not, I will make it good

2235how you dare, with what you dare, and when you dare:

2236do me right, or I will protest your cowardise: you haue

2237kill'd a sweete Ladie, and her death shall fall heauie on

2238you, let me heare from you.

2239Clau. Well, I will meete you, so I may haue good

2240cheare.

2241Prin. What, a feast, a feast?

2242Clau. I faith I thanke him, he hath bid me to a calues

2243head and a Capon, the which if I doe not carue most cu-

2244riously, say my knife's naught, shall I not finde a wood-

2245cocke too?

2246Ben. Sir, your wit ambles well, it goes easily.

2247Prin. Ile tell thee how Beatrice prais'd thy wit the o-

2248ther day: I said thou hadst a fine wit: true saies she, a fine

2249little one: no said I, a great wit: right saies shee, a great

2250grosse one: nay said I, a good wit: iust said she, it hurts

2251no body: nay said I, the gentleman is wise: certain said

2252she, a wise gentleman: nay said I, he hath the tongues:

2253that I beleeue said shee, for hee swore a thing to me on

2254munday night, which he forswore on tuesday morning:

2255there's a double tongue, there's two tongues: thus did

2256shee an howre together trans-shape thy particular ver-

2257tues, yet at last she concluded with a sigh, thou wast the

2258proprest man in Italie.

2259Claud. For the which she wept heartily, and said shee

2260car'd not.

2261Prin. Yea that she did, but yet for all that, and if shee

2262did not hate him deadlie, shee would loue him dearely,

2263the old mans daughter told vs all.

2264Clau. All, all, and moreouer, God saw him vvhen he

2265was hid in the garden.

2266Prin. But when shall we set the sauage Bulls hornes

2267on the sensible Benedicks head?

2268Clau. Yea and text vnder-neath, heere dwells Bene-

2269dicke the married man.

2270Ben. Fare you well, Boy, you know my minde, I will

2271leaue you now to your gossep-like humor, you breake

2272iests as braggards do their blades, which God be thank-

2273ed hurt not: my Lord, for your manie courtesies I thank

2274you, I must discontinue your companie, your brother

2275the Bastard is fled from Messina: you haue among you,

2276kill'd a sweet and innocent Ladie: for my Lord Lacke-

2277beard there, he and I shall meete, and till then peace be

2278with him.

2279Prin. He is in earnest.

2280Clau. In most profound earnest, and Ile warrant you,

2281for the loue of Beatrice.

2282Prin. And hath challeng'd thee.

2283Clau. Most sincerely.

2284Prin. What a prettie thing man is, when he goes in his

2285doublet and hose, and leaues off his wit.

2287Clau. He is then a Giant to an Ape, but then is an Ape

2288a Doctor to such a man.

2289Prin. But soft you, let me be, plucke vp my heart, and

2290be sad, did he not say my brother was fled?

2291Const. Come you sir, if iustice cannot tame you, shee

2292shall nere weigh more reasons in her ballance, nay, and

2293you be a cursing hypocrite once, you must be lookt to.

2294Prin. How now, two of my brothers men bound? Bo-

2295rachio one.

2296Clau. Harken after their offence my Lord.

2297Prin. Officers, what offence haue these men done?