them, if they should have any allegiance in them, being chofen 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, fir, or George Seacoal; for they can write and read.

Dogb. Come hither, neighbour Seacoal: God hath bless'd you with a good name: to be a well-favour'd man is the gift of fortune; but to write and read comes by nature.

2 Watch. Both which, mafter constable,

Dogb. You have; I knew it would be your anfwer. Well, for your favour, fir, 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 fuch vanity. You are thought here to be the most fenfelefs and fit man for the constable of the watch; therefore bear you the lanthorn: This your charge; you fhall comprehend all vagrom men; you are to bid any man ftand, in the prince's

is

name.

2 Watch. How if he will not stand?

Dogb. 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 fubjects.

Dogb. True, and they are to meddle with none but the prince's fubjects. You fhall alfo make

4 no need of fuch vanity.] Dogberry is only abfurd, not abfolutely out of his fenfes. We fhould read therefore, more need.

WARBURTON.

I believe the blunder was intended, and therefore am not willing to admit the propofed emendation. STEEVENS.

no

no noife in the streets; for, for the watch to babble and talk, is moft tolerable and not to be endur'd.

2 Watch. We will rather fleep than talk; we know what belongs to a watch.

Dogb. Why, you speak like an ancient and most quiet watchman; for I cannot fee how sleeping should offend only have a care that your bills be not stolen. Well, you are to call at all the ale-houses, and bid them that are drunk get them to bed.

2 Watch. How if they will not?

Dogb. Why then let them alone till they are fober if they make you not then the better answer, you may fay, they are not the men you took them for.

2 Watch. Well, fir.

Dogb. If you meet a thief, you may fufpect him by virtue of your office to be no true man; and, for fuch kind of men, the lefs you meddle or make with them, why, the more is for your honefty.

2 Watch. If we know him to be a thief, fhall we not lay hands on him?

Dogb. Truly, by your office you may; but, I think, they that touch pitch will be defil'd: the most peaceable way you, if you do take a thief, is, to

for

5 bills be not ftolen:] A bill is ftill carried by the watchmen at Litchfield. It was the old weapon of the English infantry, which, fays Temple, gave the most ghaftly and deplorable wounds. It may be called jecuris falcata. JOHNSON.

Thefe weapons are mentioned in Glapthorne's Wit in a Conftable, 1639.

66

Well faid, neighbours;

"You're chatting wifely o'er your bills and lanthorns, "As becomes watchmen of difcretion."

let him fhew himself what he is, and steal out of your company.

Verg. You have always been call'd a merciful man, partner.

Dogb. Truly, I would not hang a dog by my will; much more a man who hath any honefty in him.

Verg. If you hear a child cry in the night, you muft call to the nurse, and bid her still it."

2 Watch. How if the nurse be afleep, and will not hear us?

Dogb. 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.

"If you hear a child cry, &c.] It is not impoffible but that part of this fcene was intended as a burlesque on The Statutes of the Streets, imprinted by Wolfe, in 1595. Among these I find the following.

22. No man fhall blow any horne in the night, within this "cittie, or whistle after the houre of nyne of the clock in the "night, under paine of imprisonment."

23. "No man fhall ufe to goe with visoures, or disguised by "night, under like pain of imprisonment."

24. Made that night-walkers, and evifdroppers, like punish"ment."

25. "No hammar-man, as a smith, a pewterer, a founder, and "all artificers making great found, fhall not worke after the "houre of nyne at the night, &c."

30. "No man fhall, after the houre of nyne at night, keepe any rule, whereby any fuch fuddaine out-cry be made in the "ftill of the night, as making any affray, or beating his wyfe "or fervant, or finging, or revyling in his houfe, to the dif "turbaunce of his neighbours, under payne of iii s. iiii d. "&c. &c."

Ben Jonfon, however, appears to have ridiculed this fcene in the Induction to his Bartholomew Fair.

"And then a substantial watch to have stole in upon 'em, and taken them away with mistaking words, as the fashion is in the ftage-practice." STEEVENS.

Dogb.

Dogb. This is the end of the charge. You, conftable, are to present the prince's own person; if meet the prince in the night, you may stay him.

you

Verg. Nay, by'rlady, that, I think, he cannot. Dogb. Five fhillings to one on't, with any man that knows the ftatues, he may ftay 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'rlady, I think, it be fo

Dogb. Ha, ha, ha! Well, masters, good night: an there be any matter of weight chances, call up me: keep your fellow's counfels and your own, and good night. Come, neighbour.

2 Watch. Well, mafters, we hear our charge: let us fit here upon the church-bench till two, and then all to bed.

go

Dogb. One word more, honeft neighbours. I pray you, watch about fignior Leonato's door; for the wedding being there to-morrow, there is a great coil to-night: Adieu, be vigilant, I beseech you.

[Exeunt Dogberry aad Verges.

Enter Borachio and Conrade.

Bora. What! Conrade,

Watch. Peace, stir not.

[Afide.

Bora. Conrade, I fay!

Conr. Here, man, I am at thy elbow.

Bora. Mais, and my elbow itch'd; I thought there would a fcab follow?

Conr. I will owe thee an answer for that; and now forward with thy tale.

Bora. Stand thee close then under this pent-house, for it drizzles rain; and I will, like a true drunkard, utter all to thee.

Watch. [Afide.] Some treafon, masters; yet stand close.

Bora.

Bora. Therefore know, I have earned of Don John a thousand ducats.

Conr. Is it poffible that any villainy fhould be fo

dear?

Bora. Thou fhould'st rather afk, if it were poffible 7 any villainy should be fo rich: for when rich villains have need of poor ones, poor ones may make what price they will.

Conr. I wonder at it.

Bora. That fhews, thou art unconfirm'd: Thou knoweft, that the fashion of a doublet, or a hat, or a cloak, is nothing to a man.

Conr. Yes, it is apparel.

Bora. I mean, the fashion.

Conr. Yes, the fashion is the fashion.

Bora. Tuh! I may as well fay, the fool's the fool. But fee'st thou not, what a deformed thief this fashion is?

Watch. I know that Deformed; he has been a vile thief these seven years; he goes up and down like a gentleman: I remember his name.

Bora. Didst thou not hear fome body?

Conr. No; 'twas the vane on the house.

Bora. Seeft thou not, I fay, what a deformed thief this fashion is? how giddily he turns about all the hot bloods, between fourteen and five and thirty? fometimes, fafhioning them like Pharaoh's foldiers in the reechy painting; fometimes, like the God Bel's priests in the old church window; fometimes, like the fhaven Hercules in the fmirch'd worm-eaten

ta

7 any villainy fuld be fo rich :] The fenfe abfolutely requires us to read, villain. WARBURTON.

thou art unconfirmed :]i.e. unpractifed in the ways of the world. WARBURTON.

9 fometimes, like the fhaven Her ules, &c.] By the haven Hercules is meant Samjon, the ufual fubject of old tapestry. In this ridicule on the fashion, the poet has not unartfully given a ftroke at the

barba