1    Is our whole dissembly appeared?

2    O, a stool and a cushion for the sexton.

3    Which be the malefactors?

4    Marry, that am I and my partner.

5    Nay, that's certain; we have the exhibition to examine.

6    But which are the offenders that are to be
7    examined? let them come before master constable.

8    Yea, marry, let them come before me. What is your
9    name, friend?

10   Borachio.

11   Pray, write down, Borachio. Yours, sirrah?

12   I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is Conrade.

13   Write down, master gentleman Conrade. Masters, do
14   you serve God?

15   Yea, sir, we hope.

16   Write down, that they hope they serve God: and
17   write God first; for God defend but God should go
18   before such villains! Masters, it is proved already
19   that you are little better than false knaves; and it
20   will go near to be thought so shortly. How answer
21   you for yourselves?

22   Marry, sir, we say we are none.

23   A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you: but I
24   will go about with him. Come you hither, sirrah; a
25   word in your ear: sir, I say to you, it is thought
26   you are false knaves.

27   Sir, I say to you we are none.

28   Well, stand aside. 'Fore God, they are both in a
29   tale. Have you writ down, that they are none?

30   Master constable, you go not the way to examine:
31   you must call forth the watch that are their accusers.

32   Yea, marry, that's the eftest way. Let the watch
33   come forth. Masters, I charge you, in the prince's
34   name, accuse these men.

35   This man said, sir, that Don John, the prince's
36   brother, was a villain.

37   Write down Prince John a villain. Why, this is flat
38   perjury, to call a prince's brother villain.

39   Master constable,--

40   Pray thee, fellow, peace: I do not like thy look,
41   I promise thee.

42   What heard you him say else?

43   Marry, that he had received a thousand ducats of
44   Don John for accusing the Lady Hero wrongfully.

45   Flat burglary as ever was committed.

46   Yea, by mass, that it is.

47   What else, fellow?

48   And that Count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to
49   disgrace Hero before the whole assembly. and not marry her.

50   O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting
51   redemption for this.

52   What else?

53   This is all.

54   And this is more, masters, than you can deny.
55   Prince John is this morning secretly stolen away;
56   Hero was in this manner accused, in this very manner
57   refused, and upon the grief of this suddenly died.
58   Master constable, let these men be bound, and
59   brought to Leonato's: I will go before and show
60   him their examination.

61   Come, let them be opinioned.

62   Let them be in the hands--

63   Off, coxcomb!

64   God's my life, where's the sexton? let him write
65   down the prince's officer coxcomb. Come, bind them.
66   Thou naughty varlet!

67   Away! you are an ass, you are an ass.

68   Dost thou not suspect my place? dost thou not
69   suspect my years? O that he were here to write me
70   down an ass! But, masters, remember that I am an
71   ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not
72   that I am an ass. No, thou villain, thou art full of
73   piety, as shall be proved upon thee by good witness.
74   I am a wise fellow, and, which is more, an officer,
75   and, which is more, a householder, and, which is
76   more, as pretty a piece of flesh as any is in
77   Messina, and one that knows the law, go to; and a
78   rich fellow enough, go to; and a fellow that hath
79   had losses, and one that hath two gowns and every
80   thing handsome about him. Bring him away. O that
81   I had been writ down an ass!