First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
| |
| Enter the Constables, Borachio, and the Towne Clerke in gownes. | Enter Dogberry, Verges, and the Sexton, in gowns; | | MA IV.ii.1.1 | |
| and the Watch, with Conrade and Borachio | | MA IV.ii.1.2 | |
| Keeper. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Is our whole dissembly appeard? | Is our whole dissembly appeared? | dissembly (n.) malapropism for ‘assembly’ | MA IV.ii.1 | |
| Cowley. | VERGES | | | |
| O a stoole and a cushion for the Sexton. | O, a stool and a cushion for the Sexton. | | MA IV.ii.2 | |
| Sexton. | SEXTON | | | |
| Which be the malefactors? | Which be the malefactors? | | MA IV.ii.3 | |
| Andrew. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Marry that am I, and my partner. | Marry, that am I and my partner. | marry (int.)[exclamation] by Mary | MA IV.ii.4 | |
| Cowley. | VERGES | | | |
| Nay that's certaine, wee haue the exhibition to | Nay, that's certain; we have the exhibition to | exhibition (n.)malapropism for ‘commission’ | MA IV.ii.5 | |
| examine. | examine. | | MA IV.ii.6 | |
| Sexton. | SEXTON | | | |
| But which are the offenders that are to be | But which are the offenders that are to be | | MA IV.ii.7 | |
| examined, let them come before master Constable. | examined? Let them come before Master Constable. | | MA IV.ii.8 | |
| Kemp. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Yea marry, let them come before mee, what is | Yea, marry, let them come before me. What is | | MA IV.ii.9 | |
| your name, friend? | your name, friend? | | MA IV.ii.10 | |
| Bor. | BORACHIO | | | |
| Borachio. | Borachio. | | MA IV.ii.11 | |
| Kem. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Pray write downe Borachio. Yours sirra. | Pray, write down, Borachio. Yours, sirrah? | sirrah (n.)sir [commanding, insulting, or familiar, depending on context] | MA IV.ii.12 | |
| Con. | CONRADE | | | |
| I am a Gentleman sir, and my name is | I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is | | MA IV.ii.13 | |
| Conrade. | Conrade. | | MA IV.ii.14 | |
| Kee. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Write downe Master gentleman Conrade: | Write down Master Gentleman Conrade. | | MA IV.ii.15 | |
| maisters, doe you serue God: | Masters, do you serve God? | | MA IV.ii.16 | |
| CONRADE and BORACHIO | | | |
| Yea, sir, we hope. | | MA IV.ii.17 | |
| DOGBERRY | | | |
| Write down, that they hope they serve God – | | MA IV.ii.18 | |
| and write God first, for God defend but God should go | defend (v.)forbid, prohibit | MA IV.ii.19 | |
| maisters, it is proued alreadie that | before such villains! Masters, it is proved already that | | MA IV.ii.20 | |
| you are little better than false knaues, and it will goe neere | you are little better than false knaves, and it will go near | knave (n.)scoundrel, rascal, rogue | MA IV.ii.21 | |
| | false (adj.)treacherous, traitorous, perfidious | | |
| to be thought so shortly, how answer you for | to be thought so shortly. How answer you for | | MA IV.ii.22 | |
| your selues? | yourselves? | | MA IV.ii.23 | |
| Con. | CONRADE | | | |
| Marry sir, we say we are none. | Marry, sir, we say we are none. | | MA IV.ii.24 | |
| Kemp. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| A maruellous witty fellow I assure you, but | A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but | marvellous (adv.)very, extremely, exceedingly | MA IV.ii.25 | |
| | witty (adj.)crafty, cunning, wily | | |
| I will goe about with him: come you hither sirra, a | I will go about with him. Come you hither, sirrah; a | go about with (v.)get the better of, set to work on | MA IV.ii.26 | |
| | sirrah (n.)sir [commanding, insulting, or familiar, depending on context] | | |
| word in your eare sir, I say to you, it is thought you are | word in your ear. Sir, I say to you, it is thought you are | | MA IV.ii.27 | |
| false knaues. | false knaves. | knave (n.)scoundrel, rascal, rogue | MA IV.ii.28 | |
| Bor. | BORACHIO | | | |
| Sir, I say to you, we are none. | Sir, I say to you we are none. | | MA IV.ii.29 | |
| Kemp. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Well, stand aside, 'fore God they are both in | Well, stand aside. 'Fore God, they are both in | | MA IV.ii.30 | |
| a tale: haue you writ downe that they are none? | a tale. Have you writ down, that they are none? | tale, in ain agreement, unanimous, in accord | MA IV.ii.31 | |
| Sext. | SEXTON | | | |
| Master Constable, you goe not the way to examine, | Master Constable, you go not the way to examine; | | MA IV.ii.32 | |
| you must call forth the watch that are their accusers. | you must call forth the watch that are their accusers. | | MA IV.ii.33 | |
| Kemp. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Yea marry, that's the eftest way, let the watch | Yea, marry, that's the eftest way; let the watch | eftest (adj.)[unclear malapropism] quickest, most convenient | MA IV.ii.34 | |
| come forth: masters, I charge you in the Princes name, | come forth. Masters, I charge you in the Prince's name, | | MA IV.ii.35 | |
| accuse these men. | accuse these men. | | MA IV.ii.36 | |
| Watch 1. | FIRST WATCHMAN | | | |
| This man said sir, that Don Iohn | This man said, sir, that Don John, | | MA IV.ii.37 | |
| the Princes brother was a villaine. | the Prince's brother, was a villain. | | MA IV.ii.38 | |
| Kemp. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Write down, Prince Iohn a villaine: why this is | Write down Prince John a villain. Why, this is | | MA IV.ii.39 | |
| flat periurie, to call a Princes brother villaine. | flat perjury, to call a Prince's brother villain. | | MA IV.ii.40 | |
| Bora. | BORACHIO | | | |
| Master Constable. | Master Constable – | | MA IV.ii.41 | |
| Kemp. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Pray thee fellow peace, I do not like thy | Pray thee, fellow, peace; I do not like thy | | MA IV.ii.42 | |
| looke I promise thee. | look, I promise thee. | | MA IV.ii.43 | |
| Sexton. | SEXTON | | | |
| What heard you him say else? | What heard you him say else? | | MA IV.ii.44 | |
| Watch 2. | SECOND WATCHMAN | | | |
| Mary that he had receiued a | Marry, that he had received a | | MA IV.ii.45 | |
| thousand Dukates of Don Iohn, for accusing the Lady | thousand ducats of Don John for accusing the Lady | ducat (n.)gold (sometimes silver) coin used in several European countries | MA IV.ii.46 | |
| Hero wrongfully. | Hero wrongfully. | | MA IV.ii.47 | |
| Kemp. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Flat Burglarie as euer was committed. | Flat burglary as ever was committed. | | MA IV.ii.48 | |
| Const. | VERGES | | | |
| Yea by th'masse that it is. | Yea, by mass, that it is. | | MA IV.ii.49 | |
| Sexton. | SEXTON | | | |
| What else fellow? | What else, fellow? | | MA IV.ii.450 | |
| Watch 1. | FIRST WATCHMAN | | | |
| And that Count Claudio did meane | And that Count Claudio did mean, | | MA IV.ii.51 | |
| vpon his words, to disgrace Hero before the whole | upon his words, to disgrace Hero before the whole | | MA IV.ii.52 | |
| assembly, and not marry her. | assembly, and not marry her. | | MA IV.ii.53 | |
| Kemp. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| O villaine! thou wilt be condemn'd into euerlasting | O villain! Thou wilt be condemned into everlasting | | MA IV.ii.54 | |
| redemption for this. | redemption for this. | | MA IV.ii.55 | |
| Sexton. | SEXTON | | | |
| What else? | What else? | | MA IV.ii.56 | |
| Watch. | SECOND WATCHMAN | | | |
| This is all. | This is all. | | MA IV.ii.57 | |
| Sexton. | SEXTON | | | |
| And this is more masters then you can deny, | And this is more, masters, than you can deny. | | MA IV.ii.58 | |
| Prince Iohn is this morning secretly stolne away: Hero | Prince John is this morning secretly stolen away; Hero | | MA IV.ii.59 | |
| was in this manner accus'd, in this very manner refus'd, | was in this manner accused, in this very manner refused, | refuse (v.)spurn, disown, cast off | MA IV.ii.60 | |
| and vpon the griefe of this sodainely died: Master Constable, | and upon the grief of this suddenly died. Master Constable, | | MA IV.ii.61 | |
| let these men be bound, and brought to Leonato, | let these men be bound, and brought to Leonato's; | | MA IV.ii.62 | |
| I will goe before, and shew him their | I will go before and show him their | | MA IV.ii.63 | |
| examination. | examination. | | MA IV.ii.64 | |
| Const. | Exit | | MA IV.ii.64 | |
| DOGBERRY | | | |
| Come, let them be opinion'd. | Come, let them be opinioned. | opinioned (adj.)malapropism for ‘pinioned’ | MA IV.ii.65 | |
| Sex. | VERGES | | | |
| Let them be in the hands | Let them be – in the hands. | | MA IV.ii.66 | |
| CONRADE | | | |
| of Coxcombe. | Off, coxcomb! | coxcomb (n.)fool's head, fool, simpleton | MA IV.ii.67 | |
| Kem. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Gods my life, where's the Sexton? let him | God's my life, where's the Sexton? Let him | | MA IV.ii.68 | |
| write downe the Princes Officer Coxcombe: come, binde | write down the Prince's officer coxcomb. Come, bind | | MA IV.ii.69 | |
| them thou naughty varlet. | them. Thou naughty varlet! | naughty (adj.)wicked, evil, vile | MA IV.ii.70 | |
| Couley. | CONRADE | | | |
| Away, you are an asse, you are an asse. | Away! You are an ass, you are an ass. | | MA IV.ii.71 | |
| Kemp. | DOGBERRY | | | |
| Dost thou not suspect my place? dost thou | Dost thou not suspect my place? Dost thou | place (n.)position, post, office, rank | MA IV.ii.72 | |
| | suspect (v.)malapropism for 'respect' | | |
| not suspect my yeeres? O that hee were heere to write mee | not suspect my years? O that he were here to write me | | MA IV.ii.73 | |
| downe an asse! but masters, remember that I am an asse: | down an ass! But, masters, remember that I am an ass; | | MA IV.ii.74 | |
| though it be not written down, yet forget not yt I am | though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am | | MA IV.ii.75 | |
| an asse: No thou villaine, yu art full of piety as shall be | an ass. No, thou villain, thou art full of piety, as shall be | | MA IV.ii.76 | |
| prou'd vpon thee by good witnesse, I am a wise fellow, | proved upon thee by good witness. I am a wise fellow, | | MA IV.ii.77 | |
| and which is more, an officer, and which is more, a | and, which is more, an officer; and, which is more, a | | MA IV.ii.78 | |
| houshoulder, and which is more, as pretty a peece of | householder; and, which is more, as pretty a piece of | | MA IV.ii.79 | |
| flesh as any in Messina, and one that knowes the Law, | flesh as any is in Messina, and one that knows the law, | | MA IV.ii.80 | |
| goe to, & a rich fellow enough, goe to, and a fellow that | go to; and a rich fellow enough, go to; and a fellow that | | MA IV.ii.81 | |
| hath had losses, and one that hath two gownes, and euery thing | hath had losses; and one that hath two gowns and everything | | MA IV.ii.82 | |
| handsome about him: bring him away: O that | handsome about him. Bring him away. O that | handsome (adj.)proper, fitting, appropriate | MA IV.ii.83 | |
| I had been writ downe an asse! | I had been writ down an ass! | | MA IV.ii.84 | |
| Exit. | Exeunt | | MA IV.ii.84 | |