William Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing

ACT 4. 2. Scene II. A Prison. (continued)

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

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

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

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

BORACHIO.
Master Constable,--

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

SEXTON.
What heard you him say else?

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

DOGBERRY.
Flat burglary as ever was committed.

VERGES.
Yea, by the mass, that it is.

SEXTON. What else, fellow?

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

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

SEXTON.
What else?

SECOND WATCH.
This is all.

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

[Exit.]

DOGBERRY.
Come, let them be opinioned.

VERGES.
Let them be in the hands--