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As mice by lyons;) hath pickt out an act,
Under whofe heavy fenfe your brother's life
Falls into forfeit; he arrefts him on it;
And follows close the rigor of the statute,
To make him an example; all hope's gone,
Unlefs have the grace by your
you
fair prayer
To foften Angelo; and that's my pith of bufinefs
'Twixt you and your poor brother.
Ifab. Doth he fo

Seek for his life?

Lucio. H'as cenfur'd him already;
And, as I hear, the Provoft hath a warrant
For's execution.

Ifab. Alas! what poor

Ability's in me, to do him good?
Lucio. Affay the power you have.
Ifab. My power? Alas! I doubt.
Lucio. Our doubts are traitors;

And make us lofe the good, we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to Lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when maidens fue,
Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,

As they themselves would owe them.
Ifab. I'll fee what I can do.
Lucio. But, fpeedily.

Ifab. I will about it ftrait;

No longer ftaying, but to give the mother
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you;
Commend me to my brother: foon at night
I'll fend him certain word of my fuccefs.
Lucio. I take my leave of you..
Ifab. Good Sir, adieu.

[Exeunt

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II.

ACT

SCENE, the Palace.

Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a Justice, and Attendants.
ANGELO.

WE

prey,

E muft not make a fcare-crow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of
And let it keep one fhape, 'till custom make it
Their pearch, and not their terror.

Ejcal. Ay, but yet

Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,

Than fall, and bruife to death.

Alas! this gentleman,

Whom I would fave, had a most noble father;

Let but your honour know,

Whom I believe to be moft ftrait in virtue,

That, in the working of your own affections,

Had time coher'd with place, or place, with withing,, Or that the refolute acting of your blood

Could have attain'd th' effect of

your own purpose; Whether you had not fometime in your life Err'd in this point, which now you cenfure him, And pull'd the law upon you.

Ang. "Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,

The jury, paffing on the prifoner's life,
May in the fworn twelve have a thief or two,

Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to juftice,,
That juftice feizes on. What know the laws,
That thieves do pafs on thieves? 'tis very pregnant2,
The jewel that we find, we ftoop and take't,
Becaufe we fee it, but what we do not fee,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not fo extenuate his offence,
For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me,
When I, that cenfure him, do fa offend,
Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial, Sir, he must die.

Enter

Enter Provoft.

Efcal. Be't, as your

wisdom will.

Ang. Where is the Provost?

Prov. Here, if it like your honour.
Ang. See, that Claudio

Be executed by nine to-morrow morning.

Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd;

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For that's the utmoft of his pilgrimage. [Exit Provs
Escal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all :
Some rife by fin, and fome by virtue fall:

Some run through brakes of vice, and anfwer none;
And fome condemned for a fault alone.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers.

Elb. Come,, bring them away; if these be good people in a common-weal, that do nothing but ufe their abuses in common houses, I know no law; bring them.

away.

Ang. How now, Sir, what's your name? and what's the matter?

Elb. If it please your honour, I am the poor Duke's conftable, and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon. justice, Sir, and do bring in here before your good honour two notorious benefactors.

Ang. Benefactors? well; what benefactors are they? are they not malefactors ?

Elb. If it please your honour, I know not well what. ' they are; but precife villains they are, that I am fureof; and void of all profanation in the world, that good chriftians ought to have...

Efcal. This comes off well; here's a wife officer. Ang. Go to what quality are they of? Elbow iss your name? Why doft thou not speak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot. Sir; he's out at elbow.

Ang. What are you, Sir?

Alb. He, Sir? a tapfter, Sir; parcel bawd; ;.one that ferves a bad woman; whofe houfe, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt down in the fuburbs ; and now the profefles. a.hot-houfe; which, I think, is a very ill house too..

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Efcal. How know you that?

Elb. My wife, Sir, whom I deteft before heav'n and your honour,

Efcal. How! thy wife?

Elb. Ay, Sir; whom, I thank heav'n, is an honeft

woman;

Ffcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore?

Elb. I fay, Sir, I will deteft my felf alfo, as well as fhe, that this house, if it be not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house.

Elcal. How doft thou know that, constable?

Elb. Marry Sir, by my wife; who, if she had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accufed in fornication, adultery, and all uncleannefs there. Efcal. By the woman's means?

Elb. Ay, Sir, by mistress Over-don's means, but as fhe fpit in his face, fo the defy'd him.

Clown. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not fo. Elb. Prove it before thefe varlets here, thou honoural le man, prove it.

Escal. Do you hear, how he mifplaces?

Clown. Sir, the came in great with child; and longing (faving your honour's reverence) for flew'd prewns; Sir, we had but two in the houfe, which at that very diftant time flood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a difa of fome three pence; (your honours have feen fuch dishes; they are not China difhes, but very good dishes.)

Ejcal. Go to, go to; no matter for the dish, Sir.

Clown. No, indeed, Sir, not of a pin; you are therein in the right but to the point; as I fay, this mistress Elbero, Leing, as I fay, with child, and being great belly'd, and longing, as I fay, for prewns; and having but two in the difh, as I faid; mafter Froth here, this very man, having eaten the re, as I faid, and, as I fay, paying for them very honeftly; for, as you know, mater Froth, I could not give you three pence again. Froth. No, indeed.

Clown. Very well; you being then, if you be remembred, cracking the ftones of the forefaid prewns. Frah. Ay, fo I did, indeed.

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Clown. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembred, that fuch a one, and fuch a one, were paft cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept very good diet, as I told you.

Froth. All this is true.

Clown. Why, very well then.

Efcal. Come, you are a tedious fool; to the purpose: what was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath caufe to complain of? come to what was done to her.

Clown. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet.
Efcal. No, Sir, nor I mean it not.

Clown. Sir, but you fhall come to it, by your honour's leave: and, I beseech you, look into mafter Froth here, Sir, a man of fourscore pound a year; whofe father dy'd at Hallowmas. Was't not at Hallowmas, mafter Froth?

Froth. All-holland eve.

Clown. Why, very well; I hope here be truths. He, Sir, fitting, as I fay, in a lower chair, Sir; 'twas in the bunch of grapes, where, indeed, you have a delight to fit, have you not?

Froth. I have fo, because it is an open room, and good for winter,

Clown. Why, very well then; I hope, here be truths.
Ang. This will laft out a night in Russia,

When nights are longeft there. I'll take my leave,
And leave you to the hearing of the caufe;

Hoping, you'll find good caufe to whip them all.
Efcal. I think no less. Good morrow to your Lord-
fhip.
[Exit Angelo.
Now, Sir, come on: what was done to Elbow's wife,
once more?

Clown. Once, Sir? there was nothing done to her

once.

Elb. I befeech you, Sir, ask him what this man did to my wife.

Clown I befeech your honour, ask me.

Efcal. Well, Sir, what did this gentleman to her? Clown. I beseech you, Sir, look in this gentleman's face; good mafter Froth, look upon his honour ; 'tis

for

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