When I that cenfure him, do fo offend, Let mine own judgment pattern out my death, Efcal. Be't, as your wisdom will. Prov. Here, if it like your Honour. Be executed by nine to morrow morning. Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd; [Exit Prov. Efcal. 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 answer none; And fome condemned for a fault alone. Elb. SCENE II. Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers. COME, bring them away; if these be good people in a common-weal, that do nothing but use 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 juftice, 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 pleafe your Honour, I know not well what they are; but precife villains they are, that I am fure of; and void of all profanation in the world, that good chriftians ought to have. Efcal. Efcal. This comes off well; here's a wife officer. Ang. Go to: what quality are they of? Elbow is your name? why doft thou not speak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow. Elb. He, Sir? a tapfter, Sir; parcel-bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whofe house, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt down in the fuburbs; and now the profeffes a hot-houfe; which, I think, is a very ill houfe too. 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 honest woman; Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore? Elb. I fay, Sir, I will deteft myself alfo, as well as fhe, that this houfe, if it be not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house. Efcal. How doft thou know that, conftable? Elb. Marry, Sir, by my wife; who, if fhe had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accufed in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there. Efcal. By the woman's means? Elb. Ay, Sir, by miftrefs Over-done's means, but as fhe spit in his face, fo fhe defy'd him. Clown. Sir, if it please your Honour, this is not so. Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it. Efcal. Do you hear how he misplaces? "Clown. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and "longing (faving your Honour's reverence) for " ftew'd prewns; Sir, we had but two in the house, 66 which at that distant time stood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a dish of fome three pence; (your Honours have seen such dishes; they are not China dishes, but very good dishes.) 66 66 very Efcal. 66 Efcal. 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 Elbow, being, as I fay, with child, and being great belly'd, and longing, as I said, for prewns; and having but two in the difh, as I faid; "mafter Froth here, this very man, having eaten the reft, as I said, and, as I say, paying for them very honeftly; for, as you know, mafter Froth, I could not give you three-pence again. 66 66 Froth. No, indeed. Clown. Very well; you being then, if you be remembered, cracking the ftones of the forefaid 66 prewns. 66 Froth. Ay, fo I did, indeed. "Clown. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembred, that fuch a one, and fuch a one, were past cure of the thing you wot of, un"lefs 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 purpofe: what was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath cause 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 befeech you, look into "mafter Froth here, Sir, a man of fourfcore pound a year; whose father dy'd at Hallowmas. not at Hallowmas, mafter Froth ? Froth. All-holland eve. Was't "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. "Clown. Why, very well then; I hope here be "truths. Ang. This will last out a night in Ruffia, When nights are longest there. I'll take my leave, Efcal. SCENE I fhip. III. Think no lefs. Good morrow to your lord[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 beseech you, Sir, ask him what this man did to my wife. Clown. I befeech your Honour, afk me. Efcal. Well, Sir, what did this gentleman to her? Clown. I befeech you, Sir, look in this gentleman's face; good mafter Froth, look upon his Honour; 'tis for a good purpofe; doth your Honour mark his face? Efcal. Ay, Sir, very well. Clown. Nay, I befeech you, mark it well. Clown. Doth your Honour fee any harm in his face? Efcal. Why, no. Clown. I'll be fuppos'd upon a book, his face is the worst thing about him: good then; if his face be the worst thing about him, how could mafter Froth do the conftable's wife any harm? I would know that of your Honour. Efcal. He's in the right; conftable, what say you to it? Elb. First, an' it like you, the house is a respected house; next, this is a refpected fellow; and his miftrefs is a refpected woman. Clown. Clown. By this hand, Sir, his wife is a more refpected perfon than any of us all. Elb. Varlet, thou lieft; thou lieft, wicked varlet; the time is yet to come, that she was ever respected with man, woman, or child. Clown. Sir, fhe was refpected with him before he marry'd with her. Efcal. Which is the wifer here? Justice, or Iniquity? - Is this true? Elb. O thou caitiff! O thou.varlet! O thou wicked Hannibal! I refpected with her, before I was marry'd to her? If ever I was refpected with her, or fhe with me, let not your worship think me the poor duke's officer; prove this, thou wicked Hannibal, or I'll have mine action of battery on thee. Efcal. If he took you a box o'th' ear, you might action of flander too. have your Elb, Marry, I thank your good worship for't: what is't your worfhip's pleasure I fhall do with this. wicked caitiff? Efcal. Truly, officer, because he hath fome offences in him, that thou wouldst difcover if thou couldft, let him continue in his courfes, 'till thou know'st what they are. Elb. Marry, I thank your worfhip for it; thou feeft, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon thee. Thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to continue. Efcal. Where were you born, friend? [To Froth. Froth. Here in Vienna, Sir. Efcal. Are you of fourfcore pounds a year? Froth. Yes, and't please you, Sir, Efcal. So. What trade are you of, Sir? [To the Clown. Clown. A tapfter, a poor widow's tapfter. Efcal. Your mistress's name? Clown. Miftrefs Over-done. Efcal. Hath fhe had any more than one husband? Clown. |