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A C T II.

SCENE, The Palace.

Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a Justice, and Attendants.

WE

ANGELO.

E muft not make a scare-crow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,

And let it keep one fhape, 'till custom make it
Their pearch, and not their terror.

Efcal. 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 moft noble father;

Let but your Honour know,

Whom I believe to be moft flrait in virtue,
That, in the working of your own affections,

Had time coher'd with place, or place with wifhing,
Or that the refolute acting of

your blood

Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpofe;
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, Efcalus,

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 justice feizes on.

What know the laws,

That thieves do país on thieves? 'tis very pregnant,

The jewel that we find, we ftoop and take't,
Because 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

For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me,
When I, that cenfure him, do fo offend,
Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

Enter Provoft.

Efcal. Be't, as your Wisdom will.
Ang. Where is the Provost?
Prov. Here, if it like your
Ang. See, that Claudio

Honour.

Be executed by nine to-morrow morning.
Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd;
For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage..

[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.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers.

Elb. Come, bring them away; if thefe be good people in a common-weal, that do nothing but ufe their abufes 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 pleafe 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. 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.

Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow.

Ang. What are you, Sir?

Elb. He, Sir a tapfter, Sir; parcel-bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whofe houfe, Sir, was, as they say, pluckt down in the fuburbs; and now the profeffes a hot-houfe; which, I think, is a very ill house 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 honeft

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 houfe, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house.

Efcal. How doft thou know, that constable?

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

Elb. Ay, Sir, by mistress Over-done's means, but as the 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 honoura ble man, prove it.

Efcal. Do your hear how he mifplaces ?

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, which at that very diftant time flood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a dish, of fome three pence; (your Honours have seen fuch dishes; they are not China dishes, but very good dishes.)

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 1 faid, for prewns; and having but two in the dish, as I faid; mafter Froth here, this VOL. I.

P

very

very man, having eaten the reft, as I faid, and, as I fay, paying for them very honeftly; for, as you know, mafter 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.. 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 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 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 beseech you, look into mafter Froth here, Sir, a man of fourfcore pound a year; whose father dy'd at Hollowmas. Was't not at Hollowmas, 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 Ruffia,

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

Hoping, you'll find good caufe to whip them all.

Efcal. I think no lefs. Good morrow to your lordship. [Exit Angelo. Now, Sir, come on; what was done to Elbow's wife,

once more?

Clown.

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 do befeech your Honour, ask me.

Efcal. Well, Sir, what did this gentleman to her? Clown. I befeech you, Sir, look in this gentleman's face; good master Froth, look upon his Honour; 'tis for a good purpofe; doth your honour mark his face? Efcal. Ay, Sir, very well.

Clown. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well.
Efcal. Well, I do fo.

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 fay you to it?

Elb. First, an' it like you, the houfe is a refpe&ted house; next, this is a refpected fellow; and his mistress is a refpected woman.

Clown. By this hand, Sir, his wife is a more respected perfon that any of us all.

Elb. Varlet, thou lieft; thou lieft, wicked varlet; the time is yet to come, that he was ever refpected 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 the 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.