Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the Ten Commandments, but scraped one out of the table. .Sec. Gent. 'Thou shalt not steal'? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. ΙΟ First Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions: they put forth to steal. There's not a soldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, do relish the petition well that prays for peace. Sec. Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where grace was said. Sec. Gent. No? a dozen times at least. 20 Lucio. In any proportion or in any language. First Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ay, why not? Grace is grace, despite of all controversy: as, for example, thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. First Gent. Well, there went but a pair of shears between us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet. Thou art the list. 31 First Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou 'rt a three-piled piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey as be piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. First Gent. I think I have done myself wrong, have I not? 40 Sec. Gent. Yes, that thou hast, whether thou art tainted or free. Lucio. Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation comes! I have purchased as many diseases under her roof as come to Sec. Gent. To what, I pray? Lucio. Judge. Sec. Gent. To three thousand dolours a year. First Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thou art full of error; I am sound. Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound as things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow; impiety has made a feast of thee. Enter MISTRESS OVERDONE. First Gent. How now! which of your hips has the most profound sciatica? Mrs Ov. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested and carried to prison was worth five thousand of you all. Sec. Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Mrs Ov. Marry, sir, that's Claudio, Signior Claudio. First Gent. Claudio to prison? 'tis not so. Mrs Ov. Nay, but I know 'tis so: I saw him arrested, saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head to be chopped off. Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so. Art thou sure of this? Mrs Ov. I am too sure of it: and it is for getting Madam Julietta with child. 70 Lucio. Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two hours since, and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. Sec. Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose First Gent. But, most of all, agreeing with the proclamation. 81 Lucio. Away! let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt Lucio and Gentlemen. Mrs Ov. Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk. Enter POMPEY. How now! what's the news with you? Pom. Yonder man is carried to prison. Mrs Ov. Well; what has he done? Pom. A woman. 90 Mrs Ov. But what's his offence? Pom. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. Mrs Ov. What, is there a maid with child by him? Pom. No, but there's a woman with maid by him. You have not heard of the proclamation, have you? Mrs Ov. What proclamation, man? Pom. All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be plucked down. Mrs Ov. And what shall become of those in the city? Pom. They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too, but that a wise burgher put in for them, Mrs Ov. But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be pulled down? Pom. To the ground, mistress. Mrs Ov. Why, here's a change indeed in the commonwealth! What shall become of me? Pom. Come; fear not you: good counsellors lack no clients: though you change your place, you need not change your trade; I'll be your tapster still. Courage there will be pity taken 140 170 Awakes me all the enrolled penalties So long that nineteen zodiacs have gone round' Claud. One word, good friend. Lucio, a word. with you. Lucie. A hundred, if they'll do you any good. Is lechery so look'd after? I Claud. Thus stands it with me: upon a true contract got possession of Julietta's bed: 150 You know the lady; she is fast my wife, Unhappily, even so. 160 Lucio. I warrant it is: and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders that a milkmaid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the duke and appeal to him. Claud. I have done so, but he's not to be I prithee, Lucio, do me this kind service: 191 Lucio. I pray she may; as well for the enCouragement of the like, which else would stand under grievous imposition, as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her. Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio. Lucio. Within two hours. Claud. Come, officer, away! [Exeunt. SCENE III. A monastery. Enter Duke and FRIAR THOMAS. Duke. No, holy father; throw away that thought; Believe not that the dribbling dart of love Fri. T. A man of stricture and firm abstinence, Duke. We have strict statutes and most biting laws, The needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds, Which for this nineteen years we have let slip; 21 Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave, That goes not out to prey. Now, as fond fathers, For terror, not to use, in time the rod To unloose this tied-up justice when you pleased: And it in you more dreadful would have seem'd Than in Lord Angelo. I do fear, too dreadful: Duke. Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope, 'Twould be my tyranny to strike and gall them For what I bid them do: for we bid this be done, When evil deeds have their permissive pass Therefore indeed, And not the punishment. my father, 40 I have on Angelo imposed the office; 50 [Exeunt. SCENE IV. A nunnery. Isab. And have you nuns no farther privileges? men ΙΟ But in the presence of the prioress: Enter LUCIO. It is true. 30 I would not-though 'tis my familiar sin As with a saint. Isab. You do blaspheme the good in mocking me. Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, 'tis thus: Your brother and his lover have embraced : 40 İsab. Some one with child by him? My cousin Juliet? Lucio. Is she your cousin? Isab. Adoptedly; as school-maids change their names By vain though apt affection. Isab. O, let him marry her. She it is. бо This is the point. The duke is very strangely gone from hence; 50 Bore many gentlemen, myself being one, In hand and hope of action: but we do learn By those that know the very nerves of state, His givings-out were of an infinite distance Upon his place, From his true-meant design. And with full line of his authority, Governs Lord Angelo; a man whose blood Is very snow-broth; one who never feels The wanton stings and motions of the sense, But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge With profits of the mind, study and fast. He-to give fear to use and liberty, Which have for long run by the hideous law, As mice by lions-hath pick'd out an act, Under whose heavy sense your brother's life Falls into forfeit: he arrests him on it; And follows close the rigour of the statute, To make him an example. All hope is gone, Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer To soften Angelo: and that's my pith of business 'Twixt you and your poor brother. Lucio. Hail, virgin, if you be, as those cheek-A roses Proclaim you are no less! Can you so stead me 20 Isab. Why 'her unhappy brother'? let me ask, Lucio. For that which, if myself might be his He should receive his punishment in thanks: Isab. Alas! what poor ability's in me To do him good? Lucio. Assay the power you have. Alas, I doubt Isab. My power? Lucio. Our doubts are traitors All their petitions are as freely theirs But speedily. Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue, Or that the resolute acting of your blood Whether you had not sometime in your life Err'd in this point which now you censure him, And pull'd the law upon you. Ang. "Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, Another thing to fall. I not deny, 20 The jury, passing on the prisoner's life, That justice seizes: what know the laws The jewel that we find, we stoop and take't For I have had such faults; but rather tell me, Same rise by sin, and some by virtue fall: Enter Et Bow, and Officers with FROTH and POMPEY. 40 El Come, bring them away: if these be good people in a commonweal 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 constable, and my name is Elbow: I do lean upon justice, sir, and do bring in here before your good honour two notorious benefactors. 50 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 precise villains they are, that I am sure of; and void of all profanation in the world that good Christians ought to have. Escal. This comes off well; here's a wise officer. Ang. Go to: what quality are they of? Elbow is your name? why dost thou not speak, Elbow? Pom. He cannot, sir; he's out at elbow. Ang. What are you, sir? 61 Elb. He, sir! a tapster, sir; parcel-bawd; one that serves a bad woman; whose house, sir, was, as they say, plucked down in the suburbs; and now she professes a hot-house, which, I think, is a very ill house too. Escal. How know you that? Elb. My wife, sir, whom I detest before heaven and your honour, Escal. How? thy wife? 70 Elb. Ay, sir; whom, I thank heaven, is an honest woman, Escal. Dost thou detest her therefore? Elb. I say, sir, I will detest myself also, as well as she, that this house, if it be not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house. Escal. How dost thou know that, constable? Elb. Marry, sir, by my wife; who, if she had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanliness there. Escal. By the woman's means? Elb. Ay, sir, by Mistress Overdone's means: but as she spit in his face, so she defied him. Pom. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not so. Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man; prove it. Escal Do you hear how he misplaces? Pom. Sir, she came in great with child; and longing, saving your honour's reverence, for stewed prunes; sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very distant time stood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a dish of some three-pence; your honours have seen such dishes; they are not China dishes, but very good dishes, Escal. Go to, go to: no matter for the dish, sir. Pom. No, indeed, sir, not of a pin; you are therein in the right: but to the point. As I say, this Mistress Elbow, being, as I say, with child, and being great-bellied, and longing, as I said, for prunes; and having but two in the dish, as I said, Master Froth here, this very man, having eaten : the rest, as I said, and, as I say, paying for them very honestly; for, as you know, Master Froth, I could not give you three-pence again. Froth. No, indeed. Pom. Very well; you being then, if you be remembered, cracking the stones of the foresaid Froth. Ay, so I did indeed. Pom. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembered, that such a one and such a one were past cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept very good diet, as I told you,Froth. All this is true. Pom. Why, very well, then, Escal. Come, you are a tedious fool: to the purpose. What was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath cause to complain of? Come me to what was done to her. Pom. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet. Escal. No, sir, nor I mean it not. Pom. Sir, but you shall come to it, by your honour's leave. And, I beseech you, look into Master Froth here, sir; a man of fourscore pound a year; whose father died at Hallowmas: was't not at Hallowmas, Master Froth? Froth. All-hallond eve. 130 Pom. Why, very well; I hope here be truths. He, sir, sitting, as I say, in a lower chair, sir; 'twas in the Bunch of Grapes, where indeed you have a delight to sit, have you not? Froth. I have so; because it is an open room and good for winter. Pom. Why, very well, then; I hope here be truths. Ang. This will last out a night in Russia, When nights are longest there: I'll take my leave, 140 Are you of fourscore pounds a year? Froth. Yes, an't please you, sir. Escal. So. What trade are you of, sir? Pom. A tapster; a poor widow's tapster. Escal. Your mistress' name? Pom. Pompey. Escal. What else? Pom. Bum, sir. Escal. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about you; so that in the beastliest sense you are Pompey the Great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pompey, howsoever you colour it in being a tapster, are you not? come, tell me true: it shall be the better for you. Pom. Truly, sir, I am a poor fellow that would live. Escal. How would you live, Pompey? by being a bawd? What do you think of the trade, Pompey? is it a lawful trade? 241 Pom. If the law would allow it, sir. Escal. But the law will not allow it, Pompey: nor it shall not be allowed in Vienna. Pom. Does your worship mean to geld and splay all the youth of the city? Escal. No, Pompey. Pom. Truly, sir, in my poor opinion, they will to't then. If your worship will take order |