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

For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage.

[Exit Prov.

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 answer none;
And fome condemned for a fault alone.

SCENE II.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and officers.

ELB. 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 pleafe 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 fure of; and void of all profanation in the world, that good christians ought to have.

ESCAL. This comes off well; here's a wife officer.

ANG. Go to: what quality are they off? Elbow is your name? why doft thou not speak, Elbow ?

CLOWN. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow.
ANG. What are you, Sir?

ELB. He, Sir? a tapster, Sir; parcel-bawd; one that serves a bad woman; whose house, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt

down in the fuburbs; and now the profeffes a hot-house; which, I think, is a very ill house too.

ESCAL. How know you that?

ELB. My wife, Sir, whom I deteft before heav'n and your honour-ON

ESCAL. How! thy wife?

ELB. Ay, Sir; who, I thank heav'n, is an honeft wo

man;

ESCAL. Doft thou deteft her therefore?

ELB. I fay, Sir, I will deteft 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 accufed in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there.

ELCAL. By the woman's means?

ELB. Ay, Sir, my mistress Over-done's means, but as she fpit in his face, fo she defy'd him.

CLOWN. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not fo.

ELB. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it.

ESCAL. Do you hear how he misplaces?

CLOWN. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your honour's reverence) for ftew'd 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,

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 prunes; and having but two in the difh, as I faid; mafter Froth here, this very man, having eaten the rest, as I faid and as I fay, paying for them very honeftly; for as you know, master 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 prunes.

FROTH. Ay, so I did, indeed.

CLOWN. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembred, that such 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.

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 to what was done to her.

CLOWN. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet.
ESCAL. 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; 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.

VOL. I.

S

CLOWN. Why, very well then. - I hope here be truths.
ANG. This will last 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 cause to whip them all.

SCENE III.

ESCAL. 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. Once, Sir? there was nothing done to her once. ELB. I beseech you, Sir, afk him what this man did to my wife.

CLOWN. I beseech your honour, ask me.

ESCAL. 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 a good purpose. -Doth your honour mark his face?

ESCAL. Ay, Sir, very well.

CLOWN. Nay, I befeech you, mark it well.

ESCAL. Well, I do fo.

CLOWN. Doth your honour fee any harm in his face?

ESCAL. Why, no.

CLOWN. I'll be suppos'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 master Froth do the constable's wife any harm? I would know that of your honour.

ESCAL. He's in the right; conftable, what fay you to it? ELB. First, an' it like you, the house is a respected house; next, this is a refpected fellow; and his mistress is a respected woman.

CLOWN. By this hand, Sir, his wife is a more respected 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, the was refpected with him before he marry'd with her.

ESCAL. Which is the wifer here? Juftice 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.

ESCAL. If he took you a box o' th' ear, you might have your action of flander too.

ELB. Marry, I thank your good worship for't. What is't your worship's pleasure I fhall do with this wicked caitiff? ESCAL. Truly, officer, because he hath fome offences in him, that thou wouldst discover if thou couldft, let him continue in his courses, 'till thou know'ft what they are. ELB. Marry, I thank your worship for it; thou seeft, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon thee. Thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to continue.

ESCAL. Where were you born, friend?

FROTH. Here in Vienna, Sir.

ESCAL. Are you of fourfcore pounds a year?

FROTH. Yes, and't please you, Sir.

[To Froth:

ESCAL. SO. What trade are you of, Sir? [To the Clown

CLOWN. A tapfter, a poor widow's tapster.

ESCAL. Your mistress's name?