ACT II. SCENE 1. ANGELO's House. Enter ANGELO, ESCALUS, a Angelo. Escal. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruise to death: Alas ! this gentleman, Whom I would save, had a most noble father. Let but your honour know, (whom I believe To be most strait in virtue). “ That, in the working of your own affections, " Had time coher'd with place, or place with wishingi “ Or that the resolute acting of your blood pose, your life Ang. "Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, “ I not deny, 6. That 10 20 ACT II. SCENE I. “ That justice seizes. What know the laws, - That thieves do pass on thieves? 'Tis very pregnant, “ The jewel that we find, we stoop and take it, “ Because we see it; but what we do not see, “We tread upon, and never think of it." You may not so extenuate his offence, For I have had such faults; but rather tell me, When I that censure him do so offend, 30 Let mine own judgment pattern out my death, And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die. Escal. Be it, as your wisdom will. honour. all ! ANGELO's House. Enter ANGELO, ESCALUS, 4 Justice, Provost, and Attendants. Angelo. Ve must not make a scare-crow of the law; etting it up to fear the birds of prey, nd let it keep one shape, till custom make it heir perch, and not their terror. Escal. Ay, but yet i us be keen, and rather cut a little, an fall, and bruise to death: Alas ! this gentleman, nom I would save, had a most noble father. but your honour know, (whom I believe blood pose,” her you had not sometime in your life in this point which now you censure him, uli'd the law upon you. : 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, er thing to fall. “ I not deny, jury, passing on the prisoner's life, 5, in the sworn twelve, have a thief or two jer than him they try: What's open made to justice, « That 10 41 20 “ Enter ELBOW, Froth, Clown, Officers, &c. “ 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 6 what's the matter? • Elb. 6v Elb. If it please your honour, I am the poor 66. 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. Ang. Benefactors? Well; what benefactors are “ they ? are they not malefactors ? “ Elh. If it please your honour, I know not well Bf, 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. 59 “: Escal. This comes off well; here's a wise officer. “ Ang. Go to: What quality are they of? Elbow “ Clown. He cannot, sir; he's out at elbow. “ Elb. He, sir a tapster, sir; parcel-bawd ; one " that serves a bad woman; whose house, sir, was, “ as they say, pluck'd down in the suburbs; and now “ she professes a hot-house, which, I think, is a very "will house too, Escal. How know you that ? 71 “ Elb. Ay, sir ; whom, I thank heaven, is an honest 56 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, “ 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. “ 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 sorlel, that good christians ought to have. 59 *: Escal. Tliis comes off well; here's a wise officer. Ang. Go to: What quality are they of? Elbow your name? Why dost thou not speak; Elbow ? * Clown. He cannot, sir; he's out at elbow. Ang. What are you, sir ? Elb. He, sir i a tapster, sir; parcel-bawd ; one at serves a bad woman; whose house, sir, was, they say, pluck'd down in the suburbs; and now e professes a hot-house, which, I think, is a very house too. Escal. How know you that? Elh. My wife, sir, whom I detest before heaven | your honour, 71 scal. How! thy wife? 1b. Ay, sir; whom, I thank heaven, is an honest “ Escal. How dost thou know that, constable? 80 “ Elb. Marry, sir, by my wife ; wlio, if she had “ been a woman cardinally given, might have been " accused in fornication, adultery, and all unclean. v ness there. “ Escal. By the woman's means? “ Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou ho16. nourable man, prove it. 90 “ Escal. Do you hear how he misplaces ? [TO ANGELO. “ Clown. Sir, she came in great with child; and “ longing (saving your honour's reverence) for stew'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 say, “this mistress Elbow, being, as I say, with child, and “ being great belly'd, 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 cou'd " not give you thuee pence again. " Froth. 98 113n; as well scat. Dost thou detest her therefore? 6. I say, sir, I will detest myself also, e, that this house, if it be not a bawd's house, pity of her life, for it is a naughty house. Escal 112 122 « Froth. No, indeed. « Clown. Very well : you being then, if you be re“ member'd, cracking the stones of the foresaid prunes. «i Froth. Ay, so I did, indeed. be remember'd, that such a one, and such a one, “ were past cure of the thing you wot of, unless they s kept very good diet, as I told you." " Froth. All this is true, -What was done to Elbow's wife, that he " hath cause to complain of? come me to what was 66 done to her. « Clown. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet. 66 Escal. No, sir, nor I mean it not. • Clown, Sir, but you shall come to it, by your o honour's leave: And, I beseech you, look into “ 'master Froth here, sir ; a man of fourscore pound “ a year; whose father dy'd at Hallowmas :- Was't « not at Hallowmas, master Froth ? « Froth. All-hollond eve. 130 «°Clown. Why, very well: I hope here be truths : « He, sir, sitting, as I say, in a lower chair, sir ;mar “ '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. “ Clown. Why, very well then ;--- I hope here be " truths. |