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, mafter Froth, I could not give you three pence again.

FROTH. No, indeed.

CLO. Very well: you being then, if you be remember'd, cracking the ftones of the forefaid prunes. FROTH. Ay, so I did, indeed.

CLO. Why, very well: I telling you then, if you be remember'd, 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;

1

FROTH. All this is true.

CLO. Why, very well then.

ESCAL. Come, you are a tedious fool: to the purpose.-What was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath caufe to complain of? Come me to what was done to her.

CLO. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet. ESCAL. No, fir, nor I mean it not.

CLO. Sir, but you fhall come to it, by your honour's leave: And, I beseech you, look into mafter Froth here, fir; a man of fourfcore pound a year; whofe father died at Hallowmas? Was't not at Hallowmas, mafler Froth?

FROTH. All-hollond eve.

CLO. Why, very well; I hope here be truths: He, fir, fitting, as I fay, in a lower chair, fir;

9

9 in a lower chair,] Every houfe had formerly, among its other furniture, what was called-a low chair, defigned for the cafe of fick people, and, occafionally, occupied by lazy ones. Of thefe conveniencies I have feen many, though, perhaps, at prefent they are wholly difufed. STEEVENS.

'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.

CLO. 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. ESCAL. I think no lefs: Good morrow to your [Exit ANGELO. Now, fir, come on: What was done to Elbow's wife, once more?

lordship.

CLO. Once, fir? there was nothing done to her

`once.

ELB. I beseech you, fir, ask him what this man did to my wife.

CLO. I beseech your honour, ask me.

ESCAL. Well, fir; What did this gentleman to her? CLO. I beseech you, fir, 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, fir, very well.

CLO. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well.

ESCAL. Well, I do fo.

CLO. Doth your honour fee any harm in his face?
ESCAL. Why, no.

CLO. I'll be fuppofed

the worst thing about him:

upon a book, his face is

Good then; if his face

be the worst thing about him, how could mafter

2 I'll be supposed] He means depofed. MALONE,

Froth do the conftable's wife any harm? I would know that of your honour.

ESCAL. He's in the right: Conftable, what say you to it?

ELB. First, an it like you, the house is a respected houfe; next, this is a refpected fellow; and his miftrels is a refpected woman.

CLO. By this hand, fir, 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 fhe was ever refpected with man, woman, or child.

CLO. Sir, fhe was refpected with him before he married with her.

ESCAL. Which is the wifer here? Juftice, or Iniquity? Is this true?

ELB. Othou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked Hannibal! I refpected with her, before I was married 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.

3 Justice, or Iniquity?] Thefe were, I fuppofe, two perfonages well known to the audience by their frequent appearance in the old moralities. The words, therefore, at that time produced a combination of ideas, which they have now loft. JOHNSON.

Juftice, or Iniquity? i. e. The Conftable or the Fool. Efcalus calls the latter Iniquity, in allufion to the old Vice, a familiar character, in the ancient moralities and dumb-fhews. Juftice may have a fimilar allufion, which I am unable to explain. Iniquitie is one of the perfonages in the Worthy interlude of Kynge Darius," 4to. bl. 1. no date. And in the First Part of King Henry IV. Prince Henry calls Falstaff, that reverend Vice, that grey Iniquity." RITSON.

4

Hannibal!] Miftaken by the conftable for Cannibal.

JOHNSON.

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

ELB. Marry, I thank your good worship for it: What is't your worfhip's pleafure I fhall do with this wicked caitiff?

ESCAL. Truly, officer, because he hath fome of fences in him, that thou wouldst discover if thou couldft, let him continue in his courfes, till thou know'ft what they are.

ELB. Marry, I thank your worship for it:-Thou feeft, 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? [To FROTH.
FROTH. Here in Vienna, fir.

ESCAL. Are you of fourfcore pounds a year?
FROTH. Yes, and't please you, fir.

ESCAL. So. What trade are you of, fir?

[To the Clown.

CLO. A tapfler; a poor widow's tapfter.
ESCAL. Your miftrefs's name?

CLO. Miftrefs Over-done."

ESCAL. Hath fhe had any more than one husband? CLO. Nine, fir; Over-done by the laft.

ESCAL. Nine! Come hither to me, mafter Froth. Mafter Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapfters; they will draw you, master

5

thou art to continue.] Perhaps Elbow, mifinterpreting the language of Efcalus, fuppofes the Clown is to continue in confinement; at leaft, he conceives fome fevere punishment or other to be implied by the word continue. STEEVENS.

6

they will draw you,] Draw has here a clufter of fenfes. As it refers to the tapfter, it fignifies to drain, to empty; as it is

Froth, and you will hang them: Get you gone, and let me hear no more of you.

FROTH. I thank your worship: For mine own part, I never come into any room in a taphouse, but I am drawn in.

ESCAL. Well; no more of it, mafter Froth: farewell.[ Exit FROTH.]-Come you hither to me, master tapfter; what's your name, mafter tapfler?

CLO. Pompey."

ESCAL. What elfe?

CLO. Bum, fir.

ESCAL. 'Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about you; fo that, in the beaftlieft fenfe, you are

7

In

related to hang, it means to be conveyed to execution on a hurdle. Froth's anfwer, it is the fame as to bring along by fome motive or power. JOHNSON.

6 Pompey.] His mistress, in a preceding scene, calls him Thomas.

7

RITSON.

greatest thing about you;] Greene, in one of his pieces,

great bumme of Paris."

Again, in Tyro's Roaring Megge, 1598:

Tyro's round breeches have a cliffe behind."

STEEVENS.

Harrison, in his Defcription of Britain, prefixed to Holinfhed's Chronicle, condemns the excess of apparel amongst his countrymen, and thus proceeds: Neither can we be more justly bur dened with any reproche than inordinate behaviour in apparell, for which most nations deride us; as alfo for that we men doe feeme to bestowe most cost upon our arfes, and much more than upon all the reft of our bodies, as women do likewife upon their heads and fhoulders." Should any curious reader with for more information upon this fubject, he is referred to «Strutt's Manners and Customs of the English,' Vol. III. p. 86. Douce.

But perhaps an ancient MS. ballad, entitled', A lamentable complaint of the pore country men againfie great hole, for the loffe of there cattelles tailes, Muf. Brit. MS. Harl. 367. may throw further light on the fubject. This ballad confifts of 41 ftanzas. From these the following are felected.