ELE. Ay, fir, by mistress Overdone's means: but as the spit in his face, fo fhe defy'd him.

CLO. 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?

[To ANGELO.

CLO. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your honour's reverence,) for ftew'd prunes; fir, we had but two in the house, which at that very diftant time stood, as it were, in a fruitdish, a dish of fome 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, fir.

CLO. No, indeed, fir, not of a pin; you are therein in the right: but, to the point: As I say, this mistrefs Elbow, being, as I fay, with child, and being great belly'd, and longing, as I faid, for prunes;

6 Ay, fir, by miftrefs Overdone's means:] Here feems to have been fome mention made of Froth, who was to be accused, and fome words therefore may have been loft, unless the irregularity of the narrative may be better imputed to the ignorance of the conftable. JOHNSON.

" — stew'd prunes ;] Stewed prunes were to be found in every

brothel.

So, in Maroccus Exftaticus, or Bankes's Bay Horfe in a Trance, 1595: "With this ftocke of wenches will this truftie Roger and his Bettrice fet up, forfooth, with their pamphlet pots and stewed prunes, &c. in a finful faucer," &c.

See a note on the 3d fcene of the 3d Act of the First Part of King Henry IV. In the old copy prunes are fpelt, according to vulgar pronunciation, prewyns. STEEVENS.

not China difbes,] A China difh, in the age of Shakfpeare, must have been such an uncommon thing, that the Clown's exemption of it, as no utenfil in a common brothel, is a striking circumftance in his abfurd and tautological depofition.

STEEVENS.

and having but two in the difh, as I faid, master Froth here, this very man, having eaten the reft, as I faid, and, as I fay, paying for them very honestly;-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, fo 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;

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 cause 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 befeech you, look into mafter Froth here, fir; a man of fourfcore pound a year; whofe father died at Hallowmas :-Was't not at Hallowmas, mafter 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;—

-in a lower chair,] Every houfe had formerly, among its other furniture, what was called-a low chair, defigned for the eafe 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 last out a night in Ruffia, When nights are longest 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. ESCAL. I think no lefs: Good morrow to your

lordship.

[Exit ANGELO. Now, fir, come on: What was done to Elbow's wife, once more?

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 master 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 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

• 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 fay you to it?

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

CLO. By this hand, fir, his wife is a more refpected person 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.

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

ESCAL. Which is the wiser 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 married to her? If ever I was refpected with her, or fhe with me, let not your worthip think me the poor duke's officer:-Prove this, thou wicked Hannibal, or I'll have mine action of battery on thee.

3 Juftice, 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. Justice 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 Falftaff,-" that reverend Vice, that grey Iniquity." RITSON.

· Hannibal!] Mistaken by the constable 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 worship's pleasure I fhall do with this wicked caitiff?

ESCAL. Truly, officer, because he hath fome offences in him, that thou wouldst difcover 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 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? [ToFROTH.
FROTH. Here in Vienna, fir.

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

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

[To the Clown.

CLO. A tapfter; a poor widow's tapster.
ESCAL. Your mistress's name?

CLO. Mistress Over-done.

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

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

5 thou 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 cluster of fenfes. As it refers to the tapfter, it fignifies to drain, to empty; as it is