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ACT II. SCENE I.

Angelo's Houfe.

X

Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a Justice, Provost, and Attendants.

Ang. We must not make a scare-crow of the law;

Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,

And let it keep one fhape, till custom make it

Their perch, and not their terror.

Efcal. Ay, but yet

Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,

Than fall and bruife to death: Alas! this gentleman,

Whom I would fave, had a most noble father.

a

Let but your honour know, (whom I believe
To be moft ftrait in virtue)

That, in the working of your own affections,
Had time coher'd with place, or place with wifhing,
Or that the refolute acting of your blood

Could have attain'd the effect of your own purpose,
Whether you had not fometime in your life

b

Err'd in this point for which you cenfure him,
And pull'd the law upon you.

Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,

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"A drop of water

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COMEDY OF ERRORS, A&t II, S. 2. Adr. "The common executioner

"Falls not the axe &c."

AS YOU LIKE IT, A& III, S. 5.

a know,]-confider, examine. "Know of your truth."

Sil.

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Act I, S. 1. The.

b which now.

The

The jury, paffing on the prisoner's life,

May, in the fworn twelve, have a thief or two

Guiltier than him they try: What's open made to justice,

That juftice feizes. What know the laws,

That thieves do país on thieves? "Tis very pregnant,

The jewel that we find, we ftoop and take it,

Because we see it; but what we do not fee,
We tread upon, and never think of it,

You may not fo extenuate his offence,

For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me,
When I that cenfure him do fo offend,

Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he muft die.
Efcal. Be it, as your wisdom will. ·
Ang. Where is the provost?

Prov. Here, if it like your honour.
Ang. See that Claudio

Be executed by nine to-morrow morning :
Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd;
For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage.

[Exit Prov.

Efcal. Well, heaven forgive him! and forgive us all!

Some rife by fin, and fome by virtue fall:

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Some run from brakes of justice, answer none;

And fome condemned for a fault alone.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, Officers, &c.

Elb. Come, bring them away: if these be good people in a common-weal, that do nothing but ufe their abuses in common houses, I know no law: bring them away.

'Tis very pregnant,]—'Tis as plain as daily experience can make it. For-Because.

e brakes of Ice,-of vice, and-racks, or fuch like instruments of torture escape unpunished for their repeated crimes; unhurt through the thorny paths of fin.

Ang.

Ang. How now, fir! 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, fir, 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 pleafe 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 chriftians ought to have.

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

Ang. Go to: What quality are they of? Elbow is your name? Why doft thou not fpeak, Elbow?

Clown. He cannot, fir; he's out at elbow.

Ang. What are you, fir?

h

Elb. He, fir? a tapfter, fir; parcel-bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whofe houfe, fir, was, as they say, pluck'd down in the fuburbs; and now fhe 1 profeffes a hothouse, which, I think, is a very ill house too.

Efcal. How know you that?

Elb. My wife, fir, whom I deteft before heaven and your honour,

Efcal. How! thy wife?

Elb. Ay, fir; whom, I thank heaven, is an honeft

woman:

Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore?

Elb. I fay, fir, I will deteft myself also, as well as she, that this houfe, if it be not a bawd's houfe, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty houfe.

This comes off well;]-This is a very curious ftory.
What quality are they of ?]-What is their calling?

h parcel-bawd;]-a kind of mongrel, half tapfter, half bawd.
i profeffes a bot-houfe,]-keeps a bagnio..

Efcal.

Efcal. How doft thou know that, constable?

Elb. Marry, fir, by my wife; who, if she had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accufed in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there.

Efcal. By the woman's means?

Elb. Ay, fir, by mistress Over-done's means; but as fhe spit in his face, fo fhe defy'd him.

k

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

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

Efcal. Do you hear how he misplaces ? [To Angelo. Clown. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your honour's reverence) for ftew'd prunes; fir, 'diftant we had but two in the house, which at that very time stood as it were, in a fruit-difh, a difh of some three pence; your honours have feen fuch dishes; they are not China-dishes, but very good dishes.

Efcal. Go to, go to; no matter for the dish, fir.

Clown. No, indeed, fir, 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 faid, for prunes; and having but two in the dish, as I said, master Froth here, this very man, having eaten the reft, 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 remember'd, cracking the ftones of the forefaid prunes. Froth. Ay, fo I did, indeed.

you

be

Clown. Why, very well: I telling you then, if remember'd, that such a one, and fuch a one, were past

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Froth's face.

1 inftant.

cure

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.

Efcal. Come, you are a tedious fool: to the purpofe.What was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath cause to complain of? come me to what was done to her.

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

Clown. Sir, but you fhall come to it, by your honour's leave: And, I befeech you, look into master Froth here, fir; a man of fourfcore pound a year; whofe father dy'd at Hallowmas :-Was't not at Hallowmas, mafter Froth? Froth. All-hollond eve.

Clown. Why, very well; I hope here be truths: He, fir, fitting, as I fay, in a lower chamber, fir;-'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.

Clown. 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.

Efcal. I think no lefs: Good morrow to your lordship.

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

Clown. Once, fir? there was nothing done to her once. Elb. I beseech you, fir, ask him what this man did ta my wife.

Clown. I befeech your honour, afk me,

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