Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

Efcal. Well, fir; What did this gentleman to her?
Clown. 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?
Efcal. Ay, fir, very well.

Clown. Nay, I beseech you mark it well.
Efcal. Well, I do fo.

Clown. Doth your honour fee any harm in his face?
Efcal. Why, no.

Clown. I'll be fuppos'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 mafter Froth do the constable's wife any harm? I would know that of your honour.

Efcal. He's in the right: conftable, what fay you to it? Elb. First, an it like you, the house is a refpected house; next, this is a refpected fellow; and his miftrefs is a refpected woman.

Clown. By this hand, fir, 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 refpected with man, woman, or child.

Clown. Sir, fhe was refpected with him before he marry'd with her.

Efcal. Which is the wifer here? Justice or Iniquity? -Is this true?

Elb. O thou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked P 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

• Juftice or Iniquity?]-Constable or Clown?-alluding to the characters of the Vice, and his antagonist, in the old moralities.

P Hannibal!]-Cannibal.

VOL. I.

U

this,

this, thou wicked Hannibal, or I'll have mine action of battery on thee.

Efcal. 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?

Efcal. Truly, officer, because he hath fome offences in him, that thou wouldst discover if thou couldst, let him continue in his courfes, till thou know'ft what they are.

Elb. Marry, I thank your worship for it :-Thou feest, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon thee; thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to continue.

Efcal. Where were you born, friend?

Froth. Here in Vienna, fir.

Efcal. Are you of fourscore pounds a year ?

Froth. Yes, and't please you, sir.

[To Froth.

Efcal. So.-What trade are you of, fir? [To the Clown.

Clown. A tapfter; a poor widow's tapfter.

Efcal. You miftrefs's name?

Clown. Miftrefs Over-done.

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

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

Efcal. Well, no more of it, mafter Froth: farewell. -Come you hither to me, mafter tapfter; what's your name, master tapfter?

I hang on them-they will drain you, till you are driven to depend on them.

Clown.

Clown. Pompey.
Efcal. What elfe?

Clown. Bum, fir.

Efcal. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about you; fo that, in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey the great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pompey, howfoever you colour it in being tapfter; Are you not? come, tell me true; it shall be the better for you.

Clown. Truly, fir, I am a poor fellow, that would live. Efcal. How would you live, Pompey? by being a bawd? What do you think of the trade, Pompey? is it a lawful trade?

Clown. If the law will allow it, fir.

Efcal. But the law will not allow it, Pompey; nor it fhall not be allowed in Vienna.

Clown. Does your worship mean to geld and spay all the youth in the city?

Efcal. No, Pompey.

Clown. Truly, fir, in my poor opinion, they will to't then If your worship will take order for the drabs and the knaves, you need not to fear the bawds.

Efcal. There are pretty orders beginning, I can tell you: it is but heading and hanging.

Clown. If you head and hang all that offend that way but for ten year together, you'll be glad to give out a commiffion for more heads. If this law hold in Vienna ten years, I'll rent the faireft house in it, after three pence 'a bay: If you live to fee this come to pafs, fay, Pompey told you fo.

Efcal. Thank you, good Pompey and in requital of your prophecy, hark you,-I advife you, let me not find you before me again upon any complaint whatfoever, no, not for dwelling where you do; if I do, Pompey, I fhall

a bay-a fquared frame, or divifion of a building.
U 2

beat

beat you to your tent, and prove a fhrewd Cæfar to you; in plain dealing, Pompey, I fhall have you whipt; fo, for this time, Pompey, fare you well.

Clown. I thank your worship for your good counsel; but I fhall follow it, as the flesh and fortune shall better determine.

Whip me? No, no: let carman whip his jade;

The valiant heart's not whipt out of his trade.

[Exit.

Efcal. Come hither to me, mafter Elbow; come hither, master constable. How long have you been in this place of constable?

Elb. Seven year and a half, sir.

Efcal. I thought, by your readiness in the office, you had continued in it fome time: You fay, feven years together?

Elb. And a half, fir.

Efcal. Alas! it hath been great pains to you! they do you wrong to put you fo oft upon't: Are there not men in your ward fufficient to serve it?

Elb. Faith, fir, few of any wit in fuch matters: as they are chofen, they are glad to chufe me for them; I do it for fome piece of money, and go through with all.

Efcal. Look you, bring me in the names of fome fix or feven, the most fufficient of your parish.

Elb. To your worship's house, sir?

Efcal. To my houfe: Fare you well.

What's a clock, think you?

Juft. Eleven, fir.

Efcal. I pray you home to dinner with me.

Just. I humbly thank you.

Efcal. It grieves me for the death of Claudio

But there's no remedy.

Just. Lord Angelo is fevere.

Efcal. It is but needful:

Mercy

Mercy is not itself, that oft looks fo;
Pardon is ftill the nurse of second woe :

But yet,-Poor Claudio !-There's no remedy.

Come, fir.

SCENE II.

Angelo's Houfe.

Enter Provoft, and a Servant.

[Exeunt.

Serv. He's hearing of a caufe; he will come ftraight: I'll tell him of you.

Prov. Pray you, do. [Exit Servant.] I'll know His pleasure; may be, he will relent: Alas,

He hath but as offended in a dream!

All fects, all ages fmack of this vice; and he
To die for it!—

Enter Angelo.

Ang. Now, what's the matter, provost?

Prov. Is it your will Claudio fhall die to-morrow? Ang. Did I not tell thee, yea? hadft thou not order? Why doft thou ask again?

Prov. Left I might be too rash :

Under your good correction, I have seen,

When, after execution, judgment hath
Repented o'er his doom.

Ang. Go to; let that be mine:

Do you your office, or give up your place,

And you shall well be spar'd.

Prov. I crave your honour's pardon.

What shall be done, fir, with the groaning Juliet?

She's very near her hour.

Ang. Difpofe of her

To fome more fitting place; and that with speed.

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »