Lucio. She it is.

Ifab. Let him then marry her.

Lucio. This is the point.

The Duke is very strangely gone from hence;
Bore many gentlemen, my self being one,
In hand and hope of action; but we learn,
By those that know the very nerves of state,
His givings out were of an infinite distance
From his true-meant design. Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,
Governs lord Angelo; a man whose blood
Is very fnow-broth, one who never feels
The wanton stings and motions of the sense
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, study and faft,
He, to give fear to use and liberty,
Which have long time run by the hideous law,
As mice by lyons hath pickt out an act,
Under whose heavy sense your brother's life
Falls into forfeit; he arrefts him on it,
And follows close the rigor of the statute,
To make him an example; all hope's gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer
To soften Angelo; and that's my business
'Twixt you and your poor brother.
Ifab. Doth he fo

Seek his life?

Lucio. Has cenfur'd him already,
And, as I hear, the Provost hath a warrant
For's execution.

Ifab. Alas! what poor
Ability's in me, to do him good?
Lucio. Affay the power you have.
Ifab. My power? Alas! I doubt.
Lucio. Our doubts are traitors,
And anake us lose the good we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when maidens sue,
Men give like gods; but when they weep and keeel,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,

As

As they themselves would owe them.
Ifab. I'll fee what I can do.
Lucio. But speedily.

Ifab. I will about it strait;

No longer staying, but to give the mother
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you;
Commend me to my brother: soon at night
I'll send him certain word of my success.
Lucio. I take my leave of you.
Ifab. Good Sir, adieu.

[Exeunt.

ACT II. SCENE L

The PALACE.

Enter Angelo, Escalus, Justice, and attendants.

ANGELO.

E must not make a fcar-crow of the

law,

W

Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,
And let it keep one shape, '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 bruise to death. Alas! this gentleman,

Whom I would fave, 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 wishing,

Or that the refolute acting of your blood

Could

Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose,
Whether you had not sometime in your life
Err'd in this point which now 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
The jury paffing on the prisoner's life,
May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two,
Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to justice,
That justice feizes on. What know the laws
That thieves do pass on thieves? 'tis very pregnant,
The jewel that we find, we stoop and take't,
Because we fee it; but what we do not fee,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not fo extrenuate his offence,
For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me
When I, that censure him, do so offend,
Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. He must die.

Enter Provost.

Efcal. Be't 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 Provoft.

Escal. Well heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all!

Some rise by fin, and some by virtue fall:

Some run through brakes of vice, and answer none; And fome condemned for a fault alone.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers.

Elb. Come, bring them away; if these be good peo -ple in a common-weal, that do nothing but use their abuses in common houses, I know no law; bring

them away.

VOL. I.

Ang. How now Sir, what's your name? and what's the matter?

Elb. If it please your honour, I am the poor Duke's conftable, 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 world, that good chriftians ought to have.

Efcal. This comes off well; here's a wife officer. Ang. Go to: what quality are you of? Elbow įs your name? Why dost thou not speak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow. Ang. What are you, Sir?

Alb. He, Sir? a tapster, Sir; parcel bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whose house, Sir, was, as they say, pluckt down in the fuburbs; and now the professes a hot-house; which, I think, is a very ill house too.

Efcal. How know you that?

Eib. My wife, Sir, whom I detest before heav'n and your honour.

Efcal. How! thy wife?

Elb. Ay, Sir; whom I thank heav'n is an honest

woman.

Efcal. Dost thou detest her therefore?

Elb. I fay, Sir, I will deteft my felf 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. Efcal. How dost thou know that, conftable? Elb. Marry Sir, by my wife; who, if she had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there. Efcal. By the woman's means?

Elb. Ay Sir, by mistress Over-don's means; but as The spit in his face, so she defy'd him. Clown, Sir, if it please your honour, this is not fo. Elb,

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

Efcal. Do you hear how he misplaces?

Clown. Sir, she came in great with child; and longing (faving your honour's reverence) for stew'd prewns; we had but two in the house, which at that very instant 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.)

Efcal. 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 fay, this mistress Elbow, being as I say, with child, and being great belly'd, and longing, as I faid, for prewns; and having no more in the dish, as I faid; master Froth here, this very man having eaten the rest, as 1 faid, and as I fay paying for them very honestly; 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 rermembred, cracking the stones of the forefaid prewns. Froth. Ay, so I did indeed.

Clown. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembred, that such a one, and fuch a one, were past cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept 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 purpose: what was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath cause to complain of? come to what was done to her. Clown. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet. Efcal. No Sir, I mean it not.

Clown. Sir, but you shall come to it, by your 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 ?

R2

Froth.