DENTARIS

A C T II.

SCENE, The Palace.

Enter Angelo, Escalus, a Justice, and Attendants.

ANGELO. WE

E must not make a scare-crow of the law,

Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,
And let it keep one shape, 'till custom make it
Their pearch, and not their terror.

Efal. Ay, but yet
Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,
Than fall, and bruise to death. Alas ! this gentleman,
Whom I would save, had a most noble father;
Let but your Honour know,
Whom I believe to be most Arait in virtue,

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

blood
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 censure 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, palling 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 pafs on thieves ? 'tis very pregnant,
The jewel that we find, we stoop and take't,
Because we fee it ; bụt what we do not see,
We tread upon, and never think of it,
You may not so extenuate his offence,

TO

For I have had such faults ; but rather tell me,
When I, that censure him, do fo offend,
Ler mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

Enter Provost.
Escal. Be't, as your Wisdom will.
Ang. Where is the Provost?
Prov. Here, if it like your Honour.

Ang. See, that Claudió
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.
Escal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all!
Some rise hy sin, 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 people in a common-weal, that do nothing but use their abuses in common houses, I know no law; bring them away.

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

Elb. If it please your Honour, I am the poor Duke's conftable, and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon jultice, 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 christians ought to have.

Escal. This comes off well, here's a wise officer.

Ang. Go to: what quality are they of Elbow is your name ? why dost thou not speak, Elbow ?

Clown.

Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow.
Ang. What are you, Sir?

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

Escal. How know you that?

Elb. My wife, Sir, whom I detest before heav'n and your Honour,

Escal. How! thy wife?

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

Escal. Doft thou detest her therefore ?

Elb. I say, Sir, I will detest myself 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.

Escal. How dost thou know, that constable ?

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.

Escal. By the woman's means ?

Elb. Ay, Sir, by mistress Over-done's means, but as the fpit in his face, so she defy'd him.

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

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

Escal. Do your hear how he misplaces ?

Clown. Sir, me came in great with child ; and longing (saving your Honour's reverence) for ftew'd prewns ; Sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very diftant time ftood, as it were, in a fruit-dilh, 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, Sir.

Clown. No, indeed, Sir, not of a pin ; you are therein in the right: but to the point; as I say, this mistress Elbow, being, as I say, with child, and being great belly'd, and longing, as I said, for prewns; and having but two in the dish, as I said; maiter Froth here, this Vol. I.

P

very

very man, having eaten the rest, as I said, and, as I say, paying for them very honestly; for, as you know, master Froth, I could not give you three pence again. Frotb. No, indeed.

Clown. Very well; you being then, if you be remem. bred, 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 such 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. Clown. 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 to what was done to her.

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

Clown. Sir, but you shall come to it, by your Ho.. nour's leave: and I beseech you, look into master Froh here, Sir, a man of fourscore pound a year; whose father dy'd at Hollowinas. Was't not at Hollowmas, malter Frotb?

Froth. All-holland eve.

Clown. Why, very well ; I hope here be truths. He, Sir, fitting, as I say, in a lower chair, Sir; '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 last out a night in Rufra, 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. Éjcal. I think no less. Good morrow to your lord ship.

[Exit Angelo Now, Sir, come on; what was done to Elbow's wife, once more?

Clown.

once.

Clown. Once, Sir there was nothing done to her

Elb. I beseech you, Sir, ask him what this man did to my wife.

Clown. I do beseech your Honour, ask me.
Escal. Well, Sir, what did this gentleman to her?

Clown. I beseech you, Sir, look in this gentleman's face ; good malter Froth, look upon his Honour; 'tis for a good purpose ; doth your honour mark his face ? Escal. Ay, Sir, very well. Clown. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well. Escal. Well, I do so. Clown. Doch

your
Honour fee

any

harm in his face? Escal. Why, no.

Clown. I'll be suppos'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 master 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 house ; next, this is a respected fellow ; and his mistress is a respected woman.

Clown. By this hand, Sir, his wife is a more respected person that any of us all. .

Elb. Varlet, thou lieft ; thou liest, wicked varlet; the time is yet to come, that the was ever respected with man, woman, or child,

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

Escal. Which is the wiser here? Yuffice, or Iniquity ? 'Is this true}

Elb. O thou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked Hannibal! I respected with her, before I was marry'd to her? If ever I was respected with her, or she with me, let not your worship think

poor

Duke's officer ; prove this, thou wicked Hannibal, or I'll have mine action of battery on thce.

Escal.

me the

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