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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. Qur doubts are traitors;

And made us lofe the good, we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when maidens fue,
Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,

As they themselves would owe them.

Ifab. I'll fee what I can do.
Lucio. But, fpeedily.

Ifab. I will about it ftrait;

No longer ftaying, but to give the mother (3)
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you;
Commend me to my brother: foon at night
I'll fend him certain word of my fuccefs.
'Lucio. I take my leave of you.

Ifab. Good Sir, adieu.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

The PALACE.

Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a Jufice, and Attendants.

Ang. WE muft not make a fcare-crow of the law,
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. (4) Alas! this gentleman,

(3)

-the mother.] The abbefs, or prioress.

Whom

(4) Than FALL, and bruife to death.] fhould rather read FELL, i. e. ftrike down. So in Timon of Aibens, All, fave thee, I PELL with curjes.

WARBURTON.

Whom I would fave, had a moft noble father;
Let but your Honour know, (5)

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 wishing,
Or that the refolute acting of your blood

Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose;
Whether you had not fometime 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 prifoner'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 on. What know the laws,
That thieves do país on thieves? (6), 'tis very pregnant,
The jewel that we find, we ftoop 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 extenuate his offence,

(7) For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me,
When I, that cenfure him, do so offend,

Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

Efcal. Be't as your

Enter Provost.

wisdom will.

Ang. Where is the Provoft?

Prov. Here, if it like your Honour.

Ang. See, that Claudio

Be executed by nine to morrow morning.

Bring

15) Let but your boncur know.] To know is here to examine, to take cognisance. So in Midfummer night's dream, Therefore, fair Hermia, queftion your defires, Kaow of your youth, examine well your blood.

(6) -'tis very pregnant.] 'Tis plain that we must not act with bad as with good; we punish the faults, as we take the advantages, that lie in our way, and what we do not fee we cannot note. (7) For I have bad.] That is, because, by reason that I have ad faults.

Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd;
For that's the utmoft of his pilgrimage.

[Exit Prov. Efcal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all! (8) Some rife by fin, and some by virtue fall: Some run through brakes of vice, and answer none And some condemned for a fault alone.

S CE NE II.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers.

Elb. Come, bring them away; if thefe be good people in a commnon-weal, that do nothing but ufe their abufes in common houfes, I know no law; bring them

away.

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 I do lean upon conftable, and my name is Elbow juftice, Sir, and do bring in here before your good Hanour 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 precife villains they are, that I am fure of; and void of all profanation in the world, that good christians 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 speak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow. Ang. What are you, Sir?

Elb. He, Sir? a tapfter, Sir; parcel-bawd; one that serves a bad woman; whose house, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt down in the suburbs; and now the profeffes

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(8) Some rife, &c.] This line is in the first folio printed în Italicks as a quotation. All the folios read in the next line, Some ran from brakes of ice, and answer none.

This comes off well.] This is aimbly spoken; this is volubly

uttered.

profeffes a hot-house; (9) which, I think, is a very ill houfe too.

Efcal. How know you that?

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

Efcal. How! thy wife?

Elb. Ay, Sir; who, I thank heav'n, is an honeft

woman;

Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore?

Elb. I fay, Sir, I will deteft myself alfo, as well as fhe, 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 doft thou know that, constable?

Elb. Marry, Sir, by my wife; who, if fhe 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-done's means, as the fpit in his face, fo the defy'd him.

*bu t

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?

Clown. Sir fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your Honour's reverence) for ftew'd prunes Sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very distant time flood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a difh of fome three pence; your Honours have seen such dishes 3 they are not China dishes, but very good difhes.

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

(9) -fhe professes a bot-boufe ;] A kot-boufe is the English name for a bagnio.

Where lately barbour'd many a famous whore,

A purging bill now fix'd upon the door,

Tells you it is a hot-houfe, fo it may,

And fill be a whore-bouse.

JOHNSON.

*Here feems to have been forme 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 ignarance of the conftable.

VOL. II.

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Clown. No, indeed, Sir, not of a pin; you are therein in the right. But to the point; as I fay, this miftrefs 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 faid; mafter 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, mafter Froth, I could not give you three pence again.

Froth. No, indeed.

Clown. Very well; you being then, if you be remembred, cracking the ftones of the forefaid prunes. Froth. Ay, fo I did, indeed.

Clorun. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembred, that fuch a one, and such a one, were paft cure of the thing you wot of, unlefs 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 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, nor I mean it not.

:

Clown. Sir, but you fhall 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, mafter Froth?

Froth. All-Holland eve.

Clown. Why, very well; I hope here be truths. He, Sir, fitting, as I fay, 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 laft out a night in Ruffia, When nights are longeft there. I'll take my leave, And leave you to the hearing of the caufe;

Hoping,

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