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Hoping, you'll find good caufe to whip them all.

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Efcal. I think no lefs. Good morrow to your lord

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

Clown. Once, Sir? there was nothing done to her

once.

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

Clown. I befeech your Honour, ask me.

Efcal. Well, Sir, what did this gentleman to her ? Clown. I beseech you, Sir, look in this gentleman's face. Good mafter Froth look upon his Honour ; 'tis for a good purpose.-Doth your Honour mark his face? Efcal. Ay, Sir, very well.

Clown. Nay, I befeech 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 conftable's wife any harm? I would know that of your Honour.

Efcal. He's in the right; conftable, what say you to it?

Elb. First, an' it like you, the house is a refpected houfe; next, this is a refpected fellow; and his miftrefs is a refpected woman.

Clown. By this hand, Sir, 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 he was ever refpected with man, woman, or child.

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

B 2

Efcal.

Efcal. Which is the wifer here? Juftice, or Iniquity?(x) -Is this true?

Elb. O thou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked Hannibal! I refpected with her, before I was marry'd to her? If ever I was refpected with her, or the with me, let not your worship think me the poor duke's officer; prove this, thou wicked Hannibal (2,) or I'll have mine action of battery on thee.

Efcal. If he took you a box o'th' ear, you might have your action of flander too.

Elb. Marry, I thank your good worship for't. 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 couldft, let him continue in his courses, 'till thou know'st what they

are.

Elb. Marry, I thank your worship for it; thou feeft, 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? [To Froth. Froth. Here in Vienna, Sir.

Escal. Are you of fourfcore pounds a year?
Froth. Yes, and't please you,Sir.

Efcal. So. What trade are you of, Sir?

{To the Clown.

Clown. A tapfter, a poor widow's tapfter.
Efcal. Your mistress's name?

Clown. Miftrefs Over-done.

Efcal. Hath he had any more than one husband?
Clown. Nine, Sir: Over-done by the last.

Efcal. Nine? Come hither to me, master Froth.. Mafter Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapfters; they will draw you, (3) mafter Froth, and you

(1) Fuftice or Iniquity? These were, I fuppofe, two perfonages well known to the audience by their frequent appearance in the old moralities. The words therefore at that time produced a combination of ideas, which they have now left.

(2) Hannibal, Miftaken by the conftable for Cannibal.

(3) they will draw you,] Draw has here a cluster of fenfes. As it refers to the tapfter, it fignifies to drain, to empty as it is related to bung, it means to embowel or exenterate. In Froth's anfwer

it is the fame as to bring along by fome motive or power.

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 tap-house, but I am drawn in.

Efcal. Well; no more of it, mafter Froth; farewel [Exit Froth

SCENE IV.

Come you hither to me, mafter tapfter; what's your name, mafter tapfter?

Clown. Pompey.

Efcal. What else?
Clawn. Bum, Sir.

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

Clown. Truly, Sir, 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, Sir.

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

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

Efcal. No, Pompey.

Clown. Truly, Sir, in my poor opinion, they will to't then. If your worthip 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 aad hanging.

Clown. If you head and hang all that offend that way but for ten years 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 fairest house in it, after three

B 3

pence

pence a bay; (4) If you live to see this come to pass, fay, Pompey told you fo.

Efcal. Thank you, good Pompey; and in requital of your prophecy, hark you; I advise 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 beat you to your tent, and prove a fhrewd Cæfar to you: in plain dealing, Pompey, I shall have you whipt. So for this time, Pompey, fare you well.

Clown. I thank your worship for your good counfel. [afide.] But I fhall follow it, as the flesh and fortune fhall better determine.

Whip me? no, no; let carman whip his jade :
The valiant heart's not whipt out of his trade.

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SCENE V.

[Exit.

Ejcal. Come hither to me, mafter Ellow; come hither, mafter conftable. How long have you been in this place of constable ?

Eib. Seven years and a half, Sir.

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

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Elb. And a half, Sir.

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 ferve it ?

Elb. Faith, Sir, few of any wit in fuch matters; as

(4) I'll rent the fairest house in it, for three pence a bay ;] Mr. Theobald found that this was the reading of the old books, and he follows it out of pure reverence for antiquity; for he knows nothing of the meaning of it. He fuppofes Bay to be that projection called a Bay-window; as if the way of rating houfes was by the number of their Bay-windows. But it is quite another thing, and fignifies the fquared frame of a timber house; each of which divifions or fquares is called a Bay. Hence a building of fo many bays. WARBURTON.

A Bay of building is in many parts of England a common term, of which the best conception that I could ever attain, is, that it is the space between the main beams of the roof; fo that a barn croffed twice with beams is a barn of three bays,

they

they are chofen they are glad to chufe me for them. I do it for fome piece of money, and go through with

all.

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

Elb. To your worship's houfe, Sir.

Efcal. To my houfe; fare you well, [Exit Elbow. What's a clock, think you?

Juft. Eleven, Sir.

Efcal. I pray you, home to dinner with me. fut. I humbly thank you.

Efcal. It grieves me for the death of Claudio : But there's no remedy.

Juft. Lord Angelo is fevere.

Efcal. It is but needful :

Mercy is not itself, that oft looks fo ;

Pardon is ftill the nurfe of fecond woe':

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Claudio! -there's no remedy.

[Exeunt.

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Serv.

Changes to Angelo's House.

Enter Provost, and a Servant.

E's hearing of a caufe; he will come straight:
I'll tell him of you.

a

Prov. Pray you do; I'll know

His pleasure; 't may be, he'll relent.

He hath but as offended in a dream :

Alas!

All fects, all ages fmack of this vice; and he

To die for it!

Enter Angelo.

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

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

Prov. Left I might be too rash.

Under your good correction, I have feen,

When, after execution, judgment hath

Repented o'er his doom.

B. 4

Ang.

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