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Clo. Sir, fhe was refpected with him before he married with her.

Efcal. Which is the wifer here? Juftice or Iniquity?— Is this true?

Elb. O thou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked Hannibal! I refpected with her, before I was married 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 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 worship for it: What is't your worship's pleafure I fhould do with this wicked caitiff?

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

thee;

Elb. Marry, I thank your worinip for it :-Thou seest, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon 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 fourfcore pounds a year?
Froth. Yes, and't please you, fir.

[TO FROTH.

Efcal. So. What trade are you of, fir? [To the Clown.
Clo. A tapfter; a poor widow's tapster.

Efcal. Your miftress's name?

Cla.

Thefe 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 loft. JOHNSON.

Juftice or Iniquity ?] i. e. The conftable or the fool. Efcalus calls the latter Iniquity, in allufion to the old Vice, a familiar character, in the ancient moralities and dumb-fhews. Justice may have a fimilar allufion, which I am unable to explain. Iniquitie is one of the perfonages in the "Worthy interlude of Kynge Darius," 4to. bl. 1. no date. And in the First Part of King Henry IV. Prince Henry calls Falstaff,—“ that reverend Vice, that grey Iniquity." RITSON.

7 Miftaken by the conftable for Cannibal. JOHNSON.

8 Perhaps Elbow, misinterpreting the language of Efcalus, fuppofes the Clown is to continue in confinement; at least, he conceives fome severe punishment or other to be implied by the word-continue. STEEVENS.

Clo. Miftrefs Over-done.

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

Efcal. Nine! Come hither to me, master Froth. Mafter Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapiters; 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 tap houfe, but I am drawn in.

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

Clo. Pompey.

2

Efcal. What else?

Clo. Bum, fir.

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, how foever you colour it in being a tapfter. Are you not? come, tell me true; it shall be the better for you.

Clo. 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?

Clo. If the law would allow it, fir.

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

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9 Draw has here a clufter of fenfes. As it refers to the tapfter, it fign fies to drain, to empty; as it is related to bang, it means to be conveyed to execution on a burdle. In Froth's anfwer, it is the fame as to bring along by fome motive or power. JOHNSON.

2 His mistress in a preceding scene, calls him Thomas. RITSON.

3 Harriton in his Defcription of Britain, prefixed to Holingfhed's Chronicle, condemns the excefs of apparel amongst his contrymen. Should any curious reader wish for more information upon this subject, he is referred to "Strutt's Manners and Cuftoms of the English," Vol. III. p. 86. DOUCE.

But perhaps an ancient MS. ballad, entitled, A lamentable complaint of the pore country men againfte great hofe, for the loffe of there cattelles tailes, Muf. Brit. MS. Harl. 367. may throw further light on the fubject.

STELVENS.

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

Efcal. No, Pompey.

Clo. Truly, fir, in my poor opinion, they will to't then: If your worship will take order 4 for the drabs and the knaves, need not to fear the bawds.

you

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

Clo. 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 out in Vienna ten year, I'll rent the fairest house in it, after three pence a bay: 5 If you live to fee this come to pafs, fay, Pompey told you fo.

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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 if I do, Pompey, I fhall 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.

Clo. I thank your worship for your good counfel; 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.

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

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 your ward fufficient to ferve it?

in

Elb. Faith, fir, few of any wit in fuch matters as they

4 i. e. take measures. STEEVENS

are

5 A bay of building is, in many parts of England, a common term, of which the beft conception that ever I could obtain, 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. JOHNSON.

are chofen, they are glad to choose me for them; I do it for fame piece of money, and go through with all.

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

Elb. To your worship's house, fir?

Efcal. Tomy houfe: Fare you well. [Exit ELBOW.] What's o'clock, think you?

Juft. Eleven, fir.

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

Efcal. It grieves me for the death of Claudio ;

But there's no remedy.

Juft. Lord Angelo is fevere.

Ejcal.

It is but needful:

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

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

[Exeunt.

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Another Room in the fame.

Enter Provost, and a Servant.

Serv. He's hearing of a caufe; he will come straight.

I'll tell him of you.

Prov. Pray you, do. [Exit Servant.] I'll know His pleafure; 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!-

Ang.

Enter ANGELO.

Now, what's the matter, provoft?
Prov. Is it your will Claudio fhall die to-morrow?
Ang. Did I not tell thee, yea? had'st thou notorder
Why dost thou ask again?

Prov.
Left I might be too rash :
Under your good correction, I have seen,
When, after execution, judgement hath
Repented o'er his doom.

Ang

Ang.

Go to; let that be mine:

Do you your office, or give up your place,
And you fhall well be fpar'd.

Prov.
What shall be done, fir, with the groaning Juliet?
She's very near her hour.

I crave your honour's pardon.

Ang.

Difpofe of her

To fome more fitter place; and that with speed.

Re-enter Servant.

Serv. Here is the fifter of the man condemn'd, Defires access to you.

Ang.

Hath he a fifter?

Prov. Ay, my good lord; a very virtuous maid, And to be fhortly of the fifterhood,

If not already.

Ang.

See

you,

Well, let her be admitted.

the fornicatrefs be remov'd;

Let her have needful, but not lavish, means;

'There fhall be order for it.

Enter Lucio and ISABELLA.

Prov. Save

your

honour! 6

[Exit Servant.

[Offering to retire. Ang. Stay a little while."-[To ISAB.] You are welcome : What's your will?

Ifab.

6 Your bonour, which is fo often repeated in this fcene, was in our author's time the ufual mode of addrefs to a lord. It had become antiquated after the Restoration; for Sir William D'Avenant in his alteration of this play has fubftituted your excellence in the room of it. MALONE.

7 It is not clear why the Provost is bidden to stay, nor when he goes out. JOHNSON.

The entrance of Lucio and Ifabella should not, perhaps, he made till after Angelo's fpeech to the Provoft, who had only announced a lady, and feems to be detained as a witnefs to the purity of the deputy's conversation with her. His exit may be fixed with that of Lucio and Ifabeila. He cannot remain longer, and there is no reason to think he departs before.

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Stay a little while, is faid by Angelo, in anfwer to the words, "Save your bonour" which denoted the Provoft's intention to depart. Isabella ufes the fame words to Angelo, when the goes out, near the conclufion of this fcene. So alfo, when the offers to retire, on finding her fuit ineffectual: Heaven keep your honour!" MALONE.

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