ACT II. SCENE I. A Hall in ANGELO'S House. Enter ANGELO, ESCALUS, a Justice, Officers, and other Attendants. Ang. We 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 Escal. 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 strait in virtue,) Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose, Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, The jury, passing 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 seizes: what know the laws, That thieves do pass on thieves? "Tis very pregnant, The jewel that we find, we stoop and take it, For I have had such faults; but rather tell me, When I, that censure him, do so offend, Let mine own judgment pattern out my death, Where is the provost ? Enter Provost 2. See that Claudio Prov. Here, if it like your honour. Be executed by nine to-morrow morning. [Exit Provost. 3 Enter ELBOW, FROTH, Clown, Officers, &c. 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 matter? Elb. If it please your honour, I am the poor duke's constable, and my name is Elbow: I do lean upon justice, sir; and do bring in here before your good honour two notorious benefactors. 2 Enter Provost.] The modern editors all represent the Provost, or Jailor, as on the stage from the beginning of the scene, which is evidently improper. In the old copies he comes in when he is called for," Where is the Provost ?” 3 Some run from breaks of ICE, and answer none,] Thus the text stands in the old copies, which seems right; the meaning being, that some escape without responsibility, even though the danger seem as imminent as when the ice breaks under them; but Malone and others would change the expression into "brakes of vice," and it would be an easy corruption, if there were any necessity for a change. It is certain, as Steevens shows at large, that an old instrument of torture was called "a brake," but not by any means certain that Shakespeare intended a reference to it. 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? Clo. 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, pluck'd down in the suburbs; and now she 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 heaven and your honour, Escal. How! thy wife? Elb. Ay, sir; whom, I thank heaven, is an honest woman, Escal. Dost 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 uncleanliness there. Escal. By the woman's means? Elb. Ay, sir, by mistress Over-done's means; but as she spit in his face, so she defied him. and now she professes a HOT-HOUSE,] A "hot-house" and a bagnio formerly were synonymous: thus in the romance of "Apollonius of Tyre," on which Shakespeare founded" Pericles," at the end of Chap. II. we read, "the common shews and plaies surceased, baines and hot-houses were shut up." Shakespeare's Library," Part v. p. 188. See the reprint of Rowley's "Search for Money," 4to, 1609, by the Percy Society, p. 45, for some curious particulars respecting the suppression of the stews in Southwark, &c. Clo. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not so. Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man; prove it. Escal. [To ANGELO.] Do you hear how he misplaces? Clo. Sir, she came in great with child, and longing (saving your honour's reverence) for stew'd prunes sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very distant 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. Escal. Go to, go to: no matter for the dish, sir. Clo. 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 prunes, and having but two in the dish, as I said, master Froth here, this 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. Froth. No, indeed. Clo. Very well: you being then, if you be remember'd, cracking the stones of the foresaid prunes. Froth. Ay, so I did, indeed. Clo. Why, very well: I telling you then, if you be remember'd, that such a one, and such a one, were past cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept very good diet, as I told you. Froth. All this is true. 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 me to what was done to her. Clo. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet. Escal. No, sir, nor I mean it not. 5 Why, very well: I TELLING you then,] Malone has it "I tell you then," in opposition to all the authorities. The Clown is referring to what is past, and to what he had formerly told Froth. Clo. 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 died at Hallowmas.-Was't not at Hallowmas, master Froth? Froth. All-hallownd eve. Clo. Why, very well: I hope here be truths. He, sir, sitting, as I say, in a lower chair, sir;-'twas in the Bunch of Grapes, where, indeed, you have a delight to sit, have you not? Froth. I have so; because it is an open room, and good for winter. Clo. Why, very well then: I hope here be truths. Ang. This will last out a night in Russia, 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. Escal. 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? Clo. Once, sir? there was nothing done to her once. Elb. I beseech you, sir, ask him what this man did to my wife. Clo. I beseech your honour, ask me. Escal. Well, sir, what did this gentleman to her? Clo. I beseech you, sir, look in this gentleman's face. -Good master Froth, look upon his honour; 'tis for a good purpose. Doth your honour mark his face? Escal. Ay, sir, very well. Clo. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well. Escal. Well, I do so. Clo. Doth your honour see any harm in his face? Clo. I'll be supposed 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 |