Lucio. She it is.

Ifab. Let him then marry her.
Lucio. This is the point.

The Duke is very ftrangely gone from hence;
Bore many gentlemen, my felf being one,
In hand and hope of action; but we learn,
By thofe that know the very nerves of ftate,
His givings out were of an infinite distance
From his true-meant defign. Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,

Governs lord Angelo; a man whose blood
Is very fnow-broth, one who never feels
The wanton ftings and motions of the fenfes
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, ftudy and faft.
He, to give fear to use and liberty,

Which have long time run by the hideous law,
As mice by lyons hath pickt out an act,
Under whofe heavy fenfe your brother's life
Falls into forfeit; he arrefts him on it,
And follows clofe the rigor of the ftatute,
To make him an example; all hope's gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair
To foften Angelo; and that's my business
'Twixt you and your poor brother.
Ifab. Doth he fo

Seek his life?

Lucio. Has cenfur'd him already,

prayer

And, as I hear, the Provost hath a warrant
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. Our doubts are traitors,

And make 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 keeel,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,

As

As they themselves would owe them.
Ifab. I'll fee what I can do.
Lucio. But speedily.

Ifab. I will about it ftrait;

No longer staying, but to give the mother
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, Juftice, and attendants,

ANGEL O.

E muft not make a fcar-crow of the law,

Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,
And let it keep one fhape, '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 bruife to death. Alas! this gentleman, Whom I would fave, had a moft noble father;

Let but your honour know,

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 wifhing,
Or that the refolute acting of your blood

Could

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 cenfnre 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 pafs on thieves? '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 so extrenuate his offence,
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. He must die.
Enter Provost.

Efcal. Be't as your 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 him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd,
For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage. [Exit Provoft.
Efcal. Well heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all!
Some rife by fin, and fome by virtue fall:

Some run through brakes of vice, and anfwer none
And fome condemned for a fault alone.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers. Elb. Come, bring them away; if thefe be good peo ple in a common-weal, that do nothing but ufe their abuses in common houses, I know no law; bring them away.

VOL. I.

R

Ang.

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.

Ang. Benefactors? well, what benefactors are they are they not malefactors?

Elb. If it pleafe 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 chriftians ought to have.

Efcal. This comes off well; here's a wife officer.
Ang. Go to: what quality are you of? Elbow
your name? Why doft thou not fpeak, 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 ferves a bad woman; whofe houfe, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt down in the fuburbs; and now fhe profeffes a hot-houfe; which, I think, is a very ill houfe too.

Efcal. How know you shat?

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

Efcal. How! thy wife?

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

woman.

Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore?

Elb. I fay, Sir, I will deteft my felf alfo, as well 4 as fhe, that this houfe, if it be not a bawd's houfe, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty houfe.

Efcal. How doft thou know that, conftable?

Elb. Marry Sir, by my wife; who, if she had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleannefs there. Efcal. By the woman's means?

Elb, Ay Sir, by miftrefs Over-don's means; but as he fpit in his face, fo fhe defy'd him.

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

Elb,

Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honou rable man, prove it.

Efcal. Do you hear how he mifplaces?

Clown. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your honour's reverence) for ftew'd prewns; we had but two in the houfe, which at that very inftant time ftood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a difh of fome three pence; (your honours have feen fuch dishes, they are not China difhes, but very good dishes.)

Efcal. Go to, go to; no matter for the dish, Sir. Clown. No indeed Sir, not of a pin; you are there in 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 prewns; and having no more in the difh, as I faid; master Froth here, this very man having eaten the reft, as 1 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 rerembred, cracking the ftones of the forefaid prewns. Froth. Ay, fo I did indeed.

Clown. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembred, that fuch a one, and fuch a one, were paft cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept 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 purpofe: what was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath caufe to complain of? come to what was done to her. Clown. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet. Efcal. No Sir, 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 fourfcore pound a year; whose father dy'd at Hallowmas. Was't not at Hallowmas, mafter Froth?

R 2

Froth.