Expresseth his full tilth and husbandry. Isab. Some one with child by him?-My cousin Juliet? Lucio. Is she your cousin? Isab. Adoptedly; as school-maids change their names, By vain though apt affection. Lucio. She it is. Isab. O, let him marry her! The duke is very strangely gone from hence; Governs lord Angelo ; a man, whose blood Lucio. Has censur'd him Already; and, as I hear, the provost hath A warrant for his execution. Isab. Alas! what poor ability's in me To do him good? Lucio. Assay the power you have. Isab. My power! Alas! I doubt,- And make us lose the good we oft might win, By fearing to attempt: Go to lord Angelo, And let him learn to know, when maidens sue, Men give like gods; but when they weep and kneel, As they themselves would owe them. Lucio. But, speedily. Isab. I will about it straight; No longer staying but to give the mother my success. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I-A Hall in ANGELO's House. Enter ANGELO, ESCALUS, a Justice, Provost, Officers, and other Attendants. Angelo. 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 Their perch, and not their terror. Escal. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruise to death: Alas! this gentleman, Let but your honour know, (Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue,) Had time coher'd with place, or place with wishing, your blood Could have attained th' effect of your own purpose, Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, Another thing to fall. I not deny, 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, [2] The abbess, or prioress. JOHNSON. Because we see it ;3 but what we do not see, For I have had such faults ; but rather tell me, Ang. Where is the provost ? Pro. Here, if it like your honour. Ang. See that Claudio Be executed by nine to-morrow morning: Bring him his confessor, let him be prepar'd; For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage. [Exit Prov. Escal. Well, heaven forgive him! and forgive us all! Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall: Some run from brakes of vice, and answer none; And some condemned for a fault alone. 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. 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? Clown. He cannot, sir; he's out at elbow. Elb. He, sir? a tapster, sir; parcel-bawd; one that [3] 'Tis plain that we must 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 see we cannot note. [4] i. e. because, by reason that I have had such fau JOHNSON. JOHNSON. 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 wo man, 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. Clown. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not so Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it. Escal. Do you hear how he misplaces ? [TO ANG. Clown. 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. Clown. 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. Clown. Very well: you being then, if you be remem ber'd, cracking the stones of the foresaid prunes. Froth. Ay, so I did, indeed. [5] A hot-house, is an English name for a bagnio. JOHNSON. Clown. 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. Clown. Why, very well then. 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. Clown. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet. Clown. 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-hollond eve. Clown. 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, for winter. and good Clown. Why, very well then ;-I hope here be truths. When nights are longest there: I'll take my leave, Escal. I think no less: Good morrow to your lordship. [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 beseech your honour, ask me. Escal. Well, sir: What did this gentleman to her? Clown. 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. Clown. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well. Escal. Well, I do so. Clown. Doth your honour see any harm in his face? |