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

Efcal. Look you, bring me in the Names of fome fix or feven, the most fufficient of your Parish.

Elb. To your Worship's House, Sir?

Efcal. To my Houfe; fare you well. What's a Clock, think you?

Juft. Eleven, Sir.

[Exit Elbow.

Efcal. I pray you go home to Dinner with me.
Just. 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 it felf, that oft looks fo;
Pardon is ftill the Nurfe of fecond Woe:
But yet, poor Claudio, there is no Remedy.
Come, Sir.

SCENE II.

Enter Provoft, and a Servant.

[Exeunt.

Serv. He's hearing of a Caufe; he will come ftraight:

I'll tell him of you.

Prov. Pray you do; I'll know

His Pleafure; may be he will relent; alas!

He hath but as offended in a Dream:

All Sects, all Ages fmack of this Vice, and he

To die for't!

Enter Angelo.

Ang. Now, what's the Matter, Provoft?

Prov. Is it your Will Claudio fhall die to morrow?
Ang. Did not I tell thee yea? hadft thou not Order?

Why doft thou ask again?

Prov. Left I might be too rafh.

Under your good Correction, I have seen

P4

When

SCENE IV. A Nunnery.

Enter Ifabella and Francifca.

Ifab. And have you Nuns no farther Privileges?
Nun. Are not thefe large enough?

Ifab. Yes truly; I fpeak not as defiring more,
But rather wishing a more ftrict Restraint
Upon the Sifterhood, the Votarists of Saint Clare.
Lucio within.

Lucio. Hoa! Peace be in this Place.

Ifab. Who's that which calls?

Nun. It is a Man's Voice, gentle Ifabella,
Turn you the Key, and know his Bufinefs of him;
You may,
I may not, you are yet unfworn:

When you have vow'd, you must not fpeak with Men,
But in the Prefence of the Priorefs;

Then if you speak, you must not fhew your Face,
Or if you fhew your Face, you must not speak.
He calls again, I pray you answer him.

[Exit Franc. Ifab. Peace and Profperity, who is't that calls? Enter Lucio.

Lucio. Hail Virgin, if you be, as thofe Cheek-Rofes Proclaim you are no lefs, can you fo ftead me,

As bring me to the Sight of Ifabella,

A Novice of this Place, and the fair Sister
To her unhappy Brother Claudio?

.

Ifab. Why her unhappy Brother? Let me ask, The rather, for I now must make

I am that Isabella, and his Sifter.

you know

Lucio. Gentle and Fair, your Brother kindly greets you; Not to be weary with you, he's in Prison.

Ifab. Wo me, for what?

Lucio. For that, which if my felf might be his Judge, He fhould receive his Punishment in Thanks;

He hath got his Friend with Child.

Ifab. Sir, make me not your Story.

Lucio. 'Tis true; I would not, tho' tis my familiar Sin, With Maids to feem the Lapwing, and to jeft, Tongue, far from Heart; play with all Virgins fo. I hold you as a thing en-sky'd and fainted,

By

Be your Renouncement an Immortal Spirit,
And to be talk'd with in Sincerity,

As with a Saint.

Ifab. You do blafpheme the Good, in mocking me. Lucio. Do not believe it. Few nefs, and Truth; 'tis thus; Your Brother and his Lover having embrac'd,

As those that feed grow full, as bloffoming time
That from the Seednefs the bare Fallow brings
To teeming Foyfon; even fo her plenteous Womb
Expreffeth his full Tilth and Husbandry.

Ifab. Some one with Child by him? My Cozen Juliet?
Lucio Is the your Cozen?

Ijab. Adoptedly, as School-Maids change their Names, By vain, tho' apt Affection.

Lucio. She it is.

Ifab. Let him 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 do learn,
By those that know the very Nerves of State,
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 whofe Blood
Is very Snow-Broth, one who never feels
The wanton Stings and Motions of the Sense;
But doth rebate, and blunt his natural Edge
With Profits of the Mind, Study and Faft.
He, to give Fear to Use and Liberty,
Which have for long run by the hideous Law,
As Mice by Lyons, hath pickt out an A&t,
Under whofe heavy Senfe your Brother's Life
Falls into Forfeit; he arrefts him on it,
And follows close the Rigor of the Statute,
To make him an Example; all Hope is gone,
Unless you have the Grace by your fair Prayer
To foften Angelo; and that's my Pith of Bufinefs
'Twixt you, and your poor Brother.

Ifab. Doth he fo

Seek his Life?

Lucio. Has cenfur'd him already,

And, as I hear, the Provoft 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 makes 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 kneel,
All their Petitions are as truly theirs,

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

Ifab. I will about it ftrait;

No longer ftaying, but to give the Mother
Notice of my Affair. I humbly thank you;
Commend me to my Brother: Soon at Night
I'll fend him certain word of my Succefs.
Lucio. I take my Leave of you.
Ifab. Good Sir, adieu.

ACT II.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

SCENE the Palace.

Enter Angelo, Efcalus, Justice and Attendants.

Ang. WE

E must not make a Scar-crow of the Law,
Setting it up to fear the Birds of prey,

And let it keep one Shape, 'till Cuftom make it

Their Pearch, 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 most strait in Virtue,

That

That in the working of your own Affections,

Had Time coheer'd with Place, or Place with Wishing,
Or that the refolute acting of your Blood,

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 cenfure him,
And pull'd the Law upon you.

Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus,
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. What knows the Laws

That Thieves do pafs on Thieves? 'Tis very pregnant,
The Jewel that we find, we stoop and take't,
Because we fee it; but what we do not fee,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not fo extenuate 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. Sir, he muft die.
Enter Provolt.

Efcal. Be it as your Wisdom will.
Ang. Where is the Provost?

· 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 Sin, 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 these be good People in a Common-weal, that do nothing but ufe 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?

VOL. I.

P

Elb.