Pompey; you will turn good husband now, Pompey ; you will keep the house. Clown. I hope,Sir, your good Worship will be my bail. Lucio. No, indeed, will I not, Pompey; it is not the wear; I will pray, Pompey, to encrease your bondage: if you take it not patiently, why, your mettle is the more: adieu, trufty Pompey. Blefs you, Friar. Duke. And you. Lucio. Does Bridget paint ftill, Pompey? ha? Clown. You will not bail me then, Sir? Lucio. Then, Pompey, nor now. What news abroad, Friar? what news? Elb. Come your ways, Sir, come. Lucio. Go to kennel, Pompey, go, [Exeunt Elbow, Clown and Officers. VI. SCENE What news, Friar, of the Duke? Duke. I know none: can you tell me of any? Lucio. Some fay, he is with the Emperor of Ruffia; other Some, he is in Rome: but where is he, think you Duke. I know not where; but wherefoever, I wish him well. ? Lucio. It was a mad fantastical trick of him to steal from the State, and ufurp the beggary he was never born to. Lord Angelo dukes it well in his abfence; he puts Tranfgreffion to't. Duke. He does well in't. Lucio. A little more lenity to leachery would do no harm in him; fomething too crabbed that way, Friar. Duke. It is too gentle a vice, and severity must cure it. * It is too general a Vice,] The Occafion of the Observation was Lucio's faying, that it ought to be treated with a little more Lenity; and his Answer to it is, The Vice is of great Kindred. From the Occafion, and the Answer, therefore, it appears, that Shakespear wrote,---- It is too gentle a vice,-- which fignifying both indulgent and well bred, Lucio humourously takes it in the latter Senfe. D 2 Duke. Lucio. Yes, in good footh, the vice is of a great kindred; it is well ally'd; but it is impoffible to extirp it quite, Friar, 'till eating and drinking be put down. They fay, this Angelo was not made by man and woman after the downright way of creation; is it true, think you? Duke. How fhould he be made then? Lucio. Some report, a fea-maid fpawn'd him. Some, that he was got between two flock-fishes. But it is certain, that when he makes water, his urine is congeal'd ice; that I know to be true: and he is a motion ungenerative, that's infallible. Duke. You are pleasant, Sir, and speak apace. Lucio. Why, what a ruthless thing is this in him, for the rebellion of a cod-piece to take away. the life of a man? would the Duke, that is absent, have done this? ere he would have hang'd a man for the getting a hundred baftards, he would have paid for the nurfing a thousand. He had fome feeling of the fport, he knew the fervice, and that inftructed him to mercy. Duke. I never heard the absent Duke much detected for women; he was not inclin'd that way. Lucio. Oh, Sir, you are deceiv'd. Duke. 'Tis not poffible. Lucio. Who, not the Duke? yes, your beggar of fifty; and his ufe was, to put a ducket in her clackdish; the Duke had crotchets in him. He would be drunk too, that let me inform you. Duke. You do him wrong, furely. Lucio. Sir, I was an inward of his: a fhy fellow was the Duke; and, I believe, I know the cause of his withdrawing. Duke. What, pr'ythee, might be the cause? you Lucio. No: pardon: 'tis a fecret must be lockt within the teeth and the lips; but this I can let understand, the greater file of the fubject held the Duke to be wife. Duke. Duke. Wife? why, no queftion, but he was. Lucio. A very fuperficial, ignorant, unweighing fellow. Duke. Either this is envy in you, folly, or mistaking: the very ftream of his life, and the bufinefs he hath helmed, must, upon a warranted Need, give him a better proclamation. Let him be but teftimonied in his own bringings forth, and he fhall appear to the envious, a fcholar, a ftatesman, and a foldier. Therefore, you speak unfkilfully; or if your knowledge be more, it is much darken'd in your malice. Lucio. Sir, I know him, and I love him. Duke. Love talks with better knowledge, and knowledge with dearer love. Lucio. Come, Sir, I know what I know. Duke. I can hardly believe that, fince you know not what you speak. But if ever the duke return, as our prayers are he may, let me defire you to make your answer before him: if it be honest you have spoke, you have courage to maintain it; I am bound to call upon you, and, I pray you, your name? Lucio. Sir, my name is Lucio, well known to the duke. Duke. He shall know you better, Sir, if I may live to report you. Lucio. I fear you not. Duke. O, you hope, the duke will return no more; or you imagine me too unhurtful an oppofite; but, indeed, I can do you little harm: you'll forfwear this again? Lucio. I'll be hang'd firft: thou art deceiv'd in me, Friar. But no more of this. Canft thou tell, if Claudio die to-morrow, or no? Duke. Why fhould he die, Sir? Lucio. Why? for filling a bottle with a tun-dish: I would, the duke, we talk of, were return'd again; this ungenitur'd agent will unpeople the province with continency. Sparrows must not build in his D 3 houfe houfe-eaves, because they are leacherous. The duke yet would have dark deeds darkly answered; he would never bring them to light; would he were return'd! Marry, this Claudio is condemned for untruffing. Farewel, good Friar; I pry'thee, pray for me: the duke, I fay to thee again, would eat mutton on Fridays. He's not paft it yet; and I fay to thee, he would mouth with a beggar, tho' fhe smelt of brown bread and garlic: fay, that I faid fo, farewel- [Exit. Duke. No might nor greatnefs in mortality Can cenfure fcape: back-wounding calumny The whiteft virtue ftrikes. What king fo ftrong, Can tie the gall up in the fland'rous tongues? But who comes here? Efcal. Enter Efcalus, Provoft, Bawd, and Officers. Honour is accounted a merciful man: good my lord. Efcal. Double and treble admonition, and ftill forfeit in the fame kind? this would make* mercy fwerve, and play the tyrant. Prov. A bawd of eleven years continuance, may it please your Honour. Bawd. My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me miftrefs Kate Keep-down was with child by him in the duke's time; he promis'd her marriage; his child is a year and a quarter old, come Philip and Jacob: I have kept it myself; and fee, how he goes about to abuse me. Efcal. This fellow is a fellow of much licence; let him be call'd before us. Away with her to prifon: go to; no more words. [Exeunt with the Bawd.] Provost, my brother Angelo will not be alter'd; Claudio muft die to-morrow: let him be furnish'd with divines, Mercy fwear.] We should read fwerve, i. e. deviate from her Nature. The common Reading gives us the Idea of a ranting Whore. and and have all charitable preparation. If my brother wrought by my pity, it fhould not be fo with him. Pro. So please you, this Friar has been with him, and advis'd him for the entertainment of death. Efcal. Good even, good father. Duke. Blifs and goodness on you! Efcal. Of whence are you? chance is now Duke. Not of this country, tho' my Efcal. What news abroad i'th' world? Duke. None, but that there is fo great a fever on goodness, that the diffolution of it muft cure it. Novelty is only in requeft; and it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of course, as it is virtuous to be conftant in any undertaking. There is fcarce truth enough alive, to make focieties fecure; but fecurity enough, to make fellowships accurft. Much upon this riddle runs the wisdom of the world; this news is old enough, yet it is every day's news. I pray you, Sir, of what difpofition was the duke? Efcal. One, that, above all other ftrifes, Contended fpecially to know himself, Duke. What pleasure was he giv'n to? Efcal. Rather rejoicing to fee another merry, than merry at any thing which profeft to make him rejoice. A gentleman of all temperance. But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove profperous; and let me defire to know. how you find Claudio prepar'd? I am made to understand, that you have lent him vifitation. Duke. He profeffes to have received no finifter measure from his judge, but most willingly humbles himself to the determination of juftice; yet had he fram'd to himself, by the inftruction of his frailty, many deceiving promifes of life; which I by my good leisure have difcredited to him, and now is he refoly'd to die. D 4 Efcal. |