1 Gent. Claudio to prison? 'tis not so.

Bawd. Nay, but I know, 'tis fo; I faw him arrefted; faw him carry'd away; and, which is more, within these three days his head is to be chopt off. Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it fo art thou fure of this?

Bawd. I am too fure of it; and it is for getting madam Julietta with child.

Lucio. Believe me, this may be; he promised to meet me two hours fince, and he was ever precise in promise-keeping.

2 Gent. Befides, you know, it draws fomething near to the speech we had to fuch a purpose.

1 Gent. But most of all agreeing with the Proclamation.

Lucio. Away, let's go learn the truth of it. [Exit. Manet Bawd.

Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the fweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am cuftom-fhrunk. How now ? what's the news with you?

SCENE V.

Enter Clown.

Clown.ONDER man is carry'd to prifon.
Well;

Clown. A woman.

Bawd. But what's his offence?

he

Clown. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river.

Bawd. What? is there a maid with child by him? Clown. No; but there's a woman with maid by him. You have not heard of the Proclamation, have you?

Bawd. What Proclamation, man?

Clown. All houfes in the fuburbs of Vienna muft be pluck'd down.

Bawd.

Bawd. And what fhall become of thofe in the city? Clown. They fhall ftand for feed; they had gone down too, but that a wife burgher put in for them. Bawd. But fhall all our houses of refort in the fuburbs be pull'd down?

Clown. To the ground, miftrefs.

Bawd. Why, here's a change, indeed, in the common-wealth; what fhall become of me?

Clown. Come, fear not you; good counsellors lack no clients; though you change your place, you need not change your trade: I'll be your tapfter ftill. Courage, there will be pity taken on you; you that have worn your eyes almost out in the fervice, you will be confidered.

Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapfter? let's withdraw.

Clown. Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the Provoft to prifon; and there's madam Juliet.

[Exeunt Bawd and Clown.

SCENE VI.

Enter. Provoft, Claudio, Juliet, and Officers. Lucio and two Gentlemen.

ELLOW, why doft thou show me thus to

Claud. Fth world?

Bear me to prifon, where I am committed.
Pro. I do it not in evil difpofition,

But from lord Angelo by fpecial charge.

Claud. Thus can the Demi-god, Authority, Make us pay down, for our offence, by weight. The words of heav'n; on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, fo; yet ftill 'tis juft.

Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio? whence comes this restraint?

Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty; As furfeit is the father of much fast,

So ev'ry scope by the immod'rate ufe
Turns to restraint: our natures do pursue,
Like rats that ravin down their proper bane,
A thirty evil; and when we drink, we die.

Lucio. If I could speak fo wifely under an arrest, I would fend for certain of my creditors; and yet, to fay the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom, as the morality of imprisonment: what's thy offence, Claudio?

Claud. What, but to speak of, would offend again. Lucio. What is't, murder?

Claud. No.

Lucio. Letchery?

Claud. Call it fo.

Prov. Away, Sir, you must go.

Claud. One word, good friend:Lucio, a word with you.

Lucio. A hundred; if they'll do you any good: is letchery fo look'd after?

Claud. Thus ftands it with me; upon a true contract

I got poffeffion of Julietta's bed,

(You know the lady,) fhe is faft my wife;
Save that we do the denunciation lack

Of outward order. This we came not to,
Only for propagation of a dower

Remaining in the coffer of her friends;

From whom we thought it meet to hide our love,

"Till time had made them for us.

But it chances,

The ftealth of our* moft mutual entertainment,

With character too grofs, is writ on Juliet.
Lucio. With child, perhaps?

Claud. Unhappily, even fo.

And the new deputy now for the Duke,

(Whether it be the fault, and glimpse, of newness ;

moft mutual-] i.e. moft intimate. The Phrase is extremely elegant on this Occafion; yet difliked by the Oxford Editor, who strikes out most.

Or

Or whether that the body public be

A horse whereon the Governor doth ride,
Who, newly in the feat, that it may know
He can command, lets it ftraight feel the fpur;
Whether the tyranny be in his Place,

Or in his eminence that fills it up,
I ftagger in:) but this new Governor
Awakes me all th' enrolled penalties,

Which have, like unscour'd armour, hung by th' wall So long, that nineteen Zodiacs have gone round, And none of them been worn; and, for a name, Now puts the drowsy and neglected A&

Freshly in me; 'tis furely, for a name.

Lucio. I warrant, it is; and thy head ftands fo tickle on thy fhoulders, that a milk-maid, if fhe be in love, may figh it off. Send after the Duke, and appeal to him.

Claud. I have done fo, but he's not to be found.
I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind service:
This day my Sifter fhould the Cloifter enter,
And there receive her Approbation.
Acquaint her with the danger of my state,
Implore her, in my voice, that she make friends
To the ftrict Deputy; bid herself affay him;
I have great hope in that; for in her youth
There is a prone and fpeechlefs dialect,

Such as moves men! befide, fhe hath profp'rous art
When she will play with reason and discourse,
And well she can perfuade.

Lucio. I pray, fhe may; as well for the encouragement of the like, which elfe would stand under grievous impofition; as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be forry fhould be thus foolishly loft at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her.

Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio.
Lucio. Within two hours,-

Claud. Come, officer, away.
B 6

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Duke.

A MONASTERY.

Enter Duke, and Friar Thomas.

TO; holy father, throw away that thought;
of

Can pierce a complete bofom: why I defire thee
To give me fecret harbour, hath a purpose

More grave, and wrinkled, than the aims and ends
Of burning youth.

Fri. May your Grace speak of it?

Duke. My holy Sir, none better knows than you, How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd;

And held in idle price to haunt Affemblies,
Where youth, and cost, and witlefs bravery keeps.
I have deliver'd to lord Angelo

*(A man of strict ure and firm abftinence)
My abfolute Pow'r and Place here in Vienna;
And he supposes me travell'd to Poland;
For fo I've ftrew'd it in the common ear,
And fo it is receiv'd: now, pious Sir,
You will demand of me, why I do this?
Fri. Gladly, my lord.

Duke. We have ftrict Statutes and moft biting Laws, (The needful bits and curbs for head-ftrong Steeds.) Which for these nineteen years we have let sleep; Even like an o'er-grown lion in a cave,

That goes not out to prey: now, as fond fathers
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to flick it in their children's fight,

A man of Stridure and firm abftinence] Stricture makes no Sense in
We fhould read,

this Place.

A man of ftri&t ure and firm abftinence.

i. e. a Man of the exacteft conduct, and practifed in the fubdual of his Paffions. Ure an old Word for Use, Practice, so enur'd, habituated to.

For