But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge And follows clofe the rigour of the ftatute, Ifab. Doth he fo Seek for his life? Lucio. H'as cenfur'd him already; Ifab. Alas! what poor Ability's in me, to do him good? And make us loofe the good, we oft might win, 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 [Exeunt. АСТ. ACT H. SCENE I The PALACE. Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a Justice, and Attendants. ANGELO. E muft not make a scare-crow of the law, W Setting it up to fear the birds of prey, And let it keep one shape, 'till custom make it Efcal. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruise to death. Alas! this gentleman, Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue, Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpofe; Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus, The jury, pafling on the prisoner'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 pass on thieves? 'tis very pregnant, For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me, When When I that cenfure him, do so offend, Let mine own judgment pattern out my death, Efcal. Be't, as your wifdom will. Prov. Here, if it like your Honour. Be executed by nine to morrow morning. Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd; [Exit Prov. 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 answer none; And fome condemned for a fault alone. Elb. Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers. C OME, 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 conftable, and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon juf tice, 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 füre of; and void of all profanation in the world, that good chriftians ought to have. Efcal. Efcal. This comes off well; here's a wife officer. Ang. Go to: what quality are they of? Elbow is your name? why doft thou not speak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow. Elb. He, Sir? a tapfter, Sir; parcel-bawd; one that serves a bad woman; whofe house, 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 that?. 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 myself alfo, as well as fhe, that this house, if it be not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house. Efcal. How doft thou know that, conftable? Elb. Marry, Sir, by my wife; who, if he had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there. Efcal. By the woman's means? Elb. Ay, Sir, by miftrefs Over-done's means, but as fhe fpit in his face, so fhe defy'd him. Clown. Sir, if it please your Honour, this is not fo. Elb. Prove it before thefe varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it. 66 Ffcal. Do you hear how he misplaces? "Clown. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your Honour's reverence) for " ftew'd prewns; Sir, we had but two in the house, "which at that very diftant time stood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a dish of fome three pence; (your Honours have seen fuch difhes; they are not China dishes, but very good dishes.) 66 Efcal. Efcal. 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 fay, "this mistress Elbow, being, as I fay, with child, and being great belly'd, and longing, as I said, for 66 66 prewns; and having but two in the difh, as I faid; "mafter Froth here, this very man, having eaten the "reft, as I faid, and, as I say, paying for them very "honeftly; for, as you know, mafter Froth, I could "not give you three-pence again. Froth. No, indeed. be Clown. Very well; you being then, if you remembered, cracking the ftones of the forefaid 86 prewns. 66 Froth. Ay, fo I did, indeed. "Clown. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembred, that such a one, and fuch a one, were paft cure of the thing you wot of, un"lefs they kept very 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 cause to complain of? come to what was done to her. "Clown. Sir, your Honour cannot come to that yet. Efcal, No, Sir, nor I mean it not. you "Clown. Sir, but fhall come to it, by your "Honour's leave: and, I beseech you, look into "mafter Froth here, Sir, a man of fourfcore pound a year; whofe father dy'd at Hallowmas. 66 "not at Hallowmas, mafter Froth ? Froth. All-holland eve. Was't "Clown. Why, very well; I hope here be truths. "He, Sir, fitting, as I fay, in a lower chair, Sir; "'twas in the bunch of grapes, where, indeed, you "have a delight to fit, have you not? Froth. I have fo, because it is an open room, and good for winter, "Clown. |