469Another thing to fall: I not deny

470The Iury passing on the Prisoners life

471May in the sworne-twelue haue a thiefe, or two

472Guiltier then him they try; what's open made to Iustice,

473That Iustice ceizes; What knowes the Lawes

474That theeues do passe on theeues? 'Tis very pregnant,

475The Iewell that we finde, we stoope, and take't,

476Because we see it; but what we doe not see,

477We tread vpon, and neuer thinke of it.

478You may not so extenuate his offence,

479For I haue had such faults; but rather tell me

480When I, that censure him, do so offend,

481Let mine owne Iudgement patterne out my death,

482And nothing come in partiall. Sir, he must dye.

484Esc. Be it as your wisedome will.

485Ang. Where is the Prouost?

486Pro. Here if it like your honour.

487Ang. See that Claudio

488Be executed by nine to morrow morning,

489Bring him his Confessor, let him be prepar'd,

490For that's the vtmost of his pilgrimage.

491Esc. Well: heauen forgiue him; and forgiue vs all :

492Some rise by sinne, and some by vertue fall:

493Some run from brakes of Ice, and answere none,

494And some condemned for a fault alone.

496Elb. Come, bring them away: if these be good peo-

497ple in a Common-weale, that doe nothing but vse their

498abuses in common houses, I know no law : bring them

499away.

500Ang. How now Sir, what's your name? And what's

501the matter?

502Elb. If it please your honour, I am the poore Dukes

503Constable, and my name is Elbow; I doe leane vpon Iu-

504stice Sir, and doe bring in here before your good honor,

505two notorious Benefactors.

506Ang. Benefactors? Well: What Benefactors are they?

507Are they not Malefactors?

508Elb. If it please your honour, I know not well what

509they are: But precise villaines they are, that I am sure of,

510and void of all prophanation in the world, that good

511Christians ought to haue.

512Esc. This comes off well: here's a wise Officer.

513Ang. Goe to: What quality are they of? Elbow is

514your name?

515Why do'st thou not speake Elbow?

516Clo. He cannot Sir: he's out at Elbow.

517Ang. What are you Sir?

518Elb. He Sir: a Tapster Sir: parcell Baud: one that

519serues a bad woman: whose house Sir was (as they say)

520pluckt downe in the Suborbs: and now shee professes a

521hot-house; which, I thinke is a very ill house too.

522Esc. How know you that?

523Elb. My wife Sir? whom I detest before heauen, and

524your honour.

525Esc. How? thy wife?

526Elb. I Sir: whom I thanke heauen is an honest wo-

527man.

528Esc. Do'st thou detest her therefore?

529Elb. I say sir, I will detest my selfe also, as well as she,

530that this house, if it be not a Bauds house, it is pitty of her

531life, for it is a naughty house.

532Esc. How do'st thou know that, Constable?

533Elb. Marry sir, by my wife, who, if she had bin a wo-

534man Cardinally giuen, might haue bin accus'd in forni-

535cation, adultery, and all vncleanlinesse there.

536Esc. By the womans meanes?

537Elb. I sir, by Mistris Ouer-dons meanes: but as she spit

538in his face, so she defide him.

539Clo. Sir, if it please your honor, this is not so.

540Elb. Proue it before these varlets here, thou honora-

541ble man, proue it.

542Esc. Doe you heare how he misplaces?

543Clo. Sir, she came in great with childe: and longing

544(sauing your honors reuerence) for stewd prewyns; sir,

545we had but two in the house, which at that very distant

546time stood, as it were in a fruit dish (a dish of some three

547pence; your honours haue seene such dishes) they are not

548China-dishes, but very good dishes.

549Esc. Go too: go too: no matter for the dish sir.

550Clo. No indeede sir not of a pin; you are therein in

551the right: but, to the point: As I say, this Mistris Elbow,

552being (as I say) with childe, and being great bellied, and

553longing (as I said) for prewyns: and hauing but two in

554the dish (as I said) Master Froth here, this very man, ha-

555uing eaten the rest (as I said) & (as I say) paying for them

556very honestly: for, as you know Master Froth, I could not

557giue you three pence againe.

558Fro. No indeede.

559Clo. Very well: you being then (if you be remem-

560bred) cracking the stones of the foresaid prewyns.

561Fro. I, so I did indeede.

562Clo. Why, very well: I telling you then (if you be

563remembred) that such a one, and such a one, were past

564cure of the thing you wot of, vnlesse they kept very good

565diet, as I told you.

566Fro. All this is true.

567Clo. Why very well then.

568Esc. Come: you are a tedious foole: to the purpose:

569what was done to Elbowes wife, that hee hath cause to

570complaine of? Come me to what was done to her.

571Clo. Sir, your honor cannot come to that yet.

572Esc. No sir, nor I meane it not.

573Clo. Sir, but you shall come to it, by your honours

574leaue: And I beseech you, looke into Master Froth here

575sir, a man of foure-score pound a yeare; whose father

576died at Hallowmas: Was't not at Hallowmas Master

577Froth?

578Fro. Allhallond-Eue.

579Clo. Why very well: I hope here be truthes: he Sir,

580sitting (as I say) in a lower chaire, Sir, 'twas in the bunch

581of Grapes, where indeede you haue a delight to sit, haue

582you not?

583Fro. I haue so, because it is an open roome, and good

584for winter.

585Clo. Why very well then: I hope here be truthes.

586Ang. This will last out a night in Russia

587When nights are longest there: Ile take my leaue,

588And leaue you to the hearing of the cause;

589Hoping youle finde good cause to whip them all. Exit.

590Esc. I thinke no lesse: good morrow to your Lord-

591ship. Now Sir, come on: What was done to Elbowes

592wife, once more?

593Clo. Once Sir? there was nothing done to her once.

594Elb. I beseech you Sir, aske him what this man did to

595my wife.

596Clo. I beseech your honor, aske me.

597Esc. Well sir, what did this Gentleman to her?

598Clo. I beseech you sir, looke in this Gentlemans face:

599good Master Froth looke vpon his honor; 'tis for a good

600purpose: doth your honor marke his face?

F3 Esc. I