451Ang. We must not make a scar-crow of the Law,

452Setting it vp to feare the Birds of prey,

453And let it keepe one shape, till custome make it

454Their pearch, and not their terror.

455Esc. I, but yet

456Let vs be keene, and rather cut a little

457Then fall, and bruise to death: alas, this gentleman

458Whom I would saue, had a most noble father,

459Let but your honour know

460(Whom I beleeue to be most strait in vertue)

461That in the working of your owne affections,

462Had time coheard with Place, or place with wishing,

463Or that the resolute acting of our blood

464Could haue attaind th' effect of your owne purpose,

465Whether you had not sometime in your life

466Er'd in this point, which now you censure him,

467And puld the Law vpon you.

468Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted ( Escalus)

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

601Esc. I sir, very well.

602Clo. Nay, I beseech you marke it well.

603Esc. Well, I doe so.

604Clo. Doth your honor see any harme in his face?

605Esc. Why no.

606Clo. Ile be supposd vpon a booke, his face is the worst

607thing about him: good then: if his face be the worst

608thing about him, how could Master Froth doe the Con-

609stables wife any harme? I would know that of your

610honour.

611Esc. He's in the right (Constable) what say you to it?

612Elb. First, and it like you, the house is a respected

613house; next, this is a respected fellow; and his Mistris is

614a respected woman.

615Clo. By this hand Sir, his wife is a more respected per-

616son then any of vs all.

617Elb. Varlet, thou lyest; thou lyest wicked varlet: the

618time is yet to come that shee was euer respected with

619man, woman, or childe.

620Clo. Sir, she was respected with him, before he mar-

621ried with her.

622Esc. Which is the wiser here; Iustice or Iniquitie? Is

623this true?

624Elb. O thou caytiffe: O thou varlet: O thou wick-

625ed Hanniball; I respected with her, before I was married

626to her? If euer I was respected with her, or she with me,

627let not your worship thinke mee the poore Dukes Offi-

628cer: proue this, thou wicked Hanniball, or ile haue

629mine action of battry on thee.

630Esc. If he tooke you a box o'th' eare, you might haue

631your action of slander too.

632Elb. Marry I thanke your good worship for it: what

633is't your Worships pleasure I shall doe with this wick-

634ed Caitiffe?

635Esc. Truly Officer, because he hath some offences in

636him, that thou wouldst discouer, if thou couldst, let him

637continue in his courses, till thou knowst what they are.

638Elb. Marry I thanke your worship for it: Thou seest

639thou wicked varlet now, what's come vpon thee. Thou

640art to continue now thou Varlet, thou art to continue.

641Esc. Where were you borne, friend?

642Froth. Here in Vienna, Sir.

643Esc. Are you of fourescore pounds a yeere?

644Froth. Yes, and't please you sir.

645Esc. So: what trade are you of, sir?

646Clo. A Tapster, a poore widdowes Tapster.

647Esc. Your Mistris name?

648Clo. Mistris Ouer- don.

649Esc. Hath she had any more then one husband?

650Clo. Nine, sir: Ouer-don by the last.

651Esc. Nine? come hether to me, Master Froth; Master

652Froth, I would not haue you acquainted with Tapsters;

653they will draw you Master Froth, and you wil hang them:

654get you gon, and let me heare no more of you.

655Fro. I thanke your worship: for mine owne part, I

656neuer come into any roome in a Tap-house, but I am

657drawne in.

658Esc. Well: no more of it Master Froth: farewell:

659Come you hether to me, M. Tapster: what's your name

660Mr. Tapster?

661Clo. Pompey.

662Esc. What else?

663Clo. Bum, Sir.

664Esc. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about

665you, so that in the beastliest sence, you are Pompey the

666great; Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pompey; howso-

667euer you colour it in being a Tapster, are you not? come,

668tell me true, it shall be the better for you.

669Clo. Truly sir, I am a poore fellow that would liue.

670Esc. How would you liue Pompey? by being a bawd?

671what doe you thinke of the trade Pompey? is it a lawfull

672trade?

673Clo. If the Law would allow it, sir.

674Esc. But the Law will not allow it Pompey; nor it

675shall not be allowed in Vienna.

676Clo. Do's your Worship meane to geld and splay all

677the youth of the City?

678Esc. No, Pompey.

679Clo. Truely Sir, in my poore opinion they will too't

680then: if your worship will take order for the drabs and

681the knaues, you need not to feare the bawds.

682Esc. There is pretty orders beginning I can tell you:

683It is but heading, and hanging.

684Clo. If you head, and hang all that offend that way

685but for ten yeare together; you'll be glad to giue out a

686Commission for more heads: if this law hold in Vienna

687ten yeare, ile rent the fairest house in it after three pence

688a Bay: if you liue to see this come to passe, say Pompey

689told you so.

690Esc. Thanke you good Pompey; and in requitall of

691your prophesie, harke you: I aduise you let me not finde

692you before me againe vpon any complaint whatsoeuer;

693no, not for dwelling where you doe: if I doe Pompey, I

694shall beat you to your Tent, and proue a shrewd Casar

695to you: in plaine dealing Pompey, I shall haue you whipt;

696so for this time, Pompey, fare you well.

697Clo. I thanke your Worship for your good counsell;

698but I shall follow it as the flesh and fortune shall better

699determine. Whip me? no, no, let Carman whip his Iade,

700The valiant heart's not whipt out of his trade. Exit.

701Esc. Come hether to me, Master Elbow: come hither

702Master Constable: how long haue you bin in this place

703of Constable?

704Elb. Seuen yeere, and a halfe sir.

705Esc. I thought by the readinesse in the office, you had

706continued in it some time: you say seauen yeares toge-

707ther.

708Elb. And a halfe sir.

709Esc. Alas, it hath beene great paines to you: they do

710you wrong to put you so oft vpon't. Are there not men

711in your Ward sufficient to serue it?

712Elb. 'Faith sir, few of any wit in such matters: as they

713are chosen, they are glad to choose me for them; I do it

714for some peece of money, and goe through with all.

715Esc. Looke you bring mee in the names of some sixe

716or seuen, the most sufficient of your parish.

717Elb. To your Worships house sir?

718Esc. To my house: fare you well: what's a clocke,

719thinke you?

720Iust. Eleuen, Sir.

721Esc. I pray you home to dinner with me.

722Iust. I humbly thanke you.

723Esc. It grieues me for the death of Claudio

724But there's no remedie:

725Iust. Lord Angelo is seuere.

726Esc. It is but needfull.

727Mercy is not it selfe, that oft lookes so,

728Pardon is still the nurse of second woe:

729But yet, poore Claudio; there is no remedie.

730Come Sir. Exeunt.