ESCALUS

My Lord. If any in Vienna be of worth To undergo such ample grace, and honour, It is Lord Angelo. Led forth, and bring you back in happi ness. I shall desire you, Sir, to give me leave To have free speech with you; and it concerns me To look into the bottom of my place: A pour I have, but of what strength and nature, I am not yet instructed. I'll wait upon your honour. I, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little Then fallen, and bruise to death: alas, this gentleman Whom I would save, had a most noble father, Let but your honour know (Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue) That in the working of your own affections, Had time coheard with Place, or place with wishing, Or that the resolute acting of our blood Could have attained the effect of your own purpose, Whither you had not sometime in your life Er'd in this point, which now you censure him, And pulled the Law upon you. Be it as your wisdom will. Well: heaven forgive him; and forgive us all: Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fallen: Some run from brakes of Ice, and answer none, And some condemned for a fault alone. This comes off well: here's a wise Officer. How know you that? How? thy wife? Dost thou detest her therefore? How dost thou know that, Constable? By the woman's means? Do you hear how he misplaces? Go too: go too: no matter for the dish sir. Come: you are a tedious fool: to the purpose: what was done to Elbows wife, that he hath cause to complain of? Come me to what was done to her. No sir, nor I mean it not. I think no less: good morrow to your Lord ship. Now Sir, come on: What was done to Elbows wife, once more? Well sir, what did this Gentleman to her? I sir, very well. Well, I do so. Why no. He's in the right (Constable) what say you to it? Which is the wiser here; Justice or Iniquity ? Is this true? If he took you a box' oth' ear, you might have your Actium of slander too. Truly Officer, because he hath some offences in him, that thou wouldst discover, if thou couldst, let him continue in his courses, till thou knowest what they are. Where were you born, friend? Are you of fourscore pounds a year? So: what trade are you of, sir? Your Mistress name? Hath she had any more then one husband? Nine? come hither to me, Master Froth ; Master Froth, I would not have you acquainted with Tapsters; they will draw you Master Froth, and you will hang them: get you gone, and let me hear no more of you. Well: no more of it Master Froth : farewell: Come you hither to me, M r . Tapster: what's your name M r . Tapster? What else? Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about you, so that in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey the great; Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pompey ; howso ever you colour it in being a Tapster, are you not? come, tell me true, it shall be the better for you. How would you live Pompey? by being a bawd? what do you think of the trade Pompey ? is it a lawful trade? But the Law will not allow it Pompey ; nor it shall not be allowed in Ʋ ienna. No, Pompey. There is pretty order beginning I can tell you: It is but heading, and hanging. Thank you good Pompey ; and in requital of your prophesy, hark you: I advise you let me not find you before me again upon any complaint whatsoever; no, not for dwelling where you do: if I do Pompey, I shall Beatrice you to your Tent, and prove a shrewd Caesar to you: in plain dealing Pompey, I shall have you whipped; so for this time, Pompey, fare you well. Come hither to me, Master Elbow : come hither Master Constable: how long have you been in this place of Constable? I thought by the readiness in the office, you had continued in it some time: you say seven years toga there. Alas, it hath been great pains to you: they do you wrong to put you so oft vpon't. Are there not men in your Ward sufficient to serve it? Look you bring me in the names of some six or seven, the most sufficient of your parish. To my house: fare you well: what's a clock, think you? I pray you home to dinner with me. It grieves me for the death of Claudio But there's no remedy: It is but needful. Mercy is not it self, that oft looks so, Pardon is still the nurse of second woe: But yet, poor Claudio ; there is no remedy. Come Sir. Go, away with her to prison. Double, and treble admonition, and still for feite in the same kind? This would make mercy swear and play the Tyrant. That fellow is a fellow of much License: Let him be called before us. Away with her to prison: Go too, no more words. Provost, my Brother Angelo will not be altered, Claudio must die to morrow: Let him be furnished with Divines, and have all charitable prepara cion. If my brother wrought by my pity, it should not be so with him. Good'euen, good Father. Of whence are you? What news abroad in that World? One, that above all other strifes, Contended especially to know himself. Rather rejoicing to see another merry, then merrrie at any thing which professed to make him rejoice. A Gentleman of all temperance. But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove prosperous, & let me desire to know, how you find Claudio prepared? I am made to understand, that you have lent him visita cion. You have paid the heavens your Function, and the prisoner the very debt of your Calling. I have la bour'd for the poor Gentleman, to the extremest shore of my modesty, but my brother-Iustice have I found so severe, that he hath forced me to tell him, he is indeed Justice. I am going to visit the prisoner, Fare you well. Every Letter he hath writ, hath disuouch'd other. I guess not. He shows his reason for that: to have a dispatch of Complaints, and to deliver us from devices here after, which shall then have no power to stand against us. I shall sir: fare you well. My Lord, wee'll do it thoroughly: Signior Lu cio, did not you say you knew that Friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person? We shall entreat you to abide here till he come, and enforce them against him: we shall find this Friar a notable fellow. Call that same Isabel here once again, I would speak with her: pray you, my Lord, give me leave to question, you shall see how I'll handle her. Say you? I will go darkly to work with her. Come on Mistress, here's a Gentlewoman, Denies all that you have said. In very good time: speak not you to him, till we call upon you. Come Sir, did you set these women on to slan der Lord Angelo ? they have confessed you did. How? Know you where you are? The Duke's in us: and we will hear you speak, Look you speak justly. Why thou unreverend, and unhallowed Fryer: Is't not enough thou hast suborned these women, To accuse this worthy man? but in foul mouth, And in the witness of his proper ear, To call him villain; and then to glance from him, To the Duke himself, to tax him with In justice? Take him hence; to the rack with him: we'll touse you Joint by joint, but we will know his purpose: What? unjust? Slander to the State: Away with him to prison. Such a fellow is not to be talked withal: Away with him to prison: Where is the Provost ? away with him to prison: lay bolts enough upon him: let him speak no more: away with those Giglets too and with the oh there confederate companion. My Lord, I am more amazed at his dishonour, Then at the strangeness of it. I am sorry, one so learned, and so wise As you, Lord Angelo, have still appeared, Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood And lack of tempered judgement afterwards.