Be your Renouncement an Immortal Spirit, As with a Saint. Ifab. You do blafpheme the Good, in mocking me. As those that feed grow full, as bloffoming time Ifab. Some one with Child by him? My Cozen Juliet ? Ifab. Adoptedly, as School-Maids change their Names, By vain, tho' apt Affection. Lucio. She it is. Ifab. Let him marry her. Lucio. This is the Point. The Duke is very ftrangely gone from hence; Ifab. Doth he fo Seek his Life? Lucio. Has cenfur'd him already, And, as I hear, the Provoft hath a Warrant Ifab. Alas! what poor Ability's in me, to do him good? And makes us lofe the Good we oft might win, As they themselves would owe them. Ifab. I will about it ftrait; No longer ftaying, but to give the Mother ACT II. [Exeunt. SCENE I. Ang. SCENE the Palace. Enter Angelo, Efcalus, Juftice and Attendants. WE muft not make a Scar-crow of the Law, And let it keep one Shape, 'till Cuftom make it Efcal. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruife to Death. Alas! this Gentleman, Let but your Honour know, Whom I believe to be moft ftrait in Virtue, That That in the working of your own Affections, Could have attain'd th'Effect of your own Purpose, Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, The Jury paffing on the Prifoner's Life, May in the fworn Twelve have a Thief or two, Let mine own Judgment pattern out my Death, Efcal. Be it 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, For that's the utmost of his Pilgrimage. [Exit Povolt, Efcal. Well: Heav'n forgive him; and forgive us all ; Some rife by Sin, and fome by Virtue fall: Some run through Brakes of Vice, and answer none, And fome condemned for a Fault alone. Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown and Officers. Elb. Come, 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? VOL. I. P Elb. Elb. If it please your Honour, I am the poor Duke's Conftable, and my Name is Elbow; I do lean upon Justice, Sir, and do bring in here before your good Honour, two notorious Benefactors. Ang. Benefactors? Well; what Benefactors are they? Are they not Malefa&ors? Elb. If it please your Honour, I know not well what they are; but precife Villains they are, that I am sure of, and void of all Profanation in the World, that good Chriftians ought to have. Efcal. This comes off well; here's a wife Officer, Ang. Go to: What Quality are you of? Elbow is your Name? Why doft thou not fpeak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at Elbow. Elb. He, Sir? A Tapfter, Sir; parcel Bawd; one that ferves a bad Woman; whofe Houfe, Sir, was, as they say, pluckt down in the Suburbs; and now the professes a Hothouse; which, I think, is a very ill House 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 think Heav'n is an honeft Woman. El. I fay, Sir, I will deteft my felfalfo, as well as the, that th's Houfe, if it be not a Bawd's Houfe, it is pity of her Life, for it is a naughty Houfe. Efcal. How doft thou know that, Constable? Elb. Marry, Sir, by my Wife, who, if he had been a Woman cardinally given, might have been accufed in Forni cation, Adultery, and all Uncleanness there. Efcal. By the Woman's Means? Elb. Ay, Sir, by Mistress Over-don's Means; but as the fpit in his Face, fo the defy'd him. Clown. Sir, if it please your Honour, this is not fo. Elb. P.ove it before thefe Varlets here, thou honourable Man, prove it. Efcal. Do you hear now he misplaces? Clown. Sir, fhe came in great with Child; and longing, faving your Honour's Reverence, for ftew'd Prewns; we had but two in the Houfe, which at that very inftant time ftood, as it were, in a Fruit-difh, a Difh of fome three Pence ; your Honours having feen fuch Dishes, they are not China Dishes, but very good Dishes. Efcal. Go too, go too; 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 Miftrefs Elbow, being, as I fay, with Child, and being great belly'd, and longing, as I faid, for Prewns; and having no more in the Difh, as I faid; Mafter Froth here, this very Man, having eaten the reft, as I faid, and, as I fay, paying for them very honeftly; for, as you know, Mafter Froth, I could not give you three Pence again. Froth. No indeed. Clown. Very well; you being then, if you be remembred; cracking the Stones of the aforefaid Prewns. Froth. Ay, fo I did indeed. Clown. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembred, that fuch a one, and fuch a one, were paft Cure of the thing you wo: of, unless 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 Purpose; what was done to Elbow's Wife, that he hath Cause to complain of? Come me to what was done to her. Clown. Sir, your Honour cannot come to that yet. Clown. Sir, but you 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. Was't not at Hallowmas, Mafter Froth? Froth. All-ballond Eve. 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 fir, have you not? Froth. I have fe, because it is an open Room, and good for Winter. P 2 Clown. |