72

Clown. I thank your worship for your good counfel; but I fhall follow it, as the flesh and fortune fhall better determine.

Whip me? no, no; let carman whip his jade;
The valiant heart's not whipt out of his trade.

SCENE

V.

[Exit.

Efcal. Come hither to me, master Elbow; come hither, master conftable; how long have you been in this place of constable ?

Elb. Seven years and a half, Sir.

Efcal. I thought, by your readiness in the office, you had continued in it fome time: you say seven years together?

Elb. And a half, Sir.

fcal. Alas! it hath been great pains to you; they do you wrong to put you so oft upon't: are there not men in your ward fufficient to ferve it?

Elb. Faith, Sir, few of any wit in fuch matters; as they are chofen, they are glad to chufe me for them. I do it for fome piece of mony, and go through with all.

Efcal. Look you, bring me in the names of fome fix or feven, the most fufficient of your parish.

Elb. To your worship's houfe, Sir?

Efeat. To my houfe; fare you well. What's a clock, think you?

Just. Eleven, Sir.

Exit Elbow.

Efcal. I pray you, home to dinner with me.

Just. I humbly thank you.

Efcal. It grieves me for the death of Claudio

But there's no remedy.

Juft. Lord Angelo is fevere.

Efcal. It is but needful

Mercy is not it felf, that oft looks fo;vbseuls te
Pardon is ftill the nurse of second woe:

But

But yet, poor Claudio! there's no remedy.

Come, Sir.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

VIK

Enter Provoft, and a Servant.

Serv. He's hearing of a caufe; he will come ftraight:

I'll tell him of you.

Prov. Pray you, do; I'll know

His pleasure; 't may be, he'll relent; alas!
He hath but as offended in a dream :

All fects, all ages fmack of this vice; and he
To die for it! -

Enter Angelo.

Ang. Now, what's the matter, Provost? Prov. Is it your will, Claudio fhall die to morrow? Ang. Did not I tell thee, yea? hadft thou not order? Why doft thou ask again?

Prov. Left I might be too rash.

Under your good correction, I have feen,
When, after execution, judgment hath
Repented o'er his doom.

Ang. Go to; let that be mine,

Do you your office, or give up your place,

And you shall well be fpar'd.

Prov. I crave your pardon.

What shall be done, Sir, with the groaning Juliet? She's very near her hour.

Ang. Difpofe of her

To fome more fitting place, and that with fpeed.
Serv. Here is the fifter of the man condemn'd,
Defires access to you.

Ang. Hath he a fifter?

Prov. Ay, my good lord, a very virtuous maid, And to be fhortly of a fifter-hood,

If not already.

3. 2" Ang

Ang. Well, let her be admitted. See you, the fornicatrefs be remov'd

[Exit Servant.

Let her have needful, but not lavish, means;
There fhall be order for it.

SCENE

Enter Lucio and Ifabella.

VII.

Prov. 'Save your honour.

Ang. Stay yet a while.
your will?

Y'are welcome; what's

Ifab. I am a woful fuitor to your Honour, Please but your Honour hear me.

Ang. Well, what's your fuit?

Ifab. There is a vice that most I do abhor,
And most defire should meet the blow of juftice;
For which I would not plead, but that I muft;
For which I must not plead, but that I am
At war, 'twixt will, and will not.

Ang. Well, the matter?

Ifab. I have a brother is condemn'd to die; I do befeech you, let it be his fault,

And not my brother.

Prov. Heav'n give thee moving graces!

Ang. Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it? Why, every fault's condemn'd, ere it be done; Mine were the very cipher of a function, To find the faults, whofe fine ftands in record, And let go by the actor.

Ifab. O juft, but severe law!

I had a brother then;

heav'n keep your Honour!

Lucio. Give not o'er fo: to him again, intreat him, Kneel down before him, hang upon his gown; You are too cold; if you should need a pin, You could not with more tame a tongue defire it. To him, I fay.

Ifab. Muft he needs die?

Ang.

Ang. Maiden, no remedy.

Ifab. Yes; I do think that you might pardon

him;

And neither heav'n, nor man, grieve at the mercy.

Ang. I will not do't.

Ifab. But can you, if you would?

Ang. Look, what I will not, that I cannot do.
Ifab. But might you do't, and do the world no
wrong,

If so your heart were touch'd with that remorse,
As mine is to him?

Ang. He's fentenc'd; 'tis too late.

Lucio. You are too cold.

Ifab. Too late? why, no; I, that do fpeak a word, May call it back again: Well believe this, "No ceremony that to Great ones 'longs, "Not the King's crown, nor the deputed fword, "The marshal's truncheon, nor the judge's robe, "Become them with one half fo good a grace, "As mercy does: if he had been as you, And you as he, you would have flipt like him; But he, like you, would not have been so stern. Ang. Pray you, be gone.

Ifab. I wou'd to heav'n I had your potency, And you were Ifabel; fhould it then be thus? No; I would tell what 'twere to be a judge, And what a prisoner.

Lucio. Ay, touch him; there's the vein. Ang. Your brother is a forfeit of the law, And you but waste your words.

Ifab. Alas! alas!

3

"Why, all the fouls that are, were forfeit once: “And he, that might the 'vantage beft have took, "Found out the remedy. How would you be,

3 all the fouls that WERE,] This is falfe divinity. We fhould read ARE.

"If he, which is the top of judgment, fhould "But judge you, as you are? oh, think on that; "And mercy then will breathe within your lips, "Like man new made.

Ang. Be you content, fair maid;

It is the law, not I, condemns your brother.
Were he my kinfman, brother, or my son,
It should be thus with him; he dies to-morrow.
Ifab. To-morrow, Oh! that's fudden. Spare him,
fpare him.

He's not prepar❜d for death: Even for our kitchins
We kill the fowl, of feafon; fhall we ferve heav'n
With lefs refpect, than we do minifter

[you:

To our grofs felves? good, good my lord, bethink
Who is it, that hath dy'd for this offence?
There's many have committed it.

Lucio. Ay, well faid.

Ang. The law hath not been dead, tho' it hath slept : Those many had not dar'd to do that evil,

If the first man that did th' edict infringe,

Had answer'd for his deed.

Now, 'tis awake;

5

Takes note of what is done; and, like a prophet,
Looks in a glass that fhews what future evils,
Or new, or by remissness new-conceiv'd,
And fo in progrefs to be hatch'd and born,
Are now to have no fucceffive degrees;
(a) But ere they live, to end.

4 And mercy then will breathe within your lips,

Like man new made.] This is a fine thought, and finely expreffed: The meaning is, that mercy will add fuch grace to your perfon, that you will appear as amiable as man come frek out of the hands of his creator.

5

like a prophet,

Looks in a glafs] This alludes to the fopperies of the Berril, much used at that time by cheats and fortune-tellers to predict by.

[(a) But ere they live, Oxford Edit. Vulg. But here they live.]