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Elb. Marry, I thank your good worship for it: What is't your worship's pleafure I fhall do with this wicked caitiff?

Efcal. Truly, officer, because he hath fome offences in him, that thou wouldst discover if thou couldft, let him continue in his courfes, till thou know'ft what they are.

Elb. Marry, I thank your worship for it-Thou feeft, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon thee; thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to continue.

Efcal. Where were you born, friend?

Froth. Here in Vienna, fir.

Ejcal. Are you of fourfcore pounds a year?

Froth. Yes, and't pleafe you, fir?

[To Froth.

Efcal. So.-What trade are you of, fir? [To the Clown. Clown. A tapfter; a poor widow's tapfter.

Efcal. Your mistress's name?

Clown. Miftrefs Over-done.

Efcal. Hath fhe had any more than one hufband ?
Clown. Nine, fir; Over-done by the last.

Efcal. Nine!-Come hither to me, mafter Froth. Mafter Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapfters; they will draw you, mafter Froth, and you will hang them: Get you gone, and let me hear no more of you.

Froth. I thank your worship: For mine own part, I never come into any room in a taphouse, but I am drawn in.

Efcal. Well; no more of it, mafter Froth: farewell. Come you hither to me, mafter tapfter; what's your name, mafter tapfter?

Clown. Pompey.
Efcal. What else?
Clown. Bum, fir.

Efcal. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about

they will draw you,] Draw has here a cluster of fenfes. As it refers to the tapfter, it fignifies to drain, to empty; as it is related to hang, it means to be conveyed to execution on a hurdle. in Froth's anfwer, it is the fame as to bring along by fome motive or power. JOHNSON.

you;

you; fo that, in the beaftlieft fenfe, you are Pompey the great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pompey, howfoever you colour it in being a tapfter; Are you not? Come, tell me true; it fhall be the better for you.

Clown. Truly, fir, I am a poor fellow that would live. Efcal. How would you live, Pompey? by being a bawd? What do you think of the trade, Pompey? is it a lawful trade?

Clown. If the law will allow it, fir.

Efcal. But the law will not allow it, Pompey; nor it fhall not be allowed in Vienna.

Clown. Does your worship mean to geld and fpay all the youth of the city?

Efcal. No, Pompey.

Clown. Truly, fir, in my poor opinion, they will to't then: If your worship will take order for the drabs and the knaves, you need not to fear the bawds.

Efcal. There are pretty orders beginning, I can tell you: it is but heading and hanging.

Clown. If you head and hang all that offend that way but for ten year together, you'll be glad to give out a commiffion for more heads. If this law hold in Vienna ten year, I'll rent the fairest houfe in it, after three pence a bay: If you live to fee this come to pafs, fay, Pompey told you fo.

Efcal. Thank you, good Pompey: and, in requital of your prophecy, hark you,-I advife you, let me not find you before me again upon any complaint whatfoever, no, not for dwelling where you do; if I do, Pompey, I fhall beat you to your tent, and prove a fhrewd Cæfar to you;

7 greatest thing about you;] This fashion, of which, perhaps, fome remains were to be found in the age of Shakspeare, feems to have prevailed originally in that of Chaucer, who, in the Perfones Tale fpeaks of it thus: "Som of hem fhewen the boife and the shape &c. in the wrapping of hir hofen, and eke the buttokkes of hen bebinde, &c." Greene, in one of his pieces, mentions the great bumme of Paris.

STEEVENS.

I'll vent the fairest boufe in it, after three pence a bay:] A bay of building is, in many parts of England, a common term, of which the best conception that I could ever attain, is, that it is the space betwee the main beams of the roof; so that a barn craffed twice with beams is a barn of three bays. JOHNSON. D

VOL. II.

in

in plain dealing, Pompey, I fhall have you whipt: fo for this time, Pompey, fare you well.

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. [Exit. Efcal. Come hither to me, mafter Elbow; come hither, mafter conftable. How long have you been in this place of conftable?

Elb. Seven year and a half, fir.

Efcal. I thought, by your readinefs in the office, you had continued in it fome time: You fay, feven years together?

Elb. And a half, fir.

Efcal. 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, fir, few of any wit in fuch matters: as they are chofen, they are glad to choose me for them; I do it for fome piece of money, and go through with all. Efcal. Look you, bring me in the names of fome fix or feven, the moft fufficient of your parish.

Elb. To your worship's houfe, fir?

Efcal. To my houfe: Fare you well.-What's o'clock, think you?

Juft. Eleven, fir.

Ejcal. I pray you home to dinner with me.

Juft. I humbly thank you.

Efcal. It grieves me for the death of Claudio;

But there's no remedy.

Just. Lord Angelo is fevere.

Ejcal. It is but needful:

Mercy is not itfelf, that oft looks fo;

Pardon is ftill the nurfe of fecond woe :

But yet, Poor Claudio!-There's no remedy.

Come, fir.

[Exeunt.

9-by your readiness-] Old Copy-the readiness. Corrected by Mr. Pope. In the Mis. of our author's age, y. and y. (for fo they were frequently written) were eafily confounded. MALONE.

SCENE

SCENE II.

Another Room in the fame.

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. [Exit Servant.]

His pleasure; may be, he will relent: Alas,
He hath but as offended in a dream!

I'll know

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 I not tell thee, yea? hadft thou not order? Why dost thou ask again?

Prov. Left I might be too rafh:

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 fhall well be spared.

Prov. I crave your honour's pardon.

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

Ang. Difpofe of her

To fome more fitter place; and that with speed.

Re-enter Servant.

Serv. Here is the fifter of the man condemn'd,

Defires access to you.

Ang. Hath he a fister ?

Prov. Ay, my good lord; a very virtuous maid,

And to be shortly of a fifter-hood,

If not already.

See

Ang. Well, let her be admitted.

you

the fornicatrefs be remov'd;

[Exit Servant.

Let her have needful, but not lavish, means;

There shall be order for it.

D 2

Enter

Enter LUCIO, and ISABELLA.

Prov. Save your honour!

[offering to retire.

Ang. Stay a little while'.-[to Ifab.] You are welcome: What's your will?

Ifab. I am a woeful 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 must;
For which I muft not plead, but that I am
At war, 'twixt will, and will not 2.

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 3.

Prov. Heaven 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 cypher of a function,

To fine the faults +, whofe fine ftands in record,
And let go by the actor.

1 Stay a little while.] It is not clear why the provoft is bidden to stay, nor when he goes out. JOHNSON.

Stay a little while is faid by Angelo, in answer to the words, "Save your boncur;" which denoted the Provoft's intention to depart. Ifabella ufes the fame words to Angelo, when she goes out, near the conclufion of this scene. So alfo, when he offers to retire, on finding her fuit ineffectual: "Heaven keep your honour!" MALONE.

2 For which I must not plead, but that I

am

At war, 'twixt will, and will not.] i. e. for which I must not plead, but that there is a conflict in my breast betwixt my affection for my brother, which induces me to plead for him, and my regard to virtue, which forbids me to intercede for one guilty of fuch a crime; and I find the former more powerful than the latter. MALONE.

3

let it be bis fault,

And not my brother.] i. e let his fault be condemned, or extirpated but let not my brother himself fuffer. MALONE.

4 To fine the faults-] To fine means, I think, to pronounce the fine or fentence of the law, appointed for certain crimes. Mr. Theobald, without neceffity, reads find. The repetition is much in our author's manner. MALONE.

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