Tongue far from heart) play with all virgins fo. As with a Saint. Ifab. You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me. Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness, and truth, 'tis thus; Your brother and his lover having embrac'd, As thofe that feed grow full, as bloffoming time Ifab. Some one with child by him? my coufin Lucio. Is the your coufin? Ifab. Adoptedly, as fchool-maids change their names, By vain, tho' apt, affection. Lucio. She it is. Ifab. O, let him marry her. Lucio. This is the point. The Duke is very ftrangely gone from hence; Unless Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer To foften Angelo; and that's my Pith of business 'Twixt you and your poor brother. Ifab. Doth he fo Seek for his life? Lucio. H'as 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 make us lofe the good, we oft might win, As they themselves would owe them. Ifab. I will about it ftrait; No longer staying, but to give the mother [Exeunt. A C T II. SCENE, The PALACE. Enter Angelo, Escalus, a Justice, and attendants. ANGEL O. E must not make a scare-crow of the law, W Setting it up prey, And let it keep one fhape, 'till custom make it Their pearch, and not their terror. Efcal. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruife to death. Alas! this gentleman, Whom I would fave, had a moft noble father; Let but your Honour know, Whom I believe to be moft ftrait in virtue, That, in the working of your own affections, Had time coher'd with place, or place with wifhing, Or that the refolute acting of your blood Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose; Err'd in this point, which now you cenfure him, Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus, The jury, paffing on the prifoner's life, May in the fworn twelve have a thief or two, Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to justice, That juftice feizes on. What know the laws, That thieves do país on thieves? 'tis very pregnant, For For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me, Efcal. Be't, as your Wisdom will. your Honour. Ang. Where is the Provoft? Be executed by nine to morrow morning. 11 Exit Prov. Efcal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all: Some rife by fin, and fome by virtue fall: Some run through brakes of vice, and anfwer 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 abufes in common houses, I know no law; bring them away. Ang. How now, Sir, what's your name? and what's the matter? 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 malefactors? 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 they of? Elbow is your name? Why doft thou not fpeak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow. Y 4 Ang. Ang. What are you, Sir? Elb. He, Sir? a tapfter, Sir; parcel-bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whose house, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt down in the fuburbs; and now the professes a hot-house; 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 thank heav'n, is an honest woman; Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore? Elb. I fay, Sir, I will deteft my felf alfo, as well as he, that this houfe, if it be not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house. Efcal. How doft thou know that, conftable? Elb. Marry, Sir, by my wife; who, if she had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accufed in fornication, adultery, and all uncleannefs 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 so, Elb. Prove it before thefe varlets here, thou honou rable man, prove it, Efcal. Do you hear, how he misplaces? Clown. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your Honour's reverence) for ftew'd prewns; Sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very diftant time ftood, as it were, in a fruit-difh, a difh of fome three pence; (your Honours have feen fuch difhes; they are not China dishes, but very good dishes.) Efcal. Go to, go to; no matter for the dish, Sir. Clown. No, indeed, Sir, not of a pin; you are there in 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 but Two in the difh, as I faid; mafter Froth here, this very man, having eaten the reft, as I faid, and, |