ry, I am custom fhrunk. How now, what's the news

with you?

SCENE V,

Enter Clown.

Clown. Yonder man is carried to prifon,
Bawd. Well; what has he done?

Clown. A woman.

Bawd. But what's his offence?

Clown. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. Bawd. What, is there a maid with child by him? Clown. No; but there's a woman with maid by him. You have not heard of the proclamation, have you? Bawd. What proclamation, man?

Clown. All houfes in the fuburbs of Vienna must be pluck'd down.

Bawd. And what fhall become of thofe in the city? Clown. They fhall stand for feed; they had gone down too, but that a wife burgher put in for them. Bawd. But fhall all our houses of refort in the fuburbs be pull'd down?

Clown. To the ground, mistress.

Bawd. Why here's a change, indeed, in the common-wealth. What shall become of me?

Clown. Come, fear not you; good counsellors lack no clients; though you change your place, you need not change your trade: I'll be your tapfter ftill. Courage, there will be pity taken on you; you that have worn your eyes almoft out in the fervice, you will be confidered.

Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapfter? let's withdraw.

Clown. Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the proyoft to prison; and there's Madam Juliet. [Exit Bawd and Clown.

VOL. I.

T

SCENE

SCENE VI.

Enter Provost, Claudio, Juliet, and Officers. Lucio and two Gentlemen.

Claud. Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to th world?

Bear me to prifon, where I am committed.
Prov. I do it not in evil difpofition,
But from lord Angelo by fpecial charge.

Claud. Thus can the Demi-god, Authority, 3
Make us pay down, for our offence, by weight.
The words of heaven; on whom it will, it will;
On whom it will not, fo; yet ftill 'tis juft.

Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio? whence comes this reftraint?

Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty; As furfeit is the father of much fast,

So ev'ry scope by the immoderate use
Turns to reftraint: our natures do purfue,
Like rats that ravin down their proper bane,
A thirty evil; and when we drink we die.

Lucio. If I could speak fo wifely under an arrest, I would fend for certain of my creditors; and

3 Thus can the Demi god, Authority, Make us pay down, for our of fence, by weight The words of heaven; on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, fo; yet fill tis juft.] The wrong pointing of the fecond line hath made the paffage unintelligible. There ought to be a full ftop at weight. And the fenfe of the whole is this: The Demi-god, Authority, makes us pay the full penalty of our offence, and its decrees are as little

yet, to

Make

to be questioned as the words of
heaven, which pronounces its plea-
jure thus — I punish and remit pu-
nishment according to my own un-
controulable will, and yet who can
jay what doft thou.
us pay down, for our offence, by
weight, is a fine expreffion, to
fignify paying the full penalty.
The metaphor is taken from pay-
ing money by weight, which is
always exact; not to by tale, on
account of the practice of dimi
nithing the fpecies. WARBURT.
I fufpect that a line is loft.

fay the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom, as the morality of imprisonment: what's thy offence, Claudio?

Claud. What, but to fpeak of, would offend again, Lucio. What is't, murder?

Claud. No.

Lucio. Letchery?

Claud. Call it fo.

Prov. Away, Sir, you must go.

Claud. One word, good friend:Lucio, a word with you.

Lucio. A hundred; if they'll do you any good. Is letchery fo look'd after?

Claud. Thus ftands it with me; upon a true cont tract

I got poffeffion of Julietta's bed,

(You know the lady) fhe is faft my wife?

Save that we do the denunciation lack
Of outward order. This we came not to,
Only for propagation of a dower

Remaining in the coffer of her friends;

From whom we thought it meet to hide our love,
'Till time had made them for us. But it chances,
The ftealth of our most mutual entertainment,
With character too grofs, is writ on Juliet.
Lucio. With child, perhaps?

Claud. Unhappily, even fo.

And the new Deputy now for the Duke, (Whether it be the fault, and glimpfe, of newness 4

Or whether that the body public be

A horfe whereon the Governor doth ride,
Who, newly in the feat, that it may know
He can command, let's it ftrait feel the fpur;
Whether the tyranny be in his Place,

4the fault and glimpse of newness] Fault and glimpje have fo little relation to each other,

that both can fearcely be right; we may read flash for fault.

Or in his eminence that fills it up,

I ftagger in:) but this new Governor
Awakes me all th' enrolled penalties,

Which have, like unfcour'd armour, hung by th’wall
So long that nineteen Zodiacks have gone round, s
And none of them been worn; and, for a name,
Now puts the drowsy and neglected A&t

Freshly on me.

'Tis, furely, for a name.

Lucio. I warrant, it is. And thy head ftands fo tickle on thy shoulders, that a milk-maid, if she be in love, may figh it off. Send after the Duke, and appeal to

him.

Claud. I have done fo, but he's not to be found.
I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind service:
This day my fifter fhould the cloy fter enter,
And there receive her Approbation.
Acquaint her with the danger of my state,
Implore her, in my voice, that she make friends
To the ftrict Deputy; bid herself assay him;
I have great hope in that; for in her youth
There is a prone and fpeechlefs dialect,"

Such as moves men! befide, fhe hath profp'rous art
When she will play with reason and discourse,

And well the can perfuade.

Lucio. I pray, the may; as well for the encouragement of the like, which elfe would ftand under grievous impofition; 7 as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be forry fhould be thus foolishly loft at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her.

Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio.
Lucio. Within two hours,-

Claud. Come, officer, away.

Duke.

Enter Duke, and Friar Thomas.

O; holy father--Throw

[Exeunt.

No ho father. Throw away that thought-

Believe not, that the dribbling dart of love 9 Can pierce a compleat bofom; why I defire thee To give me fecret harbour, hath a purpose

More grave, and wrinkled, than the aims and ends Of burning youth.

Fri. May your Grace speak of it?

Duke. My holy Sir, none better knows than you, How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd;

And held in idle price to haunt Affemblies,
Where youth, and coft, and witless bravery keeps.
I have deliver'd to lord Angelo

A man of stricture and firm abftinence 9

7-under grievous impofition.] I once thought it should be inquifition, but the prefent reading is probably right. The crime would be under grievous penalties imposed.

8 Believe not that the dribbling dart of love Can pierce a compleat bosom.—]

Think not that a breaft compleatly armed can be pierced by the dart of love that comes fluttering without force.

9 A man of STRICTURE and firm abftinence.] Stricture makes no fenle in this place. We should read,

A n

man