Elb. He, fir? a tapfter, fir; parcel-bawd'; one that ferves a bad woman; whose house, fir, was, as they fay, pluck'd down in the fuburbs; and now she profeffes a hot-house ; which, I think, is a very ill houfe too.

Efcal. How know you that?

Elbow. My wife, fir, whom I deteft before heaven and your honour,

Efcal. How thy wife?

Elb. Ay, fir; whom, I thank heaven, is an honest

woman;

Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore?

Elb. I fay, fir, I will deteft myself also, as well as fhe, that this house, 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, fir, by my wife; who, if fhe had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleannefs there. Efcal. By the woman's means?

Elb. Ay, fir, by mistress Over-done's means: ; but as the fpit in his face, fo fhe defy'd him.

Clown. Sir, if it pleafe your honour, this is not fo. Elb. Prove it before thefe varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it.

A tapfer, fir; parcel bawd;] This we fhould now exprefs by faying, he is half-tapfter, half-bawd. JOHNSON.

2fhe profeffes a bot-boufe ;] A bot-boufe is an English name for a bagnio.

Where lately barbour'd many a famous whore,

A purging-bill now fix'd upon the door,

Tells you it it a hot-houfe, fo it may,

And fill be a whore-boufe. Ben. Jonfon. JOHNSON.

3 Ay, fir, by mistress Over-done's means:] Here feems to have been fome mention made of Froth, who was to be accufed, and fome words therefore may have been loft, unless the irregularity of the narrative may be better imputed to the ignorance of the contable. JOHNSON.

Efcal.

Efcal. Do you hear how he misplaces? [To Angelo. Clown. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your honour's reverence) for few'd prunes; fir, we had but two in the house, which at that very diftant time ftood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a dish 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, fir.

Clown. No, indeed, fir, not of a pin; you are therein in the right. But to the point: As I fay, this mistress Elbow, being, as I fay, with child, and being great belly'd, and longing, as I faid, for prunes; and haying but two in the difh, as I faid; master 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 ftones of the forefaid prunes, 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 wot 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 purpofe. What was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath caufe to complain of? come to what was done to her.

Clown. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet, Efcal. No, fir, nor I mean it not.

Clown. Sir, but you fhall come to it, by your ho nour's leave: And, I befeech you, look into master Froth here, fir; a man of fourfcore pound a year; VOL. II. whofe

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whofe father dy'd at Hallowmas. Was't not at Hallowmas, mafter Froth?

Froth. All-holland eve.

Clown. Why, very well; I hope here be truths: He, fir, fitting, as I fay, in a lower chair, fir; 'twas in the Bunch of grapes, where, indeed, you have a delight to fit, Have you not?

Froth. I have fo; because it is an open room, and good for winter.

Clown. Why, very well then.I hope here be truths.

Ang. This will last out a night in Russia,
When nights are longest there. I'll take my leave,
And leave you to the hearing of the caufe;
Hoping, you'll find good caufe to whip them all.
Efcal. I think no lefs. Good morrow to your lord-
[Exit Angelo.
Now, fir, come on: What was done to Elbow's wife,
once more?

fhip..

Clown. Once, fir? there was nothing done to her

once.

Elb. I beseech you, fir, ask him what this man did to my wife.

Clown. I befeech your honour, afk me.

Efcal. Well, fir; what did this gentleman to her? Clown. I befeech you, fir, look in this gentleman's face.-Good mafter Froth, look upon his honour; 'tis for a good purpose.-Doth your honour mark his face?

Efcal. Ay, fir, very well.

Clown. Nay, I befeech you, mark it well.

Efcal. Well, I do fo.

Clown. Doth your honour fee any harm in his face?
Efcal. Why, no.

Clown. I'll be fuppos'd upon a book, his face is the worst thing about him. Good then; if his face be the worst thing about him, how could mafter Froth do

the constable's wife any harm? I would know that of your honour.

Efcal. He's in the right; constable, what say you to it?

Elb. First, an' it like you, the houfe is a refpected houfe; next, this is a refpected fellow; and his miftrefs is a refpected woman.

Clown. By this hand, fir, his wife is a more refpected person than any of us all.

Elb. Varlet, thou lieft; thou lieft, wicked varlet: the time is yet to come, that he was ever refpected with man, woman, or child.

Clown. Sir, fhe was refpected with him before he marry'd with her.

Efcal. Which is the wifer here? Juftice or Iniquity? Is this true?

Elb. O thou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked Hannibal! I refpected with her, before I was marry'd to her? If ever I was refpected with her, or fhe with me, let not your worship think me the poor duke's officer: Prove this, thou wicked Hannibal, or I'll have mine action of battery on thee.

Efcal. If he took you a box o' the ear, you might have your action of flander too.

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

Eftal. Truly, officer, because he hath fome offences in him, that thou wouldft difcover if thou couldft, let him continue in his courfes, 'till thou know't what they are.

Elb. Marry, I thank your worship for it: thou feeft,

Juice or In quity?] Thefe were, I fuppofe, two perfonages well known to the audience by their frequent appearance in the old moralities. The words therefore, at that time, produced a combination of ideas, which they have now loft. JOHNSON.

Hannibal,] Miftaken by the conftable for Cannibal. JoHNSON.

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.

[To Froth.

Efcal. Are you of fourfcore pounds a year?
Froth. Yes, and't please you, fir.

Efcal. So. What trade are you of, sir?

[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 husband? Clown. Nine, fir: Over-done by the last.

6

Efcal. Nine! Come hither to me, mafter Froth. Master 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, master tapfter?

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

Efcal. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about you; fo that, in the beaftlieft fense, you are Pompey the Great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd; Pompey, howfoever you colour it in being a tapfter;

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

Are