2 Gent. And thou the velvet; thou art good velvet; thou'rt

a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a lift of an English kersey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet. Do I fpeak feelingly now?

Lucio. I think, thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy fpeech: I will, out of thine own confeffion, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. 2 Gent. I think, I have done myself wrong, have I not?

1 Gent. Yes, that thou hast; whether thou art tainted, or free.

SCENE IV.

Bawd, coming at a distance.

Lucio. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes. í Gent. I have purchas'd as many diseases under her roof, as

1 Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thou art full of error; I am found.

Lucio. Nay, not, as one would say, healthy; but so sound, as things that are hollow; thy bones are hollow; impiety hath made a feast of thee.

1 Gent. How now, which of your hips has the most profound [To the bawd.

sciatica?

Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carry'd

to prifon, was worth five thousand of you all.

1 Gent. Who's that, I pr'ythee?

Bawd. Marry, fir, that's Claudio, fignior Claudio.

1 Gent. Claudio to prifon? 'tis not fo.

Bawd. Nay, but I know 'tis fo; I saw him arrested; faw him

carry'd away; and, which is more, within these three days his head is to be chop'd off.

Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so: art thou fure of this? Bawd. I am too fure of it; and it is for getting madam Julietta with child.

Lucio. Believe me, this may be; he promised to meet me two hours since, and he was ever precise in promife-keeping.

2 Gent. Besides, you know it draws fomething near to the speech we had to fuch a purpose.

1 Gent. But most of all agreeing with the proclamation. Lucio. Away; let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt. Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-fhrunk. How now? what's the news with you?

SCENE V.

Enter Clown.

Clown. Yonder man is carry'd 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 houses in the fuburbs of Vienna must be pluck'd down.

Bawd. And what shall become of those in the city?

Clown. They shall stand for feed; they had gone down too, but that a wife burgher put in for them.

Bawd. But shall our houses of refort in the fuburbs be pull'd down?

Clown. To the ground, mistress.

Bawd.

Bawd. Why, here's a change, indeed, in the commonwealth ; 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 tapster still. Courage; there will be pity taken on you; you that have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you will be confidered.

Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas tapster? let's withdraw. Clown. Here comes fignior Claudio, led by the provost to prifon; and there's madam Juliet. [Exe. bawd and clown.

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 prison, where I am committed.
Prov. I do it not in evil disposition,

But from lord Angelo by special charge.

Claud. Thus can the demi-god authority
Make us pay down, for our offence, by weight;
I'th' words of heav'n, on whom it will, it will;
On whom it will not, so; yet still 'tis just.

Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio? whence comes this restraint?
Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty;

As surfeit is the father of much fast,

So every scope by the immod'rate use

Turns to restraint: our natures do pursue
(Like rats that raven down their proper bane)

A thirsty evil; and, when we drink, we die.

Lucio. If I could fpeak fo wisely under an arrest, I would fend for certain of my creditors; and yet, to say 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 speak of would offend again..
Lucio. What is't, murder?

:

Claud.

1

Claud. No.

Lucio. Lechery ?

Claud. Call it fo.

Prov. Away, fir, you must go.

Claud. One word, good friend: Lucio, a word with you. Lucio. A hundred; if they'll do you any good:

Is lechery so look'd after?

Claud. Thus stands it with me: upon a true contract

I got poffeffion of Julietta's bed;

You know the lady; she is fast 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 mutual entertainment,
With character too gross, is writ in Juliet.
Lucio. With child, perhaps?

Claud. Unhappily, even fo.

And the new deputy now for the duke,
(Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness ;
Or whether that the body publick be

A horse whereon the governor doth ride,
Who newly in the feat, that it may know
He can command, lets it straight feel the spur;
Whether the tyranny be in his place,
Or in his eminence that fills it up,

I ftagger in: but) this new governor
Awakes me all th' enrolled penalties
Which have like unscour'd armour hung by th' wall
So long, that nineteen zodiacks have gone round,
And none of them been worn; and, for a name,
Now puts the drowsy and neglected act

Freshly on me; 'tis, furely, for a name.

Lucio. I warrant, so it is; and thy head stands

:

So

&

So tickle on thy shoulders, that a milkmaid,
If she be but in love, may figh it off.
Send after the duke, and appeal to him.
Claud. I have done so, but he's not to be found..

I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind service :
This day my fister should the cloifter 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 strict deputy; bid herself afsay him;
I have great hope in that; for in her youth
There is a prone and speechless dialect,

Such as moves men: beside, she hath profp'rous art
When she will play with reason and difcourse,
And well she can perfuade.

Duke.

SCENE VII.

A Monastery.

Enter Duke, and Friar Thomas.

0; holy father, throw away that thought;
Believe not that the dribbling dart of love

Can pierce a compleat breaft: why I defire thee
To give me fecret harbour, hath a purpose
More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends
Of burning youth.

[Exeunt.

Fri.