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With any fcruple; your Scope is as mine own,
So to inforce, or qualifie the Laws,

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As to your foul feems good. Give me your hand;
I'll privily away. I love the people;
But do not like to ftage me to their eyes;
Though it do well, I do not relish well
Their loud applaufe, and Ave's vehement:
Nor do I think the man of safe discretion,
That does affect it. Once more, fare you well.
Ang. The heav'ns give fafety to your purposes!
Efcal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happiness!
Duke. I thank you, fare you well.

[Exit.
Efcal. I fhall defire you, Sir, to give me leave
To have free fpeech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the bottom of my Place:

A pow'r I have, but of what ftrength and nature
I am not yet inftructed.

Ang. 'Tis fo with me: let us withdraw together, And we may foon our fatisfaction have

Touching that point.

Efcal. I'll wait upon your Honour.

SCENE, The Street.

Enter Lucio, and two gentlemen.

[Exeunt.

Lucio.F the Duke, with the other Dukes, come not

Lucio. Ito compofition with the King of Hungary, why, then all the Dukes fall upon the King.

1 Gent. Heav'n grant us its peace, but not the King of Hungary's!

2 Gent. Amen.

Lucio. Thou conclud't like the fanctimonious Pirate, that went to fea with the ten Commandments, but fcrap'd one out of the Table.

2 Gent. Thou shalt not fteal.

Lucio. Ay, that he raz'd.

1 Gent. Why, 'twas a Commandment to command

the captain and all the reft from their functions; they put forth to steal; there's not a foldier of us all, that,

23

in the thanksgiving before meat, do relish the petition well that prays for Peace.

2 Gent. I never heard any foldier diflike it.

Lucio. I believe thee: for, I think, thou never waft where grace was faid.

2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least.

1 Gent. What? in meeter?

Lucio. In any proportion, or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion.

Lucio. Ay, why not? grace is grace, defpight of all controverfies as for example, thou thy felf art a wicked villain, defpight of all grace.

1 Gent. Well; there went but a pair of sheers between us.

Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lifts and the velvet. Thou art the lift.

1 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 kerfey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet. Do I fpeak feelingly

now?

Lucio. I think, thou doft; 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.

1 Gent. I think, I have done my felf wrong, have I

not?

2 Gent. Yes, that thou haft; whether thou art tainted, or free.

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

2 Gent. To what, I pray?

1 Gent. Judge.

2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a year.

1 Gent. Ay, and more.

Lucio. A French crown more. (3)

I Gent,

(3) A French Crown more.] Lucio means here not the piece of mony fo call'd, but that Venerial Scab which among the Surgeons is stil'd Co

rona

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

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

Enter Bawd.

1 Gent. How now, which of your hips has the most profound fciatica?

Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrefted, and carry'd to prifon, was worth five thousand of you all.

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

Bawd. Marry, Sir, that's Claudio; Signior Claudio.
I Gent. Claudio to prifon? 'tis not fo.

Bawd. Nay, but I know, 'tis fo; I faw him ar-
refted; is more,
faw him carry'd away; and, which
within these three days his head is to be chopt off.
Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have
it fo: 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 fince, and he was ever precife in promife-keeping.

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

1 Gent. But most of all agreeing with the Procla

mation.

Lucio. Away, let's go learn the truth of it.

[Exe.

rona Veneris. To this, I think, our Author likewife makes Quince allude in Midfummer Night's Dream.

Some of your French Crowns have no bair at all, and then

play bare-faced.

As B. Jonfon does likewife in Cynthia's Revels.

you

will

Afot. I, Sir, I'll affure you, tis a Beaver. It coft me eight Crowns

but this morning.

Amo. After your French Account ?

Afot. Yes, Sir.

Cri. And fe near his Head?

Befbrew me, dangerous.

For where thefe Eruptions are, the Skull is carious, and the Party becomes bald.

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Manet

Manet Bawd.

Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the fweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverI am cuftom-fhrunk. How now? what's the news with you?

ty,

Enter Clown.

Clown. Yonder man is carry'd to prison.
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 fhall become of thofe in the city? Clown. They fhall ftand for feed; they had gone down too, but that a wife burger put in for them. Bawd. But fhall all our houles of refort in the sub urbs be pull'd down?

Clown. To the ground, mistress.

Bawd. Why, here's a change, indeed, in the comman wealth; what fhall 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 Provoft to prison; and there's Madam Juliet. [Ex. Bawd and Clown.

Enter Provoft, Claudio, Juliet, and Officers.

and two Gentlemen.

Lucio

Claud. Fellow, why doft thou fhow me thus to th'

world?

Bear

Bear me to prison, 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,
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 restraint?

Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, libertysAs furfeit is the father of much faft,

So every scope by the immod❜rate ufe

Turns to restraint: our natures do pursue,
Like rats that ravin down their proper bane,
A thirsty evil; and when we drink, we die.

Lucio. If I could fpeak fo wifely under an arrest, Í would fend for certain of my creditors; and yet, to fay the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom, as the morality of imprisonment: what's thy of fence, Claudio?

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

Claud. No.

Lucio. Letchery?

Claud. Call it for

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 con xtract

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

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