Tongue far from heart) play with all virgins fo.
I hold you as a thing en-sky'd, and sainted;
By your renouncement, an immortal Spirit;
And to be talk'd with in fincerity,
As with a Saint:

Isab. You do blaspheme the good, in mocking me.
Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness, and truth, 'tis

thus; Your brother and his lover having embrac'd, As those that feed grow full, as blossoming time That from the seedness the bare fallow brings To teeming foyson; so her plenteous womb Expresseth his full tilth and husbandry. isab. Some one with child by him my cousin

Juliet?
Lucio. Is she your cousin ?

Isab. Adoptedly, as school-maids change their names,
By vain, tho' apt, affection.
Lucio. She it is.
Isab. O, let him marry her.

Lucio. This is the point.
The Duke is very strangely gone from hence ;
Bore many gentlemen, my self being one,
In hand and hope of action; but we learn,
By those that know the very nerves of State,
His Givings out were of an infinite diftance
From his true-meant Design. Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,
Governs lord Angelo ; a man whose blood
Is very snow-broth; one who never feels
The wanton' stings and motions of the sense;
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, study and fast.
He, (to give fear to use and liberty,
Which have long time run by the hideous law,
As mice by lyons ;) hath pickt out an Act,
Under whose heavy sense your brother's life
Falls into forfeit; he arrests him on it;
And follows close the rigor of the Statute,
To make him an example; all-hope's gone,

Ui.less

Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer
To soften Angelo; and that's my Pith of business
'Twixt you and your poor brother.

Isab. Doth he so
Seek for his life?

Lucio. Has censur'd him already;
And, as I hear, the Provoft hath á Warrant
For's execution.
Isab. Alas! what

poor
Ability's in me, to do him good?

Lucio. Assay the power you have.
Isab. My power? Alas! I doubt.

Lucio. Our doubts are traitors;
And make us lose the good, we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when maidens sue,
Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,
As they themselves would owe them.

Isab. I'll see what I can do.
Lucio. But, speedily.
Isab. I will about it ftrait;
No longer staying, but to give the mother
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you;
Commend me to my brother: soon at night
I'll send him certain word of my success.

Lucio. I take my leave of you.
Ifab. Good Sir, adieu.

(Exeunt.

Enter Angelo, Escalus, a Justice, and attendants.

up

A N G E L 0.
E must not make a scare-crow of the law,
Setting it to fear the birds of

prey,
And let it keep one shape, 'till custom

make it
Their pearch, and not their terror.

Escal. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruise to death. Alas! this gentleman, Whom I would save, had a most noble father ; Let but your Honour know, Whom I believe to be most ftrait in virtue, That, in the working of your own affections, Had time coher'd with place, or place with wishing, Or that the resolute acting of your

blood Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose; Whether you had not sometime in your

life Err'd in this point, which now you censure him, And pull'd the law upon you.

Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,
The jury, passing on the prisoner's life,
May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two,
Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to

justice,
That justice seizes on. What know the laws,
That thieves do pass on thieves ? 'tis very pregnant,
The jewel that we find, we stoop and take't,
Because we see it; but what we do not see,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not so extenuate his offence,

For

For I have had such faults; but rather tell me,
When I, that censure him, do fo offend,
Let mine own judgment partern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

Enter Provost.
Escal. Be't, as your Wisdom will.

.
Ang. Where is the Provost ?
Prov. Here, if it like your Honour.

Ang. See, that Claudio
Be executed by nine to morrow morning.
Bring him his Confessor, let him be prepar'd;
For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage.

Exit Prov.
Escal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all:
Some rise by an, and some by virtue fall :
Some run through brakes of vice, and answer none;
And some 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 abuses 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 precise villains they are, that I am sure of; and void of all profanation in the world, that good christians ought to have.

Escal. This comes off well ; here's a wise Officer.

Ang. Go to: what quality are they of? Elbow is your name? Why dost thou not speak, Elbow ?

Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow.

Y 4

Ang

Ang. What are you, Sir?

Elb. He, Sir? a tapiter, Sir 3 parcel-bawd; one that serves a bad woman; whose house, Sir, was, as they say, pluckt down in the suburbs ; and now the profeffes a hot-house ; which, I think, is a very ill house too.

Escal. How know you that?

Elb. My wife, Sir, whom I deteft before heay'n and your Honour,

Escal. How ! thy wife?

Élb. Ay, Sir ; whom, I thank heav'n, is an honeft woman ;

Escal. Doft thou detest her therefore?

Elb. I say, Sir, I will deteft my self also, as well as the, that this house, if it be not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house.

Escal. How dost thou know that, constable ?

Eib. Marry, Sir, by my wife ; who, if she had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there.

Escal. By the woman's means ?

Elb. Ay, Sir, by, mistress Over-don's means, but as he spit in his face, so she defy'd him.

Clown. Sir, if it please your Honour, this is not so,

Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honous rable man, prove it,

Escal. Do you hear, how he misplaces ?

Clown. Sir, she came in great with child; and longing (saving your Honour's reverence) for stew'd prewns; Sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very diftant time stood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a dish of some three pence; (your Honours have seen such dishes; they are not China dishes, but very good dishes.) • ĘScal. 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 say, this mis; tress Elbow, being, as I say, with child, and being grcat belly'd, and longing, as I said, for prewns; and having but Two in the dish, as I said; master Froth , here, this very man, having eaten the rest, as į said,

and,