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 prewns. 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 past 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 purpose: 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, Sir, nor I mean it not.

Clown. Sir, but you fhall come to it, by your Ho nour's leave: and, I beseech you, look into mafter Froth here, Sir, a man of fourfcore pound a year; whose father dy'd at Hallowmas. Was't not at Hallowmas, mafter Froth?

Froth. All-bolland eve.

Clown. Why, very well; I hope here be truths. He, Sir, fitting, as I fay, in a lower chair, Sir; '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 Ruffia,

When nights are longeft there. I'll take my leave,
And leave you to the hearing of the Cause;

Hoping, you'll find good caufe to whip them all.
Efcal. I think no less. Good morrow to your Lord-
ship.
[Exit Angelo.
Now, Sir, come on: what was done to Elbow's wife,
once more?

Clown.

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

once.

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

Clown. I beseech your Honour, ask me.

Efcal. Well, Sir, what did this gentleman to her ? Clown. I beseech you, Sir, look in this gentleman's face; good mafter Froth, look upon his Honour; 'tis for a good purpofe; doth your Honour mark his face? Efcal. Ay, Sir, very well.

Clown. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well.
Efcal. Well, I do so.

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 conftable's wife any harm? I would know that of your Honour.

Escal. He's in the right; conftable, what fay you to it?

Elb. First, an it like you, the house is a respected house; next, this is a refpected fellow; and his miftress is a respected woman.

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

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

Clown. Sir, fhe was respected 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'th' ear, you might have your action of flander too.

Elb.

Elb. Marry, I thank your good Worship for't: what is't your Worship's pleasure I fhall do with this wicked caitiff?

Efcal. Truly, officer, because he hath fome offences in him, that thou wouldst discover if thou couldft, let him continue in his courses, 'till thou know'ft what they are.

Élb. Marry, I thank your Worship for it; thou seest, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon thee. Thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to còntinue.

Efcal: Where were you born, friend?
Froth. Here in Vienna, Sir.

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

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

[To the Clown.

Clown. A tapfter, a poor widow's tapiter.
Efcal. Your mistress's name?

Clown. Miftrefs Over-don.

Efcal. Hath fhe had any more than one husband?
Clown. Nine, Sir: Over-don by the laft.

Efcal. Nine? Come hither to me, mafter Froth: mas ter 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; farewel. [Exit Froth. Come you hither to me, mafter tapfter; what's your name, mafter tapfter?

Clown. Pompey.
Efcal. What elfe?

Clown. Bum, Sir.

Efcal. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about you, fo that, in the beaftlieft fenfe, you are Pompey the Great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pom

pey;

pey; howsoever, you colour it in being a tapfter; are you not? come, tell me true, it fhall be the better for you.

Clown. Truly, Sir, I am a poor fellow that would live.

Efcal. How would you live, Pompey? by being a bawd? what do you think of the trade, Pompey? is it a lawful trade?

Clown. If the law will allow it, Sir.

Efcal. But the law will not allow it, Pompey; nor it fhall not be allowed in Vienna.

Clown. Does your Worship mean to geld and splay all the youth in the city?

Efcal. No, Pompey.

Clown. Truly, Sir, in my poor opinion, they will to't then. If your Worship will take order for the drabs and the knaves, you need not to fear the bawds. Efcal. There are pretty orders beginning, I can tell you it is but heading and hanging.

Clown. If you head and hang all that offend that way but for ten years together, you'll be glad to give out a Commiffion for more heads: if this law hold in Vienna ten years, (8) I'll rent the fairest house in it, after three pence a Bay: if you live to see this come to pass, say, Pompey told you so.

Efeal.

(8) I'll rent the fairest house in it, after three pence a Day.] This Reading first got place in Mr. Pope's Impreffion, who, I prefume, did not know how to account for, Bay, the Reading of the old Copies; and which I have reftor'd to the Text. For my part, I believe, our Poet had no Notion of reducing Houfe-rent to a Proportion by the Day. The Meaning is this. The Fashion of Buildings, in our Author's time, was to have two or three femi-circular juttings out in Front, (which we still fee in the Remains of old Houfes,) where the Windows were plac'd: And thefe Projections were call'd Bays; as the Windows were, from them, call'd Bay-windows, or Compass-windows: the last of which Terms we meet with in our Author's Troilus and Creffida.

She came to him t'other day into the Compafs-window.

Minshew tells us, the Reafon of the Name being given was, because this Form of Building resembled a Bay, or Road for Ships, which is always round, and bow-ing, to break off the Force of the Water. So that, Houes, as I faid, having not above two or three of thefe Juttings out, the Clown fays, "the Houfes won't be worth above three pence a

Bay".

Efcal. Thank you, good Pompey; and, in requital of your prophecy, hark you; I advise you, let me not find you before me again upon any complaint whatfoever; no, not for dwelling where you do: if I do, Pompey, I fhall beat you to your tent, and prove a fhrewd Cæfar to you: in plain dealing, Pompey, I fhall have you whipt: fo for this time, Pompey, fare you well.

Clown. I thank your Worship for your good counsel; but I fhall follow it, as the flesh and fortune fhall better determine.

Whip me? no, no; let carman whip his jade;

The valiant heart's not whipt out of his trade. [Exit. Efcal. Come hither to me, mafter Elbow; come hither, mafter conftable; how long have you been in this place of conftable?

Elb. Seven year and a half, Sir.

Efcal. I thought, by your readiness in the office, you had continued in it fome time: you fay, feven years together?

Elb. And a half, Sir.

Efcal. Alas! it hath been great pains to you; they do you wrong to put you fo oft upon't: are there not men in your ward fufficient to ferve it?

Elb. Faith, Sir, few of any wit in fuch matters; as they are chofen, they are glad to chufe me for them. I do it for fome piece of money, and go through with all.

Efcal. Look you, bring me in the names of fome fix or feven, the moft fufficient of your parish.

Elb. To your Worship's houfe, Sir?

Efcal. To my house; fare you well. What's a clock, think you?

Juft. Eleven, Sir.

[Exit Elbow.

Efcal. I pray you, home to dinner with me.

"Bay", i. e. Nine pence per Year at the largest Computation. I had almoft forgot to obferve, that CHAUCER mentions a Bay-window in his Court of Love.

And there befide, within a bay-windowe,

Stod one in grene, full large of bred and length, &c.

Just.