wel, good Pompey: commend me to the prifon, Pompey you will turn good husband now, Pompey; you will keep the house.

Clown. I hope, Sir, your good Worship will be my bail.

Lucio. No, indeed, will I not, Pompey; it is not the wear; I will pray, Pompey, to encreafe your bondage; if you take it not patiently, why, your mettle is the more: adieu, trufty Pompey. Blefs you, Friar.

Duke. And you.

Lucio. Does Bridget paint ftill, Pompey ? ha?
Elb. Come your ways, Sir, come.

Clown. You will not bail me then, Sir?

Lucio. Then, Pompey, nor now. What news abroad,

Friar? what news?

Elb. Come your ways, Sir, come.

Lucio. Go to kennel, Pompey, go:

[Exeunt Elbow, Clown and Officers.

What news, Friar, of the Duke?

Duke. I know none; can you tell me of any?

Lucio. Some fay, he is with, the Emperor of Ruffia; other Some, he is in Rome; but where is he, think you?

Duke. I know not where; but wherefoever, I wish him well.

Lucio. It was a mad fantastical trick of him to steal from the State, and ufurp the beggary he was never born to. Lord Angelo dukes it well in his absence; he puts Tranfgreffion to't.

Duke. He does well in't.

Lucio. A little more lenity to leachery would do no harm in him; fomething too crabbed that way, Friar. Duke. It is too general a vice, and feverity must

cure it.

Lucio. Yes, in good footh, the vice is of a great kindred; it is well ally'd; but it is impoffible to extirp it quite, Friar, 'till eating and drinking be put down. They fay, this Angelo was not made by man and woman after the downright way of creation; is it true, think you?

A a 4

Duke.

Duke. How fhould he be made then?

· Lucio. Some report, a fea-maid fpawn'd him. Some, that he was begot between two ftock-fifhes. But it is certain, that when he makes water, his urine is congeal'd ice; that I know to be true: (18) and he is a motion ungenerative, that's infallible.

Duke. You are pleasant, Sir, and speak apace.

Lucio. Why, what a ruthless thing is this in him, for the rebellion of a cod-piece to take away the life of a man? would the Duke, that is absent, have done this? ere he would have hang'd a man for the getting a hundred baftards, he would have paid for the nurfing a thousand. He had fome feeling of the sport, he knew the service, and that inftructed him to mercy. Duke. I never heard the absent Duke much detected for women; he was not inclin'd that way.

Lucio. Oh, Sir, you are deceiv'd.

Duke. 'Tis not poffible.

Lucio. Who, not the Duke? yes, your beggar of fifty; and his ufe was, to put a ducket in her clackdish; the Duke had crotchets in him. He would be drunk too, that let me inform you.

Duke. You do him wrong, furely.

Lucio. Sir, I was an inward of his: a fhy fellow was the Duke; and, I believe, I know the cause of his withdrawing.

Duke. What, pr'ythee, might be the cause?

Lucio. No: pardon: 'tis a fecret must be lockt within the teeth and the lips; but this I can let you underftand, the greater file of the Subject held the Duke to be wife.

Duke. Wife? why, no queftion, but he was. Lucio. A very fuperficial, ignorant, unweighing fellow.

(18) and he is a Motion generative; that's infallible.] This may be Senfe; and Lucio, perhaps, may mean, that tho' Angelo have the Organs of Generation, yet that he makes no more Ufe of them than if he were an inanimate Puppet. But I rather think, our Author wrote; and he is a Motion ungenerative, because Lucio again in this very Scene fays-this ungenitur'd Agent will unpeople the Province with Continency.

Duke.

Duke. Either this is envy in you, folly, or mistaking: the very stream of his life, and the bufinefs he hath helmed, must upon a warranted Need give him a better proclamation. Let him be but teftimonied in his own bringings forth, and he fhall appear to the envious, a fcholar, a ftatesman, and a foldier. Therefore, you speak unskilfully; or if your knowledge be more, it is much darken'd in your malice.

Lucio. Sir, I know him, and I love him.

Duke. Love talks with better knowledge, and knowledge with dear love.

Lucio. Come, Sir, I know what I know.

Duke. I can hardly believe that, fince you know not what you speak. But if ever the Duke return, as our prayers are he may, let me defire you to make your answer before him: if it be honest you have spoke, you have courage to maintain it; I am bound to call upon you, and, I pray you, your name?

Lucio. Sir, my name is Lucio, well known to the Duke.

Duke. He fhall know you better, Sir, if I may live to report you..

Lucio. I fear you not.

Duke. O, you hope, the Duke will return no more; or you imagine me too unhurtful an oppofite; but, indeed, I can do you little harm: you'll forfwear this again?

Lucio. I'll be hang'd firft: thou art deceiv'd in me, Friar. But no more of this. Canft thou tell, if Claudio die to morrow, or no?

Duke. Why should he die, Sir?

Lucio. Why? for filling a bottle with a tun-difh: I would, the Duke, we talk of, were return'd again; this ungenitur'd agent will unpeople the province with Continency. Sparrows muft not build in his houfe-cves, because they are leacherous. The Duke yet would have dark deeds darkly answered; he would never bring them to light; would he were return'd! Marry, this Claudio is condemned for untruffing. Farewel, good

Friar; I pry'thee, pray for me: (19) the Duke, I fay
to thee again, would eat mutton on Fridays. He's now
paft it; yet, and I fay to thee, he would mouth with
a beggar, tho' fhe fmelt of brown bread and garlick:
fay, that I said so, farewel.
[Exit.

Duke. No Might nor Greatness in mortality
Can Cenfure scape: back-wounding Calumny
The whiteft Virtue ftrikes. What King fo ftrong
Can tie the gall up in the fland'rous tongue?
But who comes here?

Enter Escalus, Provoft, and Bawd.

Efcal. Go, away with her to prifon.

Bawd. Good my lord, be good to me; your Honour is accounted a merciful man: good my lord.

Efcal. Double and treble admonition, and still forfeit in the fame kind? this would make mercy fwear, and play the tyrant.

Prov. A bawd of eleven years continuance, may it please your Honour.

Bawd. My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me: mistress Kate Keep-down was with child by him in the Duke's time; he promis'd her marriage; his child is a year and a quarter old, come Philip and Jacob: I have kept it my felf; and fee, how he goes about to abuse me.

Efcal. That fellow is a fellow of much licence; let him be call'd before us. Away with her to prison: go to; no more words. [Exeunt with the Bawd. Provaft, my brother Angelo will not be alter'd; Claudio muft die to morrow let him be furnish'd with Divines, and have all charitable preparation. If my brother wrought by my pity, it fhould not be fo with him.

·(19) The Duke, I say to thee again, would eat Mutton on Fridays.] This is not meant to impeach the Duke of being an ill Catholick, as tranfgreffing the Rules of Abftinence in Diet: But the Joke, alluded to, will be explain'd by looking back to the third Note on the Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Pro.

Pro. So pleafe you, this Friar hath been with him, and advis'd him for the entertainment of death. Efcal. Good even, good father.

Duke. Blifs and goodness on you!
Efcal. Of whence are you?

Duke. Not of this country, tho' my chance is now
To use it for my time: I am a brother
Of gracious Order, late come from the See,
In fpecial business from his Holiness.

Efcal. What news abroad i'th' world?

Duke. None, but that there is fo great a fever on goodness, that the diffolution of it must cure it. Novelty is only in requeft; and it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of course, as it is virtuous to be conftant in any undertaking. There is fcarce truth enough alive, to make focieties fecure; but fecurity enough, to make fellowships accurft. Much upon this riddle runs the wisdom of the world; this news is old enough, yet it is every day's news. I pray you, Sir, of what difpofition was the Duke?

Efcal. One, that, above all other ftrifes, Contended specially to know himself.

Duke. What pleasure was he giv'n to?

Efcal. Rather rejoicing to fee another merry, than merry at any thing which profeft to make him rejoice. A gentleman of all temperance. But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove profperous; and let me defire to know, how you find Claudio propar'd? I am made to understand, that you have lent him vifitation.

Duke. He profeffes to have received no finister meafure from his judge, but most willingly humbles himfelf to the determination of juftice; yet had he fram'd to himself, by the inftruction of his frailty, many deceiving promifes of life; which I by my good leifure have difcredited to him, and now is he refoly'd to die.

Efcal. You have paid the heav'ns your Function, and the prisoner the very debt of your Calling. I have labour'd for the poor gentleman, to the extremeft fhore

of