Falls into forfeit; he arrefts him on it prayer To foften Angelo; and that's my pith of business 'Twixt you and your poor brother. Ifab. Doth he fo Seek for his life? Lucio. H'as cenfur'd him already; Ifab. Alas! what poor Ability's in me, to do him good? Lucio. Affay the power you have. Ifab. My power? Alas! I doubt. And make us lofe the good, we oft might win, By fearing to attempt. Go to lord Angelo, As they themselves would owe them. Ifab. I will about it ftrait; No longer staying, but to give the mother [Exeunt, ACT II. SCENE I. The PALACE. Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a Justice, and Attendants. W ANGEL O. E must not make a scare-crow of the law, Their pearch, and not their terror. Efcal. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruife to death. Alas! this gentleman, Whom I would fave, had a most noble father; Let but your Honour know, Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue, Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose; Err'd in this point, which now you cenfure him, Ang, 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus, The jury, paffing on the prifoner's life, juftice, That juftice feizes on. what's open made to What know the laws, thieves? 'tis very pregnant, we ftoop and take't, I Than F ALL, and bruise to death.] I fhould rather read FELL, . e. ftrike down. Son Timon of Athens, All, fave thee, FBLL with curfes. Becaufe Because we see it; but what we do not fee, Let mine own judgment pattern out my death, Efcal. Be't, as your wifdom will. Prov. Here, if it like your Honour. Be executed by nine to morrow morning. Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd; [Exit Prov.. Efcal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all! Some rife by fin, and fome by virtue fall: Some run through brakes of vice, and answer none; And fome 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 ufe 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 juftice, Sir, and do bring in here before your good Honour two notorious benefactors. Ang. Benefactors? well; what benefactors are they? are they not malefactors? Bb 3 Elb. Elb. If it pleafe your Honour, I know not well what they are; but precife villains they are, that I am fure of; and void of all profanation in the world, that good christians ought to have. Efcal. This comes off well; here's a wife officer. Ang. Go to: what quality are they of? Elbow is your name? why doft thou not fpeak, Elbow ? Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow. Ang. What are you, Sir? Elb. He, Sir? a tapfter, Sir; parcel-bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whofe house, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt down in the fuburbs; and now the profeffes a hot-house; which, I think, is a very ill houfe too. Efcal. How know you that? Elb. My wife, Sir, whom I deteft before heav'n and your Honour, Efcal. How! thy wife? Elb. Ay, Sir; whom, I thank heav'n, is an honest woman; Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore? Elb. I fay, Sir, I will deteft my felf alfo, as well as fhe, that this house, if it be not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house. Efcal. How doft thou know that, constable? Elb. Marry, Sir, by my wife; who, if fhe had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accufed in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there. Efcal. By the woman's means? Elb. Ay, Sir, by mistress Over-done's means, but as fhe fpit in his face, fo fhe defy'd him. Clown. Sir, if it please your Honour, this is not so. Elb. Prove it before thefe varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it. Efcal. Do you hear how he mifplaces? Clown. "Clown. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and "longing (faving your Honour's reverence) for ftew'd "prewns; Sir, we had but two in the houfe, which "at that very diftant time ftood, as it were, in a fruit-difh, a difh of fome three pence; (your Ho"nours have seen fuch difhes; they are not China "dishes, but very good dishes.) Efcal. Go to, go to; no matter for the dish, Sir. Clown. No, indeed, Sir, not of a pin; you are "therein in the right: but to the point; as I fay, "this mistress Elbow, being, as I say, with child, and "being great belly'd, and longing, as I faid, for '' ; prewns; and having but two in the difh, as I faid "mafter Froth here, this very man, having eaten the "reft, as I faid, and, as I fay, paying for them very "honeftly; for, as you know, mafter Froth, I could not give you three pence again. 66 Froth. No, indeed. "Clown. Very well; you being then, if you be "remembred, cracking the ftones of the forefaid ❝ prewns. st 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, un"lefs 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 purpofe: 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 "Honour's leave: and, I befeech you, look into "mafter Froth here, Sir, a man of fourscore pound |