Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

Falls into forfeit; he arrefts him on it;
And follows close the rigour of the statute,
To make him an example; all hope's gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair 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;

And, as I hear, the Provost hath a warrant
For's execution.

Ifab. Alas! what poor

Ability's in me, to do him good?
Lucio. Affay the power you have.
Ifab. 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 fue,
Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,

As they themselves would owe them.
Ifab. I'll fee what I can do.

Lucio. But, fpeedily.

Ifab. 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: foon at night
I'll fend him certain word of my fuccefs.
Lucio. I take my leave of you.
Ifab. Good Sir, adieu.

[Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]

ACT II. SCENE L

The PALACE.

Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a Justice, and Attendants.

W

ANGEL O.

E must not make a scare-crow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,

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

Their pearch, and not their terror.

Efcal. Ay, but yet

Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,

Than fall, and bruise to death. Alas! this gentleman, Whom I would fave, had a most noble father;

Let but your Honour know,

Whom I believe to be moft ftrait in virtue,

That, in the working of your own affections,
Had time coher'd with place, or place with wifhing,
Or that the refolute 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 cenfure him,
And pull'd the law upon you.

Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,

The jury, paffing on the prifoner's life,

May in the fworn twelve have a thief or two, Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to juftice,

That juftice feizes on.

What know the laws,

That thieves do pafs on thieves? 'tis very pregnant, The jewel that we find, we ftoop and take't,

1 Than FALL. and bruise to death.] I should rather read FELL, . e. ftrike down. So in Timon of Athens,

All, fave thee, I FELL with curfes.

Becaufe

Because we fee it; but what we do not fee,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not fo extenuate his offence,

For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me,
When I that cenfure him, do fo offend,

Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die,
Enter Provoft.

Efcal. Be't, as your wifdom will.
Ang: Where is the Provoft?
Prov. Here, if it like your Honour.
Ang. See, that Claudio

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

[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.

[blocks in formation]

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 please 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 serves a bad woman; whofe houfe, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt down in the fuburbs; and now she profeffes a hot-house; which, I think, is a very ill house 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 houfe, if it be not a bawd's houfe, 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 he 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 fo. Elb. Prove it before thefe varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it.

Efcal. Do you hear how he mifplaces?

Clown.

[ocr errors]

ઃઃ

"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-dish, a dish of fome three pence; (your Ho"nours have seen fuch difhes; they are not China "dishes, but very good dishes.)

[ocr errors]

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 fay, 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 said, and, as I fay, paying for them very honeftly; for, as you know, mafter Froth, I could "not give you three pence again.

[ocr errors]

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 paft 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 "master Froth here, Sir, a man of fourscore pound

[ocr errors]
« ПредишнаНапред »