1 Gent. Ay, and more.

Lucio. A French crown more *.

1 Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me; thou art full of error; I am found.

but

Lucio. Nay, not, as one would fay, healthy; but fo found, as things that are hollow; thy bones are hollow; impiety hath made a feast of thee.

iGent. How now, which of your hips has the most profound sciatica ? [To the Bawd. Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrefted, and carry'd to prifon, was worth five thousand of you all. 1 Gent. Who's that, I pr'ythee?

Bawd, Marry, Sir, that's Claudio, Signior Claudio. 1 Gent, Claudio to prifon? 'tis not fo.

Bard. Nay, but I know 'tis fo; I faw him arrefted; faw him carry'd away; and which is more, within thefe three days his head is to be chopt off.

Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it' fo; art thou fure of this?

1

Bawd. I am too fure of it; and it is for getting Madam Julietta with child.

Lucio. Believe me, this may be; he promised to meet me two hours fince, and he was ever precife in promife-keeping. 2 Gent. Befides, you know it draws fomething near to the fpeech we had to fuch a purpose.

1 Gent. But most of all agreeing with the proclamation. Lucio. Away, let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt. Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the fweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am cuftom-fhrunk. How now? what's the news with you? SCENE V. Enter Clown.

Clown, Yonder man is carry'd to prifon.
Bard. Well; what has he done?

Clown. A woman.

Bard. But what's his offence?

Clown. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. Bard. What? is there a maid with child by him? Clown. No; but there's a woman with maid by him. You have not heard of the proclamation, have you ?

Alluding to the venereal scab upon the head call'd Corona Veneris.

Bawd.

Bawd. What proclamation, man?

Clown. All houfes in the fuburbs of Vienna muft be pluck'd down.

Bawd. And what shall become of thofe in the city? Clown. They fhall ftand for feed; they had gone down too, but that a wife burger put in for them.

2

Bawd. But fhall our houfes of refort in the fuburbs be pull'd down?

Clown. To the ground, mistress,

Barud. Why, here's a change indeed in the commonwealth; what fhall become of me?

Clown. Come, fear not you; good counsellors lack no clients; though you change your place, you need not change your trade: I'll be your tapfter ftill. Courage, there will be pity taken on you; you that have worn your eyes almoft out in the fervice, you will be confidered.

Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapfter? let's withdraw. Clown. Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the Provoft to prifon; and there's Madam Juliet. [Exe. Bawd and Clown. SCENE VI. Enter Provoft, Claudio, Juliet, and Officers. Lucio and two Gentlemen.

Claud. Fellow, why doft thou show me thus to th' world-? Bear me to prifon, where I am committed. Prov. I do it not in evil difpofition, But from lord Angelo by fpecial charge.

Claud. Thus can the Demi-god Authority Make us pay down, for our offence, by weight; I' th' words of heav'n, on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, fo; yet ftill 'tis juft.

Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio? whence comes this re

ftraint?

Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty;
As furfeit is the father of much fast,
So every scope by the immod'rate ufe
Turns to restraint: our natures do purfue
(Like rats that ravin down their proper bane,)
A thirsty evil, and when we drink, we die.

Lucio. If I could fpeak fo wifely under an arreft, I would fend for certain of my creditors; and yet, to say the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom, as the

morality

morality of imprisonment: what's thy offence, Claudio ? Claud. What but to fpeak of would offend again. Lucio. What is't, murder?

Claud. No.

Lucio. Letchery?

Claud. Call it fo.

Prov. Away, Sir, you must go.

Claud. One word, good friend: Lucio, a word with you.
Lucio. A hundred; if they'll do you any good :

Is letchery fo look'd after?

Claud. Thus ftands it with me; upon a true contract I got poffeffion of Julietta's bed,

You know the lady, fhe is faft my wife,

Save that we do the denunciation lack

Of outward order. This we came not to,
Only for propagation of a dowre
Remaining in the coffer of her friends,

From whom we thought it meet to hide our love
"Till time had made them for us. But it chances,
The ftealth of our mutual entertainment,
With character too grofs, is writ in Juliet.
Lucio. With child, perhaps?
Claud. Unhappily, even fo.

And the new Deputy now for the Duke,
(Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness;
Or whether that the body publick be
A horfe whereon the governor doth ride,
Who newly in the feat, that it may know
He can command, lets it ftrait feel the fpur;
Whether the tyranny be in his place,
Or in his eminence that fills it up,

Iftagger in: but) this new governor
Awakes me all th' enrolled penalties

Which have like unfcour'd armour hung by th' wall
So long, that nineteen zodiacks have gone round,
And none of them been worn; and for a name,
Now puts the drowfie and neglected act
Freshly on me; 'tis furely for a name.

Lucio. I warrant, fo it is; and thy head stands
So tickle on thy fhoulders, that a milk-maid,

If

If the be but in love, may figh it off.
Send after the Duke, and appeal to him.

Claud. I have done fo, but he's not to be found.
I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind service:
This day my fifter fhould the cloifter enter,
And there receive her approbation.
Acquaint her with the danger of my state,
Implore her in my voice, that she make friends
To the ftrict Deputy; bid her felf assay him,
I have great hope in that; for in her youth
There is a prone and speechless dialect,
Such as moves men: befide, fhe hath profp'rous art
When she will play with reafon and discourse,
And well the can perfuade.

Lucio. I pray the may;

As well for the encouragement of the like,
Which elfe would ftand on grievous impofition;
As for thy life, which I'd be forry should be
Thus foolishly loft at a game of tick-tack.
I'll to her ftrait.

Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio.
Lucio. Within two hours.

Claud. Come, officer, away.

SCENE VII. A Monaftery.
Enter Duke and Friar Thomas.

[Exeunt

Duke. No; holy father, throw away that thought,
Believe not that the dribbling dart of love
Can pierce a compleat breaft: why I defire thee
To give me fecret harbour, hath a purpose
More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends
Of burning youth.

Fri. May your Grace speak of it?

Duke. My holy Sir, none better knows than you
How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd;
And held in idle price to haunt affemblies,
Where youth, and coft, and witless bravery keep.
I have deliver'd to lord Angelo

(A man of stricture and firm abftinence)
My abfolute pow'r and place here in Vienna,
And he fuppofes me travell'd to Poland;

For

For fo I've ftrew'd it in the common ear,
And fo it is receiv'd: now, pious Sir,
You will demand of me, why I do this?
Friar. Gladly, my lord.

Duke. We have ftrict ftatutes and most biting laws,
(The needful bits and curbs for head-strong steeds)
Which for this nineteen years we have let fleep;
Even like an o`er-grown lion in a cave,

That goes not out to prey now, as fond fathers
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to ftick it in their childrens fight,
For terror, not to ufe; in time the rod
Becomes more mock'd than fear'd: fo our decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead,
And liberty plucks juftice by the nose;
The baby beats the nurfe, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri. It refted in your Grace

T'unloofe this ty'd-up juftice, when you pleas'd:
And it in you more dreadful would have feem'd
Than in lord Angelo.

Duke. I fear, too dreadful.

Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope,
'Twould be my tyranny to ftrike and gall them
For what I bid them do. For we bid this
When evil deeds have their permiffive pass,
And not the punishment. Therefore, my father,
I have on Angelo impos'd the office :

Who may in th' ambush of my name ftrike home,
And yet, my nature never in the fight
To do it flander: To behold his fway,
I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,
Vifit both Prince and people; therefore pr'ythee
Supply me with the habit, and inftruct me
How I may formally my perfon bear
Like a true Friar. More reafons for this action
At your more leifure fhall I render you;
Only this one: lord Angelo is precife,
Stands at a guard with envy, fcarce confeffes
VOL. II.

B