As bring me to the fight of Ifabella,

A novice of this place, and the fair fifter

To her unhappy brother Claudio?

Ifab. Why her unhappy brother? let me afk; The rather, for I now must make you know

I am that Ifabella, and his fifter.

Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you: Not to be weary with you, he's in prifon.

Ifab. Woe me! For what?

Lucio. For that, which, if myself might be his judge, He should receive his punishment in thanks: He hath got his friend with child.

Ifab. Sir, make me not your story.

Lucio. 'Tis true-I would not (though 'tis my fami

liar fin

With maids to feem the lapwing, and to jeft,
Tongue far from heart) play with all virgins fo:
I hold you as a thing enfky'd, and fainted:
"By your renouncement, and immortal spirit ;"
And to be talked with in fincerity,

As with a faint.

ແ Ifab. You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me. "Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewnefs and truth, 'tis

thus:

"Your brother and his lover have embrac’d :

"As those that feed grow full; as bloffoming time "That from the feedness the bare fallow brings

"To teeming foyfon; fo her plenteous womb "Expreffeth his full tilth and husbandry."

Ifab. Some one with child by him?-My coufin Juliet? Lucio. Is the your cousin?

Ifab. Adoptedly; as fchool-maids change their names, By vain though apt affection.

Lucio. She it is.

Ifab. O, let him marry her!

Lucio. This is the point.

The duke is very ftrangely gone from hence;
"Bore many gentlemen, myfelf being one,
"In hand, and hope of action: but we do learn

By those that know the very nerves of state, "His givings-out were of an infinite distance B 4

« From

"From his true-meant defign." Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,

Governs lord Angelo; A man whofe blood
Is very fnow broth; one who

Dever feels
"The wanton ftings and motions of the sense;
"But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
"With profits of the mind, ftudy and faft."
He" (to give fear to afe and liberty,

"Which have, for long, run by the hideous law,
"As mice by lions)" hath pick'd out an act,
Under whofe heavy fenfe your brother's life
Falls into forfeit: he arrests him on it;
And follows close the rigour of the statute,
To make him an example: all hope is gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer
To foften Angelo: and that's my pith

Of bufinefs 'twixt you and your poor brother.
Ifab. Doth he fo feek his life?

Lucio. Has cenfur'd him

Already; and, as I hear, the provost hath
A warrant for his 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 lofe 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 strait;

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 fir, adieu.

A

ACT

ACT II. SCENE I.

ANGELO'S House. Enter ANGELO, ESCALUS, a Juftice, Provost, and Attendants.

Angelo.

WE 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 perch, 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)

"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 the effect of your own purpose," Whether you had not fometime 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, Escalus,

Another thing to fall. "I not deny,

"The jury, paffing on the prisoner's life,

66 May, in the fworn twelve, have a thief or two "Guiltier than him they try: What's open made to "justice,

"That justice seizes. What know the laws,

"That thieves do pafs on thieves? 'Tis very pregnant,

"The jewel that we find, we stoop and take it,

"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 so offend,

Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,

And

And nothing come in partial. Sir, he muft die.
Efcal. Be it, as your wifdom will.

Ang. Where is the provost?

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, heaven forgive him! and forgive us all! Some rife by fin, and fome by virtue fall:

Some run from brakes of vice, and answer none;
And fome condemned for a fault alone.

"Enter ELBOW, FROTH, Clown, Officers, &c.

"Elb. Come, bring them away: if these be good peo"ple in a common-weal, that do nothing but use their "abufes in common houfes, I know no law: bring them 86 away.

Ang. How now, fir! 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 juf"tice, fir, and do bring in here before your good honour "two notorious benefactors.

"Ang. Benefactors? Well; what benefactors are they? are they not malefactors?

"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 "chriftians 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, fir; he's out at elbow. Ang. What are you, fir?

Elb. He, fir? a tapfter, fir; parcel-bawd; one that "ferves a bad woman; whofe houfe, fir, was, as they fay, "pluck'd down in the fuburbs; and now the profeffes a hot-houfe, which, I think, is a very ill houfe too. Efcal. How know you that?

«Elb.

"Elb. My wife, fir, whom I deteft before heaven and "your honour,

"Efcal. How! thy wife?

"Elb. Ay, fir; whom, I thank heaven, is an honeft

woman;

"Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore?

"Elb. I fay, fir, I will deteft myself 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, fir, by my wife; who, if he had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in "fornication, adultery, and all uncleannefs there.

Efcal. By the woman's means?

"Elh. Ay, fir, by miftrefs Over-done's means: but as "The spit in his face, so the defy'd him.

"Clown. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not fo. "Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honour"able man, prove it.

66

Efcal. Do you hear how he misplaces?

[To ANGELO. "Clown. Sir, fhe came in great with child; and long"ing (faving your honour's reverence) for stew'd prunes; "fir, we had but two in the house, which at that very "diftant time stood as it were, in a fruit-dish, a dish of "fome three-pence; your honours have seen fuch dishes ; "they are not China dishes, but very good dishes.

Efcal. Go to, go to; no matter for the dish, fir. "Clown. No, indeed, fir, 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 bel"ley'd, and longing, as I faid, for prunes; and having but "two in the dish, as I faid, mafter Froth here, this very "man, having eaten the reft, as I said, and, as I fay, pay"ing for them very honeftly;-for, as you know, mafter "Froth, I cou'd not give you three pence again.

"Froth. No, indeed.

"Glown. Very well: you being then, if you be remem"ber'd, cracking the ftones of the forefaid prunes. "Froth. Ay, fo I did, indeed.

Clown. Why, very well: I telling you then, if you

"ibe

IL.