There is a kind of character in thy life," Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Both thanks and ufe. But I do hend my fpeech In our remove, be thou at full ourfelf: Live in thy tongue and heart: Old Efcalus, Ang. Now, good my lord, Let there be fome more test made of my metal, Be ftamp'd upon it. Duke. No more evafion: We have with a leaven'd 7 and prepared choice Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do As to your foul feems good. Give me your hand; Though it do well, I do not relish well Efcal. I fhall defire you, fir, to give me leave A power I have; but of what ftrength and nature Efcal. I'll wait upon your honour. SCENE II. The Street. Enter Lucio and two Gentlemen. [Exeunt. Lucio. Thou conclud'ft like the fanctimonious pirate, that went to fea with the ten commandments, but fcrap'd one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal? 1 Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the reft from their functions; they put forth to fteal: There's not a fol dier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any foldier diflike it. 2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least. Lucio. In any proportion 10, or in any language. Lucio. Ay! why not? Grace is grace, despight of all controverfy: As for example; Thou thyfelf art a wicked villain, defpight of all grace. 1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of sheers between us 11. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lifts and the velvet: Thou art the lift. 1 Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou art a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee; I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucia. I think thou doft; and, indeed, with most 'painful feeling of thy fpeech: I will, out of thine That is, are not fo much thy own property. 2 To great confequences. 3 Two negatives not used to make an affirmative, are common in Shakspeare's plays. 4 That is, one that can inform himself of that which other wife it would be my part to tell him. 5 That is, continue to be Angelo. That is, first appointed. 7 A leavened choice means a choice not haily, but confiderate. That is, Your falinefs of power. 9 There are metrical graces in the Primers, which probably were used in Shakspeare's time, 10 That is, in any form. 11 Meaning, we are bath of the fame piece. own confeffion, learn to begin thy health; but, whit I live, forget to drink after thee. 1 Gent. I think, I have done myself wrong; have I not? Clown. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. Bawd. 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 Gent. Yes, that thou haft; whether thou art you? tinted, or free. Bard. What proclamation, man? Clown. All houfes in the fuburbs of Vienna must Lis. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes! I have purchas'd as many diseases under her be pluck'd down. root, as come to 1 Gent. To what, I pray? 1 Gat. Judge. Gou. To three thousand dollars a year. 1 Gat. Av, and more. Lacie. A French crown 2 more. 1 Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me: but thou art full of error; I am found. Laria. Nay, not, as one would fay, healthy; but f found, as things that are hollow: thy bones are hellow; impiety has made a feaft of thee. Enter Bawd. [city? Bawd. And what thall become of thofe in the Clown. They fhall ftand for feed: they had gone down too, but that a wife burgher put in for them. Bawd. But fhall all our houfes of refort in the fuburbs 5 be pull'd down? Clown. To the ground, mistress. Bawd. 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 : 1 Gent. How now? Which of your hips has the you that have worn your eyes almoft out in the fermott profound sciatica? Band. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prifon, was worth five thousand of you all. 1 Gent. Who's that, I pr'ythee? Bowd. Marry, fir, that's Claudio, fignior Claudio. 1 Gou. Claudio to prifon! 'tis not fo. Bwd. Nay, but I know 'tis fo: I saw him ar vice, you will be confidered. Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapfter? Let's withdraw. Clown. Here comes fignior Claudio, led by the provost to prison: and there's madam Juliet. [Exeunt Bawd and Clown. SCENE III. reted; faw him carry'd away; and, which is Enter Provoft, Claudio, Juliet, and Officers; Luci● ore, within these three days his head is to be chepp'd off. Lais. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it fo: Art thou fure of this? Bad. I am too fure of it: and it is for getting am Julietta with child. La Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two hours fince; and he was ever precife in promile-keeping. 2 Grat. Befides, you know, it draws fomething Dear to the speech we had to fuch a purpose. and two Gentlemen. Claud. Fellow, why doft thou fhow me thus to the world? Bear me to prifon, where I am committed. Claud. Thus can the demi-god, authority, Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio? whence comes, 1 Gent. But most of all agreeing with the pro-this restraint? clamation. Lais. Away; let's go learn the truth of it. Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty: Lucio. If I could fpeak fo wifely under an arrest, I would fend for certain of my creditors: And yet, to fay the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom, as the morality of imprisonment.-What's thy offence, Claudio? 1 A quibble intended between dollars and dolours. Claud. What, but to speak of, would offend again. 2 Lucio méans here not the piece of money caid, but that venereal (cab, which among the furgeons is ftyled corona Veneris.. 3 Alluding ply to the meth d of cure then used for the difcales contracted in brothels. 4 The verb to do, ere used in a fenfe now obfoletc, but which the reader will cafily guefs at from the modern apera on of the phrase of “undoing a woman," or" a woman's being undone." Hence the name of -dong, which Shakspeare has in this play appropriated to the bawd. 5 Meaning all bawdy-houses, ng is an obfolete word for prey. Clauds Claud. No. Lucio. Lechery? Claud. Call it fo. Prov. Away, fir; you must go. Claud. One word, good friend :-Lucio, a word SCENE IV. Enter Duke and Friar Thomas. Duke. No, holy father; throw away that thought ; with you. Lucio. A hundred, if they'll do you any good. Believe not that the dribbling dart of love Can pierce a compleat bofom: why I defire thee Is lechery to look'd after? [tract, Claud. Thus ftands it with me.-Upon a true con-To give me fecret harbour, hath a purpose I got poffeffion of Julietta's bed; You know the lady; fhe is faft my wife, Of outward order: this we came not to, From whom we thought it meet to hide our love, And the new deputy now for the duke, Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness; A horse whereon the governor doth ride, [wall, Which have, like unscour'd armour, hung by the Lucio. I warrant, it is: and thy head ftands fo tickle on thy fhoulders, that a milk-maid, if the be in love, may sigh 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 cloister enter, And there receive her approbation : Acquaint her with the danger of my state; Implore her, in my voice, that the make friends To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him; I have great hope in that: for in her youth There is a prone 3 and speechless dialect, Such as moves men; befide, the hath profperous art When she will play with reason and discourse, And well the can perfuade. More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends Fri. May your grace speak of it? Duke. My holy fir, none better knows than you How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd4; And held in idle price to haunt affemblies, (A man of stricture 5, and firm abstinence) Fri. Gladly, my lord. [laws, Duke. We have ftrict ftatutes, and moft biting (The needful bits and curbs for head-strong steeds) Which for thefe 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 Fri. It rested in your grace To unloose this ty'd-up justice, when you pleas’¿: And it in you more dreadful would have feem'd, Than in lord Angelo. Duke. I do fear, too dreadful: Who may, in the ambush of my name, strike home, Lucio. I pray, the may: as well for the encou-Vifit both prince and people : therefore, I pr’ythee, ragement of the like, which elfe would ftand under grievous impofition; as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be forry should be thus foolishly loft at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her. Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio. Lucio. Within two hours, Claud. Come, officer, away. Supply me with the habit, and instruct me Only, this one :--Lord Angelo is precife; Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confeffes [Exeunt. That his blood flows, or that his appetite I That is, whether it be the feeming enormity of the aftion, or the glare of new authority. 2 That is, ticklish. 3 Prone here feems to mean humble. 4 Meaning a life of retirement. • Stricture is probably here used for firitness. That is, ftands on terms of defiance. Is more to bread than ftone: Hence fhall we fee, A Nunnery. V. Enter Isabella and Francifca. Ijab. And have you nuns no farther privileges? Ijab. Yes, truly : I fpeak not as defiring more; Nam. It is a man's voice: Gentle Isabella, [Exit Franc. Ijab. Peace and prosperity! Who is 't that calls? Enter Lucio. Expreffeth his full tilth and husbandry. [Juliet? Ifab. Adoptedly; as fchool-maids change their Isab. O, let him marry her! The duke is very strangely gone from hence; Lacis. Hail, virgin, if you be; as those cheek- Falls into forfeit: he arrefts him on it; rofes Proclaim you are no lefs! Can you so stead me, Tab. Why her unhappy brother? let me afk; [judge, Lacis. For that, which, if myself might be his He thould receive his punishment in thanks : He hath got his friend with child. Hab. Sir, make me not your story. And follows close the rigour of the statute, Ifab. Alas! what poor ability's in me Lucio. Affay the power you have. And make us lofe the good we oft might win, Lacio. 'Tis true:-I would not (though 'tis my By fearing to attempt: Go to lord Angelo, familiar fin With maids to feem the lapwing, and to jest, As with a faint. Jab. You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me. And let him learn to know, when maidens fue, I That is, in few words. 2 For that, we should probably read doth; and inftead of brings, g. 3 That is, plenty, abundance. 4 The meaning is, he kept many gentlemen in expectation and dependance. 5 That is, full extent. 6 That is, to intimidate practices long countenanced by custom. That is, the power of gaining favour. The principal part of my meffage. 9 That is, has fen anced him. 1o To owe, here fignifies, to poffefs, to have. II The abbefs. ACT ACT II. SCENE I. Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a fuflice, Provost, and Attendants. Ang. WE E muft not make a scare-crow of the law; Setting it up to fear2 the birds of prey, And let it keep one shape, till custom make it Their perch, and not their terror. Ffcal. Ay, but yet' Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruife to death: Alas! this gentleman, That, in the working of your own affections, Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus, 5 For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me, Be executed by nine to-morrow morning: [Exit Provofi. Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, Officers, &c. Elb. Come, bring them away: if these be good |people in a common-weal, that do nothing but ure their abufes in common houfes, I know no law: bring them away. Ang. How now, fir! What's your name? and what's the matter? Elb. If it pleafe your honour, I am the poor duke's conftable, and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon juftice, 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 7; here's a wife officer. Ang. Go to: What quality are they of? Elbow is your name? Why doft thou not speak, Elbow ? Clown. He cannot, fir; he's out at elbow 8. Ang. He, fir? a tapiter, fir; a parcel-bawd9; one that ferves a bad woman; whofe houfe, fir, was, as they fay, pluck'd down in the fuburbs; and now the profeiles a hot-houfe 10, which, I think, is a very ill house too. Efcal. How know you that? 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 honest woman ; Efcal. Doft thou deteft her, therefore? Elb. I fay, fir, I will deteft myfelf alio, as well as fhe, that this houfe, if it be not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty houfe. Efal. How doft thou know that, conftable? Elb. Marry, fir, by my wife; who, if the 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, fir, by miftrefs Over-done's means: but as the fpit in his face, fo the 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. Eftal. Do you hear how he mifplaces? [To Angelo. Clown. Sir, the came in great with child; and longing (faving your honour's reverence) for ftew'd prunes 11; fir, we had but two in the house, which at that very diftant time flood as it were, in a fruit-dish, a difh of fome three-pence; your 3 That is, for 1 The provet is ufually the executioner of an army. 2 To affright, to terrify. which you now blame him. 4 Pregnant here means plain. 5 That is, becaufe. That is, from the thorny paths of vice. 7 Comes off well, when feriously applied to speech, imports a story or tale to be well told or delivered. Efcalus, however, here ufes the phrafe ironically. 8 The Clown quibbles on the word elbow; meaning, he is cut at the word elbow, and out at the elbow of his coat. 9 The meaning is, he is half tapiter, half bawd. 10 That is, he keeps a bagnio. 11 A difh of fewed prunes in the window, was the ancient mark or characteristic, as well as the conflant appendage of a brothel. honour |