Whip me? No, no; let carman whip his jade;
The valiant heart's not whipt out of his trade.

[Exit.

Escal. Come hither to me, master Elbow; come hither, master Constable. How long have you been in this place of constable?

Elb. Seven year and a half, sir.

Escal. I thought, by your readiness in the office, you had continued in it some time: You say, seven years together?

Elb. And a half, sir.

Escal. Alas! it hath been great pains to you! They do you wrong to put you so oft upon't: Are there not men in your ward sufficient to serve it?

Elb. Faith, sir, few of any wit in such matters: as they are chosen, they are glad to choose me for them; I do it for some piece of money, and go through with all.

Escal. Look you, bring me in the names of some six or seven, the most sufficient of your parish. Elb. To your worship's house, sir?

Escal. To my house: Fare you well. [Exit ELBOW.] What's o'clock, think you?

Just. Eleven, sir.

Escal. I pray you home to dinner with me.

Just. I humbly thank you.

Escal. It grieves me for the death of Claudio;

But there's no remedy.

Just. Lord Angelo is severe.

Escal.

It is but needful:

Mercy is not itself that oft looks so;

Pardon is still the nurse of second woe:
But yet,-Poor Claudio!-There's no remedy.
Come, sir.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Another Room in the same.

Enter Provost and a Servant.

Serv. He's hearing of a cause; he will come straight. I'll tell him of you.

Prov. Pray you, do. [Erit Servant.] I'll know
His pleasure: may be, he will relent: Alas,
He hath but as offended in a dream!

All sects, all ages smack of this vice; and he
To die for it!-

Ang.

Enter ANGELo.

Now, what's the matter, provost? Prov. Is it your will Claudio shall die to-morrow? Ang. Did I not tell thee, yea? hadst thou not order? Why dost thou ask again?

Prov.

Lest I might be too rash:

Under your good correction, I have seen,
When, after execution, judgment hath
Repented o'er his doom.

Do

Ang.

Go to; let that be mine:

I crave your honour's pardon.—

you your office, or give up your place, And you shall well be spar'd.

Prov.

What shall be done, sir, with the groaning Juliet? She's very near her hour.

Ang.

Dispose of her

To some more fitter place; and that with speed.

Re-enter Servant.

Serv. Here is the sister of the man condemn'd, Desires access to you.

Ang.

Hath he a sister?

Prov. Ay, my good lord; a very virtuous maid, And to be shortly of a sisterhood,

If not already.

Let her have needful, but not lavish, means;
There shall be order for it.

Enter LUCIO and ISABElla.

Prov. Save your honour! [Offering to retire. Ang. Stay a little while.-[To ISAB.] You are welcome: What's your will?

Isab. I am a woful suitor to your honour, Please but your honour hear me. Ang. Well; what's your suit? Isab. There is a vice, that most I do abhor, And most desire should meet the blow of justice; For which I would not plead, but that I must; For which I must not plead, but that I am At war, 'twixt will, and will not.

Ang.

Well; the matter?

Isab. I have a brother is condemn'd to die: I do beseech you, let it be his fault,

And not my brother 1.

Prov.

Heaven give thee moving graces!

Ang. Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it! Why, every fault's condemn'd, ere it be done: Mine were the very cipher of a function,

To fine the faults, whose fine stands in record,
And let go by the actor.

Isab.

O just, but severe law!

I had a brother then.-Heaven keep your

honour! [Retiring.

Lucio. [To ISAB.] Give't not o'er so: to him

again, intreat him:

1 i. e. let my brother's fault die or be extirpated, but let not him suffer.

2 i. e. to pronounce the fine or sentence of the law upon the crime, and let the delinquent escape.'

Kneel down before him, hang upon his gown;
You are too cold: if you should need a pin,
You could not with more tame a tongue desire it:
To him, I say.

Isab. Must he needs die?

Ang.

Maiden, no remedy. Isab. Yes; I do think that you might pardon him, And neither heaven, nor man, grieve at the mercy. Ang. I will not do't.

Isab.

But can you, if you would? Ang. Look, what I will not, that I cannot do. Isab. But might you do't, and do the world no

wrong,

If so your heart were touch'd with that remorse
As mine is to him?

Ang.

He's sentenc'd; 'tis too late.

[To ISABELLA.

Lucio. You are too cold.

Isab. Too late? why, no; I, that do speak a word,
May call it back again: Well, believe3 this,
No ceremony that to great ones 'longs,

Not the king's crown, nor the deputed sword,
The marshal's truncheon, nor the judge's robe,
Become them with one half so good a grace,
As mercy does. If he had been as you,

And you as he, you would have slipt like him;
But he, like you, would not have been so stern.
Ang. Pray you, begone.

Isab. I would to heaven I had your potency,
And you were Isabel! should it then be thus?
No; I would tell what 'twere to be a judge,
And what a prisoner.

Lucio. Ay, touch him: there's the vein. [Aside. Ang. Your brother is a forfeit of the law,

And you but waste your words.

Isab.

Alas! alas!

* i. e, be assured of it.

Why, all the souls that were, were forfeit once;
And He that might the vantage best have took,
Found out the remedy: How would you be,
If he, which is the top of judgment, should
But judge you as you are? O, think on that;
And mercy then will breathe within your lips,
Like man new made 1.

Be

Ang. you content, fair maid; It is the law, not I, condemns your brother: Were he my kinsman, brother, or my son,

It should be thus with him ;-he must die to-morrow. Isab. To-morrow? O, that's sudden! Spare him, spare him:

He's not prepar❜d for death! Even for our kitchens We kill the fowl of season 5: shall we serve heaven With less respect than we do minister

To our gross selves? Good, good my lord, bethink

you:

Who is it that hath died for this offence?

There's many have committed it.

Lucio.

Ay, well said.

Ang. The law hath not been dead, though it hath

slept 6:

Those many had not dar'd to do that evil,

If the first man that did the edict infringe
Had answer'd for his deed: now, 'tis awake;
Takes note of what is done; and, like a prophet,
Looks in a glass 7, that shows what future evils,
(Either now, or by remissness new-conceiv'd,
And so in progress to be hatch'd and born),

4You will then be as tender hearted and merciful as the first man was in his days of innocence.'

5 i. e. when in season.

6 Dormiunt aliquando leges, moriuntur nunquam,' is a maxim of our law.

7 This alludes to the deceptions of the fortune-tellers, who pretended to see future events in a beryl, or crystal glass.