To be most strait in virtue, whether in The working of your own affections, Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, Enter Provost. Escal. Be't it as your wisdom will. Prov. Here, if it like your honour. Ang. See that Claudio Be executed by nine to-morrow morning. For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage. [Exit Provost. Efcal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all ! Some rife by fin, and some by virtue fall : Some run through brakes of vice, and answer none; And fome condemned for one fault alone. SCENE ! 1 Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers. Elb. Come, bring them away; if these be good people in a commonweal, that do nothing but use their abuses in common houses, I know no law; bring them 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 constable, and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon justice, 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 precise 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 you of? Elbow is your name? Why doft thou not speak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot, fir; he's out at elbow. Ang. What are you, fir? Elb. He, fir? a tapster, fir; parcel-bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whose house, fir, was, as they say, pluck'd down in the fuburbs; and now the profeffes a hot-house; which, I think, is as very ill house too. Escal. How know you that? Elb. My wife, fir, whom I deteft before heav'n and your honour, Escal. How! thy wife? Elb. Ay, fir; whom I thank heav'n is an honest woman; - Elb. I fay, fir, I will deteft myself also, as well as she, 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 dost thou know that, conftable? Elb. Elb. Marry, fir, by my wife; who, if the had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there. Efcal. By that woman's means? Elb. Ay, fir, by mistress Over-don's means; but as she spit in his face, so she defy'd him. Clown. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not fo. Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it. Efcal. Do you hear how he misplaces? Clown. Sir, she came in great with child; and longing (faving your honour's reverence) for stew'd prunes; we had but two in the house, which at that very instant time stood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a dish of some three pence; (your honours have feen 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 say, this mistress Elbow, being, as I say, with child, and being great-belly'd, and longing, as I faid, for prunes; and having no more in the dish, as I faid; mafter Froth here, this very man, having eaten the reft, as I faid, and, as I fay, paying for them very honeftly; for, as you know, master Froth, I could not give you three pence again. Froth. No, indeed. Clown. Very well; you being then, if you be remembred, cracking the ftones of the forefaid prunes. Froth. Ay, fo I did, indeed. Clown. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembred, that such a one, and such a one, were past cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept 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 purpose: what was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath cause to complain of? come to what was done to her. Clown. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet. Efcal. Escal. No, fir, I mean it not. Clown. Sir, but you shall come to it, by your honour's leave: and I beseech you, look into master Froth here, fir, a man of fourscore pound a year; whose father dy'd at Hallowmas. Was't not at Hallowmas, master Froth? Froth. All-holland eve. Clown. Why, very well; I hope, here be truths. He, fir, fitting, as I say, in a lower chair, fir; 'twas in the bunch of grapes, where, indeed, you have a delight to fit, have you not? Froth. I have so, because it is an open room, and good for winter. Clown. Why, very well then; I hope here be truths. Ang. This will last out a night in Ruffia, When nights are longest there. I'll take my leave, And leave you to the hearing of the cause, Hoping you'll find good cause to whip them all. SCENE III. [Exit. Escal. I think no less. Good-morrow to your lordship. Now, fir, come on: what was done to Elbow's wife, once more? Clown. Once, fir? there was nothing done to her once. Elb. I beseech you, fir, ask him what this man did to my wife. Clown. I beseech your honour, ask me. Efcal. Well, fir, what did this gentleman to her? Clown. I beseech you, fir, look in this gentleman's face; good master Froth, look upon his honour; 'tis for a good purpose; doth your honour mark his face ? Efcal. Ay, fir, very well. Clown. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well. Escal. Well, I do fo. Clown. Doth your honour fee any harm in his face? Efcal. Why, no. Clown. I'll be suppos'd upon a book, his face is the worst thing about him: good then; if his face be the worst thing about him, how could master Froth do the conftable's wife any harm? I would know that of your honour. Efcal. Efcal. He's in the right; conftable, what say you to it? Elb. First, an it like you, the house is a respected house; next, this is a respected fellow; and his mistress is a respected woman. Clown. By this hand, fir, his wife is a more respected perfon than any of us all. Elb. Varlet, thou lieft; thou liest, wicked varlet; the time is yet to come, that she was ever respected with man, woman, or child. Clown. Sir, she was respected with him before he marry'd with her. Efcal. Which is the wifer here; Justice, or Iniquity? Is this true? Elb. O thou caitiff! o thou varlet! o thou wicked * Hannibal! I respected with her, before I was marry'd to her? If ever I was respected with her, or she with me, let not your worship think me the poor duke's officer; prove this, thou wicked * Hannibal, or I'll have mine action of battery on thee. Efcal. If he took you a box o'th' ear, you might have your action of flander too. Elb. Marry, I thank your good worship for it: what is't your worship's pleasure I shall do with this wicked caitiff? Efcal. Truly, officer, because he hath some offences in him, that thou wouldst discover if thou couldst, let him continue in his courses, 'till thou know'st what they are. Elb. Marry, I thank your worship for it; thou seest, thou wicked varlet, now, what's come upon thee. Thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to continue. Efcal. Where were you born, friend? Froth. Here in Vienna, fır. Efcal. Are you of fourscore pounds a year? Froth. Yes, an't please you, fir. Escal. So. What trade are you of, fir? Clown. A tapster, a poor widow's tapster. Escal. Your mistress's name? Clown. Mistress Over-don. [To Froth. [To the clown. • He means to say animal. VOL. I. Rr Efcal. |