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You may not fo extenuate his offence,

For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me,
When I that cenfure him, do fo offend,

Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he muft die.
Enter Provost.

Efcal. Be't as your wisdom 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, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all! Some rife by fin, and fome by virtue fall:

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

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Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and officers.

Elb. Come, bring them away; if thefe be good people in a common-weal, that do nothing but ufe their abuses in common houses, I know no law; bring them

away.

Ang. How now, Sir, 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 juftice, Sir, 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 pleafe 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 dost thou not speak, Elbow ?

Glawn.

Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow.
Ang. What are you, Sir?

Elb. He, Sir? a tapfter, Sir; parcel-bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whofe houfe, Sir, 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. My wife, Sir, whom I deteft before heav'n and your Honour,

Efcal. How! thy wife?

Elb. Ay, Sir; whom, I thank heav'n, is an honeft

woman;

Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore?

Elb. I fay, Sir, I will deteft myself alfo, as well as fhe, that this house, if it be not not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty houfe.

Efcal. How doft thou know that, Conftable?

Elb. Marry, Sir, by my wife; who, if the had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleannefs there. Efcal. By the woman's means?

Elb. Ay, Sir, by Mistress Overdone's means ; as the fpit in his face, fo fhe defy'd him.'

but

Clown. Sir, if it please your Honour, this is not fo. Elb. Prove it before thefe varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it.

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Efcal. Do you hear how he misplaces?

Glown. " Sir, fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your Honour's reverence) for ftew'd prewns; Sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very diftant time ftood, as it were, in a fruit"difh, a difh of fome 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, Sir. Clown. " No, indeed, Sir, not of a pin; you are "therein in the right. But to the point: As I fay, "this Miltress Elbow, being, as I fay, with child, and being great-belly'd, and longing, as I faid, for prewns; and having but two in the dish, as I faid; "Mafter Froth here, this very man, having eaten the 66 reft,

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"reft, as I faid, and, as I fay, paying for them very honeftly; for, as you know, Mafter Froth, I could not give you three pence again.

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Froth. No, indeed.

Clown. " Very well; you being then, if you be re"member'd, cracking the ftones of the forefaid prewns. Froth. Ay, fo I did, indeed.

Clown. "Why, very well; I telling you then, if you "be remember'd, that fuch a one, and fuch a one, were paft cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept very good diet, as I told you.

66

Froth. All this is true.

Clown. 66

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 compain of? come to what was done to her.

Clown." Sir, your Honour cannot come to that yet. Efcal. No, Sir, nor I mean it not.

Clown."Sir, but you fhall come to it, by your Ho"nour's leave; and, I beseech you, look into Master "Froth here, Sir, a man of fourscore pound a-year, "whofe father dy'd at Hallowmas. Was't not at Hal"lowmas, Master Froth?

Froth. All-holland eve.

Clown. " Why, very well; I hope here be truths. "He, Sir, fitting, as I fay, in a lower chair, Sir; 'twas "in the bunch of grapes, where, indeed, you delight to fit; have you not?

have a

Froth. I have fo; because it is an open room, good for winter.

and

Clown. "Why, very well then; I hope here be "truths.

Ang. This will last out a night in Ruffia,

When nights are longeft there. I'll take my leave,
And leave you to the hearing of the caufe,
Hoping you'll find good caufe to whip them all.

SCENE III.

Efcal. I think no lefs. Good morrow to your Lord[Exit Angelo.

fhip.

Now, Sir, come on: what was done to Elbow's wife, once more?

Clown.

Clown. Once, Sir? there was nothing done to her

once.

to

Elb. I befeech you, Sir, afk him what this man did wife.

my

Clown. I beseech your Honour ask me.

Efcal. Well, Sir, what did this gentleman to her? Clown. I beseech you, Sir, 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, Sir, very well.

Clown. Nay, I befeech you, mark it well.
Efcal. Well, I do fo.

Clown. Doth your Honour fee any harm in his face?
Efcal. Why, no.

Clown. I'll be fuppos'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 Constable's wife any harm? I would know that of your Honour.

Efcal. He's in the right; Conftable, what say you to it?

Elb. First, an' it like you, the house is a respected houfe; next, this is a refpected fellow; and his miftrefs is a respected woman.

Clown. By this hand, Sir, his wife is a more respected person than any of us all.

Elb. Varlet, thou lyeft; thou lyeft, wicked varlet; the time is yet to come, that she was ever respected with man, woman, or child.

Clown. Sir, fhe was refpected with him before he marry'd with her.

Efcal. Which is the wifer here? Juftice, 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 refpected 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,

*He means to fay Animal.

Elb. Marry, I thank your good. Worship for't: what is't your Worship's pleasure I fhall do with this wicked caitiff?

Efcal. Truly, officer, because he hath fome offences in him, that thou wouldst difcover if thou couldft, let him continue in his courses, till thou know'st what they are.

Elb. Marry, I thank your Worship for it: thou feeft, 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? [To Froth.
Froth. Here in Vienna, Sir.

Efcal. Are you of fourfcore pounds a-year
Froth. Yes, an't pleafe you, Sir.

Efcal. So. What trade are you of, Sir?

?

[To the Clown.

Clown. A tapfter, a poor widow's tapfter.
Efcal Your Mistress's name?

Clown. Mistress Overdone.

Efcal. Hath fhe had any more than one husband? Clown. Nine, Sir: Overdone by the last.

Efcal. Nine? Come hither to me, Mafter Froth. Mailer Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapfters they will draw you, Master Froth, and you will hang them. Get you gone, and let me hear no more of you.

:

Froth. I thank your Worship; for mine own part, I never come into any room in a taphouse, but I am drawn in.

Efcal. Well; no more of it, Mafter Froth; farewel. [Exit Froth.

Come you

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hither to me, Master Tapfter; what's your

name, Mafter Tapster.

Clown. Pompey. Efcal. What elfe? Clown. Bum, Sir. Efcal. Troth, and about you; fo that, Pompey the Great. VOL. I.

your bum is the greatest thing in the beaftlieft fenfe, you are Pompey, you are partly a bawd,

M m

Pompey;

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