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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 so offend,

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

Efcal. Be't 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, 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 abules 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 pleafe your onour, 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 fpeak, Elbow ?

Z 3

Clown.

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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; whose house, 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 honest

woman;

Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore?

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

Efcal. How dost thou know that Conflable?

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

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

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

feal. Do you hear how he misplaces?

Clown. " Sir, fhe came in great with child; and longing (faving your Honour's reverence) for stew'd prewns: Sir, we had but two in the house, which "at that very diftant time stood, 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 Miftrefs 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 " rest,

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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.

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.

6.6

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 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 Mafter "Froth here, Sir, a man of fourfcore pound a year, "whose 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 have a delight to fit; have you not?

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

Clown. " "truths.

Why, very well then; I hope here be

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 caufe, Hoping you'll find good caufe to whip them all.

SCENE III.

Efcal. I think no lefs. Good morrow to your Lord

ship.

[Exit Angelo. Now, Sir, come on: what was done to Elbow's wife,

once more?

Clown.

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

once.

Elb. I befeech you, Sir, ask him what this man did to my wife.

Clown I befeech 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 Mafter 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 Conftable's wife any harm? I would know that of your Honour.

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Efcal. He's in the right; Constable, what fay you. to it?

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

Cloan. By this hand, sir, his wife is a more refpected person than any of us all.

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

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

fcal. 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 fhe 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.

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

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

:

Élb. Marry, I thank your Worship for it thou » feest, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon thee. Thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to continue.

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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 please 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. Miftrefs Overdone.

Efcal. Hath fhe had any more than one husband? Cloan. Nine, Sir: Overdone by the last.. Efcal. Nine? Come hither to me, Master Froth. Master Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapfters they will draw you, Mafter 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.

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Come you hither to me, Master Tapfter; what's your name, Master Tapster.

Clown. Pompey.

Efcal. What else?

Clown. Bam, Sir.

Efcal. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about you; fo that, in the beaftlieft fenfe, you are Pompey the Great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd,

Pompey;

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