You may not so extenuate his offence,
For I have had such faults; but rather tell me,
When I that censure him, do so offend,
Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

Enter Provost.
Escal. Be't as your wisdom will.
Ang. Where is the Proyoft ?
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.
Escal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all!
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall :
Some run through brakes of vice, and answer none;
And some condemned for a fault alone.

am the

Em,

S CE N E II. Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and officers. Elb. Come, bring them away; if these be good peo. ple in a common-weal, that do nothing but use 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 poor

Duke's constable, and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon justice, 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 please your Honour, I know not well what they are; but precise villains they are, that i am lure of; and void of all profanation in the world, that good Christians ought to have

Escal. This comes off well; here's a wise officer.

Ang. Go to: what quality are they of: Elbow is your name? why doit thou uot 1peak, Elbow ?

Glown.

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

Elb. He, Sir? a tapster, Sir; parcel-bawd ; one that serves a bad woman; whose house, Sir, was, as they say, pluck'd down in the suburbs; and now the profeffes a hot-house; which, I think, is a very ill house too.

Escal. How know you that?

Elb. My wife, Sir, whom I detest before heav'n and your Honour,

Escal. How! thy wife?

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

Escal. Dost thou detest her therefore ?

Elb. I say, Sir, I will detest myself also, as well as she, that this house, if it be not not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house.

Escal. How doit thou know that, Constable ?

Elb. Marry, Sir, by my wife; who, if she had been a woman cardinally given, might have been aceused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there.

Escal. By the woman's means ?

Elb. Ay, Sir, by Mistress Overdone'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 " Jonging (saving your Honour's reverence) for stew'd

prewns ; Sir, we had but two in the house, which

at that very distant time stood, as it were, in a fruit“ dish, a dish of some three pence; (your Honours “ have seen such dishes; they are not China dishes, “ but very good dishes).

Escal. 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 say, " this Mistress Elbow, being, as I say, with child, and

being great-belly'd, and longing, as I said, for 4

prewns; and having but two in the dish, as I said; 66 Master Froth here, this very man, having eaten the

“ rest,

“ rest, as I said, and, as I say, paying for them very

honestly; 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 re“ member'd, cracking the stones of the foresaid prewns,

Froth. Ay, so I did, indeed.

Clown. " Why, very well; I telling you then, if you “ be remember'd, that such a one, and such a one,

were past cure of the thing you wot of, unless they “ kept very good diet, as I told you.

Froth. All this is true.
Clown. " Why, very well then.
Escal. 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.
Escal. No, Sir, nor I mean it not.
Clown.“ Sir, but

you shall 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, “ 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, sitting, as I say, in a lower chair, Sir; 'twas “ in the bunch of grapes, where, indeed, you have a " delight to fit; have you not?

Froth. I have fo; 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 Russia, 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.

S CE N E III. Escal. I think no less. Good morrow to your Lordship.

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

C!swr.

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

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

Clown. I beseech your Honour ask me.
Escal. 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?

Escal. Ay, Sir, very well.
Clown. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well.
Escal. Well, I do so.
Clown. Doth your Honour fee any

harm in his face? Escal. 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,

Escal. He's in the right; Constable, what say you to it?

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

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

Elb. Varlet, thou lyest; thou lyest, 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.

Escal. Which is the wiser 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 l'll have mine action of battery on thee.

Escal. If he took you a box o'th'ear, you might have your action of Nander too, * He means to fay Animal.

Elb. Marry, I thank your good Worship fort : what is't your Worship's pleasure I shall do with this wicked caitif ?

Escal. Truly, officer, because he hath fome, offences in him, that thou wouldit 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 feest, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon

thee, Thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to continue,

Escal. Where were you born, friend? [To Froth.
Froth. Here in Vienna, Sir.
Escal. Are you of fourscore pounds a-year?
Froth. Yes, an't please you, Sir.
Escal. So. What trade are you of, Sir?

[To the Clown,
Clown. A tapster, a poor widow's tapster.
Escal. Your Mistress's name?
Clown. Mistress Overdone.
Escal. Hath she had any more than one husband ?
Clown. Nine, Sir: Overdone by the last.

Escal. Nine ? Come hither to me, Master Froth. Malter Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapsters : 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, Master Froth; farewel.

[Exit Froth, SC EN E IV.

hither to me, Master Tapfter; what's your name, Master Tap{ter.

Clown. Pompey.
Escal. What else?
Glown. Bum, Sir.

Eseal. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about you; fo that, in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey the Great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Vol. I.

Pempey;

Come you

M m