I. 4.
75
Isab. Alas! what poor ability’s in me
To do him good?
Lucio.
Assay the power you have.
Isab. My power? Alas, I doubt,—
Lucio.
Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt. Go to Lord Angelo,
80 And let him learn to know, when maidens sue,
Men give like gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as freely theirs
As they themselves would owe them.
Isab. I’ll see what I can do.
Lucio.
But speedily.
85 Isab. I will about it straight;
No longer staying but to give the Mother
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you:
Commend me to my brother: soon at night
I’ll send him certain word of my success.
Lucio. I take my leave of you.
90 Isab.
Good sir, adieu.
Exeunt.
ACT II.
II. 1 Scene I. A hall in Angelo’s house.
Enter Angelo, Escalus, and a Justice, Provost, Officers, and other Attendants, behind.
Ang. We must not make a scarecrow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,
And let it keep one shape, till custom make it
Their perch, and not their terror.
Escal.
Ay, but yet
5 Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,
Than fall, and bruise to death. Alas, this gentleman,
Whom I would save, had a most noble father!
Let but your honour know,
Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue,
10 That, in the working of your own affections,
Had time cohered with place or place with wishing,
Or that the resolute acting of your blood
Could have attain’d the effect of your own purpose,
Whether you had not sometime in your life
15 Err’d in this point which now you censure him,
And pull’d the law upon you.
Ang. ’Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,
The jury, passing on the prisoner’s life,
20 May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two
Guiltier than him they try. What’s open made to justice,
That justice seizes: what know the laws
That theives do pass on thieves? ’Tis very pregnant,
The jewel that we find, we stoop and take’t,
II. 1.
25
Because we see it; but what we do not see
We tread upon, and never think of it.
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,
30 Let mine own judgement pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.
Escal. Be it 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:
35 Bring him his confessor, let him be prepared;
For that’s the utmost of his pilgrimage.
Escal. [Aside] Well, heaven forgive him! and forgive us all!
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall:
Some run from brakes of ice, and answer none;
40 And some condemned for a fault alone.
Enter Elbow, and Officers with Froth and Pompey.
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, sir! What’s your name? and what’s 45 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, sir, and do bring in here before your good honour two notorious benefactors.
II. 1.
50
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 sure of; and void of all profanation in the world that good Christians 55 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 dost thou not speak, Elbow?
Pom. He cannot, sir; he’s out at elbow.
60 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, plucked down in the suburbs; and now she professes a hot-house, which, I think, is a very ill house too.
65 Escal. How know you that?
Elb. My wife, sir, whom I detest before heaven and your honour,—
Escal. How? thy wife?
Elb. Ay, sir;—whom, I thank heaven, is an honest 70 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 a bawd’s house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house.
II. 1.
75
Escal. How dost thou know that,
constable?
Elb. Marry, sir, by my wife; who, if she had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanliness there.
Escal. By the woman’s means?
80 Elb. Ay, sir, by Mistress Overdone’s means: but as she spit in his face, so she defied him.
Pom. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not so.
Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man; prove it.
85 Escal. Do you hear how he misplaces?
Pom. Sir, she came in great with child; and longing, saving your honour’s reverence, for stewed prunes; 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; 90 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.
Pom. No, indeed, sir, not of a pin;
you are therein in the right: but to the point. As I say, this Mistress
Elbow,
95
being, as I say, with child, and being great-bellied, and longing, as I
said, for prunes; and having but two in the dish, as I said, Master Froth
here, this very man, having eaten the rest, as I said, and, as I say,
paying for them very honestly; for, as you know, Master Froth,
I could not
II. 1.
100
give you three-pence again.
Froth. No, indeed.
Pom. Very well;—you being then, if you be remembered, cracking the stones of the foresaid prunes,—
Froth. Ay, so I did indeed.
Pom. Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be remembered, 105 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.
110 Pom. 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 complain of? Come me to what was done to her.
Pom. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet.
115 Escal. No, sir, nor I mean it not.
Pom. Sir, but you shall come to it, by your honour’s leave. And, I beseech you, look into Master Froth here, sir; a man of fourscore pound a year; whose father died at Hallowmas:—was’t not at Hallowmas, Master Froth?—
120 Froth. All-hallond eve.
Pom. 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 sit, have you not?
II. 1.
125
Froth. I have so; because it is an open
room, and good for winter.
Pom. 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,
130 And leave you to the hearing of the cause;
Hoping you’ll find good cause to whip them all.
Escal. I think no less. Good morrow to your lordship.
Now, sir, come on: what was done to Elbow’s wife, once more?
135 Pom. Once, sir? there was nothing done to her once.
Elb. I beseech you, sir, ask him what this man did to my wife.
Pom. I beseech your honour, ask me.
Escal. Well, sir; what did this gentleman to her?
140 Pom. 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.
Pom. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well.
145 Escal. Well, I do so.
Pom. Doth your honour see any harm in his face?
Escal. Why, no.
Pom. I’ll be supposed upon a book, his
face is the worst thing about him. Good, then; if his face be the worst
II. 1.
150
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 respected fellow; and his mistress is 155 a respected woman.
Pom. By this hand, sir, his wife is a more respected person than any of us all.
Elb. Varlet, thou liest; thou liest, wicked varlet! the time is yet to come that she was ever respected with 160 man, woman, or child.
Pom. Sir, she was respected with him before he married with her.
Escal. Which is the wiser here? Justice or Iniquity? Is this true?
165 Elb. O thou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked Hannibal! I respected with her before I was married 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 170 on thee.
Escal. If he took you a box o’ th’ ear, you might have your action of slander too.
Elb. Marry, I thank your good worship
for it. What is’t your worship’s pleasure I shall do with this wicked
II. 1.
175
caitiff?
Escal. Truly, officer, because he hath some offences in him that thou wouldst discover if thou couldst, let him continue in his courses till thou knowest what they are.
Elb. Marry, I thank your worship for it. Thou seest, 180 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?
Froth. Here in Vienna, sir.
Escal. Are you of fourscore pounds a year?
185 Froth. Yes, an’t please you, sir.
Escal. So. What trade are you of, sir?
Pom. A tapster; a poor widow’s tapster.
Escal. Your mistress’ name?
Pom. Mistress Overdone.
190 Escal. Hath she had any more than one husband?
Pom. Nine, sir; Overdone by the last.
Escal. Nine! Come hither to me, Master Froth. Master Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapsters: they will draw you, Master Froth, and you will hang 195 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.
Escal. Well, no more of it, Master
Froth: farewell. [Exit Froth.] Come you hither to me, Master
tapster.
II. 1.
200
What’s your name, Master tapster?
Pom. Pompey.
Escal. What else?
Pom. Bum, sir.
Escal. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about 205 you; so that, in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey the Great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pompey, howsoever you colour it in being a tapster, are you not? come, tell me true: it shall be the better for you.
Pom. Truly, sir, I am a poor fellow that would live.
210 Escal. How would you live, Pompey? by being a bawd? What do you think of the trade, Pompey? is it a lawful trade?
Pom. If the law would allow it, sir.
Escal. But the law will not allow it, Pompey; nor it 215 shall not be allowed in Vienna.
Pom. Does your worship mean to geld and splay all the youth of the city?
Escal. No, Pompey.
Pom. Truly, sir, in my poor opinion, they will to’t, 220 then. If your worship will take order for the drabs and the knaves, you need not to fear the bawds.
Escal. There are pretty orders beginning, I can tell you: it is but heading and hanging.
Pom. If you head and hang all that
offend that way
II. 1.
225
but for ten year together, you’ll be glad to give out a
commission for more heads: if this law hold in Vienna ten year, I’ll
rent the fairest house in it after three-pence a bay: if you
live to see this come to pass, say Pompey told you so.
Escal. Thank you, good Pompey; and, in requital of 230 your prophecy, hark you: I advise you, let me not find you before me again upon any complaint whatsoever; no, not for dwelling where you do: if I do, Pompey, I shall beat you to your tent, and prove a shrewd Cæsar to you; in plain dealing, Pompey, I shall have you whipt: so, for 235 this time, Pompey, fare you well.
Pom. I thank your worship for your good counsel: [Aside] but I shall follow it as the flesh and fortune shall better determine.
Whip me? No, no; let carman whip his jade:
240 The valiant heart is 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.
245 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
II. 1.
250
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 255 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.
260 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:
265 Mercy is not itself, that oft looks so;
Pardon is still the nurse of second woe:
But yet,—poor Claudio! There is no remedy.
Come, sir.
Exeunt.
II. 2 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. [Exit Servant.] I’ll know
His pleasure; may be he will relent. Alas,
He hath but as offended in a dream!
5 All sects, all ages smack of this vice; and he
To die for ’t!
Enter Angelo.
Ang.
Now, what’s the matter, provost?
Prov. Is it your will Claudio shall die to-morrow?
Ang. Did not I tell thee yea? hadst thou not order?
Why dost thou ask again?
Prov.
Lest I might be too rash:
10 Under your good correction, I have seen,
When, after execution, Judgement hath
Repented o’er his doom.
Ang.
Go to; let that be mine:
Do you your office, or give up your place,
And you shall well be spared.
Prov.
I crave your honour’s pardon.
15 What shall be done, sir, with the groaning Juliet?
She’s very near her hour.
Re-enter Servant.
Serv. Here is the sister of the man condemn’d
Desires access to you.
Ang.
Hath he a sister?
20 Prov. Ay, my good lord; a very virtuous maid,
And to be shortly of a sisterhood,
If not already.
Ang.
Well, let her be admitted.
Exit Servant.
See you the fornicatress be removed:
Let her have needful, but not lavish, means;
There shall be order for ’t.
Enter Isabella and Lucio.
II. 2.
25
Prov.
God save your honour!
Ang. Stay a little while. [To Isab.] You’re welcome: what’s your will?
Isab. I am a woeful 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,
30 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:
35 I do beseech you, let it be his fault,
And not my brother.
Prov. [Aside] 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,
40 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!
Lucio. [Aside to Isab.] Give’t not o’er so: to him again, entreat him;
Kneel down before him, hang upon his gown:
45 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,
II. 2.
50
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.
55 Ang.
He’s sentenced; ’tis too late.
Lucio. [Aside to Isab.] You are too cold.
Isab. Too late? why, no; I, that do speak a word,
May call it back again. Well, believe this,
No ceremony that to great ones ’longs,
60 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,
65 You would have slipt like him; but he, like you,
Would not have been so stern.
Ang.
Pray you, be gone.
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.
70 Lucio. [Aside to Isab.] Ay, touch him; there’s the vein.
Ang. Your brother is a forfeit of the law,
And you but waste your words.
Isab.
Alas, alas!
Why, all the souls that were were forfeit once;
And He that might the vantage best have took
II. 2.
75
Found out the remedy. How would you be,
If He, which is the top of judgement, should
But judge you as you are? O, think on that;
And mercy then will breathe within your lips,
Like man new made.
Ang.
Be you content, fair maid;
80 It is the law, not I condemn 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 prepared for death. Even for our kitchens
85 We kill the fowl of season: 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. [Aside to Isab.] Ay, well said.
90 Ang. The law hath not been dead, though it hath slept:
Those many had not dared to do that evil,
If the first that did the edict infringe
Had answer’d for his deed: now ’tis awake,
Takes note of what is done; and, like a prophet,
95 Looks in a glass, that shows what future evils,
Either now, or by remissness new-conceived,
And so in progress to be hatch’d and born,
Are now to have no successive degrees,
But, ere they live, to end.
Isab.
Yet show some pity.