Escal. Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about 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.

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 shall not be allowed in Vienna.

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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 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.

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Pom. If you head and hang all that offend that way 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 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 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:

The valiant heart is not whipt out of his trade. [Exit. 270

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.

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 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 or seven, the most sufficient of your parish.

Elb. To your worship's house, sir?

Escal. To my house. Fare you well. What's o'clock, think you?

Just. Eleven, sir.

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:

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.

[Exit Elbow.

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[Exeunt.

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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.

I'll know

Pray you, do.

His pleasure; may be he will relent.
He hath but as offended in a dream!

[Exit Servant.

Alas,

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:

I crave your honour's pardon.

Do you your office, or give up your place,
And you shall well be spared.

Prov.

What shall be done, sir, with the groaning Juliet?
She's very near her hour.

To some more fitter place, and that with speed.

Re-cnter Servant.

Serv. Here is the sister of the man condemn'd

Prov. Ay, my good lord; a very virtuous maid, And to be shortly of a sisterhood,

If not already.

See you the fornicatress be removed :

Let her have needful, but not lavish, means;

There shall be order for 't.

20

[Exit Servant.

Enter ISABELLA and LUCIO.

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.
Isab. There is a vice that most I do abhor,
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

Well; what's your suit?

At war 'twixt will and will not.

Ang.

Well; the matter?

Isab. I have a brother is condemn'd to die :

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,

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!

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Lucio. [Aside to Isab.] Give 't not o'er so: to him again,

entreat him;

Kneel down before him, hang upon his gown:

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, 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?

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,

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,

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.

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60

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
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;
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.

him!

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80

Isab. To-morrow! O, that's sudden! Spare him, spare

He's not prepared for death. Even for our kitchens
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.

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,
Looks in a glass, that shows what future evils,
Either new, 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.

Ang. I show it most of all when I show justice;

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For then I pity those I do not know,

Which a dismiss'd offence would after gall ;

Lives not to act another. Be satisfied:

And do him right that, answering one foul wrong,

Your brother dies to-morrow; be content.

Isab. So you must be the first that gives this sentence, And he, that suffers. O, it is excellent

To have a giant's strength; but it is tyrannous

To use it like a giant.

Lucio. [Aside to Isab.] That's well said.

Isab. Could great men thunder

As Jove himself does, Jove would ne'er be quiet,

For every pelting, petty officer

Would use his heaven for thunder;

Nothing but thunder! Merciful Heaven,

Thou rather with thy sharp and sulphurous bolt

Split'st the unwedgeable and gnarled oak

Drest in a little brief authority,

Than the soft myrtle: but man, proud man,

Most ignorant of what he's most assured,

His glassy essence, like an angry ape,

Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven

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120

As make the angels weep; who, with our spleens,

Would all themselves laugh mortal.

Lucio. [Aside to Isab.] O, to him, to him, wench! he will

relent;

He's coming; I perceive 't.

Prov.
[Aside] Pray heaven she win him!
Isab. We cannot weigh our brother with ourself:
Great men may jest with saints; 'tis wit in them,
But in the less foul profanation.

Lucio. Thou'rt i' the right, girl; more o' that.
Isab. That in the captain's but a choleric word,

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