Is more to bread than stone: hence shall we see,
If power change purpose, what our seemers be.

[Exeunt.

Proclaim you are no less! can you so stead me,
As bring me to the sight of Isabella,

A novice of this place, and the fair sister

To her unhappy brother Claudio?

Isab. Why her unhappy brother? let me ask;

The rather, for I now must make you know

I am that Isabella, and his sister.

This is the point.

The duke is very strangely gone from hence;
Bore many gentlemen, myself being one,
In hand, and hope of action: but we do learn
By those that know the very nerves of state,
His givings out were of an infinite distance
From his true-meant design. Upon his place,
And with full lines of his authority,
Governs lord Angelo; a man, whose blood
Is very snow-broth; one who never feels
The wanton stings and motions of the sense;
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, study and fast.
He (to give fear to use and liberty,
Which have, for long, run by the hideous law,
As mice by lions,) hath pick'd out an act,
Under whose heavy sense your brother's life
Falls into forfeit: he arrests him on it;
And follows close the rigour of the statute,
To make him an example: all hope is gone,
Unless you have the grace" by your fair prayer
To soften Angelo: and that's my pith
Of business 'twixt you and your poor brother.
Isab. Doth he so seek his life?
Lucio.

Has censur'de him
Already; and, as I hear, the provost hath
A warrant for his execution.

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,
And let him learn to know, when maidens sue,
Men give like gods; but when they weep and kneel,

Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly All their petitions are as freely theirs

greets you:

Not to be weary with you, he's in prison.

Isab. Wo me! For what?

As they themselves would owe them.

Isab. I'll see what I can do.

Lucio.

But speedily.

Lucio. For that, which, if myself might be his Isab. I will about it straight;

judge,

He should receive his punishment in thanks:

He hath got his friend with child.

Isab. Sir, make me not your story.2
Lucio.

It is true.

No longer staying but to give the mother1
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.
Isab.

ACT II.

Good sir, adien. [Exeunt

Escal.

Ay, but yet

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 know1

(Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue,)
That, in the working of your own affections,
Had time coher'd2 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
Err'd in this point which now you censure him,
And pull'd the law upon you.

May, in the sworn twelve, have a thief or two

Guiltier than him they try: what's open made to but as she spit in his face, so she defied him.

Ang. "Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,
The jury, passing on the prisoner's life,

Escal. By the woman's means?

Elb. Ay, sir, by mistress Over-done's means:

justice,

Clo. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not so.

That justice seizes. What know the laws,

Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou

That thieves do pass on thieves? "Tis very

preg-honourable man, prove it.

nant,

The jewel that we find, we stoop and take it,
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,

Fors 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.

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:
Bring him his confessor, let him be prepar'd;
For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage. [Ex. Prov.
Escal. Well, heaven forgive him; and forgive
us all!

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall:
Some run from brakes of vice, and answer none;
And some condemned for a fault alone.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, Officers, &c.
Elb. Come, bring them away: if these be good
people 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 am the poor duke's constable, and my name is Elbow; I dol 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 sure 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 dost thou not speak, Elbow? Clo. 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 she professes a hot-house, which, I think, is a very ill house too.

(1) Examine. (2) Suited. (3) Pass judgment. (4) Plain. (5) Because. (6) Sentence.

(7) Thickest, thorny paths of vice. (8) Wealth.

Escal. Do you hear how he misplaces?

[To Angelo.

Clo. Sir, she came in great with child; and longing (saving your honour's reverence) for stew'd prunes: sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very distant time stood, as it were, in a fruitdish, 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. Clo. No, indeed, sir, not of a pin; you are therefore 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 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 give you three-pence again.

Froth. All this is true.

Clo. Why, very well then.

Escal. Come, you are a tedious fool: to the pur pose. What was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath cause to complain of? Come me to what was done to her.

Clo. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet.
Escal. No, sir, nor I mean it not.

Clo. 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 died at Hallowmas: -Was't not at
Hallowmas, master Froth?
Froth. All-hollond1 eve.

Clo. Why, very well; I hope here be truths. he, sir, sitting, as I say, in a lower14 chair, sir ;'twas in the Bunch of Grapes, where, indeed, you have a delight to sit: have you not?

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

Scene L.

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. with tapsters; they will draw you, master Froth,

Escal. I think no less: good morrow to your [Exit Angelo, lordship. Now, sir, come on: what was done to Elbow's wife, once more? Clo. Once, sir? there was nothing

once.

did to my wife?

Clo. I beseech your honour, ask me.

Escal. Well, sir: what did this gentleman to her? Clo. 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.

Clo. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well.
Escal. Well, I do so.

Clo. Doth your honour see any harm in his face?
Escal. Why, no.

Clo. I'll be suppos'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 respected fellow; and his mistress is a respected woman.

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

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

Clo. Sir, she was respected with him before he married with her.

Eseal. Which is the wiser here? justice, or iniquity? Is this true?

Escal. Where were you born, friend? [To Froth.
Froth. Here, in Vienna, sir.
Escal. Are you of fourscore pounds a year?
Froth. Yes, and't please you, sir.
Escal. Alas! it hath been great pains to you!
Escal. So. What trade are you of, sir?
[To the Clown. 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.

(1) Deposed, sworn.

(2) Constable or Clown.

312668

as they are chosen, they are glad to choose me for For which I must not plead, but that I am them; I do it for some piece of money, and go At war, 'twixt will, and will not.

through with all.

Well; the matter?

Ang. Escal. Look you, bring me in the names of Isab. I have a brother is condemn'd to die : some six or seven, the most sufficient of your parish. I do beseech you, let it be his fault,

Elb. To your worship's house, sir?

And not my brother.

Escal. To my house: Fare you well. [Exit

Elbow.] What's o'clock, think you?

Prov. Heaven give thee moving graces!
Ang. Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it!

Just. Eleven, sir.

Why, every fault's condemn'd, ere it be done:
Mine were the very cypher of a function,
To find the faults, whose fine stands in record,
And let go by the actor.
Isab.

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 wo:
But yet, Poor Claudio! -There's no remedy.
Come, sir.

O just, but severe law ! I had a brother then.-Heaven keep your honour! [Retiring.

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

Kneel down before him, hang upon his gown;

[Exeunt. You are too cold: if you should need a pin,
You could not with more tame a tongue desire it :
Enter To him, I say.

SCENE II. Another room in the same.

Provost and a Servant.

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 remorse1
As mine is to him ?

Ang. He's sentenc'd; 'tis too late.
Lucio. You are too cold.

[To Isabella.
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 as he, you would have slipt like him;

But he, like you, would not have been

Ang. Pray you, begone.

so stern.

Isab. I would to heaven I had your potency,
then be thus?

And you were Isabel! should it
No; I would tell what 'twere to be a judge,
And what a prisoner.

Lucio. Ay, touch him: there's the vein. [Aside
Ang. Your brother is a forfeit of the law,

And you but waste your words.

Isab.

Alas! alas!

Isab. So you must be the first, that gives this What's this? what's this? Is this her fault, or mine?