230 CLO. If you head and hang all that offend that way but Whip me? No, no; let carman whip his jade; 240 The valiant heart's not whipp'd 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. ESCAL. I thought, by your readiness in the office, you had continu'd in it some time. You say seven years together? ELB. And a half, Sir. 250 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. [Exit ELBOW.] What's o'clock, think you? JUST. Eleven, Sir. ESCAL. I pray you, home to dinner with me. JUST. I humbly thank you. 1 at the rate of. 2 twenty-four feet of brickwork. 261 ACT II Sc. I SERV. He's hearing of a cause; he will come straight. PROV. Pray you, do. [Exit Servant.] I'll know His pleasure. May be he will relent.—Alas, All sects, all ages smack of this vice; and he Enter ANGELO. ANG. Now, what's the matter, Provost ? PROV. Is it your will Claudio shall die to-morrow? ANG. Did I not tell thee yea? Hadst thou not order? What shall be done, Sir, with the groaning Juliet? To some more fitter place; and that with speed. Re-enter Servant. SERV. Here is the sister of the man condemn'd Desires access to you. PROV. Ay, my good Lord: a very virtuous maid, If not already. ANG. Well, let her be admitted. [Exit Servant. See you the fornicatress be remov'd; Let her have needful, but not lavish, means; There shall be order for it. Enter LUCIO and ISABELLA. PROV. God save your Honour! [offering to retire. ANG. Stay a little while. [to ISABELLA.] You are welcome. What's your will? ISAB. I am a woeful suitor to your Honour, Well: what's your suit? Please but your Honour hear me. ANG. Well: the matter? ISAB. I have a brother is condemn'd to die: I do beseech you, let it be his fault,1 PROV. [aside.] 30 Heaven give thee moving graces! ANG. Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it? ISAB. O, just but severe Law! I had a brother, then.-Heaven keep your Honour! 40 [retiring. LUCIO. [to ISABELLA.] 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! 1 that dies. 2 sentence. 3 penalty. 4 the statute. Maiden, no remedy. ACT II ISAB. Must he needs die? Sc. II ANG. ISAB. Yes; I do think that you might pardon him, ISAB. But can you, if you would? ANG. Look, what I will not, that I cannot do. ISAB. But you might do 't, and do the world no wrong, If so your heart were touch'd with that remorse1 ANG, He's sentenc'd: 'tis too late. LUCIO. [to ISABELLA.] You are too cold. ISAB. Too late? Why, no; I, that do speak a word, No ceremony that to great ones 'longs, ISAB. I would to Heaven I had your potency, LUCIO. [aside.] 50 60 70 Ay, touch him: there's the vein. ANG. Your brother is a forfeit of the Law, And you but waste your words. Why, all the Souls that were, were forfeit once; If He, which is the top of Judgment, should ANG. Be you content, fair maid: It is the Law, not I, condemns your brother. 80 1 pity. 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 prepar'd for death! Even for our kitchens We kill the fowl of season:1 shall we serve Heaven With less respect than we do minister To our gross selves? Good, good my Lord, bethink you : There's many have committed it. LUCIO. [aside.] Ay, well said. 90 ANG. The Law hath not been dead, though it hath slept: Those many had not dar'd to do that evil, ISAB. Yet shew some pity! ANG. I shew it most of all when I shew justice; For then I pity those I do not know, Which a dismiss'd offence would after gall, And do him right that, answering one foul wrong, Lives not to act another. Be satisfied; Your brother dies to-morrow; be content. ISAB. So you must be the first that gives this sentence, To have a giant's strength, but it is tyrannous 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, Splitt'st the unwedgeable and gnarled oak 1 at the right time of year. 2 paltry. ACT II |