CLO. 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, after1 threepence a bay: if you live to see this come to pass, say Pompey told you so. 230 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 whipp'd: so for this time, Pompey, fare you well. CLO. 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'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. 261 ACT II 1 at the rate of. 2 twenty-four feet of brickwork. ACT II ESCAL. It grieves me for the death of Claudio; But there's no remedy. It is but needful : Mercy is not itself that oft looks so ; But yet-Poor Claudio! - There's no remedy. SCENE II. Another Room in the Same. Enter Provost and a Servant. 270 [exeunt. 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! All sects, all ages smack of this vice; and he To die for it! ANG. Enter ANGELO. 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? ANG. Go to; let that be mine. Do you your office, or give up your place, And you shall well be spar'd. PROV. I crave your Honour's pardon. 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, And to be shortly of a Sisterhood, If not already. ANG. 20 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! ANG. [offering to retire. Stay a little while. [to ISABELLA.] You are 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? 30 ISAB. There is a vice that most I do abhor, And most desire should meet the blow of justice, 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,1 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 : To fine the fault whose fine stands in record, And let go by the actor. ISAB. 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. ACT II ACT II ISAB. Must he needs die? Maiden, no remedy. Sc. II ANG. ISAB. Yes; I do think that you might pardon him, 50 And neither Heaven nor Man grieve at the mercy. ANG. I will not do 't. ISAB. But can you, if you would? 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, May call it again. Well, believe this : No ceremony that to great ones 'longs, Not the King's crown, nor the deputed sword, And you as he, you would have slipp'd like him; ISAB. I would to Heaven I had your potency, And what a prisoner. LUCIO. [aside.] 60 70 Ay, touch him: there's the vein. ANG. Your brother is a forfeit of the Law, And you but waste your words. ISAB. ANG. 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 He's not prepar'd for death! Even for our kitchens 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 : But, ere they live, to end. Yet shew some pity! ISAB. Which a dismiss'd offence would after gall, 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, To have a giant's strength, but it is tyrannous ACT II 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. I: LL 2 paltry. 245 |