A Hall in Angelo's House.
 Enter ANGELO, ESCALUS, SERVANTS, and a JUSTICE.

Angelo	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.

Escalus										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 know
	- Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue-
	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 attained the effect of your own purpose,
	Whether you had not sometime in your life
	Erred in this point which now you censure him,
	And pulled the law upon you.

Angelo	'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
	Another thing to fall. I not deny
	The jury, passing on the prisoner's life,
	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 knows the laws
	That thieves do pass on thieves? 'Tis very pregnant,
	The jewel that we find, we stoop and take't
	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,
	Let mine own judgement pattern out my death,
	And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

                              Enter PROVOST.

Escalus	Be it as your wisdom will.

Angelo								Where is the Provost?

Provost	Here, if it like your honour.

Angelo									See that Claudio
	Be executed by nine tomorrow morning.
	Bring him his confessor, let him be prepared,
	For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage.
													[Exit PROVOST.

Escalus	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 condemnd for a fault alone.

                Enter ELBOW, FROTH, POMPEY, and OFFICERS.

Elbow	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.

Angelo	How now sir! What's your name, and what's the matter?

Elbow	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.

Angelo	Benefactors? Well, what benefactors are they? Are they not 
	malefactors?

Elbow	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.

Escalus	[To ANGELO.] This comes off well. Here's a wise officer!

Angelo	Go to; what quality are they of? Elbow is your name? Why 
	dost thou not speak, Elbow?

Pompey	He cannot, sir; he's out at elbow.

Angelo	What are you, sir?

Elbow	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 hothouse, which I 
	think is a very ill house too.

Escalus	How know you that?

Elbow	My wife, sir, whom I detest before heaven and your honour-

Escalus	How! Thy wife?

Elbow	Ay, sir, whom I thank heaven is an honest woman-

Escalus	Dost thou detest her therefore?

Elbow	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.

Escalus	How dost thou know that, constable?

Elbow	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.

Escalus	By the woman's means?

Elbow	Ay, sir, by Mistress Overdone's means; but as she spit in 
	his face, so she defied him.

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

Elbow	Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man, 
	prove it.

Escalus	[To ANGELO.] Do you hear how he misplaces?

Pompey	Sir, she came in great with child, and longing, saving your 
	honours' 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 threepence; your 
	honours have seen such dishes; they are not china dishes, 
	but very good dishes.

Escalus	Go to, go to; no matter for the dish, sir.

Pompey	No, indeed, sir, not of a pin; you are therein in the 
	right; but to the point. As I say, this Mistress Elbow, 
	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 
	give you threepence again-

Froth	No, indeed.

Pompey	Very well; you being then, if you be remembered, cracking 
	the stones of the foresaid prunes-

Froth	Ay, so I did indeed.

Pompey	Why, very well; I, telling you then, if you be remembered, 
	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.

Pompey	Why, very well then-

Escalus	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.

Pompey	Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet.

Escalus	No, sir, nor I mean it not.

Pompey	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?

Froth	All-hallond eve.

Pompey	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?

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

Pompey	Why, very well then - I hope here be truths.

Angelo	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.

Escalus	I think no less. Good morrow to your lordship.
													[Exit ANGELO.
	Now, sir, come on. What was done to Elbow's wife, once 
	more?

Pompey	Once, sir? There was nothing done to her once.

Elbow	I beseech you, sir, ask him what this man did to my wife.

Pompey	I beseech your honour, ask me.

Escalus	Well, sir, what did this gentleman to her?

Pompey	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?

Escalus	Ay, sir, very well.

Pompey	Nay, I beseech you, mark it well.

Escalus	Well, I do so.

Pompey	Doth your honour see any harm in his face?

Escalus	Why, no.

Pompey	I'll be supposed 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.

Escalus	He's in the right, constable; what say you to it?

Elbow	First, and it like you, the house is a respected house; 
	next, this is a respected fellow; and his mistress is a 
	respected woman.

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

Elbow	Varlet, thou liest! Thou liest, wicked varlet! The time is 
	yet to come that she was ever respected with man, woman, or 
	child.

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

Escalus	Which is the wiser here, Justice or Iniquity? Is this true?

Elbow	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 on 
	thee.

Escalus	If he took you a box o'th' ear, you might have your action 
	of slander too.

Elbow	Marry, I thank your good worship for it. What is't your 
	worship's pleasure I shall do with this wicked caitiff?

Escalus	Truly, officer, because he hath some offences in him that 
	thou wouldst discover if thou couldst, let him continue in 
	his courses till thou know'st what they are.

Elbow	Marry, I thank your worship for it. Thou seest, thou wicked 
	varlet, now what's come upon thee. Thou art to continue 
	now, thou varlet, thou art to continue.

Escalus	[To FROTH.] Where were you born, friend?

Froth	Here in Vienna, sir.

Escalus	Are you of fourscore pounds a year?

Froth	Yes, and't please you, sir.

Escalus	So. [To POMPEY.] What trade are you of, sir?

Pompey	A tapster, a poor widow's tapster.

Escalus	Your mistress' name?

Pompey	Mistress Overdone.

Escalus	Hath she had any more than one husband?

Pompey	Nine, sir; Overdone by the last.

Escalus	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 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.

Escalus	Well, no more of it, Master Froth. Farewell.
													[Exit FROTH.
	Come you hither to me, Master Tapster. What's your name, 
	Master Tapster?

Pompey	Pompey.

Escalus	What else?

Pompey	Bum, sir.

Escalus	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.

Pompey	Truly, sir, I am a poor fellow that would live.

Escalus	How would you live, Pompey? By being a bawd? What do you 
	think of the trade, Pompey? Is it a lawful trade?

Pompey	If the law would allow it, sir.

Escalus	But the law will not allow it, Pompey; nor it shall not be 
	allowed in Vienna.

Pompey	Does your worship mean to geld and splay all the youth of 
	the city?

Escalus	No, Pompey.

Pompey	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.

Escalus	There is pretty orders beginning, I can tell you. It is but 
	heading and hanging.

Pompey	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 threepence a bay. If you live 
	to see this come to pass, say Pompey told you so.

Escalus	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 Caesar to you. In plain dealing, Pompey, I 
	shall have you whipped. So, for this time, Pompey, fare you 
	well.

Pompey	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's not whipped out of his trade.
													[Exit.

Escalus	Come hither to me, Master Elbow; come hither, Master 
	Constable. How long have you been in this place of 
	constable?

Elbow	Seven year and a half, sir.

Escalus	I thought, by the readiness in the office, you had 
	continued in it some time. You say seven years together?

Elbow	And a half, sir.

Escalus	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?

Elbow	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.

Escalus	Look you bring me in the names of some six or seven, the 
	most sufficient of your parish.

Elbow	To your worship's house, sir?

Escalus	To my house. Fare you well.
												[Exit ELBOW and OFFICERS.
	What's o'clock, think you?

Justice	Eleven, sir.

Escalus	I pray you home to dinner with me.

Justice	I humbly thank you.

Escalus	It grieves me for the death of Claudio,
	But there's no remedy.

Justice	Lord Angelo is severe.

Escalus								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.
													[Exeunt.
