That his blood flows, or that his appetite Is more to bread than stone: hence fhall we fee, If power change purpose, what our feemers be. [Exeunt. SCENE VIII. A Nunnery. Enter Ifabella and Francifca. Ifab. And have you Nuns no farther privileges ? Ifab. Yes truly; I fpeak not as defiring more, Upon the fifter votarifts of Saint Clare. Lucio within. Lucio. Hoa! peace be in this place! Nun. It is a man's voice: gentle Ifabella, Turn you the key, and know his business of him; You may; I may not; you are yet unfworn: When you have vow'd, you must not fpeak with men Then if you fpeak, you must not fhew your face, [Exit Franc. Ifab. Peace and profperity! who is't that calls? Enter Lucio. Lucio. Hail, virgin, if you be, as those cheek-roses A novice of this place, and the fair sister Ifab. Why her unhappy brother? let me afk I am that Isabella, and his fifter. Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you; Not to be weary with you, he's in prison. Ifab. Wo me, for what? Lucio. For that, which, if myself might be his judge, He fhould receive his punishment in thanks; He hath got his friend with child. Ifab. Sir, make me not your ftory. Lucio. I would not, thotis my familiar fin With With maids to feem the lapwing *, and to jeft, As with a faint. Ifab. You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me. Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, 'tis thu; Your brother and his lover having embrac'd, As those that feed grow full, as bloffoming time Ifab. Some one with child by him? my coufin Juliet ? fab. Adoptedly, as fchool maids change their names, By vain, tho' apt, affection. Lucia. She it is. Ifab. Let him then marry her. The Duke is very ftrangely gone from hence; The lapwings fly with feeming fright and anxiety far from their nefts to deceive thofe who feek their young. To To make him an example; all hope's gone, Of business betwixt you and your poor brother. Lucio. H'as cenfur'd him Already, and, I hear, the Provost hath Ifab. Alas! what poor ability's in me Lucio. Affay the power you have. Lucio. Our doubts are traitors, And make us lofe the good we oft might win, As they themselves would owe them. Ifab. I will about it ftrait; No longer staying, but to give the mother Ifab. Good Sir, adieu. ACT II. SCENE I. [Exeunt. Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a Juftice, and Attendants. Ang. Ws muft not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to fear the birds of prey, And let it keep one fhape, 'till cuftom make it Their perch, and not their terror. Efcal. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruife to death. Alas! this gentleman, Whom I would fave, had a moft noble father; Let Let but your honour know, whom I believe Had time coher'd with place, or place with wishing, Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus, The jury paffing on the prifoner's life To juftice, that it feizes on. What know The laws that thieves do pafs on thieves? 'tis pregnant, The jewel that we find, we ftoop and take't, Efcal. Be't as your wisdom will. Prov. Here, if it like your honour. Ang. See that Claudio Be executed by nine to-morrow morning. Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd, For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage. [Exit Provoft. Efcal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all! Some rife by fin, and fome by virtue fall: Some run through brakes of vice, and answer none; SCENE II. Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers. El. 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 conftable, and my name is Elbow; I do 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 precife villains they are, that I am sure of, and void of all profanation in the world, that good chriftians ought to have. Efcal. This comes off well; here's a wife officer. Ang. Go to: what quality are you of? Elbow is your name? Why doft thou not speak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot, Sir; he's out at elbow. Elb. He, Sir? a tapfter, Sir; parcel-bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whofe houfe, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt down in the fuburbs; and now the profeffes a hothoufe; which, I think, is a very ill house too. Efcal. How know you that? Elb. My wife, Sir, whom I deteft before heav'n and your honour. Efcal. How! thy wife? Elb. Ay, Sir; whom I thank heav'n is an honest woman. Efcal. Doft thou deteft her therefore? Elb. I fay, Sir, I will deteft myself alfo, as well as fhe, that this house, if it be not a bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house. Efcal. How doft thou know that, constable? Elb. Marry, Sir, by my wife; who, if fhe had been a woman cardinally given, might have been accufed in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness there. Efcal. By that woman's means? Elb. Ay, Sir, by mistress Over-don's means; but as the fpit in his face, fo the defy'd him. Clown, Sir, if it please your honour, this is not fo. Elb. |