for a good purpose: doth your honour mark his face ? Efcal. Ay, Sir, very well.

Clown. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well..
Efcal. Well, I do fo.

Clown. Doth your honour fee any harm in his face?
Efcal. Why, no.

Clown, I'll be fuppos'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 mafter Froth do the conftable's wife any harm? I would know that of your honour.

Efcal. He's in the right; conftable,, what say you tʊ it ?

Elb. Firft, an it like you, the houfe is a refpected. houfe; next, this is a respected fellow; and his miftrefs is a refpected woman.

Clown By this hand, Sir, his wife is a more refpected. perfon than any of us all.

Elb. Varlet, thou lieft; thou lieft, wicked varlet; the time is yet to come, that he was ever refpected with man, woman, or child.

Clown. Sir, fhe was refpected with him before he marry'd with her.

Efcal. Which is the wifer here? Justice, or Iniquity?Is this true?

Elb. O thou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked Hannibal! I refpected with her, before I was marry'd. to her? If ever I was refpected with her, or the 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..

Efcal. If he took you a box o'th' ear, you might have: your action of flander too.

Elb. Marry, I thank your good worship for't: what is't your worship's pleafure I fhall do with this wicked. caitiff?

Efcal. Truly, officer, because he hath fome offences. in him, that thou wouldst difcover if thou couldft, let him continue in his courfes, 'till thou know'ft what they are.

Elb. Marry, I thank your worship for it; thou feest, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon thee. Thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to continue.. Efcal. Where were you born, friend? [To Froth.. Froth Here in Vienna, Sir.

Efcal. Are you of fourfcore pounds a year?
Froth. Yes, and't please you, Sir.

Efcal. So. What trade are you of, Sir?

[To the Clown.

Clown. A tapfter, a poor widow's tapiter.
Efcal. Your mistress's name?

Clown. Miftrefs Over-don.

Efcal. Hath fhe had any more than one hufband ?Clown. Nine, Sir: Over-don by the laft.

Ejcal. Nine? Come hither to me, mafter Froth: mafter Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapfters; they will draw you, mafter 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 ih.

Efcal. Well; no more of it, mafter Froth; farewel.. [Exit Froth.. Come you hither to me, mafter tapfter; what's your name, mafter tapfter?

Clown. Pompey..-
Eftal. What else?

Clown. Bum, Sir

Efcal. Troth, and your bum is the greateft thing about you, fo that, in the beaftlieft fenfe, you are. Pompey the great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pompey; howfoever you colour it in being a tapfter ;: are you not? come, tell me true, it fhall be the better for you..

Clown. Truly, Sir, I am a poor fellow that would live.

Efcal. How would you live, Pompey? by being a bawd? what do you think of, the trade, Pompey? is it a lawful trade?

Clown. If the law will allow it, Sir.

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

Clown. Does your worship mean to geld and splay all the youth in the city?

Efcal. No, Pompey.

Clown. 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.

Efcal. There are pretty orders beginning, I can tell you it is but heading and hanging.

:

Clown. If you head and hang all that offend that way but for ten years together, you'll be glad to give out a commiffion for more heads: if this law hold in Vienna ten years, (8) I'll rent the fairest house in it, after three pence a bay: if you live to fee this come to pafs, fay, Pompey told you fo.

Efcal. 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,

(8) Pll rent the fairest boufe in it, after three pence a day.] This reading first got place in Mr. Pope's impreffion, who, I prefume, did not know how to account for, bay, the reading of the old copies; and which I have reftor'd to the text. For my part, I believe, our Poet had no notion of reducing houfe-rent to a proportion by the day. The meaning is this. The fashion of buildings, in our Author's time, was to have two or three femi-circular juttings out in front, (which we still fee in the remains of old houses,) where the windows were plac'd: And thefe projections were call'd bays; as the windows were, from them, call'd bay-windows, or compass-windows: the laft of which terms we meet with in our Author's Troilus and Creffida. She came to him t'other day into the compass-window.

Minshew tells us, the reafon of the name being given was, because this form of building resembled a bay, or road for fhips, which is always round, and bow-ing, to break off the force of the water.— So that houfes, as I faid, having not above two or three of these juttings out, the Clown. 77 Lay's, "the houfes won't be worth above three pence a “ bay," i. e. nine pence per year at the largest compu¬ tation. I had almost forgot to obferve, that CHAUCER mentions a bay window in his Court of Love.

And there befide, within a bay-windowe,

Stod one in grene, full large of bred and length, &c.

I fhalk

I fhall beat you to your tent, and prove a fhrewd Cefar to you in plain dealing, Pompey, I fhall have you whipt fo for this time, Pompey, fare you well.

Clown. I thank your worthip for your good counfel; but I fhall follow it, as the fleth and fortune fhall better determine.

Whip me? no, no; let carman whip his jade;

The valiant heart's not whipt out of his trade. [Exit. Efcal. Came hither to me, mafter Elbow; come hither, mafter conftable; how long have you been in this place of constable ?

Elb. Seven year and a half, Sir.

Efcal. I thought, by your readiness in the office, you had continued in it fome time; you fay, feven years together?

Elb. And a half, Sir.

Efcal. Alas! it hath been great pains to you; they do you wrong to put you fo oft upon't: are there not men in your ward fufficient to serve it?

Elb. Faith, Sir, few of any wit in fuch matters; as they are chofen, they are glad to chufe me for them. I do it for fome piece of money, and go through with

all.

Efcal. Look you, bring me in the names of fome fix or feven, the most fufficient of your parish?

Elb. To your worship's houfe, Sir?

Efcal. To my houfe; fare you well, What's a clock think you?

Juft. Eleven, Sir.

[Exit Elbow,

Efcal. I pray you, home to dinner with me.

Juft. I humbly thank you.

Efcal. It grives me for the death of Claudio:

But there's no remedy.

Just. Lord Angelo is fevere.

Efcal. It is but needful :

Mercy is not itself, that oft looks fo;
Pardon is ftill the nurfe of fecond woe:
But yet, poor Claudio! there's no remedy.
Come, Sir,

[Exeunt.

Enter

Enter Provoft, and a Servant.

Serv. He's hearing of a caufe; he will come ftraight: I'll tell him of you,

Prov. Pray you, do; I'll know

His 'pleafure; may be, he'll relent; alas!
He hath but as offended in a dream:

All fects, all ages fmack of this vice; and he
To die for it!

Enter Angelo.

Ang. Now, what's the matter, Proveft ? Prov. Is it your will, Claudio fhall die to-morrow ? Ang. Did not I tell thee, yea? hadst thou not order Why doft thou afk again?

Prov. Left I might be too rafh,

Under your good correction, I have seen,
When, after execution, judgment hath
Repented o'er his doom.

Ang. Go to let that be mine,

Do you your office, or give up your place,
And you fhall well be fpar'd.

Prov. I crave your pardon.

What fhall be done, Sir, with the groaning Juliet?
She's very near her hour.

Ang. Difpofe of her

To fome more fitting place, and that with speed.
Serv. Here is the fifter of the man condemn'd,
Defires access to you.

Ang. Hath he a fifter?

Prov. Ay, my good Lord, a very virtuous maid, And to be thortly of a fifter-hood,

If not already.

Ang. Well let her be admitted.

See you, the fornicatrefs be remov'd;

[Exit Servant

Let her have needful, but not lavish, means;

There fhall be order for it.

Enter Lucio and Ifabella.

Age

Prov. 'Save your honour.