Measure for Measure: ACT II , SCENE I. A hall In ANGELO's house.

Measure for Measure: ACT II


	Introduction

	ACT I

	ACT II

		SCENE I. A hall In ANGELO's house.

		SCENE II. Another room in the same.

		SCENE III. A room in a prison.

		SCENE IV. A room in ANGELO's house.

	ACT III

	ACT IV

	ACT V

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SCENE I. A hall In ANGELO's house.

Enter ANGELO, ESCALUS, and a Justice, Provost, Officers, and other Attendants, behind

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

5     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,
10    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 attain'd the effect of your own purpose,
15    Whether you had not sometime in your life
      Err'd in this point which now you censure him,
      And pull'd the law upon you.

ANGELO

      'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
      Another thing to fall. I not deny,
20    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 know the laws
      That thieves do pass on thieves? 'Tis very pregnant,
25    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,
30    When I, that censure him, do so offend,
      Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
      And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

ESCALUS

Be it as your wisdom will.

ANGELO

Where is the provost?

Provost

35 Here, if it like your honour.

ANGELO

      See that Claudio
      Be executed by nine to-morrow morning:
      Bring him his confessor, let him be prepared;
      For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage.

Exit Provost

ESCALUS

40    (Aside) Well, heaven forgive him! and forgive us all!
      Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall:
      Some run from brakes of ice, and answer none:
      And some condemned for a fault alone.

Enter ELBOW, and Officers with FROTH and POMPEY

ELBOW

      Come, bring them away: if these be good people in
45    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
50    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
55    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

This comes off well; here's a wise officer.

ANGELO

Go to: what quality are they of? Elbow is your
60 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
65    say, plucked down in the suburbs; and now she
      professes a hot-house, 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

70 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

75 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

80 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

85 Do you hear how he misplaces?

POMPEY

      Sir, she came in great with child; and longing,
      saving your honour's 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
90    dish of some three-pence; 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
95    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
100   rest, as I said, and, as I say, paying for them very
      honestly; for, as you know, Master Froth, I could
      not give you three-pence again.

FROTH

No, indeed.

POMPEY

Very well: you being then, if you be remembered,
105 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
110   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
115   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
120   here, sir; a man of four-score 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,
125   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

130   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

135 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

140   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

145 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
150   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, an it like you, the house is a respected
155   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
160   time has 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

165   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
170   I'll have mine action of battery on thee.

ESCALUS

If he took you a box o' the 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

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

ELBOW

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

ESCALUS

Where were you born, friend?

FROTH

Here in Vienna, sir.

ESCALUS

Are you of fourscore pounds a year?

FROTH

185 Yes, an't please you, sir.

ESCALUS

So. What trade are you of, sir?

POMPHEY

Tapster; a poor widow's tapster.

ESCALUS

Your mistress' name?

POMPHEY

Mistress Overdone.

ESCALUS

190 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
195   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 tap-house, but I am drawn
      in.

ESCALUS

200 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

205 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
210   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

215 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

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

POMPEY

225   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 three-pence a bay: if you live to see this
230   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,
235   I shall beat you to your tent, and prove a shrewd
      Caesar to you; in plain dealing, Pompey, I shall
      have you whipt: 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
240   better determine.
      Whip me? No, no; let carman whip his jade:
      The valiant heart is not whipt 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

245 Seven year and a half, sir.

ESCALUS

I thought, by your 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
250   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
255   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

260 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;
265 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:
270   But yet,--poor Claudio! There is no remedy.
      Come, sir.

Exeunt

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