Efcal. If any in Vienna be of Worth

To undergo fuch ample Grace and Honour,
It is Lord Angelo.

Enter Angelo.

Duke. Look where he comes.

Ang. Always obedient to your Grace's Will,
I come to know your Grace's Pleasure.
Duke. Angelo,

There is a kind of Character in thy Life,
That, to th' Obferver, doth thy History
Fully unfold: Thy felf and thy Belongings
Are not thine own fo proper, as to waste
Thy felf upon thy Virtues; they on thee:
Heav'n doth with us, as we with Torches do,
Not light them for themfelves: For if our Virtues
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd,
But to fine Iffues; nor Nature never lends

The fmalleft Scruple of her Excellence,

But like a thrifty Goddefs, the determines

Her felf the Glory of a Creditor,

Both Thanks and Ufe. But I do bend my Speech

To one that can my Part in him advertise;

Hold therefore, Angelo:

In our Remove, be thou at full, our self.

Mortality and Mercy in Vienna,

Live in thy Tongue and Heart: Old Escalus,
Though firft in Queftion, is thy Secondary.
Take thy Commiffion.

Ang. Now, good my Lord,

Let there be fome more Teft made of my Metal,
Before fo noble and fo great a Figure

Be ftampt upon it.

Duke. No more Evafion:

We have with a leven'd and prepar❜d Choice
Proceeded to you; therefore take your Honours:
Our Hafte from hence is of fo quick Condition,
That it prefers it felf, and leaves unqueftion'd
Matters of needful Value. We fhall write to you,
As Time and our Concernings fhall importune,
How it goes with us, and do look to know

What

What doth befal you here. So fare you well,
To th' hopeful Execution do I leave you
Of your Commiffion.

Ang. Yet give leave, my Lord,

That we may bring you fomething on the Way.
Duke, My Hafte may not admit it,

Nor need you, on mine Honour, have to do
With any Scruple; your Scope is as mine own,
So to inforce, or qualifie the Laws,

As to your Soul feems good. Give me your Hand;
I'll privily away. I love the People,

But do not like to ftage me to their Eyes:
Though it do well, I do not relifh well
Their loud Applause, and Aves vehement :
Nor do I think the Man of fafe Difcretion
That does affect it. Once more fare you well.'
Ang. The Heav'ns give Safety to your Purposes.
Efcal. Lead forth and bring you back in Happiness.
Duke. I thank you, fare you well.

1

Efcal. I fhall defire you, Sir, to give me leave
To have free Speech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the Bottom of
my Place:
A Power I have, but of what Strength and Nature
I am not yet inftructed.

Ang. 'Tis fo with me: Let us with-draw together,
And we may foon our Satisfaction have

Touching that Point.

Efcal. I'll wait upon your Honour,

SCENE II. The Street.

Enter Lucio, and two Gentlemen.

[Exit.

[Exeum.

Lucio. If the Duke, with the other Dukes, come not to Compofition with the King of Hungary, why then all the Dukes fall upon the King.

I Gent. Heav'n grant us its Peace, but not the King of Hungary's.

2 Gent. Amen.

Lucio. Thou conclud'ft like the Sanctimonious Pyrat, that went to Sea with the ten Commandments, but fcrap'd one out of the Table.

2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal?

Lucio. Ay, that he raz'd.

I Gent. Why? 'twas a Commandment to command the Captain and all the reft from their Functions; they put forth to fteal: There's not a Soldier of us all, that, in the Thanksgiving before Meat, do relish the Petition well that prays for Peace.

2 Gent. I never heard any Soldier diflike it.

Lucio. I believe thee: For I think thou never waft where Grace was faid.

2 Gent. No? a dozen times at leaft

I Gent. What? in Meeter?

Lucio. In any Proportion, or in any Language.

I Gent. I think, or in any Religion.

Lucio. Ay, why not? Grace, is Grace, defpight of all Controverfie; as for Example, Thou thy felf art a wicked Villain, defpight of all Grace.

1 Gent. Well; there went but a Pair of Sheers between us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the Lifts and the Velvet. Thou art the Lift.

I Gent. And thou the Velvet; thou art good Velvet ; thou'rt a three-pil'd Piece I warrant thee: I had as lief be a Lift of an English Kerfey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French Velvet. Do I fpeak feelingly now?

Lucio. I think thou doft; and indeed with most painful feeling of thy Speech: I will, out of thine own Confeffion, learn to begin thy Health; but, whilft I live, forget to drink after thee.

I Gent. I think I have done my felf wrong, have I not? 2 Gent. Yes, that thou haft; whether thou art tainted, or free.

Enter Bawd.

Lucio. Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation comes. I have purchas'd as many Diseases under her Roof,

As come to

2 Gent. To what, I pray?

Lucio. Judge.

2 Gent. To three thousand Dolours a Year.

I Gent. Ay, and more.

Lucio. A French Crown more,

1 Gent,

1 Gent. Thou art always figuring Diseases in me; but thou art full of Error, I am found.

Lucio. Nay, not, as one would fay, healthy; but fo found, as things that are hollow; thy Bones are hollow; Impiety has made a Feaft of thee.

i Gent. How now, which of your Hips has the most profound Sciatica?

Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carry'd to Prifon, was worth five thousand of you all.

2 Gent. Who's that, I prethee?

Bawd. Marry Sir, that's Claudio, Signior Claudio.

I Gent. Claudio-to Prifon? 'tis not fo.

Bawd. Nay, but I know 'tis fo; I faw him arrefted; faw him carry'd away; and which is more, within thefe three Days his Head is to be chopt off.

Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it fo: Art thou fure of this?

Bawd. I am too fure of it; and it is for getting Madam Julietta with Child.

Lucio. Believe me this may be; he promised to meet me two Hours fince, and he was ever precife in Promifekeeping.

2 Gent. Befides, you know it draws fomething near to the Speech we had to fuch a Purpose.

I Gent. But most of all agreeing with the Proclamation, Lucio. Away, let's go learn the Truth of it.

[Exeunt. Bawd. Thus, what with the War, what with the Sweat, what with the Gallows, and what with Poverty, I am Cuftom-fhrunk. How now? what's the News with you? Enter Clown.

Clown. Yonder Man is carry'd to Prison.
Bawd. Well; what has he done?

Clown. A Woman.

Bawd. But what's his Offence?

Clown. Groping for Trouts in a peculiar River. Bawd. What? is there a Maid with Child by him? Clown. No; but there's a Woman with Maid by him. You have not heard of the Proclamation, have you? Bawd. What Proclamation, Man?

Clown. All Houses in the Suburbs of Vienna must be pluck'd down.

Bawd.

Bawd. And what shall become of those in the City? Clown. They fhall ftand for Seed; they had gone down too, but that a wife Burger put in for them.

Bawd. But fhall all our Houfes of Refort in the Suburbs be pull'd down?

Clown. To the Ground, Mistress.

Bawd. Why here's a Change indeed in the Commonwealth; what fhall become of me?

Clown. Come, fear not you; good Counsellors lack no Clients; though you change your Place, you need not change your Trade: I'll be your Tapfter ftill. Courage, there will be pity taken on you; you that have worn your Eyes almoft out in the Service, you will be confidered.

Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapfter? let's withdraw.

Clown. Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the Provoft to Prifon; and there's Madam Juliet. [Ex. Bawd and Clown. Enter Provoft, Claudia, Juliet and Officers. Claud. Fellow, why doft thou fhow me thus to th' World? Bear me to Prison, where I am committed. Prov. I do it not in evil Difpofition, But from Lord Angelo by fpecial Charge,

Claud. Thus can the Demi-god, Authority, Make us pay down, for our Offence, by weight The words of Heav'n; on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, fo; yet still 'tis juft.

[ftraint,

Lucio. Why how now Claudio? Whence comes this ReCland. From too much Liberty, my Lucio, Liberty;

As Surfeit is the Father of much Faft,

So every Scope by the immoderate ufe
Turns to Reftraint: Our Natures do purfue,
Like Rats that ravin down their proper Bane,
A thirsty Evil, and when we drink, we die.

Lucio. If I could fpeak fo wifely, under an Arreft, I
would fend for certain of my Creditors; and yet, to fay the
Truth, I had as lief have the Foppery of Freedom, as the
Morality of Imprifonment: What's thy Offence, Claudio?
Cland. What, but to speak of, would offend again.
Lucio. What is't, Murder?

Cland.