I'll privily away: I love the people, Once more, fare you well. give safety to your purposes! Escal. Lead forth, and bring you back in hap. piness! Duke. I thank you: fare you well. [Exit. Escal. I shall desire 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 instructed. Ang. Tis so with me:-Let us withdraw together, And we may soon our satisfaction have Touching that point. Escal. I'll wait upon your honour. SCENE II.—A Street. [Exeunt. Enter LUCIO, and Two GENTLEMEN. Lucio. If the duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the king of Hungary, why, then all the dukes fall upon the king. 1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the king of Hungary's! 2 Gent. Amen. Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. 1 Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to steal: there's not a soldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for, I think, thou never wast where grace was said. 2 Gent. No? A dozen times at least. 1 Gent. What? In metre? Lucio. In any proportion +, or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ay! why not? Grace, is grace, despite of • Hailings. + Measure. all controversy; as for example; thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. 1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of sheers between us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet thou art the list. 1 Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou art a three-piled piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvett. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. 1 Gent. I think, I have done myself wrong; have I not? 2 Gent. Yes, that thou hast; whether thou art tainted, or free. Lucio. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes! I have purchased as many diseases under her roof, as come to 2 Gent. To what, I pray? 1 Gent. Judge. 2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a-year. 1 Gent. Ay, and more. Lucio. A French crown more. 1 Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me: but thou art full of error: I am sound. Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound, as things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow; impiety has made a feast of thee. Enter BAWD. 1 Gent. How now? Which of your hips has the most profound sciatica? Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prison, was worth five thousand of you all. 1 Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Bawd. Marry, Sir, that's Claudio, signior Claudio. 1 Gent. Claudio to prison! Tis not so. Bawd. Nay, but I know, 'tis so: I saw him arrested: saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head's to be chopped off. A cut of the same cloth. A jest on the loss of hair by the French disease. Lucio. But after all this fooling, I would not have it so: Art thou sure of this? Bawd. I am too sure of it: and it is for getting madam Julietta with child. Lucio. Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two hours since; and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. 2 Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose. 1 Gent. But most of all, agreeing with the proclamation. Lucio. Away; let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt Lucio and Gentlemen. Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk. How now! What's the news with you? Enter CLOWN. Clo. Yonder man is carried to prison. Clo. A woman. Bawd. But what's his offence? Clo. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. Bawd. What, is there a maid with child by him? Clo. No; but there's a woman with maid by him: you have not heard of the proclamation, have you? Bawd. What proclamation, man? Clo. All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be pluck'd down. Bawd. And what shall become of those in the city? Clo. They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too, but that a wise burgher put in for them. Bawd. But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be pulled down? Clo. To the ground, mistress. Bawd. Why here's a change, indeed, in the commonwealth! What shall become of me? Clo. Come, fear not you good counsellors lack no clients though you change your place, you need not change your trade; I'll be your tapster still. Courage; there will be pity taken on you: you that have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you will be consider'd. Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapster? Let's withdraw. The sweating sickness. Clo. Here comes signior Claudio, led by the Provost to prison; and there's madam Juliet. SCENE III.-The Same. [Exeunt. Enter PROVOST, CLAUDIO, JULIET, and OFFICERS; LUCIO, and Two GENTLEMEN. Claud. Fellow, why dost thou shew me thus to the world? Bear me to prison, where I am committed. Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio? Whence comes. this restraint? Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty; As surfeit is the father of much fast, So every scope by the immoderate use Lucio. If I could speak so wisely under an arrest, I would send for certain of my creditors: and yet, to say the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom, as the morality of imprisonment.-What's thy offence, Claudio? Claud. What, but to speak of would offend again. Lucio. What is it? Murder? Claud. No. Lucio. Lechery? Claud. Call it so. Prov. Away, Sir; you must go. with you. Claud. One word, good friend :-Lucio, a word [Takes him aside. Lucio. A hundred, if they'll do you any good.Is lechery so look'd after? Claud. Thus stands it with me:-Upon a true contract, I got possession of Julietta's bed; You know the lady; she is fast my wife, • Gaoler. + Voraciously devour. Remaining in the coffer of her friends; From whom we thought it meet to hide our love, Claud. Unhappily, even so. And the new deputy now for the duke,- A horse whereon the governor doth ride, I stagger in:-But this new governor Which have, like unscour'd armour, hung by the wall So long, that nineteen zodiacs have gone round, And none of them been worn; and, for a name, Now puts the drowsy and neglected act Freshly on me :-Tis, surely, for a name. Lucio. I warrant it is: and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders that a milk-maid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the duke, and appeal to him. Claud. I have done so, but he's not to be found. I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind service: This day my sister should the cloister enter, And there receive her approbation : Acquaint her with the danger of my state; Implore her, in my voice, that she inake friends. To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him; I have great hope in that: for in her youth There is a prone and speechless dialect, Such as moves men; beside, she hath prosperous art When she will play with reason and discourse, Lucio. I pray, she may as well for the encouragement of the like, which else would stand under grievous imposition; as for the enjoying of thy lite, who I would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her. Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio, Yearly circles. Enter on her probation. + Ticklish. Prompt.1 |