MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Act 2 Scene 1

(Enter Angelo, Escalus, and servants; a Justice)
l1l	Angelo	 We must not make a scarecrow of the law,
l2l		Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,
l3l		And let it keep one shape till custom make it
l4l		Their perch, and not their terror.
	Escalus	Ay, but yet
l5l		Let us be keen, and rather cut a little
l6l		Than fall and bruise to death. Alas, this gentleman
l7l		Whom I would save had a most noble father.
l8l		Let but your honour know—
l9l		Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue—
l10l		That in the working of your own affections,
l11l		Had time cohered with place, or place with wishing,
l12l		Or that the resolute acting of your blood
l13l		Could have attained th’ effect of your own purpose—
l14l		Whether you had not sometime in your life
l15l		Erred in this point which now you censure him,
l16l		And pulled the law upon you.
l17l	Angelo	’Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
l18l		Another thing to fall. I not deny
l19l		The jury passing on the prisoner’s life
l20l		May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two
l21l		Guiltier than him they try. What knows the law
l22l		That thieves do pass on thieves? What’s open made to justice,
l23l		That justice seizes. ’Tis very pregnant:
l24l		The jewel that we find, we stoop and take ’t
l25l		Because we see it, but what we do not see
l26l		We tread upon and never think of it.
l27l		You may not so extenuate his offence
l28l		For I have had such faults# but rather tell me,
l29l		When I that censure him do so offend,
l30l		Let mine own judgement pattern out my death,
l31l		And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.
l32l	Escalus	Be it as your wisdom will.
	Angelo	Where is the Provost?
		(Enter Provost)
l33l	Provost	 Here, if it like your honour.
	Angelo	See that Claudio
l34l		Be execute by nine tomorrow morning.
l35l		Bring him his confessor, let him be prepared,
l36l		For that’s the utmost of his pilgrimage.
		(Exit Provost)
l37l	Escalus	 Well, heaven forgive him, and forgive us all!
l38l		Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.
l39l		Some run from brakes of vice, and answer none#
l40l		And some condemnèd for a fault alone.
		(Enter Elbow, Froth, Pompey, and officers)
l41l	Elbow	 Come, bring them away. If these be good people
l42l		in a commonweal, that do nothing but use their abuses
l43l		in common houses, I know no law. Bring them away.
l44l	Angelo	 How now, sir? What’s your name? And what’s the matter?
l45l	Elbow	 If it please your honour, I am the poor Duke’s
l46l		constable, and my name is Elbow. I do lean upon
l47l		justice, sir# and do bring in here before your good
l48l		honour two notorious benefactors.
l49l	Angelo	 Benefactors? Well! What benefactors are they?
l50l		Are they not malefactors?
l51l	Elbow	 If it please your honour, I know not well what
l52l		they are# but precise villains they are, that I am sure
l53l		of, and void of all profanation in the world that good
l54l		Christians ought to have.
l55l	Escalus	(to Angelo)
		 This comes off well# here’s a wise officer!
l56l	Angelo	 Go to, what quality are they of? Elbow is your
l57l		name? Why dost thou not speak, Elbow?
l58l	Pompey	He cannot, sir# he’s out at elbow.
l59l	Angelo	What are you, sir?
l60l	Elbow	He, sir? A tapster, sir, parcel bawd# one that
l61l		serves a bad woman whose house, sir, was, as they
l62l		say, plucked down in the suburbs# and now she
l63l		professes a hot-house, which I think is a very ill house
l64l		too.
l65l	Escalus	How know you that?
l66l	Elbow	My wife, sir, whom I detest before heaven and
l67l		your honour—
l68l	Escalus	How, thy wife?
l69l	Elbow	Ay, sir, whom I thank heaven is an honest
l70l		woman—
l71l	Escalus	Dost thou detest her therefor?
l72l	Elbow	I say, sir, I will detest myself also, as well as she,
l73l		that this house, if it be not a bawd’s house, it is pity
l74l		of her life, for it is a naughty house.
l75l	Escalus	How dost thou know that, constable?
l76l	Elbow	Marry, sir, by my wife, who, if she had been a
l77l		woman cardinally given, might have been accused in
l78l		fornication, adultery, and all uncleanliness there.
l79l	Escalus	By the woman’s means?
l80l	Elbow	Ay, sir, by Mistress Overdone’s means. But as she
l81l		spit in his face, so she defied him.
l82l	Pompey	(to Escalus)
		 Sir, if it please your honour, this is
l83l		not so.
l84l	Elbow	Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable
l85l		man, prove it.
l86l	Escalus	(to Angelo)
		 Do you hear how he misplaces?
l87l	Pompey	Sir, she came in great with child, and longing—
l88l		saving your honour’s reverence—for stewed prunes.
l89l		Sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very
l90l		distant time stood, as it were, in a fruit dish—a dish
l91l		of some threepence# your honours have seen such
l92l		dishes# they are not china dishes, but very good dishes.
l93l	Escalus	Go to, go to, no matter for the dish, sir.
l94l	Pompey	No, indeed, sir, not of a pin# you are therein in
l95l		the right. But to the point. As I say, this Mistress Elbow,
l96l		being, as I say, with child, and being great-bellied, and
l97l		longing, as I said, for prunes# and having but two in
l98l		the dish, as I said, Master Froth here, this very man,
l99l		having eaten the rest, as I said, and, as I say, paying
l100l		for them very honestly# for, as you know, Master Froth,
l101l		I could not give you threepence again.
l102l	Froth	No, indeed.
l103l	Pompey	Very well. You being, then, if you be remembered,
l104l		cracking the stones of the foresaid prunes—
l105l	Froth	Ay, so I did indeed.
l106l	Pompey	Why, very well.—I telling you then, if you be
l107l		remembered, that such a one and such a one were past
l108l		cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept very
l109l		good diet, as I told you—
l110l	Froth	All this is true.
l111l	Pompey	Why, very well then—
l112l	Escalus	Come, you are a tedious fool. To the purpose.
l113l		What was done to Elbow’s wife that he hath cause to
l114l		complain of? Come me to what was done to her.
l115l	Pompey	Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet.
l116l	Escalus	No, sir, nor I mean it not.
l117l	Pompey	Sir, but you shall come to it, by your honour’s
l118l		leave. And I beseech you, look into Master Froth here,
l119l		sir, a man of fourscore pound a year, whose father died
l120l		at Hallowmas—was ’t not at Hallowmas, Master Froth?
l121l	Froth	All Hallow Eve.
l122l	Pompey	Why, very well. I hope here be truths. He, sir,
l123l		sitting, as I say, in a lower chair, sir—’twas in the
l124l		Bunch of Grapes, where indeed you have a delight to
l125l		sit, have you not?
l126l	Froth	I have so, because it is an open room, and good
l127l		for winter.
l128l	Pompey	Why, very well then. I hope here be truths.
l129l	Angelo	 This will last out a night in Russia,
l130l		When nights are longest there.
		(To Escalus)
		 I’ll take my leave,
l131l		And leave you to the hearing of the cause,
l132l		Hoping you’ll find good cause to whip them all.
l133l	Escalus	I think no less. Good morrow to your lordship.
		(Exit Angelo)
l134l		Now, sir, come on, what was done to Elbow’s wife,
l135l		once more?
l136l	Pompey	Once, sir? There was nothing done to her once.
l137l	Elbow	I beseech you, sir, ask him what this man did to
l138l		my wife.
l139l	Pompey	I beseech your honour, ask me.
l140l	Escalus	Well, sir, what did this gentleman to her?
l141l	Pompey	I beseech you, sir, look in this gentleman’s face.
l142l		Good Master Froth, look upon his honour. ’Tis for a
l143l		good purpose. Doth your honour mark his face?
l144l	Escalus	Ay, sir, very well.
l145l	Pompey	Nay, I beseech you, mark it well.
l146l	Escalus	Well, I do so.
l147l	Pompey	Doth your honour see any harm in his face?
l148l	Escalus	Why, no.
l149l	Pompey	I’ll be supposed upon a book his face is the worst
l150l		thing about him. Good, then—if his face be the worst
l151l		thing about him, how could Master Froth do the
l152l		constable’s wife any harm? I would know that of your
l153l		honour.
l154l	Escalus	He’s in the right, constable# what say you to it?
l155l	Elbow	First, an it like you, the house is a respected
l156l		house# next, this is a respected fellow# and his mistress
l157l		is a respected woman.
l158l	Pompey	(to Escalus)
		 By this hand, sir, his wife is a more
l159l		respected person than any of us all.
l160l	Elbow	Varlet, thou liest# thou liest, wicked varlet. The
l161l		time is yet to come that she was ever respected with
l162l		man, woman, or child.
l163l	Pompey	Sir, she was respected with him before he married
l164l		with her.
l165l	Escalus	Which is the wiser here, justice or iniquity?
		(To)
l166l		Elbow) Is this true?
l167l	Elbow	(to Pompey)
		 O thou caitiff, O thou varlet, O thou
l168l		wicked Hannibal! I respected with her before I was
l169l		married to her?
		(To Escalus)
		 If ever I was respected
l170l		with her, or she with me, let not your worship think
l171l		me the poor Duke’s officer.
		(To Pompey)
		 Prove this,
l172l		thou wicked Hannibal, or I’ll have mine action of
l173l		battery on thee.
l174l	Escalus	If he took you a box o’ th’ ear you might have
l175l		your action of slander too.
l176l	Elbow	Marry, I thank your good worship for it. What
l177l		is ’t your worship’s pleasure I shall do with this wicked
l178l		caitiff?
l179l	Escalus	Truly, officer, because he hath some offences in
l180l		him that thou wouldst discover if thou couldst, let him
l181l		continue in his courses till thou knowest what they
l182l		are.
l183l	Elbow	Marry, I thank your worship for it.—Thou seest,
l184l		thou wicked varlet now, what’s come upon thee. Thou
l185l		art to continue now, thou varlet, thou art to continue.
l186l	Escalus	(to Froth)
		 Where were you born, friend?
l187l	Froth	Here in Vienna, sir.
l188l	Escalus	Are you of fourscore pounds a year?
l189l	Froth	Yes, an ’t please you, sir.
l190l	Escalus	So.
		(To Pompey)
		 What trade are you of, sir?
l191l	Pompey	A tapster, a poor widow’s tapster.
l192l	Escalus	Your mistress’s name?
l193l	Pompey	Mistress Overdone.
l194l	Escalus	Hath she had any more than one husband?
l195l	Pompey	Nine, sir—Overdone by the last.
l196l	Escalus	Nine?—Come hither to me, Master Froth. Master
l197l		Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapsters.
l198l		They will draw you, Master Froth, and you will hang
l199l		them. Get you gone, and let me hear no more of you.
l200l	Froth	I thank your worship. For mine own part, I never
l201l		come into any room in a tap-house but I am drawn in.
l202l	Escalus	Well, no more of it, Master Froth. Farewell.
		(Exit Froth)
l203l		Come you hither to me, Master Tapster. What’s your
l204l		name, Master Tapster?
l205l	Pompey	Pompey.
l206l	Escalus	What else?
l207l	Pompey	Bum, sir.
l208l	Escalus	Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about
l209l		you# so that, in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey
l210l		the Great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pompey,
l211l		howsoever you colour it in being a tapster, are you
l212l		not? Come, tell me true# it shall be the better for you.
l213l	Pompey	Truly, sir, I am a poor fellow that would live.
l214l	Escalus	How would you live, Pompey? By being a bawd?
l215l		What do you think of the trade, Pompey? Is it a lawful
l216l		trade?
l217l	Pompey	If the law would allow it, sir.
l218l	Escalus	But the law will not allow it, Pompey# nor it
l219l		shall not be allowed in Vienna.
l220l	Pompey	Does your worship mean to geld and spay all the
l221l		youth of the city?
l222l	Escalus	No, Pompey.
l223l	Pompey	Truly, sir, in my poor opinion they will to ’t then.
l224l		If your worship will take order for the drabs and the
l225l		knaves, you need not to fear the bawds.
l226l	Escalus	There is pretty orders beginning, I can tell you.
l227l		It is but heading and hanging.
l228l	Pompey	If you head and hang all that offend that way
l229l		but for ten year together, you’ll be glad to give out a
l230l		commission for more heads. If this law hold in Vienna
l231l		ten year, I’ll rent the fairest house in it after threepence
l232l		a bay. If you live to see this come to pass, say Pompey
l233l		told you so.
l234l	Escalus	Thank you, good Pompey# and in requital of
l235l		your prophecy, hark you. I advise you, let me not find
l236l		you before me again upon any complaint whatsoever#
l237l		no, not for dwelling where you do. If I do, Pompey, I
l238l		shall beat you to your tent, and prove a shrewd Caesar
l239l		to you# in plain dealing, Pompey, I shall have you
l240l		whipped. So for this time, Pompey, fare you well.
l241l	Pompey	I thank your worship for your good counsel#
l242l		(aside)
		 but I shall follow it as the flesh and fortune shall
l243l		better determine.
l244l		Whip me? No, no# let carman whip his jade.
l245l		The valiant heart’s not whipped out of his trade.
		(Exit)
l246l	Escalus	 Come hither to me, Master Elbow# come hither,
l247l		Master Constable. How long have you been in this
l248l		place of constable?
l249l	Elbow	Seven year and a half, sir.
l250l	Escalus	I thought, by the readiness in the office, you had
l251l		continued in it some time. You say seven years
l252l		together?
l253l	Elbow	And a half, sir.
l254l	Escalus	Alas, it hath been great pains to you. They do
l255l		you wrong to put you so oft upon ’t. Are there not men
l256l		in your ward sufficient to serve it?
l257l	Elbow	Faith, sir, few of any wit in such matters. As they
l258l		are chosen, they are glad to choose me for them. I do
l259l		it for some piece of money, and go through with all.
l260l	Escalus	Look you bring me in the names of some six or
l261l		seven, the most sufficient of your parish.
l262l	Elbow	To your worship’s house, sir?
l263l	Escalus	To my house. Fare you well.
		(Exit Elbow with officers)
l264l		What’s o’clock, think you?
l265l	Justice	Eleven, sir.
l266l	Escalus	I pray you home to dinner with me.
l267l	Justice	I humbly thank you.
l268l	Escalus	 It grieves me for the death of Claudio,
l269l		But there’s no remedy.
l270l	Justice	Lord Angelo is severe.
l271l	Escalus	It is but needful.
l272l		Mercy is not itself that oft looks so.
l273l		Pardon is still the nurse of second woe.
l274l		But yet, poor Claudio! There is no remedy.
l275l		Come, sir.
		(Exeunt)