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 houfes in the fuburbs of Vienna muft be pluck'd down.

Bawd. And what fhall become of those in the city?

Clo. They fhall ftand for feed: they had gone down too, but that a wise burgher put in for them.

Bawd. But fhall all our houfes of refort in the fuburbs be pull'd 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 tapfter ftill. Courage; there will be pity taken on you: you that have worn your eyes almost out in the fervice, you will be confidered. Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapfter? Let's withdraw.

Clo. Here comes fignior Claudio, led by the provost to prison: and there's madam Juliet.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The fame.

Enter Provost, CLAUDIO, JULIET, and Officers; Lucio, and two Gentlemen.

Claud. Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the world? Bear me to prifon, where I am committed.

Prov. I do it not in evil difpofition, But from lord Angelo by special charge.

Claud. Thus can the demi-god, Authority, Make us pay down for our offence by weight.The words of heaven ;-on whom it will, it will;

On whom it will not, fo; yet still 'tis just.

Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio? whence comes this restraint?

Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty: As furfeit is the father of much fast,

So every scope by the immoderate use

Turns to restraint: Our natures do pursue,
(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 arrest, 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 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 fo.

Prov. Away, fir; you must go.

Claud. One word, good friend :-Lucio, a word with

you.

[Takes him afide.

Lucio. A hundred, if they'll do you any good.―

Is lechery fo look'd after?

Claud. Thus ftands it with me:-Upon a true contract, I got poffeffion of Julietta's bed;

You know the lady; she is fast my wife,

Save that we do the denunciation lack
Of outward order: this we came not to,
Only for propagation of a dower

Remaining in the coffer of her friends;

From whom we thought it meet to hide our love,
Till time had made them for us. But it chances,
The stealth of our most mutual entertainment,
With character too gross, is writ on Juliet.
Lucio. With child, perhaps?

Claud. Unhappily, even fo.

And the new deputy now for the duke,-
Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness;
Or whether that the body public be

A horfe whereon the governor doth ride,
Who, newly in the feat, that it may know
He can command, lets it straight feel the spur:
Whether the tyranny be in his place,

Or in his eminence that fills it up,
I stagger in :—But this new governor

Awakes me all the enrolled penalties,

Which have, like unfcour'd armour, hung by the wall

So long, that nineteen zodiacks have gone round,

And none of them been worn; and, for a name,

Now puts the drowsy and neglected act

Freshly on me :-'tis, furely, for a name.

Lucio. I warrant, it is: and thy head stands so tickle on

thy

thy shoulders, that a milk-maid, if the be in love, may figh it off. Send after the duke, and appeal to him.

Claud. I have done fo, 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 make friends
To the ftrict deputy; bid herself assay him

I have great hope in that: for in her youth
There is a prone and fpeechlefs dialect,

Such as moves men; befide, the hath prosperous art
When she will play with reafon and discourse,

And well the can perfuade.

Lucio. I pray, fhe may: as well for the encouragement of the like, which else would stand under grievous impofition; as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be forry fhould be thus foolishly lost at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her.

Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio.

Lucio. Within two hours,

Claud. Come, officer, away.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

A Monaftery.

Enter Duke, and Friar THOMAS.

Duke. No; holy father; throw away that thought;

Believe not that the dribbling dart of love

Can pierce a complete bofom: why I defire thee

To give me secret harbour, hath a purpose

More

More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends

Of burning youth.

Fri.

May your grace speak of it?

Duke. My holy fir, none better knows than you
How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd;

And held in idle price to haunt affemblies,
Where youth, and coft, and witless bravery keeps.
I have deliver'd to lord Angelo

(A man of kricture, and firm abstinence,)
My absolute power and place here in Vienna,
And he supposes me travell'd to Poland;
For fo I have ftrew'd it in the common ear,
And fo it is receiv'd: Now, pious fir,

You will demand of me, why I do this?

Fri. Gladly, my lord.

Duke. We have ftrict ftatutes, and moft biting laws, (The needful bits and curbs for head-strong steeds,) Which for thefe fourteen years we have let fleep; Even like an o'er-grown lion in a cave,

That goes not out to prey: Now, as fond fathers
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to stick it in their children's fight,
For terror, not to use; in time the rod

Becomes more mock'd, than fear'd: fo our decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead;

And liberty plucks justice by the nose;

The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri.

It refted in your grace

To unloose this tied-up juftice, when you pleas'd:
And it in you more dreadful would have feem'd,
Than in lord Angelo.

Duke.

I do fear, too dreadful:

Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope,

'Twould