Enter elbow, and Officers with froth and pompey

Escalus – Side One
Enter ESCALUS, Provost, and Officers with MISTRESS OVERDONE

ESCALUS

Go; away with her to prison!

MISTRESS OVERDONE

Good my lord, be good to me; your honour is accounted

a merciful man; good my lord.
ESCALUS

Double and treble admonition, and still forfeit in

the same kind! This would make mercy swear and play
the tyrant.
Provost

A bawd of eleven years' continuance, may it please

your honour.
MISTRESS OVERDONE

My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me.

Mistress Kate Keepdown was with child by him in the
duke's time; he promised her marriage…
ESCALUS

That fellow is a fellow of much licence: let him be

called before us. Away with her to prison! Go to;
no more words.

Exeunt Officers with MISTRESS OVERDONE

Provost, my brother Angelo will not be altered;

Claudio must die to-morrow: let him be furnished
with divines, and have all charitable preparation.
if my brother wrought by my pity, it should not be
so with him.
Provost

So please you, this friar hath been with him, and

advised him for the entertainment of death.
ESCALUS

Good even, good father.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Bliss and goodness on you!

ESCALUS

Of whence are you?

DUKE VINCENTIO

Not of this country, though my chance is now

To use it for my time: I am a brother
Of gracious order, late come from the See
In special business from his holiness.
ESCALUS

What news abroad i' the world?

DUKE VINCENTIO

None, but that there is so great a fever on

goodness, that the dissolution of it must cure it…

I pray you, sir, of what disposition was the duke?

ESCALUS

One that, above all other strifes, contended

especially to know himself.
DUKE VINCENTIO

What pleasure was he given to?

ESCALUS

Rather rejoicing to see another merry, than merry at

any thing which professed to make him rejoice: a
gentleman of all temperance. But leave we him to
his events, with a prayer they may prove prosperous;
and let me desire to know how you find Claudio
prepared. I am made to understand that you have
lent him visitation.
DUKE VINCENTIO

He professes to have received no sinister measure

from his judge, but most willingly humbles himself
to the determination of justice…and now is he
resolved to die.
ESCALUS

You have paid the heavens your function, and the

prisoner the very debt of your calling. I have
laboured for the poor gentleman to the extremest
shore of my modesty: but my brother justice have I
found so severe, that he hath forced me to tell him
he is indeed Justice.
DUKE VINCENTIO

If his own life answer the straitness of his

proceeding, it shall become him well; wherein if he
chance to fail, he hath sentenced himself.
ESCALUS

I am going to visit the prisoner. Fare you well.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Peace be with you!

________________________________________________________

Escalus – Side Two

ESCALUS

Come you hither to me, Master tapster. What's your
name, Master tapster?

POMPEY

Pompey.

ESCALUS

What else?

POMPEY

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
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

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

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

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
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,
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