ELB. Ay, sir, by mistress Overdone's means 6: but as she spit in his face, so she defied him.

CLO. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not so. ELB. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it.

ESCAL. Do you hear how he misplaces?

[TO ANGELO.

CLO. Sir, she came in great with child; and longing (saving your honour's reverence,) for stew'd prunes; sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very distant time stood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a dish of some three-pence; your honours have seen such dishes; they are not China dishes, but very good dishes.

ESCAL. Go to, go to: no matter for the dish, sir. CLO. No, indeed, sir, not of a pin; you are therein in the right: but, to the point: As I say, this mistress Elbow, being, as I say, with child, and being great belly'd, and longing, as I said, for prunes; and having but two in the dish, as I said, master Froth here, this very man, having eaten the

6 Ay, sir, by mistress Overdone's means:] Here seems to have been some mention made of Froth, who was to be accused, and some words therefore may have been lost, unless the irregularity of the narrative may be better imputed to the ignorance of the constable. JOHNSON.

7 - stew'd prunes ;] Stewed prunes were to be found in every brothel.

So, in Maroccus Exstaticus, or Bankes's Bay Horse in a Trance, 1595: "With this stocke of wenches will this trustie Roger and his Bettrice set up, forsooth, with their pamphlet pots and stewed prunes, &c. in a sinful saucer," &c.

See a note on the 3d scene of the 3d Act of the First Part of King Henry IV. In the old copy prunes are spelt, according to vulgar pronunciation, prewyns. STEEVENS.

8

not CHINA dishes,] A China dish, in the age of Shakspeare, must have been such an uncommon thing, that the Clown's exemption of it, as no utensil in a common brothel, is a striking circumstance in his absurd and tautological deposition.

STEEVENS.

rest, as I said, and, as I say, paying for them very honestly;-for, as you know, master Froth, I could not give you three pence again.

FROTH. No, indeed.

CLO. Very well: you being then, if you be remember'd, cracking the stones of the foresaid prunes. FROTH. Ay, so I did, indeed.

CLO. Why, very well: I tell you then, if you be remember'd, that such a one, and such a one, were past cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept very good diet, as I told you. FROTH. All this is true.

CLO. Why, very well then.

ESCAL. Come, you are a tedious fool: to the purpose. What was done to Elbow's wife, that he hath cause to complain of? Come me to what was done to her.

CLO. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet. ESCAL. No, sir, nor I mean it not.

CLO. Sir, but you shall come to it, by your honour's leave: And, I beseech you, look into master Froth here, sir; a man of fourscore pound a year; whose father died at Hallowmas :-Was't not at Hallowmas, master Froth ?

FROTH. All-hallownd eve.

CLO. Why, very well; I hope here be truths: He, sir, sitting, as I say, in a lower chair, sir ;'twas in the Bunch of Grapes, where, indeed, you have a delight to sit: Have you not?

FROTH. I have so; and good for winter.

9

because it is an open room 1,

in a LOWER CHAIR,] Every house had formerly, among its other furniture, what was called-a low chair, designed for the ease of sick people, and, occasionally, occupied by lazy ones. Of these conveniencies I have seen many, though, perhaps, at present they are wholly disused. STEEVENS.

OPEN room,] Perhaps from the same root as oven, a warm
TALBOT.

CLO. Why, very well then ;-I hope here be

truths.

ANG. This will last out a night in Russia, When nights are longest there: I'll take my leave, And leave you to the hearing of the cause; Hoping, you'll find good cause to whip them all. ESCAL. I think no less: Good morrow to your [Exit ANGELO. Now, sir, come on: What was done to Elbow's wife, once more?

lordship.

CLO. Once, sir? there was nothing done to her

once.

ELB. I beseech you, sir, ask him what this man did to my wife.

CLO. I beseech your honour, ask me.

ESCAL. Well, sir: What did this gentleman to her?

Cto. I beseech you, sir, look in this gentleman's face-Good master Froth, look upon his honour; 'tis for a good purpose: Doth your honour mark his face ?

ESCAL. Ay, sir, very well.

Czo. Nay, I beseech you, mark it well.
ESCAL. Well, I do so.

CLO. Doth your honour see any harm in his face ?
ESCAL. Why, no.

CLO. I'll be supposed1 upon a book, his face is the worst thing about him: Good then; if his face be the worst thing about him, how could master Froth do the constable's wife any harm? I would know that of your honour.

ESCAL. He's in the right: Constable, what say you to it ?

ELB. First, an it like you, the house is a respected house; next, this is a respected fellow; and his mistress is a respected woman.

1 I'll be supposed-] He means deposed. MALONE.

Cio. By this hand, sir, his wife is a more respected person than any of us all.

ELB. Varlet, thou liest; thou liest, wicked varlet: the time is yet to come, that she was ever respected with man, woman, or child.

CLO. Sir, she was respected with him before he married with her.

ESCAL. Which is the wiser here? Justice, or Iniquity? Is this true?

ELB. O thou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked Hannibal! I respected with her, before I was married to her? If ever I was respected with her, or she with me, let not your worship think me the poor duke's officer:-Prove this, thou wicked Hannibal, or I'll have mine action of battery on

thee.

ESCAL. If he took you a box o' th'ear, you might have your action of slander too.

Elb. Marry, I thank your good worship for it: What is't your worship's pleasure I should do with this wicked caitiff?

ESCAL. Truly, officer, because he hath some offences in him, that thou wouldst discover if thou couldst, let him continue in his courses, till thou know'st what they are.

ELB. Marry, I thank your worship for it :-Thou

2 Justice, or Iniquity?] These were, I suppose, two personages well known to the audience by their frequent appearance in the old moralities. The words, therefore, at that time produced a combination of ideas, which they have now lost. JOHNSON.

"Justice, or Iniquity?" i. e. The Constable or the Fool. Escalus calls the latter, Iniquity, in allusion to the old Vice, a familiar character in the ancient moralities and dumb-shews. Justice may have a similar allusion, which I am unable to explain. Iniquitie is one of the personages "in the worthy interlude of Kynge Darius," 4to. bl. 1. no date. And in The First Part of King Henry IV. Prince Henry calls Falstaff,-" that reverend Vice, that grey Iniquity." RITSON.

3

Hannibal!] Mistaken by the Constable for Cannibal.

JOHNSON.

seest, thou wicked varlet now, what's come upon thee; thou art to continue now, thou varlet; thou art to continue ".

ESCAL. Where were you born, friend?

FROTH. Here in Vienna, sir.

[TO FROTH

ESCAL. Are you of fourscore pounds a year?
FROTH. Yes, an't please you, sir.

ESCAL. SO.-What trade are you of, sir?

[To the Clown. Czo. A tapster; a poor widow's tapster. ESCAL. Your mistress's name?

CLO. Mistress Over-done.

ESCAL. Hath she had any more than one husband? CLO. Nine, sir; Over-done by the last.

ESCAL. Nine!-Come hither to me, master Froth. Master Froth, I would not have you acquainted with tapsters; they will draw you 5, master Froth, and you will hang them: Get you gone, and let me hear no more of you.

FROTH. I thank your worship: For mine own part, I never come into any room in a taphouse, but I am drawn in.

ESCAL. Well; no more of it, master Froth: farewell. [Exit FROTH.]-Come you hither to me, master tapster; what's your name, master tapster? CLO. Pompey ".

6

ESCAL. What else?

CLO. Bum, sir.

4-thou art to CONTINUE.] Perhaps Elbow, misinterpreting the language of Escalus, supposes the Clown is to continue in confinement; at least, he conceives some severe punishment or other to be implied by the word-continue. STEEVENS.

5 they will DRAW you,] Draw has here a cluster of senses. As it refers to the tapster, it signifies to drain, to empty; as it is related to hang, it means to be conveyed to execution on a hurdle. In Froth's answer, it is the same as to bring along by some motive or power. JOHNSON.

6 Pompey.] His mistress, in a preceding scene, calls him Thomas RITSON.