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Enter POMPEY

How now! what's the news with you?

POMPEY.

Yonder man is carried to prison.

MRS.

OVERDONE. Well, what has he done?

POMPEY.

A woman.

MRS.

OVERDONE. But what's his offence?

POMPEY.

Groping for trouts in a peculiar river.

MRS.

OVERDONE. What! is there a maid with child by him?

POMPEY.

No; but there's a woman with maid by him. You have not

heard of the proclamation, have you?

MRS.

OVERDONE. What proclamation, man?

POMPEY.

All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be pluck'd down.

MRS.

OVERDONE. And what shall become of those in the city?

POMPEY.

They shall stand for seed; they had gone down too, but that

a wise burgher put in for them.

MRS.

OVERDONE. But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be

pull'd down?

POMPEY.

To the ground, mistress.

MRS.

OVERDONE. Why, here's a change indeed in the commonwealth!

What shall become of me?

POMPEY.

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 considered.

MRS.

OVERDONE. What's to do here, Thomas Tapster? Let's withdraw.

POMPEY.

Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the provost to prison;

and there's Madam Juliet. Exeunt

Enter PROVOST, CLAUDIO, JULIET, and OFFICERS;

LUCIO following

CLAUDIO.

Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to th' world?

Bear me to prison, where I am committed.

PROVOST.

I do it not in evil disposition,

But from Lord Angelo by special charge.

CLAUDIO.

Thus can the demigod 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, so; yet still 'tis just.

LUCIO.

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

CLAUDIO.

From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty;

As surfeit 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 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?

CLAUDIO.

What but to speak of would offend again.

LUCIO.

What, is't murder?

CLAUDIO.

No.

LUCIO.

Lechery?

CLAUDIO.

Call it so.

PROVOST.

Away, sir; you must go.

CLAUDIO.

One word, good friend. Lucio, a word with you.

LUCIO.

A hundred, if they'll do you any good. Is lechery so look'd after?

CLAUDIO.

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,

Save that we do the denunciation lack

Of outward order; this we came not to,

Only for propagation of a dow'r

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?

CLAUDIO.

Unhappily, even so.

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 horse whereon the governor doth ride,

Who, newly in the seat, 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 unscour'd armour, hung by th' 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 milkmaid, if she be in love, may sigh it off.

Send after the Duke, and appeal to him.

CLAUDIO.

I have done so, but he's not to be found.