SCENE II. A Street. Measure for Measure  Shakespeare homepage  |  Measure for Measure  | Act 1, Scene 2 

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 Enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen  LUCIO  If the duke with the other dukes come not to 

 composition with the King of Hungary, why then all 

 the dukes fall upon the king. 

 First Gentleman  Heaven grant us its peace, but not the King of 

 Hungary's! 

 Second Gentleman  Amen. 

 LUCIO  Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that 

 went to sea with the Ten Commandments, but scraped 

 one out of the table. 

 Second Gentleman  'Thou shalt not steal'? 

 LUCIO  Ay, that he razed. 

 First Gentleman  Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and 

 all the rest from their functions: they put forth 

 to steal. There's not a soldier of us all, that, in 

 the thanksgiving before meat, do relish the petition 

 well that prays for peace. 

 Second Gentleman  I never heard any soldier dislike it. 

 LUCIO  I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where 

 grace was said. 

 Second Gentleman  No? a dozen times at least. 

 First Gentleman  What, in metre? 

 LUCIO  In any proportion or in any language. 

 First Gentleman  I think, or in any religion. 

 LUCIO  Ay, why not? Grace is grace, despite of all 

 controversy: as, for example, thou thyself art a 

 wicked villain, despite of all grace. 

 First Gentleman  Well, there went but a pair of shears between us. 

 LUCIO  I grant; as there may between the lists and the 

 velvet. Thou art the list. 

 First Gentleman  And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou'rt 

 a three-piled piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief 

 be a list of an English kersey as be piled, as thou 

 art piled, for a French velvet. Do I speak 

 feelingly now? 

 LUCIO  I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful 

 feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own 

 confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I 

 live, forget to drink after thee. 

 First Gentleman  I think I have done myself wrong, have I not? 

 Second Gentleman  Yes, that thou hast, whether thou art tainted or free. 

 LUCIO  Behold, behold. where Madam Mitigation comes! I 

 have purchased as many diseases under her roof as come to-- 

 Second Gentleman  To what, I pray? 

 LUCIO  Judge. 

 Second Gentleman  To three thousand dolours a year. 

 First Gentleman  Ay, and more. 

 LUCIO  A French crown more. 

 First Gentleman  Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thou 

 art full of error; I am sound. 

 LUCIO  Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound as 

 things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow; 

 impiety has made a feast of thee. 



 Enter MISTRESS OVERDONE  First Gentleman  How now! which of your hips has the most profound sciatica? 

 MISTRESS OVERDONE  Well, well; there's one yonder arrested and carried 

 to prison was worth five thousand of you all. 

 Second Gentleman  Who's that, I pray thee? 

 MISTRESS OVERDONE  Marry, sir, that's Claudio, Signior Claudio. 

 First Gentleman  Claudio to prison? 'tis not so. 

 MISTRESS OVERDONE  Nay, but I know 'tis so: I saw him arrested, saw 

 him carried away; and, which is more, within these 

 three days his head to be chopped off. 

 LUCIO  But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so. 

 Art thou sure of this? 

 MISTRESS OVERDONE  I am too sure of it: and it is for getting Madam 

 Julietta with child. 

 LUCIO  Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two 

 hours since, and he was ever precise in 

 promise-keeping. 

 Second Gentleman  Besides, you know, it draws something near to the 

 speech we had to such a purpose. 

 First Gentleman  But, most of all, agreeing with the proclamation. 

 LUCIO  Away! let's go learn the truth of it. 



 Exeunt LUCIO and Gentlemen  MISTRESS OVERDONE  Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what 

 with the gallows and what with poverty, I am 

 custom-shrunk. 



 Enter POMPEY  How now! what's the news with you? 

 POMPEY  Yonder man is carried to prison. 

 MISTRESS OVERDONE  Well; what has he done? 

 POMPEY  A woman. 

 MISTRESS OVERDONE  But what's his offence? 

 POMPEY  Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. 

 MISTRESS 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? 

 MISTRESS OVERDONE  What proclamation, man? 

 POMPEY  All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be plucked down. 

 MISTRESS 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. 

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

 pulled down? 

 POMPEY  To the ground, mistress. 

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

 What shall become of me? 

 POMPEY  Come; fear you not: 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. 

 MISTRESS 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  CLAUDIO  Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the 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. 



 Re-enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen  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 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 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? 

 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 emmence 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 the 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. 

 I prithee, 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 strict deputy; bid herself assay him: 

 I have great hope in that; for in her youth 

 There is a prone and speechless dialect, 

 Such as move men; beside, she hath prosperous art 

 When she will play with reason and discourse, 

 And well she can persuade. 

 LUCIO  I pray she may; as well for the encouragement of the 

 like, which else would stand under grievous 

 imposition, as for the enjoying of thy life, who I 

 would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a 

 game of tick-tack. I'll to her. 

 CLAUDIO  I thank you, good friend Lucio. 

 LUCIO  Within two hours. 

 CLAUDIO  Come, officer, away! 



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