Escalus's lines in Measure for Measure

Escalus. My lord.

Escalus. If any in Vienna be of worth To undergo such ample grace and honour, It is Lord Angelo.

Escalus. Lead forth and bring you back in happiness!

Escalus. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave To have free speech with you; and it concerns me To look into the bottom of my place: A power I have, but of what strength and nature I am not yet instructed.

Escalus. I'll wait upon your honour.

Escalus. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruise to death. Alas, this gentleman Whom I would save, had a most noble father!

Let but your honour know, Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue, That, in the working of your own affections, Had time cohered with place or place with wishing, Or that the resolute acting of your blood Could have attain'd the effect of your own purpose, Whether you had not sometime in your life Err'd in this point which now you censure him, And pull'd the law upon you.

Escalus. Be it as your wisdom will.

Escalus. ([Aside]) Well, heaven forgive him! and forgive us all! Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall: Some run from brakes of ice, and answer none: And some condemned for a fault alone.

Escalus. This comes off well; here's a wise officer.

Escalus. How know you that?

Escalus. How? thy wife?

Escalus. Dost thou detest her therefore?

Escalus. How dost thou know that, constable?

Escalus. By the woman's means?

Escalus. Do you hear how he misplaces?

Escalus. Go to, go to: no matter for the dish, sir.

Escalus. 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.

Escalus. No, sir, nor I mean it not.

Escalus. I think no less. Good morrow to your lordship.

Now, sir, come on: what was done to Elbow's wife, once more?

Escalus. Well, sir; what did this gentleman to her?

Escalus. Ay, sir, very well.

Escalus. Well, I do so.

Escalus. Why, no.

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

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

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

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

Escalus. Where were you born, friend?

Escalus. Are you of fourscore pounds a year?

Escalus. So. What trade are you of, sir?

Escalus. Your mistress' name?

Escalus. Hath she had any more than one husband?

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

Escalus. Well, no more of it, Master Froth: farewell.

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

Escalus. What else?

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.

Escalus. How would you live, Pompey? by being a bawd? What do you think of the trade, Pompey? is it a lawful trade?

Escalus. But the law will not allow it, Pompey; nor it shall not be allowed in Vienna.

Escalus. No, Pompey.

Escalus. There are pretty orders beginning, I can tell you: it is but heading and hanging.

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.

Escalus. Come hither to me, Master Elbow; come hither, Master constable. How long have you been in this place of constable?

Escalus. I thought, by your readiness in the office, you had continued in it some time. You say, seven years together?

Escalus. Alas, it hath been great pains to you. They do you wrong to put you so oft upon 't: are there not men in your ward sufficient to serve it?

Escalus. Look you bring me in the names of some six or seven, the most sufficient of your parish.

Escalus. To my house. Fare you well.

What's o'clock, think you?

Escalus. I pray you home to dinner with me.

Escalus. It grieves me for the death of Claudio; But there's no remedy.

Escalus. It is but needful: Mercy is not itself, that oft looks so; Pardon is still the nurse of second woe: But yet,--poor Claudio! There is no remedy. Come, sir.

Escalus. Go; away with her to prison!

Escalus. Double and treble admonition, and still forfeit in the same kind! This would make mercy swear and play the tyrant.

Escalus. What fellow is a fellow of much licence: let him be called before us. Away with her to prison! Go to; no more words.

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.

Escalus. Good even, good father.

Escalus. Of whence are you?

Escalus. What news abroad i' the world?

Escalus. One that, above all other strifes, contended especially to know himself.

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.

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.

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

Escalus. Every letter he hath writ hath disvouched other.

Escalus. I guess not.

Escalus. He shows his reason for that: to have a dispatch of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which shall then have no power to stand against us.

Escalus. I shall, sir. Fare you well.

Escalus. My lord, we'll do it throughly.

Signior Lucio, did not you say you knew that Friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person?

Escalus. We shall entreat you to abide here till he come and enforce them against him: we shall find this friar a notable fellow.

Escalus. Call that same Isabel here once again; I would speak with her.

Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her.

Escalus. Say you?

Escalus. I will go darkly to work with her.

Escalus. Come on, mistress: here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said.

Escalus. In very good time: speak not you to him till we call upon you.

Escalus. Come, sir: did you set these women on to slander Lord Angelo? they have confessed you did.

Escalus. How! know you where you are?

Escalus. The duke's in us; and we will hear you speak: Look you speak justly.

Escalus. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar, Is't not enough thou hast suborn'd these women To accuse this worthy man, but, in foul mouth And in the witness of his proper ear, To call him villain?

and then to glance from him To the duke himself, to tax him with injustice? Take him hence; to the rack with him! We'll touse you Joint by joint, but we will know his purpose. What 'unjust'!

Escalus. Slander to the state! Away with him to prison!

Escalus. Such a fellow is not to be talked withal. Away with him to prison! Where is the provost? Away with him to prison! lay bolts enough upon him: let him speak no more. Away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate companion!

Escalus. My lord, I am more amazed at his dishonour Than at the strangeness of it.

Escalus. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise As you, Lord Angelo, have still appear'd, Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood. And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.