第 4 节
作者:
冷如冰 更新:2024-04-07 11:51 字数:9314
condemned for a fault alone。
Enter ELBOW and OFFICERS with FROTH and POMPEY
ELBOW。 Come; bring them away; if these be good people in a
commonweal that do nothing but use their abuses in common houses; I
know no law; bring them away。 ANGELO。 How now; sir! What's your
name; and what's the matter? ELBOW。 If it please your honour; I am the
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poor Duke's constable; and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon justice; sir;
and do bring in here before your good honour two notorious benefactors。
ANGELO。 Benefactors! Well… what benefactors are they? Are they not
malefactors? ELBOW。 If it please your honour; I know not well what they
are; but precise villains they are; that I am sure of; and void of all
profanation in the world that good Christians ought to have。 ESCALUS。
This comes off well; here's a wise officer。 ANGELO。 Go to; what quality
are they of? Elbow is your name? Why dost thou not speak; Elbow?
POMPEY。 He cannot; sir; he's out at elbow。 ANGELO。 What are you; sir?
ELBOW。 He; sir? A tapster; sir; parcel…bawd; one that serves a bad woman;
whose house; sir; was; as they say; pluck'd down in the suburbs; and now
she professes a hot…house; which; I think; is a very ill house too。
ESCALUS。 How know you that? ELBOW。 My wife; sir; whom I detest
before heaven and your honour… ESCALUS。 How! thy wife! ELBOW。 Ay;
sir; whom I thank heaven; is an honest woman… ESCALUS。 Dost thou
detest her therefore? ELBOW。 I say; sir; I will detest myself also; as well
as she; that this house; if it be not a bawd's house; it is pity of her life; for
it is a naughty house。 ESCALUS。 How dost thou know that; constable?
ELBOW。 Marry; sir; by my wife; who; if she had been a woman cardinally
given; might have been accus'd in fornication; adultery; and all
uncleanliness there。 ESCALUS。 By the woman's means? ELBOW。 Ay; sir;
by Mistress Overdone's means; but as she spit in his face; so she defied
him。 POMPEY。 Sir; if it please your honour; this is not so。 ELBOW。 Prove
it before these varlets here; thou honourable man; prove it。 ESCALUS。 Do
you hear how he misplaces? POMPEY。 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。 ESCALUS。 Go to;
go to; no matter for the dish; sir。 POMPEY。 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…bellied; 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 rest; as I said; and; as I say; paying for
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them very honestly; for; as you know; Master Froth; I could not give you
three pence again… FROTH。 No; indeed。 POMPEY。 Very well; you being
then; if you be rememb'red; cracking the stones of the foresaid prunes…
FROTH。 Ay; so I did indeed。 POMPEY。 Why; very well; I telling you then;
if you be rememb'red; 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。 POMPEY。 Why; very well then… 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。 POMPEY。
Sir; your honour cannot come to that yet。 ESCALUS。 No; sir; nor I mean it
not。 POMPEY。 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…hallond eve。 POMPEY。 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; because it is an open room; and good for winter。 POMPEY。 Why;
very well then; I hope here be truths。 ANGELO。 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。
ESCALUS。 I think no less。 Good morrow to your lordship。 'Exit
ANGELO' Now; sir; come on; what was done to Elbow's wife; once more?
POMPEY。 Once?… sir。 There was nothing done to her once。 ELBOW。 I
beseech you; sir; ask him what this man did to my wife。 POMPEY。 I
beseech your honour; ask me。 ESCALUS。 Well; sir; what did this
gentleman to her? POMPEY。 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? ESCALUS。 Ay; sir; very well。 POMPEY。
Nay; I beseech you; mark it well。 ESCALUS。 Well; I do so。 POMPEY。
Doth your honour see any harm in his face? ESCALUS。 Why; no。
POMPEY。 I'll be suppos'd 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。 ESCALUS。 He's in the right; constable; what say you to it?
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ELBOW。 First; an it like you; the house is a respected house; next; this is a
respected fellow; and his mistress is a respected woman。 POMPEY。 By
this hand; sir; his wife is a more respected person than any of us all。
ELBOW。 Varlet; thou liest; thou liest; wicked varlet; the time is yet to
come that she was ever respected with man; woman; or child。 POMPEY。
Sir; she was respected with him before he married with her。 ESCALUS。
Which is the wiser here; Justice or Iniquity? Is this true? ELBOW。 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 batt'ry on thee。 ESCALUS。 If he took
you a box o' th' ear; you might have your action of slander too。 ELBOW。
Marry; I thank your good worship for it。 What is't your worship's pleasure
I shall do with this wicked caitiff? 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 know'st what they are。 ELBOW。
Marry; I thank your worship for it。 Thou seest; thou wicked varlet; now;
what's come upon thee: thou art to continue now; thou varlet; thou art to
continue。 ESCALUS。 Where were you born; friend? FROTH。 Here in
Vienna; sir。 ESCALUS。 Are you of fourscore pounds a year? FROTH。 Yes;
an't please you; sir。 ESCALUS。 So。 What trade are you of; sir? POMPEY。
A tapster; a poor widow's tapster。 ESCALUS。 Your mistress' name?
POMPEY。 Mistress Overdone。 ESCALUS。 Hath she had any more than
one husband? POMPEY。 Nine; sir; Overdone by the last。 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。 FROTH。 I
thank your worship。 For mine own part; I never come into any room in a
taphouse but I am drawn in。 ESCALUS。 Well; no more of it; Master Froth;
farewell。 'Exit FROTH' 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
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