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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