Speeches (Lines) for Escalus
in "Measure for Measure"
Total: 78

1

I,1,4

Vincentio. Escalus.

Escalus. My lord.

2

I,1,26

Vincentio. Of government the properties to unfold,
Would seem in me to affect speech and discourse;
Since I am put to know that your own science
Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice
My strength can give you: then no more remains,
But that to your sufficiency [—]
[—] as your Worth is able,]
And let them work. The nature of our people,
Our city's institutions, and the terms
For common justice, you're as pregnant in
As art and practise hath enriched any
That we remember. There is our commission,
From which we would not have you warp. Call hither,
I say, bid come before us Angelo.
[Exit an Attendant]
What figure of us Think you he will bear?
For you must know, we have with special soul
Elected him our absence to supply,
Lent him our terror, dress'd him with our love,
And given his deputation all the organs
Of our own power: what think you of it?

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

3

I,1,84

Angelo. The heavens give safety to your purposes!

Escalus. Lead forth and bring you back in happiness!

4

I,1,87

(stage directions). [Exit]

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.

5

I,1,95

Angelo. 'Tis so with me. Let us withdraw together,
And we may soon our satisfaction have
Touching that point.

Escalus. I'll wait upon your honour.

6

II,1,457

Angelo. We must not make a scarecrow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,
And let it keep one shape, till custom make it
Their perch and not their terror.

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.

7

II,1,485

Angelo. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,
The jury, passing on the prisoner's life,
May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two
Guiltier than him they try. What's open made to justice,
That justice seizes: what know the laws
That thieves do pass on thieves? 'Tis very pregnant,
The jewel that we find, we stoop and take't
Because we see it; but what we do not see
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not so extenuate his offence
For I have had such faults; but rather tell me,
When I, that censure him, do so offend,
Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

Escalus. Be it as your wisdom will.

8

II,1,493

(stage directions). [Exit Provost]

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.

9

II,1,512

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.

10

II,1,521

Elbow. He, sir! a tapster, sir; parcel-bawd; one that
serves a bad woman; whose house, sir, was, as they
say, plucked 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?

11

II,1,523

Elbow. My wife, sir, whom I detest before heaven and your honour,—

Escalus. How? thy wife?

12

II,1,525

Elbow. Ay, sir; whom, I thank heaven, is an honest woman,—

Escalus. Dost thou detest her therefore?

13

II,1,529

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?

14

II,1,533

Elbow. Marry, sir, by my wife; who, if she had been a woman
cardinally given, might have been accused in
fornication, adultery, and all uncleanliness there.

Escalus. By the woman's means?

15

II,1,539

Elbow. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable
man; prove it.

Escalus. Do you hear how he misplaces?

16

II,1,547

Pompey. Sir, she came in great with child; and longing,
saving your honour's reverence, for stewed 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.

17

II,1,567

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.

18

II,1,571

Pompey. Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet.

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

19

II,1,588

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?

20

II,1,594

Pompey. I beseech your honour, ask me.

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

21

II,1,598

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.

22

II,1,600

Pompey. Nay; I beseech you, mark it well.

Escalus. Well, I do so.

23

II,1,602

Pompey. Doth your honour see any harm in his face?

Escalus. Why, no.

24

II,1,608

Pompey. I'll be supposed 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?

25

II,1,618

Pompey. Sir, she was respected with him before he married with her.

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

26

II,1,626

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 battery on thee.

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

27

II,1,630

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 knowest what they
are.

28

II,1,637

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?

29

II,1,639

Froth. Here in Vienna, sir.

Escalus. Are you of fourscore pounds a year?

30

II,1,641

Froth. Yes, an't please you, sir.

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

31

II,1,643

Pompey. Tapster; a poor widow's tapster.

Escalus. Your mistress' name?

32

II,1,645

Pompey. Mistress Overdone.

Escalus. Hath she had any more than one husband?

33

II,1,647

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.

34

II,1,655

Froth. I thank your worship. For mine own part, I never
come into any room in a tap-house, 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?

35

II,1,660

Pompey. Pompey.

Escalus. What else?

36

II,1,662

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 a tapster, are you
not? come, tell me true: it shall be the better for you.

37

II,1,668

Pompey. Truly, sir, I am a poor fellow that would live.

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

38

II,1,671

Pompey. If the law would allow it, sir.

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

39

II,1,675

Pompey. Does your worship mean to geld and splay all the
youth of the city?

Escalus. No, Pompey.

40

II,1,679

Pompey. Truly, sir, in my poor opinion, they will to't then.
If your worship will take order for the drabs and
the knaves, you need not to fear the bawds.

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

41

II,1,687

Pompey. If you head and hang all that offend that way but
for ten year together, you'll be glad to give out a
commission for more heads: if this law hold in
Vienna ten year, I'll rent the fairest house in it
after three-pence a bay: if you live to see this
come to pass, say Pompey told you so.

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.

42

II,1,701

(stage directions). [Exit]

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

43

II,1,704

Elbow. Seven year and a half, sir.

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

44

II,1,707

Elbow. And a half, sir.

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?

45

II,1,714

Elbow. Faith, sir, few of any wit in such matters: as they
are chosen, they are glad to choose me for them; I
do it for some piece of money, and go through with
all.

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

46

II,1,717

Elbow. To your worship's house, sir?

Escalus. To my house. Fare you well.
[Exit ELBOW]
What's o'clock, think you?

47

II,1,721

Justice. Eleven, sir.

Escalus. I pray you home to dinner with me.

48

II,1,723

Justice. I humbly thank you.

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

49

II,1,726

Justice. Lord Angelo is severe.

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.

50

III,2,1699

(stage directions). [Enter ESCALUS, Provost, and Officers with MISTRESS OVERDONE]

Escalus. Go; away with her to prison!

51

III,2,1702

Mistress Overdone. Good my lord, be good to me; your honour is accounted
a merciful man; good my lord.

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

52

III,2,1712

Mistress Overdone. My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me.
Mistress Kate Keepdown was with child by him in the
duke's time; he promised her marriage: his child
is a year and a quarter old, come Philip and Jacob:
I have kept it myself; and see how he goes about to abuse me!

Escalus. That fellow is a fellow of much licence: let him be
called before us. Away with her to prison! Go to;
no more words.
[Exeunt Officers with MISTRESS OVERDONE]
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.

53

III,2,1723

Provost. So please you, this friar hath been with him, and
advised him for the entertainment of death.

Escalus. Good even, good father.

54

III,2,1725

Vincentio. Bliss and goodness on you!

Escalus. Of whence are you?

55

III,2,1730

Vincentio. Not of this country, though my chance is now
To use it for my time: I am a brother
Of gracious order, late come from the See
In special business from his holiness.

Escalus. What news abroad i' the world?

56

III,2,1741

Vincentio. None, but that there is so great a fever on
goodness, that the dissolution of it must cure it:
novelty is only in request; and it is as dangerous
to be aged in any kind of course, as it is virtuous
to be constant in any undertaking. There is scarce
truth enough alive to make societies secure; but
security enough to make fellowships accurst: much
upon this riddle runs the wisdom of the world. This
news is old enough, yet it is every day's news. I
pray you, sir, of what disposition was the duke?

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

57

III,2,1744

Vincentio. What pleasure was he given to?

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.

58

III,2,1758

Vincentio. He professes to have received no sinister measure
from his judge, but most willingly humbles himself
to the determination of justice: yet had he framed
to himself, by the instruction of his frailty, many
deceiving promises of life; which I by my good
leisure have discredited to him, and now is he
resolved to die.

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.

59

III,2,1767

Vincentio. If his own life answer the straitness of his
proceeding, it shall become him well; wherein if he
chance to fail, he hath sentenced himself.

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

60

IV,4,2308

(stage directions). [Enter ANGELO and ESCALUS]

Escalus. Every letter he hath writ hath disvouched other.

61

IV,4,2313

Angelo. In most uneven and distracted manner. His actions
show much like to madness: pray heaven his wisdom be
not tainted! And why meet him at the gates, and
redeliver our authorities there

Escalus. I guess not.

62

IV,4,2317

Angelo. And why should we proclaim it in an hour before his
entering, that if any crave redress of injustice,
they should exhibit their petitions in the street?

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.

63

IV,4,2325

Angelo. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaimed betimes
i' the morn; I'll call you at your house: give
notice to such men of sort and suit as are to meet
him.

Escalus. I shall, sir. Fare you well.

64

V,1,2673

Vincentio. Go do it instantly.
[Exit Provost]
And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin,
Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,
Do with your injuries as seems you best,
In any chastisement: I for a while will leave you;
But stir not you till you have well determined
Upon these slanderers.

Escalus. My lord, we'll do it throughly.
[Exit DUKE]
Signior Lucio, did not you say you knew that
Friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person?

65

V,1,2680

Lucio. 'Cucullus non facit monachum:' honest in nothing
but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most
villanous speeches of the duke.

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

66

V,1,2684

Lucio. As any in Vienna, on my word.

Escalus. Call that same Isabel here once again; I would speak with her.
[Exit an Attendant]
Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you
shall see how I'll handle her.

67

V,1,2689

Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report.

Escalus. Say you?

68

V,1,2693

Lucio. Marry, sir, I think, if you handled her privately,
she would sooner confess: perchance, publicly,
she'll be ashamed.

Escalus. I will go darkly to work with her.

69

V,1,2697

Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight.
[Re-enter Officers with ISABELLA; and Provost with]
the DUKE VINCENTIO in his friar's habit]

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

70

V,1,2701

Lucio. My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of; here with
the provost.

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

71

V,1,2704

Lucio. Mum.

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

72

V,1,2707

Vincentio. 'Tis false.

Escalus. How! know you where you are?

73

V,1,2711

Vincentio. Respect to your great place! and let the devil
Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne!
Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak.

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

74

V,1,2721

Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of.

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'!

75

V,1,2740

Vincentio. Be not so hot; the duke
Dare no more stretch this finger of mine than he
Dare rack his own: his subject am I not,
Nor here provincial. My business in this state
Made me a looker on here in Vienna,
Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble
Till it o'er-run the stew; laws for all faults,
But faults so countenanced, that the strong statutes
Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop,
As much in mock as mark.

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

76

V,1,2759

Angelo. Hark, how the villain would close now, after his
treasonable abuses!

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!

77

V,1,2801

(stage directions). [Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, FRIAR PETER and Provost]

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

78

V,1,2911

(stage directions). [Exit Provost]

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.