Elb. If it please your honour, I am the 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.
II. 1.
50 Ang. Benefactors? Well; what benefactors are they? are they not malefactors?
Elb. 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 55 ought to have.
Escal. This comes off well; here’s a wise officer.
Ang. Go to: what quality are [they] of? Elbow is your name? why dost thou not speak, Elbow?
Pom. He cannot, sir; he’s out at elbow.
60 Ang. What are you, sir?
Elb. 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.
65 Escal. How know you that?
Elb. My wife, sir, whom I detest before heaven and your honour,—