Act 2
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ESCALUS He’s in the right. Constable, what say you to it?
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ESCALUS He’s right. Officer, what do you say to that?
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ELBOW
155First, an it like you, the house is a respected
house; next, this is a respected fellow; and his
mistress is a respected woman.
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ELBOW (confusing respected for suspected throughout) First, if it pleases you, the house is a respected house; next, this is a respected fellow, and his employer a respected woman.
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POMPEY By this hand, sir, his wife is a more respected
person than any of us all.
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POMPEY I swear, sir, his wife is a more respected person than any of us.
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ELBOW
160Varlet, thou liest; thou liest, wicked varlet! The
time has yet to come that she was ever respected
with man, woman, or child.
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ELBOW Scoundrel, you lie. You lie, wicked scoundrel! The
time has yet to come that she was ever respected
by man, woman, or child.
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POMPEY Sir, she was respected with him before he married with her.
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POMPEY Sir, he respected her before he married her.
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ESCALUS Which is the wiser here? Justice or Iniquity? Is
165this true?
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ESCALUS |
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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
170duke’s officer. Prove this, thou wicked Hannibal, or
I’ll have mine action of battery on thee.
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ELBOW Oh, you wretch! Oh, you scoundrel! Oh, you cannibal! I respected her before I was married to her! If I ever respected her, or she respected me, I’m not the duke’s poor officer. Prove this, you wicked cannibal, or I’ll sue you for assault.
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ESCALUS If he took you a box o’ the ear, you might have your
action of slander too.
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ESCALUS If he boxed your ears, you could sue him for slander, too.
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ELBOW Marry, I thank your good worship for it. What is’t
175your worship’s pleasure I shall do with this wicked caitiff?
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ELBOW Thank you, your worship. What would you like me to do with this wicked wretch?
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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.
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ESCALUS Honestly, officer, because he’s committed some crime that you would expose if you were capable, let him keep on until you figure out what it is.
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