2 Avoc. Disrobe that parasite.

Corv. Mos. Most honour’d fathers!—

1 Avoc. Can you plead aught to stay the course of justice!
If you, can speak.

Corv. Volt. We beg favour.

Cel. And mercy.

1 Avoc. You hurt your innocence, suing for the guilty.
Stand forth; and first the parasite: You appear
T’have been the chiefest minister, if not plotter,
In all these lewd impostures; and now, lastly,
Have with your impudence abused the court,
And habit of a gentleman of Venice,
Being a fellow of no birth or blood:
For which our sentence is, first, thou be whipt;
Then live perpetual prisoner in our gallies.

Volp. I thank you for him.

Mos. Bane to thy wolvish nature!

[Mosca is carried out.]—Thou, Volpone,

1 Avoc. Deliver him to the saffi. By blood and rank a gentleman, canst not fall
Under like censure; but our judgment on thee
Is, that thy substance all be straight confiscate
To the hospital of the Incurabili:
And, since the most was gotten by imposture,
By feigning lame, gout, palsy, and such diseases,
Thou art to lie in prison, cramp’d with irons,
Till thou be’st sick and lame indeed.—Remove him.

[He is taken from the Bar.

Volp. This is call’d mortifying of a Fox.

1 Avoc. Thou, Voltore, to take away the scandal
Thou hast given all worthy men of thy profession,
Art banish’d from their fellowship, and our state.
Corbaccio!—bring him near—We here possess
Thy son of all thy state, and confine thee
To the monastery of San Spirito;
Where, since thou knewest not how to live well here,
Thou shalt be learn’d to die well.

Corb. Ah! what said he?

Com. You shall know anon, sir.

1 Avoc. Thou, Corvino, shalt
Be straight embark’d from thine own house, and row’d
Round about Venice, through the grand canale,
Wearing a cap, with fair long ass’s ears,
Instead of horns; and so to mount, a paper
Pinn’d on thy breast, to the Berlina—

Corv. Yes,
And have mine eyes beat out with stinking fish,
Bruised fruit, and rotten eggs—’Tis well. I am glad
I shall not see my shame yet.

1 Avoc. And to expiate
Thy wrongs done to thy wife, thou art to send her
Home to her father, with her dowry trebled:
And these are all your judgments.
All. Honour’d fathers.—

1 Avoc. Which may not be revoked. Now you begin,
When crimes are done, and past, and to be punish’d,
To think what your crimes are: away with them.
Let all that see these vices thus rewarded,
Take heart and love to study ’em! Mischiefs feed
Like beasts, till they be fat, and then they bleed.