I am combined by a sacred vow, Lucio. Friar, where is the provost ? Lucio. O, pretty Isabella, I heart, to see thine eyes so red: Good even! Not within, sir. The law against it!-But that her tender shame For my authority bears a credent' bulk, am pale at mine With ransom of such shame. Would yet he had liv'd! tient: I am fain to dine and sup with water and Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, bran; I dare not for my head fill my belly; one Nothing goes right; we would and we would not. fruitful meal would set me to't: But they say the [Exit. duke will be here to-morrow. By my troth, Isabel, I lov'd thy brother: if the old fantastical' duke of SCENE V.-Fields without the town. Enter Duke in his own habit, and Friar Peter. dark corners had been at home, he had lived. Duke. These letters at fit time deliver me. Duke. Sir, the duke is marvellous little beholden [Giving letters. to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them. The provost knows our purpose, and our plot. Lucio. Friar, thou knowest not the duke so well The matter being afoot, keep your instruction, as I do: he's a better woodman than thou takest And hold you ever to our special drift; him for. (Exit Isabella. Duke. Well, you'll answer this one day. ye well. Fare Lucio. Nay, tarry; I'll go along with thee; can tell thee pretty tales of the duke. Though sometimes you do blench" from this to that, Duke. You have told me too many of him ready, sir, if they be true; if not true, none were enough. Lucio. I was once before him for getting a wench with child. Duke. Did you such a thing? F. Peter. It shall be speeded well. Enter Varrius. Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou hast made good haste; Lucio. Yes, marry, did I: but was fain to for- Come, we will walk: There's other of our friends swear it; they would else have married me to the Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius. [Exê. rotten medlar. Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honest: SCENE VI.-Street near the city gate. Enter Isabella and Mariana. Rest you well. Lucio. By my troth, I'll go with thee to the lane's end: If bawdy talk offend you, we'll have very little of it: Nay, friar, I am a kind of burr, I shall stick. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-A room in Angelo's house. Enter Angelo and Escalus. Escal. Every letter he hath writ hath disvouch'de other. Ang. 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 re-deliver our authorities there? Escal. I guess not. Isab. To speak so indirectly, I am loath; Mari. Be rul'd by him. O, peace; the friar is come. F. Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit, Ang. And why should we proclaim it in an hour before his entering, that if any crave redress of injus- Where you may have such vantage on the duke, tice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street? He shall not pass you: Twice have the trumpets Escal. He shows his reason for that: to have a sounded; despatch of complaints; and to deliver us from The generous1o and gravest citizens devices hereafter, which shall then have no power Have hent" the gates, and very near upon to stand against us. The duke is ent'ring; therefore hence, away. [Exe. Ang. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd: Escal. I shall, sir: fare you well. [Exit. This deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpreg- And dull to all proceedings. A deflower'd maid! (1) Go. (2) Contradicted. (3) Figure and rank. (5) Credit unquestionable. (6) Utterer. Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you. Duke. Many and hearty thankings to you both. Ang. You make my bonds still greater. Duke. O, your desert speaks loud; and I should wrong it, To lock it in the wards of covert bosom, Friar Peter and Isabella come forward. F. Peter. Now is your time; speak loud, and Isab. Justice, O, royal duke! Vail' your regard Till you have heard me in my true complaint, Here is lord Angelo shall give you justice; Isab. O, worthy duke, Or wring redress from you: hear me, O, hear me, Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm: Isab. Most strange, but yet most truly, will I That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange? In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms, If she be mad (as I believe no other,) Isab. O, gracious duke, Duke. Isab. I am the sister of one Claudio, Was sent to by my brother: One Lucio I That's I, an't like your grace: Isab. That's he indeed. Duke. Mended again: the matter:-Proceed. Isab. In brief,-to set the needless process by, How I persuaded, how I pray'd, and kneel'd, How he refell'd' ine, and how I reply'd; (For this was of much length,) the vile conclusion now begin with grief and shame to utter: He would not, but by gift of my chaste body Nay, ten times strange. To his concupiscible intemperate lust, Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo, That which but seems unlike: 'tis not impos- But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground, (1) Lower. (2) Habits and characters of office. Release my brother; and, after much debatement, Duke This is most likely! (6) Conspiracy. Р Wo, As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go! Duke. I know, you'd fain be gone:-An officer! To prison with her ;-Shall we thus permit A blasting and a scandalous breath to fall On him so near us? This needs must be a practice. -Who knew of your intent, and coming hither? Isab. One that I would were here, friar Lodowick. Duke. A ghostly father, belike:-Who knows that Lodowick? Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling friar; I do not like the man: had he been lay, my lord, For certain words he spake against your grace In your retirement, I had swing'd' him soundly. Duke. Words against me? This' a good friar, belike! And to set on this wretched woman here I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar, F. Peter. Duke. We did believe no less. Know you that friar Lodowick, that she speaks of? F. Peter. Well, he in time may come to clear himself; But at this instaut he is sick, my lord, So vulgarly and personally accus'd,) Good friar, let's hear it. [Isabella is carried off, guarded; and Mariana comes forward. Do you not smile at this, lord Angelo?— What, are you married? (2) Simple. (3) Convened. Mari. Duke. Are nothing then: -Neither maid, widow, nor wife? Charges she more than me? Muri. Not that I know. Duke. No? you say, your husband. Mari. Why, just, my lord, and that is Angelo, Who thinks, he knows, that he ne'er knew my body, But knows, he thinks, that he knows Isabel's. Ang. This is a strange abuse:-Let's see thy face. Or else for ever be confixed here, Ang. I did but smile till now; Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice; Duke. Though they would swear down each particular Were testimonies against his worth and credit, Look, you speak justly. Duke. Boldly, at least:-But, O, poor souls, Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women Te call him villain? F. Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, And then to glance from him to the duke himself; indeed, Hath set the women on to this complaint: Your provost knows the place where he abides, And he may fetch him. Duke. Go, do it instantly.- [Exit Provost. Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,' And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin, Do with your injuries as seems you best, In any chastisement: I for a while To tax him with injustice ?-Take him hence; joint, But we will know this purpose:-What! unjust? Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he Nor here provincial: My business in this state Will leave you; but stir not you, till you have Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble, well Determined upon these slanderers. Escal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.-[Erit Duke. Signior Lucio, did not you say, you knew that friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person? Lucio. Cucullus non facit monachum: honest in nothing, but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most villanous speeches of the duke. Escal. We shall entreat you to abide here till he come, and enforce them against him: we shall find this friar a notable fellow. Lucio. As any in Vienna, on my word. Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report. Lucio. Marry, sir, I think, if you handled her privately, she would sooner confess; perchance, publicly she'll be ashamed. Till it o'er-run the stew: laws, for all faults; Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to Duke. Most notedly, sir. Lucio. Do you so, sir? And was the duke a fleshmonger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? Duke. You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, spoke Re-enter Officers, with Isabella; the Duke, in the so of him; and much more, much worse. friar's habit, and Provost. Escal. I will go darkly to work with her. Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight. Escal. Come on, mistress: [To Isabella.] here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said. Lucio. My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of; here, with the provost. Escal. In very good time:-speak not you to him, till we call upon you. Lucio. Mum. Escal. Come, sir: Did you set these women on to slander lord Angelo? they have confess'd you did. Duke. 'Tis false. (1) Crazy. (2) Conspiracv. (3) To the end. Lucio. O thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose, for thy speeches ? Duke. I protest I love the duke, as I love myself. Ang. Hark! how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses. Escal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd 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. [The Provost lays hands on the Duke. Duke. Stay, sir; stay a while. Ang. What! resists he? Help him, Lucio. Lucio. Come, sir; come, sir; come, sir; foh, sir: Why, you bald-pated, lying rascal! you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's visage, (4) Befer back. (5) Accountable. (6) Wantons. the Duke. with a pox to you! show your sheep-biting face, |Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach, and be hang'd an hour! Will't not off? Thereon dependant, for your brother's life,) [Pulls off the friar's hood, and discovers The very mercy of the law cries out Most audible, even from his proper' tongue, An Angelo for Claudio, death for death. Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure; Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure. Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifested: Which though thou would'st deny, denies thee Duke. Thou art the first knave, that e'er made a duke. First, provost, let me bail these gentle three:Sneak not away, sir; [To Lucio.] for the friar and you Must have a word anon:-lay hold on him. Lucio. This may prove worse than hanging. Duke. What you have spoke, I pardon; sit you down.[To Escalus. We'll borrow place of him :-Sir, by your leave: [To Angelo. -- Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence, Ang. O my dread lord, I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, To think I can be undiscernible, When I perceive, your grace, like power divine, Hath look'd upon my passes: Then, good prince, No longer session hold upon my shame, But let my trial be mine own confession; Immediate sentence then, and sequent3 death, Is all the grace I beg. Duke. Come hither, Mariana :Say, wast thou e'er contracted to this woman? Ang. I was, my lord. Duke. Go, take her hence, and marry her in stantly. O, give me pardon, That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd Your unknown sovereignty. Duke. You are pardon'd, Isabel: Re-enter Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost. Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd (Being criminal, in double violation to you. Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my part; Lend me your knees, and all my life to come Duke. Against all sense do you impórtune her: Isabel, Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me; Hold up your hands, say nothing, I'll speak all. They say, best men are moulded out of faults; And, for the most, become much more the better For being a little bad: so may my husband. O, Isabel! will you not lend a knee? Duke. He dies for Claudio's death. Isab. Most bounteous sir, [Kneeling, Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd, His act did not o'ertake his bad intent, Mari. Prov. sage. Duke. For which I do discharge you of your office (6) Reason and affection. |