"Enter VARRIUS.

"Duke, I thank thee, Varrius; thou haft made good

"hafte:

"Come, we will walk There's other of our friends "Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius. [Exeunt.

"SCENE II.

"Enter ISABELLA and MARIANA.

"Ifab. To fpeak fo indirectly, I am loth; "I would fay the truth; but to accuse him so, "That is your part: yet I'm advis'd to do it ; "He fays, to vail full purpose.

"Mari. Be rul'd by him.

66

Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure "He fpeak against me on the adverse fide,

"I fhould not think it ftrange; for 'tis a phyfick, "That's bitter to fweet end.

"Mari. I would, friar Peter

Jab. Oh, peace; the friar is come.

"Enter Friar PETER.·

"Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit, "Where you may have fuch vantage of the duke, "He fhall pass you: Twice have the trumpets founded; "The generous and graveft citizens

"Have bent the gates, and very near upon

"The duke is entering; therefore hence, away.

"[Exeunt."

ACT V. SCENE I.

A publick Place near the City. Enter Duke, "VAR"RIUS," Lords, ANGELO, ESCALUS, LUCIO, "and "Citizens" at feveral doors.

Duke.

My very worthy coufin, fairly met:

Y

Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to fee you.

Ang.

And. ang. Efcal. Happy return be to your royal grace! Duke. Many and hearty thankings to you both. We have made enquiry of you; and we hear Such goodness of your juftice, that our foul Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks, Fore-running more requital.

Ang. You make my bonds still greater.

Duke. Oh, your defert fpeaks loud; " and I fhould wrong it,

"To look in the wards of covert bosom,

"When it deferves with characters of brass
"A forted residence, 'gainst the tooth of time
"And razure of oblivion:" Give me your hand,
And let the fubjects fee, to make them know
That outward courtefies would fain proclaim
Favours that keep within.-Come, Efcalus;
You must walk by us on our other hand;

And good fupporters are you. [As the Duke is going out.
Enter PETER and ISABELLA,

Peter. Now is your time; fpeak loud, and kneel before

him.

Ifab. Juftice, O royal Duke! vail your regard Upon a wrong'd, I would fain have faid, a maid! Oh worthy prince, difhonour not your eye

By throwing it on any other object,

Till you have heard me in my true complaint,

And given me justice, justice, juftice, " juftice!"

Duke. Relate your wrongs: In what? by whom? be

brief:

Here is lord Angelo fhall give you justice;

Reveal yourself to him.

Ifab. Oh, worthy duke,

You bid me feek redemption of the devil:

Hear me yourfelf; for that which I must speak

Muft either punish me, not being believ'd,

Or wring redrefs from you: hear me, oh, hear me, "here."

Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm:

She hath been a fuitor to me for her brother.

Cut off by course of justice.

Ifab. By courfe of justice!

Ang. And the will speak most bitterly, and strange.
Ifab. Moft ftrange, but yet moft truly, will I speak:
That Angelo's forfworn; is it not strange?
That Angelo's a murtherer; is't not strange?
"That Angelo is an adulterous thief,"
An hypocrite; a virgin violater;
Is it not ftrange, and ftrange?

Duke. Nay, it is ten times ftrange.
Ifab. Is it not truer he is Angelo,
Than this is all as true as it is strange:
Nay, it is ten times true; for truth is truth
To the end of reckoning.

Duke. Away with her :-Poor foul,

She speaks this in the infirmity of fense.

Ifab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st There is another comfort than this world,

That thou neglect me not, with that opinion

That I am touch'd with madnefs: make not impoffible
That which but feems unlike: 'tis not impoffible,

But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground,
May feem as fhy, as grave, as juft, as abfolute,
As Angelo; even fo may Angelo,

In all his dreffings, characts, titles, forms,
Be an arch villain; believe it, royal prince,
If he be lefs, he's nothing; but he's more,
Had I more names for badnefs.

Duke. By mine honefty,

If he be mad (as I believe no other)
Her madnefs hath the oddeft frame of sense,
Such a dependency of thing on thing,
As e'er I heard in madness.

Ifab. Gracious duke,

Harp not on that; nor do not banish reason

For inequality: but let your reafon serve

To make the truth appear, where it seems hid;

Not hide the falfe, feems true.

Duke. Many that are not mad,

Have, fure, more lack of reafon.-What would you say? Ifab. I am the fifter of one Claudio,

Condemn'd upon the act of fornication

Το

To lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo :
I, in probation of a fifterhood,

Was fent to by my brother: One Lucio
Was then the messenger ;

Lucio. That's I, an't like your grace:

I came from her to Claudio, and defit'd her
To try her gracious fortune with lord Angelo,
For her poor brother's pardon.

Ifab. That's he, indeed.

Duke. You were not bid to speak.
Lucio. No, my good lord;
Nor wish'd to hold my peace.

Duke. I wish you now then;

Pray you, take note of it: and when you have
A business for yourself, pray heaven, you then
Be perfect.

Lucio. I warrant your honour.

Duke. The warrant's for yourself; take heed to it. Ijab. This gentleman told fomewhat of my tale. Lucio. Right.

Duke. It may be right; but you are in the wrong To speak before your time.-Proceed.

Ifab. I went

To this pernicious caitiff-deputy.

Duke. That's fomewhat madly fpoken.
Ifab. Pardon it;

The phrafe is to the matter.

Duke. Mended again: the matter;-Proceed.
Ifab. In brief,-to fet the needlefs procefs by,
How I perfuaded, how I pray'd, and kneel'd,
How he refell'd me, and how I reply'd;
(For this was of much length) the vile conclufion
I now begin with grief and fhame to utter:
He would not, but by gift of my chafte body
"To his concupifcible intemperate luft,"
Release my brother; and, after much debatement,
My fifterly remorfe confutes my honour,

And I did yield to him: But the next morn betimes,
His purpose furfeiting, he fends a warrant

For my poor brother's head.

Duke. This is most likely!

Ifab. Oh, that it were as like, as it is true!

Duke. By heaven, fond wretch, thou know'ft not what thou speak'ft;

Or elfe thou art fuborn'd against his honour

In hateful practice: Firft, his integrity

Stands without blemish :-next, it imports no reason,
That with fuch vehemency he should purfue
Faults proper to himfelf: if he had fo offended,
He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself,
And not have cut him off: Some one hath fet you on;
Confefs the truth, and fay by whofe advice
Thou cam'ft here to complain?

Ifab. And is this all ?

Then, oh, you bleffed minifters above,

Keep me in patience; and, with ripen'd time,
Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up

In countenance!-Heaven fhield your grace from woe,
As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved

go! Duke. I know, you'd fain be gone :-An officerTo prifon with her :-Shall we thus permit

A blasting and a fcandalous breath to fall

On him fo near us? This needs must be a practice.
Who knew of your intent, and coming hither?

Ifab. One that I would were here, friar Lodowick. Duke. A ghoftly 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 (pake against your grace In your retirement, I had fwing'd him foundly. Duke. Words against me? this' a good friar belike! And to fet on this wretched woman here Against our fubftitute!-Let this friar be found. Lucio. But yefternight, my lord, fhe and that friar I saw them at the prifon : a faucy friar,

A very fcurvy fellow.

Peter. Bleffed be your royal grace!

I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard
Your royal ear abus'd: First, hath this woman
Moft wrongfully accus'd your fubftitute;
Who is as free from touch or foil with her

As