you, Sir, here s the band and seal of the duke. You know the character, I doubt not; and the signet is not strange to you. Prov. I know them both. Duke. The contents of this is the return of the duke; you shall anon over-read it at your pleasure; where you shall find, within these two days he will be here. This is a thing, that Angelo knows not: for he this very day receives letters of strange tenor; perchance, of the duke's death; perchance, entering into some monastery: but, by chance, nothing of what is writ. Look, the unfolding star calls up the shepherd; Put not yourself into amazement, how these things should be: all difficulties are but easy when they are known. Call your executioner, and off with Barnardine's head: I will give him a present shrift, and advise him, for a better place. Yet you are amazed; but this shall absolutely resolve you. Come away; it is almost clear dawn. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-Another Room in the same. Enter CLOWN. Clo. I am as well acquainted here, as I was in our house of profession: one would think, it were mistress Over-done's own house, for here be many of her old customers. First, here's young master Rash ; he's in for a commodity of brown paper and old ginger, ninescore and seventeen pounds; of which he made five marks ready money: marry, then, ginger was not much in request, for the old women were all dead. Then is there here one master Caper, at the suit of master Three-pile the mercer, for some four suits of peach-colour'd satin, which now peaches him a beggar. Then bave we here young Dizy, and young master Deep-vow, and master Copper-spur, and master Starvelackey the rapier and dagger-man, and young Drop-heir that kill'd lusty Pudding, and master Forthright the tilter, and brave master Shoe-tie the great traveller, and wild Half-can that stabb'd Pots, and, I think, forty more; all great doers in our trade, and are now for the Lord's sake. Enter ABHORSON. Abhor. Sirrah, bring Barnardine hither. Duke. Sir, induced by my charity, and bearing how hastily you are to depart, I am come to advise you, comfort you, and pray with you. Barnar. Friar, not I; I have been drinking hard all night, and I will have more time to prepare me, or they shal! beat out my brains with billets: I will not consent to die this day, that's certain. Duke. O Sir, you must: and therefore, I beseech you, Look forward on the journey you shall go. Barnar. I swear I will not die to-day for any man's persuasion. Duke. But hear you,—— Barnar. Not a word; if you have any thing to say to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to-day. [Exit. And, to transport him in the mind he is, Prov. Here in the prison, father, sently. But Barnardine must die this afternoon : Duke. Let this be done ;-Put them in secret Clo. Master Barnardine! you must rise and The sun hath made his journal greeting to be hang'd, master Barnardine ! Abhor. What, ho, Barnardine ! Barnar. [Within.] A pox o' your throats! Who makes that noise there? What are you? Clo. Your friends, Sir; the hangman: You must be so good, Sir, to rise and be put to death. Barnar. [Within.] Away, you rogue, away; I am sleepy. Abhor. Tell him, he must awake, and that quickly too. Clo. Pray, master Barnardine, awake till you are executed, and sleep afterwards. Abhor. Go in to him, and fetch him out. Clo. He is coming, Sir, he is coming; I hear his straw rustle. The under generation, ⚫ you shall find Prov. I am your free dependant. And send the head to Angelo. [Exit PROVOST, tents Shall witness to him, I am near at home; Duke. Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter. Isab. The better given me by so holy a man. Hath yet the deputy sent my brother's pardon? Duke. He hath releas'd him, Isabel, from the world; His head is off, and sent to Angelo. Isab. Nay, but it is not so. Show your wisdom, daughter, in your close Isab. Oh! I will to him, and pluck out his eyes. Duke. You shall not be admitted to his sight. Isab. Unhappy Claudio! Wretched Isabel ! Injurious world! Most damned Angelo! Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jot: Forbear it therefore; give your cause to heaven. 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'd 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. Ang. And why should we proclaim it in an hour before his entering, that if any crave redress of injustice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street? Escal. He shows his reason for that: to have The duke comes home to-morrow ;-nay, dry a despatch of complaints; and to deliver us from your wisdom In that good path that I would wish it go; Isab. I am directed by you. Duke. This letter then to friar Peter give; 'Tis that he sent me of the duke's return: Say, by this token, I desire his company At Mariana's house to night. Her cause, and yours, I'll perfect him withal; and he shall bring you Before the duke; and to the head of Angelo Accuse him home, and home. For my poor self, I am combined by a sacred vow, And shall be absent. Wend + you with this letter: Command these fretting waters from your eyes With a light heart; trust not mine holy order, If I pervert your course.-Who's here? Enter LUCIO. Lucio. Good even! Friar, where is the provost ? Duke. Not within, Sir. Lucio. O pretty Isabella, I am pale at mine heart, to see thine eyes so red: thou must be patient; I am fain to dine and sup with water and bran; I dare not for my head fill my belly; one fruitful meal would set me to't: But they say the duke will be here to-morrow. By my troth, Isabel, I lov'd thy brother: if the old fantastical duke of dark corners had been at home, he had [Exit ISABELLA. Duke. Sir, the duke is marvellous little beholden to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them. lived. Lucio. Friar, thou knowest not the duke so well as I do he's a better woodman than thou takest him for. Duke. Well, you'll answer this one day. Fare ye well. Lucio. Nay, tarry; I'll go along with thee; I can tell thee pretty tales of the duke. Duke. You have told me too many of him already, 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? Lucio. Yes, marry, did I: but was fain to forswear it they would else have married me to tho ten medlar. Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honest; Rest you well. devices hereafter, which shall then have no power to stand against us. Ang. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd : Escal. I shall, Sir, fare you well. [Eait. This deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpreg. nant, And dull to all proceedings. A deflower'd maid! For my authority bears a credent ý bulk, Save that his riotous youth, with dangerous sense, Might, in the times to come, have ta'en revenge Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, Nothing goes right; we would, and we would [Exit. not. SCENE V.-Fields without the Town. Enter DUKE in his own habit, and Friar PETER. Duke. These letters at fit time deliver me. [Giving letters. The provost knows our purpose, and our plot. The matter being afoot, keep your instruction, And hold you ever to our special drift; Though sometimes you do blench ¶ from this to that, As cause doth minister. Go, call at Flavius' house, And tell him where I stay: give the like notice, F. Peter. It shall be speeded well. Enter VARRIUS. [Exit FRIAR. I would say the truth; but to accuse him so, Mari. Be rul'd by him. Isab. Besides, he tells me, that, if paradventure He speak against me on the adverse side, I should not think it strange; for 'tis a physic, Mari. I would, friar Peter- Enter Friar PETER. SCENE I.-A public Place near the City Gate. MARIANA, (veiled,) ISABELLA, and PETER, at a distance. Enter at opposite doors, DUKE, VARRIUS, Lords; ANGELO, ESCALUS, LUCIO, PROVOST, Officers, and Citizens. Duke. My very worthy cousin, fairly met:Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you. Ang. and Escal. Happy return be to your royal grace! Duke. Many and hearty thankings to We have made inquiry of you; and we hear Ang. You make my bouds still greater. you Ang. And she will speak most bitterly, and strange. Isab. Most strange, but yet most truly, will That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange? An bypocrite, a virgin violator; Duke. Nay, ten times strange. Duke. Away with her:-Poor soul, She speaks this in the infirmity of sense. There is another comfort than this world, That which but seems unlike: 'tis not impossi ble, But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground, In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms, Duke. By mine honesty, If she be mad, (as I believe no other,) Isab. O gracious duke, Isab. I am the sister of one Claudio. Condemn'd upon the act of fornication Duke. Oh! your desert speaks loud; and I To lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo: should wrong it, To lock it in the wards of covert bosom, PETER and ISABELLA come forward. F. Peter. Now is your time; speak loud, and kneel before him. Isab. Justice, O royal duke! Vail regard your Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have said, a maid! Till you have heard me in my true complaint whom? Be brief: I, in probation of a sisterbood, Was sent to by my brother: One Lucio Lucio. That's I, an't like your grace: I come to her from Claudio, and desir'd her Isab. 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 Lucio. I warrant your honour. Duke. The warrant's for yourself; take heed to it. Isab. This gentleman told somewhat of my tale. what? By Lucio. Right. Duke. It may be right; but you are in the To speak before your time.-Proceed. Isab. I went To this pernicious caitiff deputy. Duke. That's somewhat madly spoken. Isab. Pardon it; The phrase is to the matter. [wrong 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 + me, and how I reply'd ; (For this was of much length,) the vile con To his concupiscible temperate lust, [ment, (To justify this worthy nobleman, And did yield to him: But the next morning His purpose surfeiting, he sends a warrant Duke. This is most likely! Isub. Ob that it were as like, as it is true! Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour, reason, no That with such vehemency he should pursue Confess the truth, and say by whose advice Isab. And is this all? Then, O you blessed ministers above, Keep me in patience; and, with ripen'd time, In countenance !-Heaven shield your grace As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go! To prison with her :-Shall we thus permit Her shall you hear disproved to her eyes, Duke. Good friar, let's hear it. Do you not smile at this lord Angelo ?- Of your own cause.-Is this the witness, friar? Duke. What, are you married f Duke. Are you a maid? Mari. No, my lord. Duke. A widow, then? Mari. Neither, my lord. [face, [wife. Are nothing then :-Neither maid, widow, nor Lucio. He was drunk then, my lord; it can -Who knew of your intent, and coming hither? Duke. A ghostly father belike:-Who knows Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a medling friar ; [lord, And to set on this wretched woman here I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar, F. Peter. Blessed be your royal grace! Duke. We did believe no less. Know you that friar Lodowick, that she speaks of? Not scurvy, nor a temporary medler, But at this instant he is sick, my lord, Intended 'gainst lord Angelo,) came I hither, Is true, and false; and what he with his oath, Duke. For the benefit of silence, 'would thou wert so too. Lucio. Well, my lord. Duke. This is no witness for lord Angelo. Ang. Charges she more than me? 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. thy face. Mari. My husband bids me; now I will un- Duke. Know you this woman ? Ang. My lord, I must confess, I know this, woman; [marriage And, five years since, there was some speech of Betwixt myself and her; which was broke off, Partly, for that her promised proportions. Came short of composition; but, in chief, For that her reputation was disvalued In levity since which time of five years, I never spake with her, saw her, nor heard from Upon my faith and honour. [her, Mari. Noble prince, As there comes light from heaven, and words from breath, • Publicly ↑ Deception. Her fortune fell short. As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue, But Tuesday night last gone, in his garden-house, Ang. I did but smile till now; Duke. Ay, with my heart; And punish them unto your height of pleasure. Escal. The duke's in us; and we will hear you. Look, you speak justly. Duke. Boldly, at least:-But, O poor souls, Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox ? Good night to your edress. Is the duke gone? Then is your cause gone too. The duke's unjust, Thus to retort⚫ your manifest appeal, And put your trial in the villain's mouth, Which here you come to accuse. Lucio. This is the rascal: this is he I spoke of. Escal. Why, thou 'unreverend and unhallow'd friar ! Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women [self; And then to glance from him to the duke bim- Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble, F. Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for But faults so countenanc'd, and the strong sta he, 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. And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin, Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth, $ Do with your injuries as seems you best, In any chastisement: 1 for a while Will leave you; but stir not you, till you have Determined upon these slanderers. [well Escal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.-[Exit DUKE.] Siguior Lucio, did not you say, you knew that friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person ? Lucio. Lucullus 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. Escal. Call that same Isabel here once again; [To an Attendant.] I would speak with her: Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her. Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report. Escal. Say you? Lucio. Marry, Sir, I think, if you handled her privately, she would sooner confess; perchance, publicly she'll be ashamed. Re-enter Officers, with ISABELLA, the DUKE, in the 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, bere 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. Escal. How! know you where you are? Duke. Respect to your great place! and let the devil Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne :Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak: • Crazy. tutes Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop, Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to prison. Ang. What can you vouch against him, signior Lucio? Is this the man that you did tell us of? Lucio. 'Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman bald-pate: Do you know me ? Duke. I remember you, Sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison, in the absence of the duke. Lucio. Oh did you so? And do you remember what you said of the duke? Duke. Most notedly, Sir. Lucio. Do you so, Sir? And was the duke a flesh-monger, 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 so of him; and much more, much worse. 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, with a pox to you! show your sheepbiting face, and be hang'd an hour! Will't not off? [Pulls off the Friar's hood, and discovers the DUKE. Duke. Thou art the first knave that e'er made a duke.- First, Provost, let me cail these gentle three :-Sneak not away, Sir; [76 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. ↑ Conspiracy. 1 To the end. Refer back. + Accountable. I Wantons. |