Lucio. O, pretty Isabella! I am pale at mine heart, | And dull to all proceedings. A deflowered maid, to see thine eyes so red: thou must be patient. I am And by an eminent body, that enforc'd 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 tomorrow. By my troth, Isabel, I loved thy brother; if the old fantastical duke of dark corners had been at home, he had lived. [Exit ISABELLA. Duke. Sir, the duke is marvellous little beholding to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them. Lucio. Friar, thou knowest not the duke so well as I do he's a better woodman than thou takest him for. The law against it!-But that her tender shame Escal. He shows his reason for that: to have a despaten of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, Which shall then have no power to stand against us. For my authority bears such a credent bulk With ransom of such shame. Would yet he had liv'd ! [Giving them.' Where you may have such vantage on the duke, sounded: I shall, sir fare you well. [Exit. The generous and gravest citizens Ang. Good night.— Have hent the gates, and very near upon ACT V. Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you. Ang. and Escal. Happy return be to your roya grace! SCENE I.—A public place near the City Gate. MARIANA, (veil'd.) ISABELLA and PETER, at a distance. Enter at several doors, Duke, VARRIUS, Lords; AnGELO, ESCALUS, LUCIO, Provost, Officers and Citizens. Duke. My very worthy cousin, fairly met.1 Knight and other eds. print this and Angelo's former speech in prose. of: in f. e. 3 letters: in f. e. Start off. tc veil full purpose: 1x e Duke. Many and hearty thankings to you both. We have made inquiry of you; and we hear Such goodness of your justice, that our soul Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks, Ang. To lock it in the wards of covert, bosom, Friar PETER and ISABELLA come forward. F. Peter. Now is your time. Speak loud, and kneel before him. Lab. Justice, O royal duke! Vail your regard [Kneeling.1 Upon a wrong'd, I would fain have said, a maid! Here is lord Angelo shall give you justice: Isab. O, worthy duke! Pray you, take note of it; and when you have [Rising." You bid me seek redemption of the devil. here! [Kneeling again.3 Is it not strange, and strange? I warrant your honour. Duke. Mended again: the matter?-Now proceed Nay, it is ten times strange. My sisterly remorse confutes mine honour, Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo, Away with her.-Poor soul! That I am touch'd with madness: make not impossible As Angelo; even so may Angelo, In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms, Be an arch-villain. Believe it, royal prince: Duke. By mine honesty, If she be mad, as I believe no other, Her madness hath the oddest frame of sense, Such a dependency of thing on thing, As e'er I heard in madness. 1334 Not in f.e F And I did yield to him. But the next morn betimes, Duke. Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour, 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 from woe, strange: in f. e. • Most strange, but yet, &c. : in f. e. inequality: in f. e. 8 Probabla. To prison with her.-Shall we thus permit Isab. One that I would were here, friar Lodowick. Lucio. My lord, I know him: 't is a meddling friar: Duke. Words against me? This a good friar, belike. F. Peter. Blessed be your royal grace! Duke. Lucio. My lord, most villainously: believe it. F. Peter. Well; he in time may come to clear him- But at this instant he is sick, my lord, To speak, as from his mouth, what he doth know Good friar, let's hear it. Do you not smile at this, lord Angelo?- Duke. What, are you married? Neither, my lord. Lucio. Well, my lord. Mari. My lord, I do confess I ne'er was married; I have known my husband, yet my husband knows not Lucio. He was drunk, then, my lord: it can be no better. Duke. For the benefit of silence, 'would thou wert so too! Lucio. Well, my lord. Duke. This is no witness for lord Angelo. She that accuses him of fornication, Ang. Mari. Not that I know. Charges she more than me? No? you say, your husband. Ang. This is a strange abuse.-Let's see thy face. This is that face, thou cruel Angelo, Duke. Know you this woman? As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue, I am affianc'd this man's wife, as strongly As words could make up vows: and, my good lord, He knew me as a wife. As this is true Ang. I did but smile till now: Duke. Why, you Are nothing then neither, maid, widow, nor wife? Lucio. My lord, she may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, nor wife. Duke. Silence that fellow: I would, he had some cause To prattle for himself. 1 trust in f.e * Im, that is, very partial, a common use of the prefix. Summer-house. Not in fe • Senseless. Were testimonies against his worth and credit, Let him be sent for. To accuse this worthy man, but, in foul mouth, And in the witness of his proper ear, To call him villain? And then to glance from him To the duke himself, to tax him with injustice?— Take him hence; to the rack with him.-We'll touse you Joint by joint, but we will know your purpose.— F. Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, What! unjust? indeed, Hath set the women on to this complaint. Your provost knows the place where he abides, Will leave you; but stir not you, till you have well Determined upon these slanderers. [Exit DUKE. Escal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.—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 villainous 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. 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 a Friar's habit, and Provost. Estal. I will go darkly to work with her. Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight. Eseal. 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. 'T is false. Escal. How! know you where you are? Duke. Respect to your great place! then let the devil Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne.Where is the duke? 't is he should hear me speak. Escal. The duke's in us, and we will hear you speak: Look, you speak justly. Druke. Boldly, at least.-But O, poor souls! Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox? Good night to your redress. Is the duke gone? Then is your cause gone too. The duke's unjust, Thus to reject' 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 Duke. Be not so hot; the duke dare❜ No more stretch this finger of mine, than he As much in mock as mark. 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. O, 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 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 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 gloze 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 hand 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 sheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour. Will 't not off? [Pulling off the DUKE's disguise.' Duke. Thou art the first knave, that e'er made a duke.[All start and stand". First, provost, let me hail 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, retort: in f. e.his: in. e. Knight transfers this word to the beginning of the next line. • Wantons. food, and discovers the DUKE. in " e. • Not in f. e. Pulls of the Friar's Ang. O, my dread lord! Duke. Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly. [Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provost. Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour, Than at the strangeness of it. Duke. Isab. 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. Duke. For this new-married man, approaching here, For Mariana's sake. But, as he adjudg'd your brother, Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach, Most audible, even from his proper tongue, Which, though thou would'st deny, denies thee vantage. Mari. O, my most gracious lord! I hope you will not mock me with a husband. Consenting to the safeguard of your honour, 1 Not in f. e. [Kneeling. I crave no other, nor no better man. Duke. Against all sense you do importune her: Mari. Isabel, : Let him not die. My brother had but justice, His act did not o'ertake his bad intent; And must be buried but as an intent That perish'd by the way. Thoughts are no subjects, Mari. Merely, my lord. Duke. Your suit's unprofitable: stand up, I say. [They rise. I have bethought me of another fault.- It was commanded so. Prov. Pardon me, noble lord : I thought it was a fault, but knew it not, What's he? Duke. [Exit Provost. Ang. I am sorry that such sorrow I procure; a And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart, |