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.

SCENE VI.

Enter ISABELLA and MARIANA.

[Exeunt.

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.

Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure He fpeak againft 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-
Ifab. 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 on the duke, He fhall not pafs you: Twice have the trumpets The generous and gravest citizens [founded; Have hent the gates, and very near upon The duke is entering; therefore hence away.

[Exeunt.

ACT

ACT V.

SCENE I. A Publick Place near the City.

Enter Duke, VARRIUS, Lords ANGELO, ESCALUS, LUCIO, and Citizens, at feveral doors.

Duke.

My very worthy coufin, fairly met:

Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to fee you. Ang. and Efcal. Happy return be to your royal grace!

Duke. Many 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 equital.

Ang. You make my bonds ftill greater.

Duke. Oh, your defert fpeaks loud; and I fhould To lock it in the wards of covert bofom, [wrong it, When it deferves with characters of brafs A forted refidence, '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! veil your regard Upon a wrong'd, I would fain have faid, a maid! Oh worthy prince, dishonour not your eye By throwing it on any other object,

Till you have heard me in my true complaint,
And given me justice, justice, justice, justice!
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 yourself; for that which I must speak
Muft either punifh 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 juftice!

Ang. And fhe will speak most bitterly, and ftrange.

Ifab. Moft ftrange, but yet moft truly, will I fpeak:
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 frange, and ftrange?

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

Duke. Away with her :-Poor foul,

She

She fpeaks this in the infirmity of fenfe.

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

That thou neglect me not, with that opinion That I am touch'd with madnèfs: make not impoffible

That which but feems unlike: 'tis not impoffible,
But one, the wicked'ft 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 badness.

Duke. By mine honesty,

If fhe be mad (as I believe no other)
Her madnefs hath the oddeft frame of fenfe,
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 reason 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 reason.-What would you Ifab. I am the fister of one Claudio,

Condemn'd upon the act of fornication

To lofe his head; condemn'd by Angelo:

I, in probation of a fifterhood,

Was fent to by my brother: One Lucio
Was then meffenger;---

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

I came to her from Claudio, and defir'd her

[fay?

Το

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 wifh'd to hold my peace.
Duke. I with 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. Ifab. This gentleman told fomewhat of my tale. Lucio. Right.

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

Ifab. I went

To this pernicious caitiff-deputy.

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

The phrase 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.