Though sometimes you do blench from this to that, F. Peter. It shall be speeded well. [Exit Peter. Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou hast made good haste. Come, we will walk there's other of our friends Isab. To speak so indirectly, I am loath: ACT V. SCENE I.-A public Place near the City Gate. 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 kneel before him. Isab. Justice, O royal duke! Vail your regard [Kneeling. Upon a wrong'd, I would fain have said, a maid! She hath been a suitor to me for her brother, Isab. Nay, it is ten times strange. Isab. It is 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 th' end of reckoning. Duke. Away with her.-Poor soul! She speaks this in th' infirmity of sense. Isab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st That I am touch'd with madness: make not impossible In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms, Duke. By mine honesty, As e'er I heard in madness. Isab. Duke. Was sent to by my brother; one Lucio Duke. Mended again: the matter?—Now 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 replied, (For this was of much length) the vile conclusion I now begin with grief and shame to utter. He would not, but by gift of my chaste body To his concupiscible intemperate lust, Release my brother; and, after much debatement, And I did yield to him. But the next morn betimes, This is most likely. not 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, Duke. I know, you'd fain be gone.-An officer! To prison with her.-Shall we thus permit Isab. One that I would were here, friar 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 Against our substitute !-Let this friar be found. Lucio. But yesternight, my lord, she and that friar I saw them at the prison. A saucy friar, A very scurvy fellow. F. Peter. Blessed be your royal grace! I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard Your royal ear abus'd. First, hath this woman Most wrongfully accus'd your substitute, Who is as free from touch or soil with her, As she from one ungot. Duke. We did believe no less. Know you that friar Lodowick, that she speaks of? F. Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy; Not scurvy, nor a temporary meddler, As he's reported by this gentleman; And, on my truth, a man that never yet Lucio. My lord, most villainously believe it. F. Peter. Well; he in time may come to clear himself, But at this instant he is sick, my lord, Of a strange fever. Upon his mere request, So vulgarly and personally accus'd, Good friar, let's hear it. Do you not smile at this, lord Angelo?- Duke. Mari. No, my lord. Duke. Mari. What, are you married? Are you a maid? Duke. A widow then? No, my lord. Neither, my lord. 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 When, I'll depose, I had him in mine Mari. Not that I know. arms, Charges she more than me? 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. This is that face, thou cruel Angelo, Duke. Know you this woman? Sirrah, no more. Lucio. Carnally, she says. ; Ang. My lord, I must confess, I know this woman And five years since there was some speech of marriage 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 her, Upon my faith and honour. Noble prince, [Kneeling. Mari. As there comes light from heaven, and words from breath, As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue, Let me in safety raise me from my knees, Ang. I did but smile till now: Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice; Duke. Let him be sent for. 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. 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. 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. To call him villain? And then to glance from him Duke. Be not so hot; the duke dare F. Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, No more stretch this finger of mine, than he Ang. What can you vouch against him, signior Advertising and holy to your business, 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 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, O, my dread lord! I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, 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 instantly.— Do you the office, friar; which consummate, Return him here again.-Go with him, provost. [Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provost. Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour, Than at the strangeness of it. Duke. Come hither, Isabel. Your friar is now your prince: as I was then O, give me pardon, That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd Your unknown sovereignty! Duke. You are pardon'd, Isabel : Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach, Mari. O, my most gracious lord! I hope you will not mock me with a husband. Mari. O, my dear lord! I crave no other, nor no better man. Mari. Most bounteous sir, [Kneeling. Duke. What's he? Prov. His name is Barnardine. Duke. I would thou had'st done so by Claudio.Go, fetch him hither: let me look upon him. [Exit Provost. Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd, Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood, And lack of temper'd judgment afterward. Ang. I am sorry that such sorrow I procure; And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart, That I crave death more willingly than mercy: "Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it. Re-enter Provost, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO (muffled), and JULIET. Duke. Which is that Barnardine? Prov. I leave him to your hand.—What muffled fellow's that? As like almost to Claudio as himself. [Unmuffles him. Duke. If he be like your brother, [To ISABELLA,] for his sake, [CLAUDIO and ISABELLA embrace. Is he pardon'd; and for your lovely sake, Give me your hand, and say you will be mine, He is my brother too. But fitter time for that. By this lord Angelo perceives he's safe: Methinks, I see a quick'ning in his eye.— Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well: Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth yours.— I find an apt remission in myself, And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon.- One all of luxury, an ass, a madman: That you extol me thus? Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick. If you will hang me for it, you may; but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipp'd. Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.Proclaim it, provost, round about the city, If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow, (As I have heard him swear himself there's one Whom he begot with child) let her appear, And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd, Let him be whipp'd and hang'd. Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore! Your highness said even now I made you a duke good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold. Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her. Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging. Duke. Slandering a prince deserves it. She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.- I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.- G |