A publick Place near the City.

Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Efcalus, 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 and hearty thankings to you both.

We have made enquiry of you; and we hear
Such "goodness of your justice, that our foul
Cannot but yield you forth to publick thanks,
Fore-running more requital.

Ang. You make my bonds ftill greater.

Duke. Oh, your defert fpeaks loud; and I should wrong it, To lock it in the wards of covert bofom, When it deserves with characters of brass 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, Escalus; 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 be

fore him.

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

goodness]-fair report.

vail]-vouchfafe, deign to beftow.

By

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 punish me, not being believ'd,

Or wring redress 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 she will speak moft bitterly, and ftrange.

Ifab. Most strange, but yet most 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 strange, and strange?

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:

X

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 sense.

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

truth is truth]-admits of no addition, or gradation.

That

1

That thou neglect me not, with that opinion

That I am touch'd with madness: 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 less, he's nothing; but he's more,
Had I more name for badness.

Duke. By mine honesty,

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

Ijab. 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;

b And 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.
To lofe his head: condemn'd by Angelo:
I, in probation of a filterhood,

Was fent to my brother; One Lucio

Was then the meffenger ;

y as shy, as grave, as juft, as abfolute,]--as referved, as demure, as

exact, as complete or perfect in the performance of his duty.

2 dreffings, characts,]-robes of ftate, enfigns of office.

a

For inequality:]-let not my caufe fuffer on account of the fuperior station of my adverfary: or, do not think me mad, because I appear inconfiftent, am fometimes calm, at others violent.

And hide the falfe, feems true.]-difregard, difcountenance the hypocritical Angelo.

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

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

To try her gracious fortune with lord Angelo,
For her poor brother's pardon.

Jab. That's he, indeed.

Duke. You were not bid to fpeak.

Lucio. No, my good lord;

Nor wifh'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,
Ifab. 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.

Ijab. 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:-Proceed.

Ifab. In brief,-to fet the needlefs process by, How I perfuaded, how I pray'd, and kneel'd, How he refell'd me, and how I reply'd;

C

(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 reafon,
That with fuch vehemency he should pursue
Faults proper to himself: 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, hehce unbelieved go!

Duke. I know, you'd fain be gone:-An officer-
To 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?

d remorfe confutes,]-affection, tenderness o'ercame.

furfeiting,-failing, cooling-forfeiting.

& fond]-weak.

meanour.

k

Ꮒ

flike,]-probable.

h practice:]-plot, confpiracy.

In countenance !]-In the deputy's fanctified appearance, or dea practice.]-fome fcandalous artifice, or contrivance. LEAR, A& II, S. 1. Glo. A& V, S. 3. Gon. KING JOHN, A&t IV, S. 3. Sal.

VOL. I.

A a

Tab.