Clo. Master Barnardine! you must rise and 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. Enter Barnardine. Abhor. Is the axe upon the block, sirrah? Barnar. How now, Abhorson? what's the news with you? Abhor. Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your prayers; for, look you, the warrant's come. Barnar. You rogue, I have been drinking all night, I am not fitted for't. Clo. O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night, and is hang'd betimes in the morning, may sleep the sounder all the next day. Enter Duke. Abhor. Look you, sir, here comes your ghostly father; Do we jest now, think you? Duke. Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing 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 shall 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 Look forward on the journey you shall go. [you, 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. Enter Provost. Duke. Unfit to live, or die: O, gravel heart!After him, fellows; bring him to the block. [Exeunt Abhorson and Clown. Prov. Now, sir, how do you find the prisoner ? Duke. A creature unprepar'd, unmeet for death; And, to transport him in the mind he is, Were damnable. Prov. Here in the prison, father, There died this morning of a cruel fever One Ragozine, a most notorious pirate, A man of Claudio's years; his beard, and head, Just of his colour: What if we do omit This reprobate, till he were well inclined; And satisfy the deputy with the visage Of Ragozine, more like to Claudio? Duke. O, 'tis an accident that heaven provides! To save me from the danger that might come, Duke. Let this be done ;-Put them in secret holds, Both Barnardine and Claudio: Ere twice Isab. O, 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. Mark what I say; which you shall find By every syllable, a faithful verity: The duke comes home to-morrow ;-nay, dry your One of our convent, and his confessor, [eves; Gives me this instance: Already he hath carried Notice to Escalus and Angelo; Who do prepare to meet him at the gates, In that good path that I would wish it go; Isah. And shall be absent. Wend you with this letter: duke will be here to-morrow. By my troth, Isabel, Though sometimes you do blench from this to that, I lov'd thy brother: if the old fantastical duke of As cause doth minister. Go, call at Flavius' house, dark corners had been at home, he had lived. And tell him where I stay: give the like notice [Exit Isabella. To Valentinus, Rowland, and to Crassus, Duke. Sir, the duke is marvellous little beholden And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate; to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in But send me Flavius first. them. F. Peter. It shall be speeded well. [Exit Friar. 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 the rotten medlar. Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honest: Rest you well. 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, 1 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 hea. ven, 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 a despatch of complaints; and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which shall then have no power to stand against us. Ang. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd: Betimes i'the morn, I'll call at your house: Give notice to such men of sort and suit, As are to meet him. Enter Varrius. SCENE I.-A publick Place near the City Gate. Mariana (veiled,) Isabella, and Peter, at a distance. Enter at opposit: 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 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, Forerunning more requital. Ang. 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 your regard Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have said, a maid! O 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? Here is lord Angelo shall give you justice! Isab. O, worthy duke, Or wring redress from you: hear me, O, hear me, By course of justice! strange. Isab. Most strange, but yet most truly, will I That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange? Duke. Mended again: the matter;-Proceed. Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour, Nay, ten times strange. Faults proper to himself: if he had so offended, Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo, Isab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st That which but seems unlike: 'tis not impossible In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms, If she be mad, as I believe no other, Isab. Many that are not mad, Was sent to by my brother. One Lucio Lucio. That's I, an't like your grace: Isab. That's he, indeed. Duke. You were not bid to speak. Lucio. I warrant your honour. Duke. The warrant's for yourself; take heed to it. Duke. It may be right; but you are in the wrong To this pernicious caitiff deputy. I went Duke. That's somewhat madly spoken. He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself, Lucio. My lord, I know him;' tis a meddling friar? Duke. Words against me? This' a good friar, F. Peter. Blessed be your royal grace! Duke. Lucio. My lord, most villainously; believe it. Good friar, let's hear it. [Isabella is carried off, guarded; and Mariana comes forward. Do you not smile at this, lord Angelo? Of your own cause.-Is this the witness, friar? Duke. Mari. No, my lord. Duke. Mari. What, are you married? Duke. A widow then? Mari. These poor informal women are no more Duke. Ay, with my heart; Are you a maid? Why, you Are nothing then: Neither maid, widow, nor wife? Lucio. My lord, she may be a punk; for many Lucio. Well, my lord. [cause Mari. My lord, I do confess I ne'er was married; I have known my husband; yet my husband knows 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, In self-same manner doth accuse my husband; Ang. Charges she more than me? Mari. Not that I know. Ang. This is a strange abuse :-Let's see thy face. This is that face, thou cruel Angelo, Duke. Lucio. Carnally, she says. Lucio. Enough, my lord. Know you this woman? Sirrah, no more. F. Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he Hath set the women on to this complaint: Duke. Go, do it instantly.- [Exit Provost. Escal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.-[Exit Duke.] 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, publickly, she'll be ashamed. Re-enter Officers with Isabella; the Duke in the Escal. I will go darkly to work with her. 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. Ang. My lord, I must confess, I know this wo-till man; For that her reputation was disvalued I never spake with her, saw her, nor heard from her, Mari. Noble prince, As there comes light from heaven, and words from As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue, Ang. I did but smile till now; Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice; My patience here is touch'd: I do perceive, Escal. In very good time:-speak not you to him, 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 :- Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. h ས། And then to glance from him to the duke himself; But we will know this purpose:-What! unjust? Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to prison. Ang. What can you vouch against him, signior Is this the man that you did tell us of? [Lucio? Lucio. 'Tis he, my lord. Come hither good-man 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 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 awhile. 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? [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 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, That yet can do thee office? If thou hast, Rely upon it till my tale be heard, And hold no longer out. Ang. O my dread lord, I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, To think I can be undiscernible, When I perceive, your grace, like power divine, Hath look'd upon my passes; Then, good prince, No longer session hold upon my shame, But let my trial be mine own confession; Immediate sentence then, and sequent death, Is all the grace I beg. 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 amazed at his disThan at the strangeness of it. [honour, Duke. Come hither, Isabel: Your friar is now your prince: As I was then Advertising, and holy to your business, Not changing heart with habit, I am still Attorney'd at your service. Isab. O give me pardon, That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd Your unknown sovereignty. Duke. You are pardon'd, Isabel : And now, dear maid, be you as free to us. Your brother's death, I know, sits at your heart; And you may marvel, why I obscur'd myself, Labouring to save his life; and would not rather Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power, Than let him so be lost: O most kind maid, It was the swift celerity of his death, Which I did think with slower foot came on, That brain'd my purpose: But, peace be with him! That life is better life, past fearing death, Than that which lives to fear: make it your comSo happy is your brother. [fort, [here, [ther, Re-enter Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost. Isab. I do, my lord. Duke. For this new-married man, approaching Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd Your well-defended honour, you must pardon For Mariana's sake: but as he adjudg'd your bro(Being criminal, in double violation Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach, Thereon dependent, for your brother's life,) The very mercy of the law cries out Most audible, even from his proper tongue, An Angelo for Claudio, death for death. Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure; Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure. Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifested: Which though thou would'st deny, denies thee vantage: We do condemn thee to the very block Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like Away with him. [haste; Mari. O, my most gracious lord, Consenting to the safeguard of your honour, Mari. O, my dear lord, I crave no other, nor no better man." Duke. Never crave him; we are definitive. Mari. Gentle, my liege, Duke. [Kneeling. You do but lose your labour; Away with him to death.-Now, sir, [to Lucio.] to you. Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my Lend me your knees, and all my life to come [part; I'll lend you all my life to do you service. Duke. Against all sense you do importune her: Should she kneel down, in mercy of this fact, Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break, And take her hence in horror. |