Duke. Well, you'll answer this one day. fe well. Fare Lacio. 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, fir, 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 fuch a thing? Lucio. Yes, marry, did I: but I was fain to forfwear it; they would eife have marry'd me to the rotten medlar. Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honeft: Reft 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, I am a kind of burr, I shall ftick. [Exeunt. S C.E NE IV. Enter Angela and Efcalus. Efcal. Every letter he hath writ hath difvouch'd other. Ang. In moft uneven and distracted manner. His actions fhew much like to madness; pray heaven, his wifdom be not tainted! And why meet him at the gates, and re-deliver our authorities there? Efeal. I guess not. Ang. And why fhould we proclaim it in an hour before his ent'ring, that, if any crave redress of injuftice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street? Changes to the Fields without the Town." The Provost knows our purpose, and our plot. Peter. It shall be speeded well. [Exit Friar. SCE NE VI. Mari. Be rul'd by him. Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that, if peradventure I fhould not think it ftrange; for 'tis a phyfick, Mari. I would, friar Peter-— Peter. Come, I have found you out aftand most fit, ACT A public place near the City. Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Efcalus, Lucio, and Citizens, at feveral doors. Y very worthy coufin, fairly met: V. Ang. and Efeal. 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 Duke. MY cohful friend, we are Camot out yield you forth to publick thanks, glad to fee you. Fore-running more requital 1 Meaning, of figure and rank. 2 That is, unprepared. 3 That is, creditable. 4 That is, private. 5 That is, fly off. • Meaning, to conceal the full extent of our design. 7 That is, noble. That is, feized. H Ang. Ang. You make my bonds still greater. To lock it in the wards of covert bofom, Peter. Now is your time; speak loud, and kneel I Ifab. Juftice, O royal duke! Vail your regard Till you have heard me in, my true complaint, Duke. Relate your wrongs: In what? by whom? Ifab. Oh, worthy duke, [here. You bid me feek redemption of the devil: Ifab. By courfe of justice! Ang. And he will speak most bitterly and strange. An hypocrite, a virgin violator; Is it not ftrange, and strange? Duke. Nay, it is ten times ftrange. Duke. Away with her :-Poor foul, Ijab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'ft In all his dreifings 3, characts 4, titles, forms, Duke. By mine honefty, If the be mad, (as I believe no other) 1 To vail means to let full, or to lower. As e'er I heard in madness. Ifab. Gracious duke, Harp not on that; nor do not banish reason [fay! Duke. Many that are not mad Lucio. That's I, an 't like your grace: Ifab. That's he, indeed. Duke. You were not bid to fpeak. Nor wish'd to hold my peace. Duke. I with you now, then; Pray you, take note of it: and when you have Lucio. I warrant your honour. Duke. The warrant's for yourfelf; take heed to it Duke. It may be right; but you are in the wrong To this pernicious caitiff deputy. Duke. That's fomewhat madly spoken. The phrafe is to the matter. Duke. Mended again: the matter;-Proceed. Dake. This is most likely! Ijab. Oh, that it were as like 7, as it is true! Or elfe thou art fuborn'd against his honour 2 i. e. As perfect, as exact in the performance of his duty. 3 His appearance of virtue. 4 Characters. 5 Refuted, Pity. 7 Probable. $ Foolish, 9 Stratagem. ab. And is this all? Then, oh, you blessed minifters above, Keep me in patience; and, with ripen'd time, [woe, In countenance !!-Heaven fhield your grace from Mari. No, my lord. Duke. Are you a maid ? Duke. A widow then? Mari. Neither, my lord. Duke. Why you are nothing then : Dake. I know, you'd fain be gone:-an officer-Neither maid, widow, nor wife? To prifon with her :-Shall we thus permit Ifab. One that I would were here, friar Lodowick. Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling friar; Peter. Bleffed be your royal grace! I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard As the from one ungot. Duke. We did believe no less. [them Lucio. My lord, the may be a punk; for many of Are neither maid, widow, nor wife. Duke. Silence that fellow: I would he had fome cause To prattle for himself. Lucio. Well, my lord. Mari. My lord, I do confefs, I ne'er was marry'd; I have known my husband; yet my husband knows She, that accufes him of fornication, In felf-fame manner doth accufe my husband; Ang. Charges the more than me? Mari. Not that I know. Duke. No? You say, your husband. [To Mariana. Mari. Why, just, my lord, and that is Angelo, Who thinks, he knows, that he ne'er knew my body, Know you that friar Lodowick, which she speaks of? | But knows, he thinks, that he knows Ifabel's. Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy; Lacio. My lord, most villainously; believe it. To fpeak, as from his mouth, what he doth know Her fhall you hear difproved to her eyes, Duke. Good friar, let's hear it. Duke. What, are you marry'd? Ang. This is a strange abuse 4. Let's fee thy face. Duke. Know you this woman? Lucio. Enough, my lord. 1 i. e. In partial favour. 2 An artifice. 3 Perpetual. 4 Abufe here fignifies deception. 5 That is, her promis'd fortune fell short of the agreement. Or else for ever be confixed here, Ang. I did but fmile 'till now; Duke. Ay, with my heart; And punish them unto your height of pleasure.-- [indeed, Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, Duke. Go, do it inftantly. And you, my noble and well-warranted coufin, [Fxit. Efcal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.-Signior Lucio, did not you fay, you knew that friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person? Lucio. Cucullus non facit monachum: honeft in nothing, but in his cloaths; and one that hath spoke moft villainous fpeeches of the duke. Efcal. We fhall intreat 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. Lucia. Not better than he, by her own report. Lucio. Marry, fir, I think, if you handled her privately, the should sooner confefs; perchance, publickly fhe'll be afham'd. Enter Duke in the Friar's habit, and Provoft. bella is brought in. Efcal. How! know you where you are? [devil Duke. Boldly, at leaft :-But, oh, poor fouls, Lucio. This is the rafcal; this is he I fpoke of. Is 't not enough, thou haft fuborn'd thefe women To call him villain? And then to glance from him to the duke himself But we will know this purpofe: What unjust Dare no more ftretch this finger of mine, than he [prifon. Efcal. Slander to the ftate! Away with him to Ang. What can you vouch against him, fignior Is this the man, that you did tell us of? [Lucio? Lucio. 'Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman bald-pate: Do you know me ? Duke. I remember you, fir, by the found of Ifa-yonr voice: I met you at the prifon, in the abfence of the duke. Ffeal. I will go darkly to work with her. Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight. Ffcal. Come on, miftrefs; here's a gentlewo Dr. Johnson. in his Dictionary, quotes this paffage, and afligns the meaning of not competent to informal. 2 That is, from beginning to end. 3 Meaning, to refer your appeal againit Angelo to Angelo himself. 4 That is, not belonging to his province. Dr. Warburton gives the following expla nation of this pallage: Formerly the better fort of people went to the barber's fhop (who then practifed the under parts of furgery) to be trimmed, fo that he had occasion for numerous inftruments, which lay there ready for ufe; and the idle people, with whom his fhop was generally crowded, would be perpetually handling and mifufing theih. To remedy this, he fuppofcs, there was placed up against the wall a table of forfeitures, adapted to every offence of this kind; which, it is not likely, would long preferve its authority. feh-monger, a fool, and a coward, as you then | Attorney'd at your service. reported him to be? Ifab. Oh, give me pardon, That I, your vaffal, have employ'd and pain'd Duke. You are pardon'd, Ifabel: Duke. You muit, fir, change perfons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, fpoke fo of him; and much more, much worse. Lucio. O thou damnable fellow! Did not I And now, dear maid, be you as free 4 to us. pluck thee by the nofe, for thy fpeeches ? Dake. I proteft I love the duke, as I love felf. Ang. Hark! how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses. Your brother's death, I know, fits at your heart: my-And you may marvel, why I obfcur'd myself, Labouring to fave his life; and would not rather Make rafh remonftrance of my hidden power, Than let him be fo loft. Oh, most kind maid, Efcal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal: It was the fwift celerity of his death, Away with him to prifon :-Where is the provoft? Which I did think with flower foot came on, -Away with him to prison ; lay bolts enough upon That brain'd 5 my purpofe. But peace be with him! him: let him fpeak no more:-away with thofe That life is better life, past fearing death, [fort giglots too, and with the other confederate compa-Than that which lives to fear: make it your com[The Provoft lays bands on the Duke. So, happy is your brother. nion. Duke. Stay, fir; ftay a while. Ang. What! refifts he? Help him, Lucio. Lucis. Come, fir; come, fir; come, fir; foh,| fir: Why, you bald-pated, lying rafcal! you muft be hooded, muft you? Shew your knave's vifage, Your well-defended honour, you must pardon him with a pox to you! fhew your fheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour! Will't not off [Palls off the Friar's bood, and difcovers the Duke. Duke. Thou art the first knave, that e'er mad'it a duke. Re-enter Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost. [here, Duke. For this new-marry'd man, approaching · Whofe falt imagination yet hath wrong'd First, provoft, let me bail these gentle three :- For Mariana's fake: But as he adjudg'd your brother, Duke. What you have spoke, I pardon; fit you Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifefted; [tage 7; down.[To Efcalus. Which though thou would'st deny, denies thee van→ We'll borrow place of him :-Sir, by your leave: We do condemn thee to the very block [To Angelo. Where Claudio ftoop'd to death, and with like hafte; Haft thou or word, or wit, or impudence, Ang. O my dread lord, I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, When I perceive, your grace, like power divine, Duke. Come hither, Mariana:— Say, waft thou e'er contracted to this woman? [ftantly. Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her in Away with him. Mari. Oh, my moft gracious lord, I hope, you will not mock me with a husband! Confenting to the fafeguard of your honour, Mari. Oh, my dear lord, I crave no other, nor no better man. Duke. You do but lofe your labour ; [Kneeling. Do you the office, friar; which confummate, [honour, Duke. Come hither, Ifabel: 1 Giglot means a wanton girl. [To Lucio. Mari. Oh, my good lord !-Sweet Itabel, tak● my part; Lend me your knees, and all my life to come Duke. Against all fenfe you do importune her s 2 That is, my tranfactions. 3 Attentive and faithful. 4 That is, as generous, by pardoning us alfo. 5 Meaning, which defeated it. 6 Meaning, Angelo's own tongue. 7 That is, takes from thee all opportunity, all expedient of denial. Senfe here means reafon and fellion. |