I've known my husband; yet my husband knows not, That ever he knew me.

Lucio. He was drunk then, my lord; it can be no better.
Duke. For the benefit of filence, would thou wert so too.
Lucio. Well, my lord.

Duke. This is no witnefs for lord Angelo.
Mari. Now I come to't, my lord.

She, that accufes him of fornication,

In felf-fame manner doth accufe my husband;
And charges him, my lord, with fuch a time,
When I'll depofe I had him in mine arms,
With all th' effect of love.

Ang. Charges fhe more than me?

Mari. Not that I know.

Duke. No? you fay, your husband. [To Mariana. Mari. Why, juft, 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 ftrange abuse; let's fee thy face. Mari. My husband bids me; now I will unmask. [Unveiling.

This is that face, thou cruel Angelo,

Which, once thou fwor'ft, was worth the looking on:
This is the hand, which, with a vow'd contract,
Was faft belock'd in thine: this is the body,

That took away the match from Ifabel;

And did fupply thee at thy garden house

In her imagin'd perfon.

Duke. Know you this woman?

Lucio. Carnally, the fays.

Duke. Sirrah, no more.

Lucio. Enough, my lord.

Ang. My lord, I muft confefs, I know this woman; And five years fince there was fome fpeech of marriage Betwixt my felf and her; which was broke off, Partly, for that her promifed proportions Came fhort of compofition; but, in chief, For that her Reputation was difvalu'd In levity; fince which time of five years

I

I never spake with her, saw her, nor heard from her,
Upon my faith and honour.

Mari. Noble Prince,

[breath,

As there comes light from heav'n, and words from

As there is fenfe in truth, and truth in virtue,

I am affianc'd this man's wife, as ftrongly

As words could make up vows: and, my good lord,
But Tuesday night laft gone, in's garden-house,
He knew me as a wife; as this is true,

Let me in fafety raise me from my knees;
Or elfe for ever be confixed here,

A marble monument!

Ang. I did but fmile 'till now.

Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice;
My patience here is touch'd; I do perceive,
These poor 5 informal women are no more
But inftruments of fome more mightier member,
That fets them on. Let me have way, my lord,
To find this practice out.

Duke. Ay, with my heart;

And punish them unto your height of pleasure.
Thou foolish Friar, and thou pernicious woman,
Compact with her that's gone; think'ft thou, thy oaths,
Tho' they would fwear down each particular Saint,
Were teftimonies 'gainft his worth and credit,
That's feal'd in approbation? You, lord Efcelus,
Sit with my coufin; lend him your kind pains
To find out this abufe, whence 'tis deriv❜d.
There is another Friar, that set them on;
Let him be fent for.

[deed,

Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, inHath fet the women on to this complaint: Your Provost knows the place, where he abides;

5 informal women] i. e. women who have ill concerted their story. Formal fignifies frequently, in our author, a thing put into form or method: fo informal, out of method, ill concerted. How easy is it to fay, that Shakespear might better have wrote informing, i. e. accufing. But he who (as the Oxford Editor) thinks he did write fo, knows nothing of the character of his ftile.

And

And he may fetch him.

1 uke. Go, do it inftantly.

And you, my noble and well-warranted coufin,
Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth;
Do with your injuries, as feems you best,
In any chastisement: I for a while

Will leave you; but ftir not you, 'till you have well
Determined upon these flanderers.

[Exit.

Efcal. My lord, we'll do it throughly. Signior Lucio, did not you say, 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 most villanous fpeeches of the Duke.

Efcal. We fhall intreat you to abide here 'till he come, and inforce them against him; we fhall find this Friar a notable fellow.

Lucio. As any in Vienna, on my word.

Efcal. Call that fame Ifabel here once again: I would speak with her: pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you fhall fee how I'll handle her.

Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report.
Efcal. Say you?

Lucio. Marry, Sir, I think, if you handled her privately, the fhould fooner confefs; perchance, publickly fhe'll be afham'd.

Enter Duke in the Friar's babit, and Provost; Isabella is brought in.

Efcal. I will go darkly to work with her.

Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight.

Efcal. Come on, mistress: here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said.

Lucio. My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of, here with the Provoft.

Efcal. In very good time: speak not you to him, till we call upon you.

Lucio.

Lucio. Mum.

Efcal. Come, Sir, did you fet thefe women on to flander lord Angelo? they have confefs'd you did. Duke. 'Tis falfe.

Efcal. How? know you where you are?

Duke. Refpect to your great Place; and let the devil
Be fometime honour'd for his burning throne.
Where is the Duke? 'tis he fhould hear me fpeak.
Efcal. The Duke's in us; and we will hear you fpeak:
Look, you speak justly.

Duke. Boldly, at leaft. But oh, poor fouls,
Come you to feek the lamb here of the fox?
Good night to your redress: is the Duke gone?
Then is your caufe gone too. The Duke's unjust,
Thus to retort your manifeft appeal;

And put your tryal in the villain's mouth,
Which here you come to accufe.

Lucio. This is the rafcal; this is he, I spoke of.
Efcal. Why, thou unrev'rend and unhallow'd Friar,
Is't not enough thou haft fuborn'd these women
T'accufe this worthy man, but with foul mouth,
And in the witness of his proper ear,

To call him villain; and then glance from him
To th' duke himself, to tax him with injuftice?
Take him hence; to th' rack with him: we'll touze you
Joint by joint, but we will know his purpose:
What? unjust?

Duke. Be not fo hot; the duke dare no more stretch
This finger of mine, than he dare rack his own:
His fubject am I not,

Nor here provincial; my bufinefs in this state
Made me a looker on here in Vienna;

Where I have feen corruption boil and bubble,
'Till it o'er-run the ftew: laws, for all faults;
But faults fo countenanc'd, that the strong statutes
Stand like the forfeits in a barber's fhop,

As much in mock as mark.

Efcal.

6 Stand like the forfeits in a barber's fhop,] Barbers fhops were, at all times, the refort of idle people.

VOL. I.

G &

Tonftrina

Efcal. Slander to th' ftate! away with him to prifon. Ang. What can you vouch against him, fignior Lucie? Is this the man, that you did tell us of? [bald-pate; Lucio. 'Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman Do you know me?

Duke. I remember you, Sir, by the found of your voice: I met you at the prifon in the absence of the duke. Lucio. Oh, did you fo? and do you remember what you faid of the duke?

Duke. Moft notedly, Sir.

Lucio. Do you fo, Sir? and was the duke a fleshmonger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be?

Duke. You must, Sir, change perfons with me, ere you make that my report: you spoke so of him, and much more, much worse.

Lucio. Oh thou damnable fellow! did not I pluck thee by the nofe, for thy fpeeches ?

Duke. I proteft, I love the duke as I love my felf. Ang. Hark! how the villain would clofe now, after his treasonable abuses.

Efcal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal; away with him to prifon: where is the Provoft? away with him to prifon; lay bolts enough upon him; let him speak no more; away with those giglets too, and with the other confederate companion.

Duke. Stay, Sir, stay a-while.

Ang. What! refifts he? help him, Lucio.

Lucio. Come, Sir; come, Sir; come, Sir; foh, Sir; why, you bald-pated lying rafcal; you must be hooded,

Tonftrina erat quædam : hic folebamus ferè

Plerumque eam opperiri- Which Donatus calls apta fedes otiofis. Formerly, with us, the better fort of people went to the Barber's fhop to be trimm'd; who then practised the under parts of Surgery: fo that he had occafion 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 them. To remedy which, I fuppofe, 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.

muft