SCENE VI.-Street near the City Gate. Enter Isabella and Mariana.

Isab. To speak so indirectly, I am loth;
I would say the truth: but to accuse him so,
That is your part: yet I'm advis'd to do it ;
He says, to veil full purpose.
Mari.

Be rul'd by him.
Isab. Besides, he tells me, that, if peradventure
He speak against me on the adverse side,

I should not think it strange; for 'tis a physic,
That's bitter to sweet end.

Mari. I would, friar Peter,-
Isab.

O, peace; the friar is come.
Enter Friar Peter.

Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit, Where you may have such vantage on the duke,

He shall not pass you; Twice have the trumpets sounded;

The generous and gravest citizens

Have hent the gates, and very near upon

The duke is ent'ring; therefore hence, away. [Exe.

ACT V.

SCENE I-A public place near the City Gate. Mariana (veiled) Isabella, and Peter, at a distance. Enter at opposite 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. Esca. 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. 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,
When it deserves with characters of brass
A forted residence, 'gainst the tooth of time,
And razure of oblivion: Give me your hand,
And let the subject see, to make them know
That outward courtesies would fain proclaim
Favours that keep within.-Come, Escalus;
You must walk by us on our other hand ;-
And good supporters are you.

Peter and Isabella come forward.

Peter. Now is your time; speak loud, and kneel before him.

Lab. 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?
Be brief:

Here is lord Angelo shall give you justice;
Reveal yourself to him.

Duke.

Away with her:-Poor soul, She speaks this in the infirmity of sense.

Isab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st
There is another comfort than this world,
That thou neglect me not, with that opinion
That I am touch'd with madness: make not impossible
That which but seems unlike: 'tis not impossible,

But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground,
May seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute,
As Angelo; even so may Angelo,

In all his dressings, 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 she be mad, (as I believe no other,) Her madness hath the oddest frame of sense, Such a dependency of thing on thing, As e'er I heard in madness.

Isab. O, 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; And hide the false, seems true.

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. Isab. This gentleman told somewhat of my tale. Lucio. Right.

Duke. It may be right; but you are in the wrong To speak before your time.-Proceed Isab.

I went

To this pernicious caitiff deputy-
Duke. That's somewhat madly spoken.
Isab.

Pardon it;

Ay, with my heart;

Duke. And punish them unto your height of pleasure.— Thou foolish friar; and thou pernicious woman, Compact with her that's gone! think'st thou thy oaths, Though they would swear down each particular saint, Were testimonies against his worth and credit, That's seal'd in approbation?-You, lord Escalus, Sit with my cousin; lend him your kind pains To find out this abuse, whence 'tis deriv'd.— There is another friar that set them on; Let him be sent for.

Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, indeed, Hath set the woman on to this complaint: Your provost knows the place where he abides, And he may fetch him.

Duke. Go, do it instantly.

[Ex. Pro.

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

Will leave you; but stir not you, till you have well
Determined upon these slanderers.

Erca. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly. [Exit Duke.] -Signior Lucio, did not you say, you knew that friar Lodowiek to be a dishonest person?

Lucia. Cucullus non facit monachum: honest in nothing, but in his clothes; and one that has spoke most villanous speeches of the duke.

Escs. 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.

Exca. Call that same Isabel here once again; I would speak with her: [To an Attendant.]—Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her.

Lucis, Not better than he, by her own report.
Esca. Say you?

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

Esca. 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.

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

Lucio. Mum.

Esca. Come, sir: Did you set these women on to slander lord Angelo? they have confess'd you did. Duke. "Tis false.

Esca. How! know you where you are?

Duke. Respect to your great place! and let the devil

Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne:-
Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak.
Esca. The duke's in us; and we will hear you speak:
Look, you speak justly.

Duke. 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 retort 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.
Esca. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar!
Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women
To accuse this worthy man; but, in foul mouth,
And in the witness of his proper ear,

To call him villain?

And then to glance from him to the duke himself;
To tax him with injustice?-Take him hence;

To the rack with him :-We'll touze you joint by joint,

But we will know this purpose:-What! unjust?
Duke. Be not so hot; the duke

Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he
Dare rack his own; his subject am I not,
Nor here provincial: My business in this state
Made me a looker-on here in Vienna,

Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble,
Till it o'er-run the stew: laws, for all faults;
But faults so countenanc'd, that the strong statutes
Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop,
As much in mock as mark.

Esca. Slander to the state! Away with him to pri

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.

Esca. 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 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?

[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 bast,
Rely upon it till my tale be heard,

And hold no longer out.

Ang.

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.

Re-enter Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost
Isab.
I do, my lord.
Duke. For this new-married man, approaching here,
Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd
Your well-defended honour, you must pardon
For Mariana's sake: but as he adjudg'd your brother,
(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 baste, and leisure answers leisure:
Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.-
Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifested;

Which though thou wouldst deny, denies thee 'vantage:

We do condemn thee to the very block
Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like haste ;-
Away with him.
Mari.

O, my most gracious lord,

I hope you will not mock me with a husband!
Duke. It is your husband mock'd you with a hus-
band:

Consenting to the safeguard of your honour,
I thought your marriage fit; else imputation,
For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
And choke your good to come: for his possessions,
Although by confiscation they are ours,

We do instate and widow you withal,

To buy you a better husband.

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 you. [To Lucio. Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my

part,

Lend me your knees, and all my life to come

I'll lend you, all my life to do you service.

Duke. Against all sense you do importune her:

ly.

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 bidden power, Than let him be so 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,

At an unusual hour?

Prev.

What's he?

His name is Barnardine. Duke. I would, thou hadst done so by Claudio.Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.

[Ex. 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 judgement 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, and Juliet.

Duke. Which is that Barnardine?
Prov.
This, my lord.
Duke. There was a friar told me of this man:-
Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul,
That apprehends no further than this world,
And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt condemn'd;
But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all;
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide
For better times to come:-Friar, advise him;

I leave him to your hand.—What muffled fellow's that?
Prov. This is another prisoner, that I sav'd,
That should have dy'd when Claudio lost his head;
As like almost to Claudio, as himself.

[Unmuffles Claudio. Duke. If he be like your brother, for his sake [To Isabel.

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:-

Lucie. '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.
Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal
Remit thy other forfeits :-Take him to prison:
And see our pleasure herein executed.

Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging.

Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.-
She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.-
Joy to you, Mariana !-love her, Angelo;

I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.-
Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:
There's more behind, that is more gratulate.-
Thanks, Provost, for thy care and secrecy;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place :-
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's ;
The offence pardons itself.-Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good;
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,
What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine:-
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show
What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know.

[Exeunt.