SCENE VI.-Street near the City Gate. Enter Isabella and Mariana. Isab. To speak so indirectly, I am loth; Be rul'd by him. I should not think it strange; for 'tis a physic, Mari. I would, friar Peter,- O, peace; the friar is come. 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. 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, 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? Here is lord Angelo shall give you justice; Duke. Away with her:-Poor soul, She speaks this in the infirmity of sense. Isab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground, In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms, 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 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- Pardon it; The phrase is to the matter. Duke. Mendel again: the matter;-Proceed? (For this was of much length,) the vile conclusion This is most likely! Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour, Isab. And is this all? Then, oh, you blessed ministers above, In countenance !-Heaven shield your grace from woe, Duke. I know, you'd fain be gone :-An officer ! Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling friar; Duke. Words against me? This a good friar, belike! Lucio. But yesternight, my lord, she and that friar Peter. Blessed be your royal grace! I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard Your royal ear abus'd. First, hath this woman Most wrongfully accus'd your substitute; As she from one ungot. Duke. We did believe no less. Know you that friar Lodowick, that she speaks of? Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy; Not scurvy, nor a temporary meddler, As he is reported by this gentleman; And, on my trust, a man that never yet Did, as he vouches, misreport your grace. Lucio. My lord, most villanously; believe it. To speak, as from his mouth, what he doth know So vulgarly and personally accus'd,) Duke. Good friar, let's hear it. [Isab. is carried Mari. No, my lord, Duke. Mari. What, are you married? Are you a maid? No, my lord. Duke. A widow then? Mari. Neither, my lord. Duke. Why, you Are nothing then: Neither maid, widow, nor wife? Lucio. My lord, she may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, nor wife. Duke. Silence that fellow: I would, he had some Mari. Why, just, my lord, and that is Angelo, Ang. This is a strange abuse :-Let's see thy face. This is that face, thou cruel Angelo, Was fast belock'd in thine: this is the body 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, Will leave you; but stir not you, till you have well 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. 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:- Duke. Boldly, at least:-But, O, poor souls, Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. To call him villain? And then to glance from him to the duke himself; To the rack with him :-We'll touze you joint by joint, But we will know this purpose:-What! unjust? Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble, Esca. Slander to the state! Away with him to pri Lucie. Marry, sir, I think, if you handle her pri-him to be? rately, she would sooner confess; perchance, publicly she'll be ashamed. Re-enter Officers, with Isabella; the Duke, in the Friar's habit, and Provost. Esca. I will go darkly to work with her. 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, And hold no longer out. Ang. I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, 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 Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach, Which though thou wouldst deny, denies thee 'vantage: We do condemn thee to the very block O, my most gracious lord, I hope you will not mock me with a husband! Consenting to the safeguard of your honour, 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. [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: Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instant-Should she kneel down, in mercy of this fact, 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, Hold up your hands, say nothing, I'll speak all. His act did not o'ertake his bad intent; Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort, Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded 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? I leave him to your hand.—What muffled fellow's that? [Unmuffles Claudio. Duke. If he be like your brother, for his sake [To Isabel. Is he pardon'd: And, for your lovely sake, 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. Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging. Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.- I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.- [Exeunt. |