To do it flander. And to behold his fway,
I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,
Vifit both prince and people. Therefore, pry'thee,
Supply me with the habit, and instruct me
How I may formally in person bear,

Like a true friar. More reafons for this action
At our more leisure shall I render you;
Only, this one :—— Lord Angelo is precife;
Stands at a guard with envy; scarce contesses
That his blood flows, or that his appetite

Is more to bread than stone: hence shall we fee,
If pow'r change purpose, what our feemers be.

SCENE VIII.

A nunnery.

Enter Ifabella and Francifca.

ISAB. And have you nuns no further privileges?
NUN. Are not these large enough?

ISA B. Yes, truly; I speak not as defiring more;
But rather wishing a more ftrict restraint
Upon the fifter-hood, the votarifts of Saint Clare.
LUCIO. [within.] Hoa! Peace be in this place!
ISA B. Who's that which calls?

[Exeunt.

NUN. It is a man's voice. Gentle Isabella,
Turn you the key, and know his business of him;
You may; I may not; you are yet unfworn:
When you have vow'd, you must not speak with men,
But in the prefence of the priorefs;

Then, if you speak, you must not shew your face;
Or, if you fhew your face, you must not speak.
He calls again; I pray you, answer him. [Exit Franc.
ISAB Peace and prosperity! who is't that calls?

Enter Lucio.

LUCIO. Hail, virgin, (if you be) as those cheek-rofes
Proclaim you are no lefs; can you so stead me,
As bring me to the fight of Ifabella,

A novice of this place, and the fair sister
To her unhappy brother Claudio?

ISAB. Why her unhappy brother? let me afk
The rather, for I now must make

you know I am that Isabella, and his fifter.

LUCIO. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you; Not to be weary with you, he's in prison.

ISA. Wo me! for what?

LUCIO. For that, which, if myself might be his judge,
He should receive his punishment in thanks;
He hath got his friend with child.

ISA B. Sir, make me not your story.

Lucio. 'Tis true :-I would not (tho' 'tis my
With maids to feem the lapwing, and to jeft,
Tongue far from heart) play with all virgins fo.
I hold you as a thing en-sky'd, and fainted;
By your renouncement, an immortal spirit;
And to be talk'd with in fincerity,

As with a faint.

familiar fin

ISAB. You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me. LUCIO Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, 'tis thus,

Your brother and his lover having embrac❜d,

As thofe that feed grow full; as bloffoming time
That from the feednefs the bare fallow brings

To teeming foyfon; fo her plenteous womb

Expreffeth his full tilth and husbandry.

ISA B. Some one with child by him?-my cousin Juliet ? LUCIO. Is the your coufin?

ISAB. Adoptedly, as school-maids change their names, By vain, tho' apt affection.

LUCIO. She it is.

ISAB. O, let him marry her!

LUCIO. This is the point.

The duke is very strangely gone from hence;
Bore many gentlemen, myself being one,
In hand and hope of action; but we learn,
By those that know the very nerves of state,
His givings out were of an infinite distance
From his true-meant defign. Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,
Governs lord Angelo; a man whose blood
Is very fnow-broth; one who never feels
The wanton ftings and motions of the sense;
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, study and fast.
He, to give fear to use and liberty,

Which have long time run by the hideous law,
As mice by lions, hath pickt out an act,
Under whofe heavy fenfe your brother's life
Falls into forfeit: he arrefts him on it;
And follows close the rigour of the ftatute,
To make him an example. All hope's gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer
To foften Angelo; and that's my pith of business
'Twixt you and your poor brother.

ISAB. Doth he fo

Seek for his life?

LUCIO. H'as cenfur'd him already;

And, as I hear, the provost hath a warrant
For's execution.

ISAB. Alas! what poor

Ability's in me to do him good?

Lucio. Affay the power you have.

ISA B. My power? alas! I doubt.
LUCIO. Our doubts are traitors;

And made us lose the good, we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when maidens fue,
Men give like gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,

As they themselves would owe them.
ISAB. I'll fee what I can do.

LUCIO. But, fpeedily.

ISA B. I will about it strait;

No longer staying, but to give the mother
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you;
Commend me to my brother: foon at night
I'll fend him certain word of my fuccefs.
Lucio. I take my leave of you.
ISAB. Good fir, adieu.

ACT II.

SCENE 1.

The palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter Angelo, Escalus, a juftice, and attendants.

ANG. WE muft not make a scare-crow of the law,

Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,

And let it keep one shape, 'till custom make it

Their perch, and not their terror.

ESCAL. Ay, but yet

Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,

Than fall, and bruife to death. Alas! this gentleman,

Whom I would fave, had a most noble father;'
Let but your honour know,

Whom I believe to be moft ftrait in virtue,

That, in the working of your own affections,
Had time coher'd with place, or place with wishing,
Or that the refolute acting of your blood

Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose;
Whether you had not fometime in your life
Err'd in this point, which now you cenfure him,
And pull'd the law upon you.

ANG. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,

The jury paffing on the prifoner's life,

May in the fworn twelve have a thief or two,

Guiltier than him they try. What's open made to justice,

That juftice feizes on.

What know the laws,

That thieves do pass on thieves? 'tis very pregnant,

The jewel that we find, we ftoop and take't,

Because we fee it; but what we do not fee,

We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not fo extenuate his offence,
For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me,
When I, that cenfure him, do fo offend,

Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing comes in partial. Sir, he must die.

Enter Provost.

ESCAL. Be't as your wisdom will.

ANG. Where is the Provost?

PROV. Here, if it like your honour.

ANG. See, that Claudio.

Be executed by nine to morrow morning,