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ISAB. Nay, but it is not so.

DUKE. It is no other.

Shew your wisdom, daughter, in your closest patience.
ISAB. Oh, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes.
DUKE. You fhall not be admitted to his fight.
ISAB. Unhappy Claudio! wretched Isabel !
Injurious world! most damned Angelo !

DUKE. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jót ;
Forbear it therefore, give your caufe to heaven.
Mark, what I fay; which you shall furely find
By ev'ry fyllable a faithful verity.

The Duke comes home to-morrow; dry your eyes;

One of our convent, and his confessor,

Gave me this inftance: already he hath carry'd

Notice to Efcalus and Angelo,

Who do prepare to meet him at the gates,

There to give up their power. If you can, pace your /

wisdom

In that good path that I would with it go,

And

you shall have your bofom on this wretch, Grace of the Duke, revenges to your heart, And gen'ral honour.

ISAB. I am directed by you.

DUKE. This letter then to friar Peter give;
"Tis that he fent me of the Duke's return:
Say, by this token, I defire his company

At Mariana's houfe to-night. Her caufe and yours
I'll perfect him withal, and he shall bring you
Before the Duke, and to the head of Angelo
Accufe him home, and home. For my poor self,
I am combined by a facred vow,

And shall be absent. Wend you with this letter:

Command these fretting waters from your eyes
With a light heart; truft not my holy order,
If I pervert your courfe. Who's here?

SCENE XI.

Enter Lucio.

LUCIO. Good even→→→
Friar, where's the Provoft?

DUKE. Not within, fir.

LUCIO. Oh, pretty Ifabella, I am pale at mine heart, to fee thine eyes fo red; thou must be patient; I am fain to dine and fup with water and bran; I dare not for my head fill my belly one fruitful meal would fet me tot. But they fay the Duke will be here to-morrow. By my troth, Ifabel, I lov'd thy brother: if the old fantastical duke of dark corners had been at home, he had liv'd. [Exit Ifabella. DUKE. Sir, the Duke is marvelously little beholden to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them.

LUCIO. Friar, thou knoweft not the duke fo well as I do he's a better woodman, than thou tak'it him for.

DUKE. Well, you'll answer this one day Fare ye well. Lució. No, starry, I'll go along with thee: I can tell thee pretty tales of the duke.

DUKE. You have told me too much of him already, Sir, if they be true; if not true, none were enough.

LUCIO. I was once before him for getting a wench with child.

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DUKE. Did you fuch a thing?

LUCIO. Yes, marry, did I, but I was fain 'to forfwear it; they would elfe thave marry'd me to the rotten medlar. DUKE. Sir, your company is fairer than honest: rest 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 littte of it. friar, I am a kind of bur, I shall stick.

SCENE XII.

Changes to the palace,

Enter Angelo and Efcalus.

Nay, [Exeunt

ESCAL. Every letter he hath writ, hath difvouch'd the other.

ANG. In most uneven and diftracted manner. His actions fhew much like to madnefs, pray heav'n, his wisdom be not tainted. And why meet him at the gates, and deliver our authorities there?

ESCAL. I guess not.

ANG. And why should we proclaim it in an hour before his entring, that if any crave redress of injuftice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street?

ESCAL. He fhews his reason for that; to have a dispatch of -complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which fhall then have no power to stand against us.

ANG. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd betimes i' th' morn; I'll call you at your houfe: give notice to fuch men of fort and fuit, as are to meet him.

ESCAL. I fhall, fir, fare you well.

ANG. Good night. `

This deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpregnant,

And dull to all proceedings. A defloured maid!

And by an eminent body, that enforc'd

The law against it!- -but that her tender shame
Will not proclaim against her maiden lofs,

[Exit,

How might the tongue me? yet reafon dares her: No,

For my authority bears a credent bulk;
That no particular scandal once can touch,"

But it confounds the breather. He should have liv'd,
Save that his riotous youth, with dangerous fenfe,
Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge;
For fo receiving a difhonour'd life,

With ransom of fuch fhame. Would yet, he had liv'd!
Alack, when once our grace we have forgot,

Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not. [Exit.

SCENE XIII.

Changes to the fields without the town.

Enter Duke in his own habit, and friar Peter. DUKE. These letters at fit time deliver me.

[Giving letters.

The Provost knows our purpose and our plot.
The matter being afoot, keep your instruction,
And hold you ever to our special drift ;
Tho' fometimes you do blench from this to that,
As caufe doth minifter. Go, call at Flavius' house,
And tell him where I ftay; give the like notice

Unto Valentius, Rowland and to Craffus,

And bid them bring the trumpets to the

But fend me Flavius first.

PET. It shall be speeded well.

Enter Varrius.

gate:

[Exit Friar.

DUKE. I thank thee, Varrius; thou haft made good haste : Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends

Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius.

[Exeunt.

SCENE XIV.

Enter Ifabella and Mariana.

ISAB. To fpeak fo indirectly, I am loth:
(I'd fay the truth: but to accufe him so,
That is your part;) yet I'm advis'd to do it,
He fays, to vail full purpose.

MARI. Be rul'd by him.

ISAB. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure
He speak against me on the adverse fide,

I should not think it ftrange; for 'tis a physick,
That's bitter to fweet end.

MARI. I would, friar Peter

ISA B. Oh, peace; the friar is come.

Enter Peter.

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

He fhall not pass you. Twice have the trumpets founded.
The generous and graveft citizens

Have hent the gates, and very near upon

The duke is entring: therefore hence, away.

ACT V.

SCENE L

A publick place near the city.

[Exeunt.

Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Efcalus, Lucio, and citizens at feveral doors.

M

DUKE.

Y very worthy coufin, fairly met;

Our old and faithful friend, we're glad to see you. ANG. and ESCAL. Happy return be to your royal grace.

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