be so good, sir, to rise and be put to death. Barnar. [Within.] Away, you rogue, away; am sleepy. Abhor. Tell him, he must awake, and that quickly too. Clo. Pray, master Barnardine, awake till you are executed, and sleep afterwards. Abhor. Go in to him, and fetch him out. Both Barnardine and Claudio: Ere twice Prov. I am your free dependant. Quick, despatch, [Exil Provost. And send the head to Angelo. Clo. He is coming, sir, he is coming; I hear his The provost, he shall bear them,-whose contents straw rustle. Enter Barnardine. Abhor. Is the axe upon the block, sirrah? Barnar. How now, Abhorson? what's the news with you? Abhor. Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your prayers; for, look you, the warrant's come. Barnar. You rogue, I have been drinking all night, I am not fitted for't. Clo. O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night, and is hang'd betimes in the morning, may sleep the sounder all the next day. Enter Duke. Abhor. Look you, sir, here comes your ghostly father; do we jest now, think you? Shall witness to him, I am near at home; Re-enter Provost. Prov. Here is the head; I'll carry it myself. Prov. [Exit. Isab. [Within.] Peace, ho, be here! Duke. The tongue of Isabel :-She's come to know, Duke. Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing If yet her brother's pardon be come hither: how hastily you are to depart, I am come to advise But I will keep her ignorant of her good, you, comfort you, and pray with you. To make her heavenly comforts of despair, When it is least expected. Barnar. Friar, not I; I have been drinking hard all night, and I will have more time to prepare me, or they shall beat out my brains with billets: I will not consent to die this day, that's certain. Duke. O, sir, you must: and therefore, I beseech you, Look forward on the journey you shall go. Enter Isabella. Isab. Ho, by your leave. Duke. Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter. Isab. The better, given me by so holy a man. Barnar. I swear, I will not die to-day for any Hath yet the deputy sent my brother's pardon? man's persuasion. Duke. But hear you, Barnar. Not a word; if you have any thing to say to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to-day. [Exit. Enter Provost. Duke. Unfit to live, or die: O, gravel heart!- [Exeunt Abhorson and Clown. Prov. Here in the prison, father, Duke. O, 'tis an accident that Heaven provides! But Barnardine must die this afternoon: Duke. Let this be done;-Put them in secret (1) The antipodes. (2) Your heart's desire. Show your wisdom, daughter, in your close patience. Isab. O, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes. Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jot: The duke comes home to-morrow ;-nay, dry your eyes; One of our convent, and his confessor, Who do prepare to meet him at the gates, In that good path that I would wish it go; Isab. I am combined by a sacred vow, Lucio. Friar, where is the provost ? Good even! Not within, sir. The law against it!-But that her tender shame For my authority bears a credent* bulk, am pale at mine With ransom of such shame. 'Would yet he Lucio. O, pretty Isabella, I heart, to see thine eyes so red: thou must be pa [Exit. tient: I am fain to dine and sup with water and Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, bran; I dare not for my head fill my belly; one Nothing goes right; we would and we would not. fruitful meal would set me to't: But they say the duke will be here to-morrow. By my troth, Isabel, I lov'd thy brother: if the old fantastical duke of SCENE V.-Fields without the town. Enter dark corners had been at home, he had lived. [Exit Isabella. Duke in his own habit, and Friar Peter. Duke. These letters at fit time deliver me. Duke. Sir, the duke is marvellous little beholden to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them. The provost knows our purpose, and our plot. [Giving letters. Lucio. Friar, thou knowest not the duke so well The matter being afoot, keep your instruction, as I do: he's a better woodman than thou takest And hold you ever to our special drift; him for. Duke. Well, you'll answer this one day. ye well. Fare Lucio. Nay, tarry; I'll go along with thee; can tell thee pretty tales of the duke. As cause doth minister. Go, call at Flavius' house, Duke. You have told me too many of him ready, sir, if they be true; if not true, none were enough. Lucio. I was once before him for getting a wench with child. F. Peter. Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou hast made good haste; Duke. Did you such a thing? Lucio. Yes, marry, did I: but was fain to for- Come, we will walk: There's other of our friends swear it; they would else have married me to the Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius. [Exe. rotten medlar. Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honest: SCENE VI.-Street near the city gate. Enter Rest you well. Isabella and Mariana. I Lucio. By my troth, I'll go with thee to the lane's end: If bawdy talk offend you, we'll have very little of it: Nay, friar, I am a kind of burr, shall stick. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-A room in Angelo's house. Enter Angelo and Escalus. Escal. Every letter he hath writ hath disvouch'da other. Ang. In most uneven and distracted manner. His actions show much like to madness: pray Heaven, his wisdom be not tainted! And why meet him at the gates, and re-deliver our authorities there? Escal. I guess not. O, peace; the friar is come. Enter Friar Peter. F. Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit, Ang. And why should we proclaim it in an hour before his entering, that if any crave redress of injus- Where you may have such vantage' on the duke, tice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street? He shall not pass you: Twice have the trumpets Escal. He shows his reason for that: to have a sounded; despatch of complaints; and to deliver us from The generous and gravest citizens devices hereafter, which shall then have no power Have hent" the gates, and very near upon to stand against us. Ang. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd: The duke is ent'ring; therefore hence, away. [Exe. Betimes i' the morn, I'll call you at your house: Give notice to such men of sort and suit," As are to meet him. Escal. I shall, sir: fare you well. [Exit. This deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpreg- And dull to all proceedings. A deflower'd maid! (1) Go. (2) Contradicted. (3) Figure and rank. (B) Credit unquestionable. (6) Utterer. Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you. Duke. Many and hearty thankings to you both. Ang. To lock it in the wards of covert bosom, Friar Peter and Isabella come forward. F. Peter. Now is your time; speak loud, and Isab. Justice, O, royal duke! Vail' your regard Here is lord Angelo shall give you justice; Isab. O, worthy duke, here. Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm: Isab. Isab. Most strange, but yet most truly, will I That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange? Duke. I warrant your honour. Isab. This gentleman told somewhat of my tale. Duke. It may be right; but you are in the wrong Isab. I went To this pernicious caitiff deputy. The phrase is to the matter. Pardon it; Duke. Mended again: the matter:-Proceed. Isab. In brief,-to set the needless process by, How I persuaded, how I pray'd, and kneel'd, How he refell'd' me, and how I reply'd; (For this was of much length,) the vile conclusion now begin with grief and shame to utter: He would not, but by gift of my chaste body Nay, ten times strange. To his concupiscible intemperate lust, Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo, Isab. O prince, I cónjure thee, as thou believ'st That which but seems unlike: 'tis not impos- But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground, (1) Lower. (2) Habits and characters of office. Release my brother; and, after much debatement, Duke. This is most likely! Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour, (6) Conspiracy. P Then, oh, you blessed ministers above, In countenance !-Heaven shield your grace from As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go! Duke. I know, you'd fain be gone:-An officer! To prison with her ;-Shall we thus permit A blasting and a scandalous breath to fall On him so near us? This needs must be a practice. -Who knew of your intent, and coming hither? Isab. One that I would were here, friar Lodowick. Duke. A ghostly father, belike:-Who knows that Lodowick? Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling friar; And to set on this wretched woman here friar Duke. We did believe no less. Know you that friar Lodowick, that she speaks of?| But at this instant he is sick, my lord, Good friar, let's hear it. [Isabella is carried off, guarded; Mariana comes forward. and Mari. Duke. Are nothing then:-Neither maid, widow, nor wife? Lucio. Well, my lord. Duke. This is no witness for lord Angelo. She, that accuses him of fornication, Ang. Charges she more than me? Mari. Not that I know. Duke. No? you say, your husband. Mari. Why, just, 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 strange abuse:-Let's see thy face. Mari. My husband bids me; now I will unmask. [Unveiling. This is that face, thou cruel Angelo, This is the hand, which, with a vow'd contract, Duke. Know you this woman? Lucio. Carnally, she says. Duke. Lucio. Enough, my lord. Sirrah, no more. Ang. My lord, I must confess, I know this wo Betwixt myself and her; which was broke off, I never spake with her, saw her, nor heard from her, Mari. Noble prince, As there comes light from heaven, and words from breath, As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue, (2) Simple. (3) Convened. (5) Deception. (6) Her fortune fell short. Were testimonies against his worth and credit, Escal. How! know you where you are? Be some time honour'd for his burning throne :- Look, you speak justly. Duke. Boldly, at least:-But, O, poor souls, Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women Te call him villain? F. Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, And then to glance from him to the duke himself; indeed, Hath set the women on to this complaint: Your provost knows the place where he abides, Duke. Go, do it instantly. [Exit Provost. Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,' And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin, Do with your injuries as seems you best, In any chastisement: I for a while To tax him with injustice ?-Take him hence; joint, But we will know this purpose:-What! unjust? Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he Nor here provincial: My business in this state Will leave you; but stir not you, till you have Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble, well Determined upon these slanderers. Escal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.-[Exit Duke.] Signior Lucio, did not you say, you knew that friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person? Lucio. Cucullus non facit monachum: honest in nothing, but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most villanous speeches of the duke. Escal. 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. Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report. Lucio. Marry, sir, I think, if you handled her privately, she would sooner confess; perchance, publicly she'll be ashamed. Till it o'er-run the stew: laws, for all faults; Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to Ang. What can you vouch against him, signior Lucio? Is this the man that you did tell us of? Lucio. 'Tis he, my lord.-Come hither, goodman bald-pate: Do you know me? Duke. I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison, in the absence of the duke. Lucio. O, did you so? And do you remember what you said of the duke? Duke. Most notedly, sir. Lucio. Do you so, sir? And was the duke a fleshmonger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? Duke. You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, spoke Re-enter Officers, with Isabella; the Duke, in the 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. Escal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal:Away with him to prison; lay bolts enough upon Away with him to prison :-Where is the provost ? giglots too, and with the other confederate comhim; let him speak no more. Away with those panion. [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, (4) Refer back. (5) Accountable. (6) Wantons. |