Ang. You make my bonds still greater. Duke. Oh! your desert speaks loud; and 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 subjects 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. F. Peter. Now is your time; speak loud, and kneel before him.

Isab. 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 give me justice, justice, justice, justice !
Duke. Relate your wrongs: In

whom? Be brief:

Ang. And she will speak most bitterly, and strange.

Isab. Most strange, but yet most truly, will
I speak :

That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange?
That Angelo's a murderer; is't not strange ?
That Angelo is an adulterous thief,

An hypocrite, a virgin violator;
Is it not strange, and strange 1

Duke. Nay, ten times strange.
Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo,
Than this is all as true as it is strange;
Nay, it is ten times true; for truth is truth
To the end of reckoning.

Duke. Away with her :-Poor soul,
She speaks this in the infirmity of sense.
Isab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thon be
liev'st

There is another comfort than this world,
That thou neglect me not, with that opinion
That I am touch'd with madness: inake 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 bide the false, seems true.

Duke. Many that are not mad,

Have, sure, more lack of reason.-What would

you say?

what?

By

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

Isab. O worthy duke,

You bid me seek redemption of the devil:
Hear me yourself; for that which I must speak
Must either punish me, not being believ'd,
Or wring redress from you hear me, O hear
me, here.

Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not

I, in probation of a sisterhood,

Was sent to by my brother: One Lucio
As then the messenger ;-

Lucio. That's 1, an't like your grace:

I come to her from Claudio, and desir'd ber
To try her gracious fortune with lord Angelo,
For her poor brother's pardon.

Isab. That's he, indeed.

Duke. You were not bid to speak.
Lucio. No, my good lord;

Nor wish'd to hold my peace.

Duke. I wish you now then;

Pray you, take note of it: and when yon 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 his concupiscible temperate lust, [ment,
Release my brother; and, after much debate-
My sisterly remorse confutes miue honour,
And did yield to him: But the next morning
betimes,

His purpose surfeiting, he sends a warrant
For my poor brother's head.

Duke. This is most likely !

Isab. Oh! that it were as like, as it is true! Duke. By heaven, fond + wretch, thou know'st not what thou speak'st:

Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour,
In hateful practice: First, his integrity
Stands without blemish :-next it imports no

reason,

That with such vehemency he should pursue
Faults proper to himself: if he had so offended,
He would bave weigh'd thy brother by himself,
And not have cut him off: Some one hath set
you on;

Confess the truth, and say by whose advice
Thou cam'st here to complain.

Isab. And is this all?

Then, O you blessed ministers above,

Keep me in patience; and, with ripen'd time, Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up

In countenance !-Heaven shield your grace from woe,

As 1, 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.

(To justify this worthy nobleman,
So vulgarly and personally accus'd,)
Her shall you hear disproved to her eyes
Till she herself confess it.

Duke. Good friar, let's hear it.
[ISABELLA is carried off, gvarded; and
MARIANA comes forward.

Do you not smile at this lord Angelo ?—
O heaven! the vanity of wretched fools!-
Give us some seats.-Come, cousin Angeio
In this I'll be impartial; be you judge
Of your own cause.-Is this the witness, friar?
First, let her show her face; and, after speak.
Mari. Pardon, my lord; I will not show my
Until my husband bid me.

Duke. What, are you married?
Mari. No, my lord.

Duke. Are you a maid?
Mari. No, my lord.
Duke. A widow, then?

Mari. Neither, my lord.

Duke. Why, you

[face,

[wife.

Are nothing then :-Neither maid, widow, nor 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

friar ;

[lord, I do not like the man had he been lay, my For certain words he spake against your grace In your retirement, I had swing'd ý him soundly. Duke. Words against me? This' a good friar, belike!

And to set on this wretched woman bere
Against our substitute !-Let this friar be found.
Lucio. But yesternight, my lord, she and that
friar

I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar,
A very scurvy fellow.

F. Peter. Blessed be your royal grace !
I have stood by, my lord, and I bave heard
Your royal ear abus'd; First, hath this woman
Most wrongfully accus'd your substitute :
Who is as free from touch or soil with her,
As she from one ungot.

Duke. We did believe no less.

Know you that friar Lodowick, that she speaks of? F. Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy;

Not scurvy, nor a temporary medler,
As he's 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.
F. Peter. Well, he in time may come to clear
himself:

But at this instant he is sick, my lord,
Of a strange fever: Upon his mere request,
(Being come to knowledge that there was com-
plaint

Intended 'gainst lord Angelo,) came I hither, To speak as from his mouth, what he doth know

Is true, and false; and what be with his oath, And all probation, will make up full clear, Whensoever he's convented. First, for this

Duke. For the benefit of silence, 'would thou wert so too.

Lucio. Well, my lord.

Duke. This is no witness for lord Angelo.
Mari. Now I come to't, my lord:

She, that accuses him of fornication,
in self-same manner doth accuse my husband;
And charges him, my lord, with such a time,
When I'll depose I had him in mine arms,
With all the effect of love.

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, [on: Which once thou swor'st, was worth the looking This is the hand, which, with a vow'd contract, Was fast belock'd in thine: this is the body That took away the match from Isael, And did supply thee at thy garden-house, In her imagin'd person.

Duke. Know you this woman?
Lucio. Carnally, she says.
Duke. Sirrah, no more.
Laucio. Enough, my lord.

Ang. My lord, I must confess, I know this,

As there comes light from heaven, and words from breath,

• Publicly ↑ Deception. Her fortune fell short,

Ang. O my dread lord,

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: Theu, 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.

Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.

Do you the office, friar; which consummate, Return him here again :-Go with him, Provost. [Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and PROVOST.

Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his disThan at the strangeness of it. [honour.

Duke. Come hither, Isabel :

Your friar is now your prince: As I was then
Advertising, and holy to your business,
Not changing heart with habit, I am still
Attorney'd at your service.

Isab. Oh! give me pardon,

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 hidden power,
Than let him so be 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
bim!

That life is better life, past fearing death,
Than that which lives to fear: make it your com-
So happy is your brother.

[fort,

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
(Being criminal, in double violation [brother,
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 haste, and leisure answers leisure;
Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Mea-

I crave no other, nor no better man.
Duke. Never crave him; we are definitive.
Mari. Gentle, my liege,-
[Kneeling.

Duke. 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

Mari. Isabel,

Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me;
Hold up your hands, say nothing, I'll speak all.
They say, best men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad: so may my husband.
O Isabel! will you not lend a knee?

Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.
Isab. Most bounteous Sir,
[Kneeling
Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,
As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,

A due sincerity govern'd his deeds,
Till he did look on me; since it is so,
Let him not die: My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he died:
For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;
And must be buried but as an intent
That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no sub-
Intents but merely thoughts.
[jects;

Mari. Merely, my lord.
Duke. Your suit's unprofitable; stand up, I
say.-

I have bethought me of another fault:
Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded
At an unusual bour?

Prov. It was commanded so.

Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed? Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private message.

Duke. For which I do discharge you of your Give up your keys. [office :

Prov. Pardon me, nobles lord:

I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me, after more advice: +
For testimony whereof, one in the prison
That should by private order else have died,
I have reserv'd alive.

Duke, What's he?

Prov. His name is Barnardine. Duke. I would thou had'st done so by Claudio. Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon Lim. [Exit 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 judgment 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 intreat 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