302

To
AR
To
To

leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her.

Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report.
Escal. Say you?

Lucio. Marry, sir, I think, if you handled her pri.
vately, she should sooner confess : perchance, pub-
lickly she'll be asham’d.
Enter Duke in the Friar's habit, and Provost. ISABELLA

is brought in.
Escal. I will go darkly to work with her.

Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight.

Escal. Come on, mistress; here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said.

Lucio. My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of; here with the Provost.

Escal. In very good time :-speak not you to him, 'till we call upon you. Lucío. Mum.

311 Escal. Come, sir; did you set these women on to slander lord Angelo ? they have confess’d you did.

Duke. Tis false.
· Escal. How! know

you
where

you

are ?
Duke. Respect to your great place ! and let the devil
Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne:-
Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak.

· Escal. The duke's in us; and we will hear you speak:
Look, you speak justly.

320 Duke. Boldly, at least :-But, oh, poor souls, Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox?

But

1

Da
No
Ma
W
"Ti

1

Good

Good night to your redress : Is the duke gone ?
Then is your cause gone too. The duke's unjust,
Thus to retort your manifest appeal,
And put your trial in the villain's.inouth,
Which here you come to accuse.

Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he, I spoke of.
3 Escal. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar!
Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women
To accuse this worthy man; but, in foul mouth,
«s.And in the witness of his proper ear,”. 932
To call him villain ?
And then to glance from him to the duke himself,
To tax lim with injustice ?--Take him lience;
To the rack with himn :.We'll touze you joint by

joint,
But we will know this purpose :--What? unjust..

Duke. Be not solaot; the duke i
Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he
Dare rack his own; his subject I am not,
Nor here provincial : My.business in this state :
Made me a looker-an here in Vienna,

· 342
Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble,
*Till it o'er-run the stew :.“ law's, for all faults;
« But faults so countenanc'd, that the strong statutes'
“ Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop,
"As much in mock as mark,
c Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to

prison.
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? 351 Duke. I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice : I met you at the prison, in the absence of the duke.

Lucio. Oh, did you so ?. And do you remember -what you said of the duke ?

Duke. Most notedly, sir.

Lucio. Vo you so, sir? And was the duke a fleshmonger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be ?

360 . 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.

Escal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal :. Away with him to prison :mo" 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 compa.. nion.

[The Provost lays hands on the Dyke. Duke Stay, sir; stay a while.

375 Ang. What! resists he ? Help him, Lucio.

Lucio. Come, sir ; come, şir; come, sir: foh, sir s. Wliy, you bald-pated, lying rascall you must be

hooded,

HO TI Re AI

hooded, must you ? show your knave's visage, with a pox to you! show your sleep-biting' face, and be hang'd an hour! Will’t not ofta.

[Pulls off the friar's hood, and discovers the Duke. · Duke. Thou art the first knave, tiiat e'er niad'st a duke.

38g
First, provost, let me bail these gentle three: -
Sneak not away, sil'; [to Lucio] for the friar and you
Must have a word anon i-lay liold 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,
That yet can do thee office? if thou hast,
Rely upon it till my tale be heard,
And hold no longer out.

399
Ang. O my dread lord,
I should be guiltier than my guiltiness,
To think I can be undiscernable,
When I perceive, your grace, like power divine,
Hath look?d upon my passes : Then, good prince,
No longer session hold upon my shame,
But let my trial be mine own confession;
Inhinediáte sentence then, and sequent death,
Is all the grace I beg.
, Duke.- Come hither, Mariana :-

408
Say, wast thou e'er contracted to this woman
Ang. I was, my
lord.

Duke.

Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her ina

stantly.
Do you the office, friar; which consummate,
Return him here again :--Go with him, provost.

[Exeunt Angelo, MARIANA, Peter, and Prevost.
Escal, My lord, I am more amaz'd, at his disho.

nour,
Than at the strangeness of it.

Duke. Come hither, Isabel :
“ Your friar is now your prince: As I was then
" Advertising, and holy to your business, 412
"Not changing heart with habit, I am still
“ Attorney'd at your

service."
Isab. Oh, give me pardon,
That I, your vassal, have employd 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 obscurd myself,
Labouring to save his life ; “and would not rather
“ Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power, 493
“ Than let him be so lost :" Oh, most kind maid,
It was the swift celerity of his death,
Which I did think with slower foot came on,
That bræind my purpose: But, peace be with him!
That life is better life, past fearing death,
Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort,
So, happy is your brother.

W

W

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