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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 have 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 wrapp'd up

In countenance!-Heaven shield your grace from woe,
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?

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Isab. One that I would were here,-friar Lodowick. Duke. A ghostly father, belike:-Who knows that Lodowick?

Lucio. My lord, I know him; 't is a meddling friar; I do not like the man: had he been lay, my lord, For certain words he spake against your grace In your retirement, I had swing'd him soundly. Duke. Words against me? This' a good friar be

like?

And to set on this wretched woman here
Against our substitute!-Let this friar be found.
Lucio. But yesternight, my lord, she and that friar
I saw them at the prison: a sawcy friar,
A very scurvy fellow.

Peter. Blessed be your royal grace!

I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard
Your royal car abus'd: First, hath this woman.
Most wrongfully accus'd your substitute;
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.

Take her hence awhile.

[Exit Friar PETER.

[Exeunt ISABELLA, and two Apparitors.

Give us some seats.

[Gentlemen fetch two chairs.]

Do you not smile at this, lord Angelo?
O heaven! the vanity of wretched fools!-
Come, cousin Angelo;

In this I'll be impartial; be you judge

Of

your own cause.

[The Duke and ANGELO sit.]

Enter MARIANA veiled, and Friar PETER.

Is this the witness, friar?

First, let her show her face; and, after, speak.

Mari. Pardon, my lord; I will not show my face, Untill my husband bid me.

Duke. What, are you marry'd?

Mari. No, my

lord.

Duke. Are you a maid?

Mari. No, my lord.

Duke. A widow then.

Mari. Neither, my lord.

Duke. Why, you are nothing then :

Neither maid, widow, nor wife?

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 some

cause

To prattle for himself.

Lucio. Well, my lord.

Mari. My lord, I do confess, I ne'er was marry'd; And, I confess, besides, I am no maid:

I have known my husband; yet my husband knows not,

That ever he knew me.

Lucio. He was drunk then, my lord; it can be no better,

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,

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.
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.
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,

Which, once thou swor'st, was worth the looking on:
This is the hand, which, with a vow'd contract,
Was fast belock'd in thine: 'twas I

That took away the match from Isabel,
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.

Lucio. Enough, my lord.

Ang. My lord, I must confess, I know this woman; And, five years since, there was some speech of marriage

Betwixt myself and her which was broke off,

Partly, for that her promised proportions

Came short of composition; but, in chief,
For that her reputation was disvalu'd
In levity since which time, of five years,

I never spake with her, saw her, nor heard from her,
Upon my faith and honour.

Mari. Noble prince,

[Kneels

As there comes light from heaven, and words from

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As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue,
I am affianc'd this man's wife, as strongly
As words could make up vows:

As this is true,

Let me in safety raise me from my knees;
Or else for ever be confixed here,

A marble monument! [Rises.]

Ang. I did but smile till now; [ANGELO starts up.] Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice; My patience here is touch'd: I do perceive, These poor informal women are no more But instruments of some more mightier member, That sets them on: Let me have way, my lord, To find this practice out.

Duke. Ay, with my heart;

And punish them unto your hight of pleasure.-
[The Duke rises.]
Thou foolish friar,-and thou pernicious woman,
Compact with her that's gone, think'st thou, thy

oaths,

Though they would swear down each particular saint,
Were testimonies against his worth and credit,
That's seal'd in approbation?-You, lord Escalus,
Sit with my cousin; lend him your kind pains
To find out this abuse, whence 't is deriv'd.-
There is another friar, that set them on;
Let him be sent for.

Peter. 'Would he were here, my lord; for he, indeed,

Hath set the women on to this complaint:

Your provost knows the place where he abides,

And he may fetch him.

Duke. Go, do it instantly.

[Exit Provost.

And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin,

Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,
Do with your injuries as seems you best,
In any chastisement: I for a while
Will leave you; stir not you, till
Determined upon these slanderers.

you have well

Escal. My lord, we'll do it throughly.

[Exit Duke.-ANGELO and ESCALUS sit. Signior Lucio, did not you say, you knew that friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person?

Lucio. Cucullus not facit monachum: honest in nothing, but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most villainous 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.

Escal. Know you that friar Lodowick, that he speaks of?

Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy; Not sawcy, 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 his grace.

Lucio. My lord, most villainously; believe it.

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 complaint
Intended 'gainst lord Angelo,) came I hither,
To speak, as from his mouth, what he doth know
Is true, and false; and what he with his oath,
And all probation, will make up full clear,

Whensoever he 's convented.

Escal. Call that same Isabel here once again.[Exit a Gentleman. I would speak with her :-'Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle

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her.

Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report.

Enter the Gentleman, ISABELLA, and two Apparitors.

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,

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