154

Duke. He wants advice. Prov. He will hear none. He hath evermore had the liberty of the prison; give him leave to escape hence, he would not; drunk many times a day, if not many days entirely drunk. We have very oft awak'd him, as if to carry him to execution, and show'd him a seeming warrant for it; it hath not moved him at all. 101 Duke. More of him anon. There is written in your brow, Provost, honesty and constancy. If I read it not truly, my ancient skill beguiles me; but, in the boldness of my cunning, I will lay myself in hazard. Claudio, whom here [165 you have warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the law than Angelo who hath sentenc'd him. To make you understand this in a manifested effect, I crave but four days' respite; for the which you are to do me both a present and a dangerous courtesy.

Prov. Pray, sir, in what?
Duke. In the delaying death.

172

Prov. Alack, how may I do it, having the hour limited, and an express command, under penalty, to deliver his head in the view of Angelo? I may make my case as Claudio's, to cross this in the smallest.

179

calls up the shepherd. Put not yourself into amazement how these things should be. All [2 difficulties are but easy when they are known. Call your executioner, and off with Barnardine's head. I will give him a present shrift and advise him for a better place. Yet you are amaz'd, but this shall absolutely resolve you. Come away; it is almost clear dawn. [Exeunt.

SCENE III. [Another room in the same.]

Enter Clown [POMPEY].

Pom. I am as well acquainted here as I was in our house of profession. One would think it were Mistress Overdone's own house, for here be many of her old customers. First, here's young Master Rash. He's in for a commodity of brown paper and old ginger, nine-score [s and seventeen pounds; of which he made five marks, ready money. Marry, then ginger was not much in request, for the old women were all dead. Then is there here one Master Caper, at the suit of Master Three-pile the mer- [10 cer, for some four suits of peach-colour'd satin, which now peaches him a beggar. Then have we here young Dizzy, and young Master Deepvow, and Master Copper-spur, and Master Starve-lackey the rapier and dagger man, [ and young Drop-heir that killed lusty Pudding, and Master Forthlight the tilter, and brave Master Shooty the great traveller, and wild Half-can that stabb'd Pots, and, I think, forty more; all great doers in our trade, and for the Lord's sake."

are now

Enter ABHORSON.

21

all night, and is hanged betimes in the morning, may sleep the sounder all the next day. 50 Enter DUKE [disguised as before]. Abhor. Look you, sir; here comes your ghostly father. Do we jest now, think you? Duke. Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing how hastily you are to depart, I am come to advise you, comfort you, and pray with you. Bar. Friar, not I. I have been drinking [56 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

60

Look forward on the journey you shall go. Bar. I swear I will not die to-day for any man's persuasion.

Duke. But hear you.

64

Bar. Not a word. If you have anything to say to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to-day.

Re-enter PROVOST.

[Exit.

Isab. The better, given me by so holy a man. Hath yet the deputy sent my brother's pardon? Duke. He hath releas'd him, Isabel, from

the world.

His head is off and sent to Angelo.

Isab. Nay, but it is not so.

120

Duke. It is no other. Show your wisdom, daughter,

In your close patience.

Isab. O, I will to him and pluck out his eyes! Duke. You shall not be admitted to his

Isab. Unhappy Claudio! Wretched Isabel ! Injurious world! Most damned Angelo!

Duke. This nor hurts him nor profits you a

jot.

130

Forbear it therefore; give your cause to heaven.
Mark what I say, which you shall find
By every syllable a faithful verity.

The Duke comes home to-morrow; - nay, dry

your eyes;

One of our covent, and his confessor,

Gives me this instance. Already he hath car

ried

Notice to Escalus and Angelo,

135

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 wish it go, And you shall have your bosom on this wretch, Grace of the Duke, revenges to your heart, 140 And general honour.

Isab.

I am directed by you. Duke. This letter, then, to Friar Peter give; 'Tis that he sent me of the Duke's return. Say, by this token, I desire his company At Mariana's house to-night. Her cause and

yours

145

I'll perfect him withal, and he shall bring you Before the Duke, and to the head of Angelo

Duke. Not within, sir.

155

Lucio. O pretty Isabella, I am pale at mine heart to see thine eyes so red. Thou must be patient. I am fain to dine and sup with water and bran; I dare not for my head fill my belly; one fruitful meal would set me to 't. [160 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 dark corners had been at home, he had lived. [Exit Isabella.] 165 Duke. Sir, the Duke is marvellous little beholding to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them.

Lucio. Friar, thou knowest not the Duke so well as I do. He's a better woodman than thou tak'st him for.

171

Lucio. Yes, marry, did I; but I was fain to forswear it. They would else have married me to the rotten medlar.

184

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 little of it. Nay, friar, I am a kind of burr; I shall stick. [Exeunt. 190

SCENE IV. [A room in Angelo's house.]

Enter ANGELO and ESCALUS.

Escal. Every letter he hath writ hath disvouch'd 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 redeliver our authorities there?

Escal. I guess not.

7

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

12

Escal. He shows his reason for that: to have a dispatch of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which shall then have no power to stand against us.

16

Ang. Well, I beseech you, let it be pro

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 sense,

Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge,
By so receiving a dishonour'd life
With ransom of such shame. Would yet he had
lived!

25

Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, Nothing goes right; we would, and we would [Exit.

not.

SCENE V. [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, Though sometimes you do blench from this to that,

As cause doth minister. Go call at Flavius' house,

Ang.
Escal.
Duke. Many and hearty thankings to you
both.

Happy return be to your royal Grace!

We have made inquiry of you, and we hear Such goodness of your justice, that our soul Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks, Forerunning more requital.

Ang. You make my bonds still greater. Duke. O, your desert speaks loud; and I 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 subject 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.

10

16

Nay, it is 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.

45

Away with her! Poor soul, She speaks this in the infirmity of sense. Isab. O Prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st

There is another comfort than this world, That thou neglect me not, with that opinion 50 That I am touch'd with madness! Make not impossible

That which but seems unlike. "T is 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.

55

60

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.

65

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 hide the false seems true.

Duke.

Many that are not mad Have, sure, more lack of reason. What would you say?

Isab. I am the sister of one Claudio
Condemn'd upon the act of fornication
To lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo.
I, in probation of a sisterhood,

Was sent to by my brother; one Lucio
As then the messenger,

Lucio.

70

That's I, an 't like your Grace. I came to her from Claudio, and desir'd her 78 To try her gracious fortune with Lord Angelo For her poor brother's pardon.

Isab.

Duke. You were not bid to speak. Lucio.

That's he indeed.

No, my good lord;

Nor wish'd to hold my peace.

Duke.