MARIANA veiled, ISABELLA, and FRIAR PETER, at their stand. Enter DUKE, VARRIUS, Lords, ANGELO, ESCALUS, LUCIO, PROVOST, Officers, and Citizens, at several doors DUKE VERY WORTHY cousin, fairly met! Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you. ANG. Happy return be to ESCAL. your royal Grace! DUKE. Many and hearty thankings to you both. 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, You make my bonds still greater. DUKE. O, your desert speaks loud; and I should wrong it, [107] To lock it in the wards of covert bosom, FRIAR PETER and ISABELLA come forward FRI. P. Now is your time: speak loud, and kneel be fore him. ISAB. Justice, O royal Duke! Vail your regard Upon a wrong'd, I would 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 given me justice, justice, justice, justice! DUKE. Relate your wrongs; in what? by whom? be brief. 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 16 Favours . . . within] Marks of recognition that are in my heart. 20 Vail your regard] Lower your eyes. Cf. Venus and Adonis, 956, “She vail'd her eyelids." Or wring redress from you. Hear me, O hear me, here! ANG. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm: She hath been a suitor to me for her brother Cut off by course of justice, ISAB. By course of justice! 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, DUKE. Nay, it is ten times strange. ISAB. It is not truer he is Angelo DUKE. Away with her! - Poor soul, She speaks this in the infirmity of sense. ISAB. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believest There is another comfort than this world, That I am touch'd with madness! Make not impossible That thou neglect me not, with that opinion That which but seems unlike: 't is not impossible But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground, 40 50 In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms, DUKE. By mine honesty, As e'er I heard in madness. O gracious Duke, ISAB. DUKE. Many that are not mad Have, sure, more lack of reason. say? What would you ISAB. I am the sister of one Claudio, Was sent to by my brother; one Lucio LUCIO. That's I, an 't like your Grace: I came to her from Claudio, and desired her 56 dressings, characts] habiliments, badges of office. "Characts" is no uncommon abbreviation of "characters." 65 For inequality] Because my speech is unequal or inconsistent. 67 hide the false seems true] seclude the falsehood which now seems truth. 60 70 To try her gracious fortune with Lord Angelo poor brother's pardon. For her DUKE. You were not bid to speak. LUCIO. Nor wish'd to hold my peace. DUKE. That's he indeed. No, my good lord; I wish you now, then; 80 Pray you, take note of it: and when you have Be perfect. LUCIO. I warrant your honour. DUKE. The warrant's for yourself; take heed to 't. DUKE. It may be right; but you are i' the wrong ISAB. I went To this pernicious caitiff Deputy, - The phrase is to the matter. Pardon it; DUKE. Mended again. The matter;- proceed. the vile conclusion I now begin with grief and shame to utter: 94 refell'd] refuted. Cf. "confutes," line 100, infra. |