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. Duke. It is no other: Show your wisdom, daughter, in your close pa tience. Isab. O, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes. Duke. You shall not be admitted to his sight. Isab. Unhappy Claudio! Wretched Isabel! Injurious world! Most damned Angelo! Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jot: 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 convent, and his confessor, Gives me this instance: Already he hath carried 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, 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, And shall be absent. Wendt you with this letter: With a light heart; trust not my holy order, 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: 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. Duke. Sir, the duke is marvellous little beholden 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 takest him for. Duke. Well, you'll answer this one day. Fare ye well. Lucio. Nay, tarry; I'll go along with thee; I can tell thee pretty tales of the duke. Duke. You have told me too many of him already, sir, if they be true; if not true, none were enough. Lucio. I was once before him for getting a wench with child. Duke. Did you such a thing? Lucio. Yes, marry, did I: but was fain to forswear it; they would else have married me to the rotten medlar. 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. 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 re-deliver our authorities there? Escal. I guess not. 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? Escal. He shows his reason for that: to have a despatch of complaints; and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which shall then have no power to stand against us. Ang. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd: Betimes i' the morn, I'll call you at your house: Give notice to such men of sort and suitt, As are to meet him. Escal. I shall, sir: fare you well. [Exit. Ang. Good night. This deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpregnant, The law against it!-But that her tender shame How might she tongue me? Yet reason darest her? no: Contradicted. + Figure and rank. Calls, challenges her to do it. For my authority bears a credent* bulk, That no particular scandal once can touch, But it confounds the breathert. He should have liv'd, With ransome of such shame. 'Would yet he had liv'd! Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, Nothing goes right; we would and we would not. [Exit. 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. Though sometimes you do blench‡ from this to that, But send me Flavius first. F. Peter. It shall be speeded well. [Exit Friar. Enter Varrius. Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou hast made good haste: * Credit unquestionable. Uiterer. Start off. Come, we will walk: There's other of our friends [Exeunt. SCENE VI. Street near the city gate. Enter Isabella and Mariana. Isab. To speak so indirectly, I am loathi; Mari. Be rul'd by him. Isab. Besides, he tells me, that, if peradventure He speak against me on the adverse side, I should not think it strange: for 'tis a physick, Mari. I would, friar Peter. Isab. O, peace; the friar is conie. Enter Friar Peter. F. Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit, Where you may have such vantaget on the duke, He shall not pass you: Twice have the trumpets sounded; The generous and gravest citizens Have hents the gates, and very near upon [Exeunt. Availful, Advantage. Most noble. Seized. |