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ESCAL. Come Sir, did you fet these women on to flander lord Angelo? they have confefs'd you did.

DUKE. 'Tis falfe.

ESCAL. How? know you where you are?

DUKE. Refpect to your great place!-and let the devil
Be fometime honour'd for his burning throne.

Where is the Duke? 'tis he should hear me speak.
ESCAL. The Duke is in us; and we will hear you speak:

Look, you speak justly.

DUKE. Boldly, at least. But oh, poor fouls,

Come you to feek the lamb here of the fox?

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 mouth,

Which here you come to accufe.

LUCIO. This is the rafcal; this is he I spoke of.
ESCAL. Why, thou unrev'rend and unhallow'd Friar,
Is't not enough thou haft fuborn'd these women
T'accufe this worthy man, but with foul mouth,
And in the witness of his proper ear,

To call him villain;

And then to glance from him to th' Duke himself,
To tax him with injuftice?- -Take him hence;
To th' rack with him-we'll touze you joint by joint
But we will know your purpose-what! unjust?
DUKE. Be not fo hot; the duke dare no more stretch
This finger of mine, than he dare rack his own:

His fubject am I not,

Nor here provincial; my business in this state
Made me a looker on here in Vienna;

Where I have feen corruption boil and bubble,

"Till it o'er-run the ftew: laws, for all faults;
But faults fo countenanc'd, that the strong statutes
Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop,

As much in mock as mark.

ESCAL. Slander to th' ftate! away with him to prison.
ANG. What can you vouch against him, fignior 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?

DUKE. I remember you, Sir, by the found of your voice: I met you at the prison in the absence of the duke.

LUCIO. Oh, did you fo? and do you remember what you faid of the duke?

DUKE. Moft notedly, Sir.

LUCIO. Do you so, Sir? and was the duke a flesh-monger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? DUKE. You muft, Sir, change perfons with me, ere you make that my report: you spoke fo of him, and much more, much worse.

LUCIO. Oh thou damnable fellow! did not I pluck thee by the nofe, for thy speeches!

DUKE. I proteft, 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 prifon:-where is the Provost?-away with him to prifon; lay bolts enough upon him; let him speak no more;-away with those giglets too, and with the other confederate companion.

[The Provoft lays hands on the Duke.

DUKE. Stay, Sir, stay a-while.

ANG. What! refifts he? help him, Lucio.

LUCIO. Come, Sir; come, Sir; come, Sir; foh, Sir; why you bald-pated lying rascal: you must be hooded, must you; fhow your knave's vifage, with a pox to you; fhow your Theep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour: will't not off?

[To Lucio.

[Pulls off the friar's hood, and difcovers the Duke. DUKE. Thou art the first knave, that e'er mad'ft a duke.— First, Provost, let me bail these gentle three. Sneak not away, Sir; for the Friar and you Must have a word anon:-lay hold on him. LUCIO. This may prove worse than hanging. DUKE. What you have spoke, I pardon; fit you down.[To Efcalus. We'll borrow place of him.-Sir, by your leave:-[To Ang.

Haft thou a word, or wit, or impudence,

That yet can do thee office; if thou haft,
Rely upon it till my tale be heard,
And hold no longer out.

ANG. O my dread lord,

I should be guiltier than my guiltiness,

To think I can be undifcernable;

When I perceive your grace, like pow'r divine,
Hath look'd upon my paffes. Then, good prince,
No longer feffion hold upon my shame;

But let my trial be mine own confeffion :
Immediate fentence then, and fequent death,
Is all the grace I beg

DUKE. Come hither, Mariana:

Say; waft thou e'er contracted to this woman?

ANG. I was, my lord.

DUKE. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.

Do you the office, Friar; which confummate,

Return him here again. Go with him, Provost.

[Exeunt Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost.

SCENE VI.

ESCAL. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour,

Than at the ftrangeness of it.

DUKE. Come hither, Isabel;

Your Friar is now your prince: as I was then

Advertising, and holy to your business,

Not changing heart with habit, I am still

Attornied at your service.

ISAB. Oh, give me pardon,

That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd

Your unknown fovereignty.

DUKE. You are pardon'd, Ifabel:

And now, dear maid, be you as free to us.
Your brother's death, I know, fits at your heart:
And you may marvel, why I obscur'd myself,
Labouring to fave his life; and would not rather
Make rash remonftrance of my hidden power,
Than let him be fo loft. Oh, most kind maid,
It was the swift celerity of his death,
Which, I did think, with flower foot came on,
That brain'd 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.

[blocks in formation]

Enter Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost.

ISA B. I do, my lord.

DUKE. For this new-marry'd man, approaching here,
Whofe falt imagination yet hath wrong'd

Your well defended honour, you must pardon him

For Mariana's fake: but as he adjudg'd your brother,
Being criminal, in double violation

Of facred chastity, and in promise-breach,
Thereon dependant, for your brother's life,
The very mercy of the law cries out

Most audible, ev'n from his proper tongue,
An Angelo for Claudio; death for death.
Haste still pays hafte, and leisure answers leisure;
Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.
Then, Angelo, thy faults are manifested;

Which tho' thou would'ft deny, deny thee vantage.
We do condemn thee to the very block,

Where Claudio ftoop'd to death; and with like hafte.-
Away with him.

MARI. Oh, my most gracious lord,

I hope, you will not mock me with a husband?
DUKE. It is your husband mock'd you with a husband.
Confenting to the safeguard of your honour,

I thought your marriage fit; elfe imputation,
For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
And choak your good to come. For his poffeffions,
Altho' by confifcation they are ours,

We do enstate and widow you withal,
To buy you a better husband,

MARI. Oh, my dear lord,

I crave no other, nor no better man.

DUKE. Never crave him; we are definitive.

MARI. Gentle, my liege.

DUKE. You do but lose your labour.

Away with him to death

MARI. Oh, my good lord!

[Kneeling.

-Now, Sir, to you. [To Lucio,
-Sweet Ifabel, take my part;

Lend me your knees, and all my life to come

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