To buy you a better husband. Mari. O, my dear lord! I crave no other, nor no better man. Mari. Gentle my liege,— Duke. [Kneeling. You do but lose your labour. Away with him to death.-Now, sir, [To LUCIO.] to you. Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my part: Lend me your knees, and all my life to come Duke. Against all sense you do importune her: Mari. Isabel, Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me: Duke. He dies for Claudio's death. Most bounteous sir, [Kneeling. Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd, Let him not die. My brother had but justice, His act did not o'ertake his bad intent; And must be buried but as an intent That perish'd by the way. Thoughts are no subjects, Intents but merely thoughts. Mari. Merely, my lord. Duke. Your suit's unprofitable: stand up, I say. I have bethought me of another fault.— Provost, how came it Claudio was beheaded At an unusual hour? Prov. It was commanded so. Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed? Prov. No, my good lord: it was by private message. Duke. For which I do discharge you of your office : Give up your keys. Prov. Pardon me, noble lord: Duke. Prov. What's he? His name is Barnardine. Duke. I would thou had'st done so by Claudio. Go, fetch him hither: let me look upon him. [Exit Provost. Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd, Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood, And lack of temper'd judgment afterward. Ang. I am sorry that such sorrow I procure; And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart, That I crave death more willingly than mercy: 'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it. Re-enter Provost, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO, and JULIET. Duke. Which is that Barnardine? Prov. This, my lord. Duke. There was a friar told me of this man. Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul, That apprehends no farther than this world, And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt condemned; But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all, I leave him to your hand.-What muffled fellow's that? That should have died when Claudio lost his head, [Unmuffles CLAUDIO. Duke. If he be like your brother, [To ISABELLA.] for his sake Is he pardon'd; and for your lovely sake Give me your hand, and say you will be mine, Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well: Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth yours.― I find an apt remission in myself, And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon. You, sirrah, [To LUCIO.] that knew me for a fool, a coward, One all of luxury, an ass, a madman : That you extol me thus? Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick. If you will hang me for it, you may; but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipp'd. Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.— Proclaim it, provost, round about the city, If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow, (As I have heard him swear himself there's one Whom he begot with child) let her appear, And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd, Let him be whipp'd and hang'd. Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to Your highness said even now I made you a a whore! duke: good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold. Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her. Remit thy other forfeits.-Take him to prison, Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging. Duke. Slandering a prince deserves it. She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.— I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.— What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.- [Exeunt. 1 THAT'S meet you all should know.] The first folio has "that meet," &c., and it was corrected in the second folio. Not so with a slight error of the same kind on the preceding page, where "If any woman's wrong'd" is printed in both the old copies "If any woman wrong'd." |