Escal. In very good time :-Speak not you to him, till we call upon you.

Lucio. Mum.

Enter the Duke, as a Friar, and Provost.

Escal. Come, sir: Did you set these women on to slander lord Angelo? They have confess'd you did. Duke. 'Tis false.

Escal. How! know you where

you are? Duke. Respect to your great place! and let the devil

Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne:Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak. Escal. The duke's in us; and we will hear you speak :

Look, you speak justly.

Duke. Boldly, at least:-But, O, poor souls,
Come you to seek 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 accuse.

Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. Escal. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar! Is 't not enough thou hast suborn'd these women To accuse this worthy man; but, in foul mouth, And in the witness of his proper ear,

To call him villain?

And then to glance from him to the duke himself; To tax him with injustice!-Take him hence;

To the rack with him:We'll touze you joint by

joint

But we will know this purpose:-What! unjust?
Duke. Be not so hot; the duke

Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he
Dare rack his own; his subject am I not,

Nor here provincial: My business in this state
Made me a looker-on here in Vienna,

Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble,

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

As much in mock as mark.

Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to prison.

Ang. What can you vouch against him, signior Lucio? Is this the man that you did tell us of?

Lucio. 'Tis he, my lord.-Come hither, goodman baldpate: Do you know me?

Duke. I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison, in the absence of the duke.

Lucio. O, did you so!-And do you remember, what you said of the duke?

Duke. Most notedly, sir.

Lucio. Do you so, sir? And was the duke a fleshmonger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be?

Duke. You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, spoke so of him; and much more, much worse.

Lucio. O thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose, for thy speeches?

Duke. I protest, 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 prison:-Where is the provost ? Away with him to prison; lay bolts enough upon him let him speak no more:-Away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate compa

:

nion.

[The Provost lays hands on the Duke.

Duke. Stay, sir; stay a while.

Ang. What! resists he? Help him, Lucio. Lucio. Come, sir; come, sir:-Why, you baldpated, lying rascal! you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's visage, show your sheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour! Will 't not off?

[Pulls off the Friar's habit, and discovers the Duke.

Duke. Thou art the first knave, that ever made 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.

[The Apparitors seize Lucio. Lucio. This may prove worse than hanging. Duke. What you have spoke, I pardon; sit you down :

[To ESCALUS. We'll borrow place of him:-Sir, by your leave.[To ANGELO. Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence, That yet can do thee office? If thou hast, 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 undiscernible,

When I perceive, your grace, like power divine,
Hath look'd upon my passes: then, good prince,
No longer session hold upon my shame,
But let my trial be mine own confession;
Immediate sentence then, and sequent death,
Is all the grace I beg.

Duke. Čome hither, Mariana:

Say, wast 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 consummate,
Return him here again :-Go with him, provost.

[Exeunt MARIANA, ANGELO, Friar PETER, and Provost.

Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour, Than at the strangeness of it.

Duke. Come hither, Isabel.

Isab. O, give me pardon, [She kneels.]

That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd
Your unknown sovereignty.

Duke. You are pardon'd, Isabel: [Raises her. And now, dear maid, be you as free to us. Your brother's death, I know, sits at your heart; And you may marvel, why I obscur'd myself, Labouring to save his life; and would not rather Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power, Than let him so be lost: O, most kind maid, It was the swift celerity of his death, Which I did think with slower 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.

Enter MARIANA, ANGELO, Provost, and Friar PETER.

Isab. I do, my lord.

Duke. For this new-marry'd man, approaching here, Whose foul imagination yet hath wrong'd

Your well-defended honour, you must pardon him For Mariana's sake: but, as he adjudg'd your brother, (Being criminal in double violation,

Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach,)
We do condemn him to the very block

Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like haste;--
Mari. O, my most gracious lord,

I hope, you will not mock me with a husband.
Duke. It is your husband mock'd you with a hus-
band:

Consenting to the safeguard of your honour,
I thought your marriage fit; else imputation,
For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
And choke your good to come :-Away with him ;-
[Guards advance.]

His fault thus manifested,

The very mercy of the law cries out

Most audible, even from his proper tongue,

An Angelo for Claudio, Death for death.

Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;

Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.

Mari. Gentle my liege,-[Falls
-[Falls on her knees.]
Duke. You do but lose your labour;

Away with him to death.

[Guards draw their swords, advancing.]

Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my
part:

Lend me your knees, and, all my life to come,
I'll lend you all my life to do you service.

Duke. Against all sense you do importune her:
Should she kneel down, in mercy of this fact,
Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,
And take her hence in horror.

Mari. Isabel,

Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me:

They say, best men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad; so may my husband.-
O, Isabel!-Will you not lend a knee?

Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.

Isab. Most bounteous sir,

[Kneeling.

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,
As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,
A due sincerity govern'd his deeds,

Till he did look on me; since it is so,
Let him not die: My brother had but justice
In that he did the thing for which he died:
For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;

And must be bury'd 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.— [They rise.]

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?

E