Ifab. Oh, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes. Duke. You fhall not be admited to his fight. Ifab. Unhappy Claudio! wretched Ifabel! Injurious world! moft damned Angelo!

Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jot Forbear it therefore, give your cause to heav'n: Mark, what I fay; which you fhall furely find By ev'ry fyllable a faithful verity.

The Duke comes home to-morrow; dry your eyes;
One of our convent, and his confeffor,

Gives me this inftance: already he hath carry'd
Notice to Efcalus and Angelo,

Who do prepare to meet him at the gates,

There to give up their pow'r. If you can, pace your

wisdom

go,

In that good path that I would wish it
And you fhall have
your bofom on this wretch,
Grace of the Duke, revenges to your heart,
And gen'ral honour.

Ifab. I'm directed by you.

Duke. This letter then to Friar Peter give;
'Tis That he fent me of the Duke's return:
Say, by this token, I defire his company
At Mariana's houfe to night. Her caufe and yours
I'll perfect him withal, and he fhall bring you
Before the duke, and to the head of Angelo
Accufe him home, and home. For my poor felf,
I am combined by a facred vow,

And fhall be abfent. Wend you with this letter:
Command these fretting waters from your eyes
With a light heart; truft not my holy Order,
If I pervert your courfe. Who's here?

SCEN E XI.

Enter Lucio.

Lucio. Good even;

Friar, where's the Provost?

Ff2

Duke,

Duke. Not within, Sir.

Lucio. Oh, pretty Isabella, I am pale at mine heart, to see thine eyes fo red; thou must be patient; I am fain to dine and fup with water and bran; I dare not for my head fill my belly: one fruitful meal would fet 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 fantaftical Duke of dark corners had been at home, he had liv'd. [Exit Ifabella.

Duke. Sir, the Duke is marvellous little beholden to your reports; but the beft is, he lives not in them.

Lucio. Friar, thou knoweft not the Duke fo well as I do; he's a better woodman, than thou tak'st him for.

Duke. Well, you'll anfwer 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 fuch a thing?

Lucio. Yes, marry, did I; but I was fain to forfwear it; they would elfe have marry'd 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 bur, I fhall stick.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Efcal.

SCENE

EV

Changes to the Palace.

Enter Angelo and Efcalus.

XII.

VERY letter, he hath writ, hath disvouch'd other.

Ang. In most uneven and distracted manner. His actions fhew much like to madness: pray heav'n, his wisdom be not tainted! and why meet him at the gates, and deliver our authorities there?

Efcal. I guess not.

Ang. And why fhould we proclaim it in an hour be fore his entering, that if any crave redrefs of injuftice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street?

Efcal. He fhews his reafon for that; to have a difpatch of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which fhall then have no power to ftand against us.

Ang. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd betimes i'th' morn; I'll call you at your house: give notice to fuch men of fort and fuit, as are to meet him. Efcal. I fhall, Sir: fare you well. [Exit. Ang. Good night.

This deed unfhapes me quite, makes me unpregnant, And dull to all proceedings. A defloured maid!

And by an eminent body, that enforc'd

The law against it! but that her tender shame
Will not proclaim against her maiden loss,

How might fhe tongue me? 3 yet reafon dares her No.
For my authority bears a credent bulk;

That no particular scandal once can touch,

But it confounds the breather. He should have liv'd,

3

-yet reafon dares her:] The old Folio impreffions read, -yet reafon dares her No. And this is right. The meaning is, the circumstances of our cafe are fuch, that she will never venture to contradict me: dares her to reply No to me, whatever I fay.

Ff3

Save

Save that his riotous youth, with dangerous fenfe,
Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge;
By fo receiving a dishonour'd life,

With ranfom of fuch fhame. 'Would yet, he had liv'd!
Alack, when once our grace we have forgot,

Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not.

SCENE

[Exit.

XIII.

Changes to the Fields without the Town.

Enter Duke in his own habit, and Friar Peter. HESE letters at fit time deliver me.

Duke. The Provost knows our purpose, and our TH

plot :

The matter being afoot, keep your inftruction,
And hold you ever to our fpecial drift;

Tho' fometimes you do blench from this to that,
As caufe doth minifter: go, call at Flavius' house,
And tell him, where I ftay; give the like notice
Unto Valentius, Rowland, and to Craffus,
And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate:
But fend me Flavius firft.

Peter. It shall be speeded well.

Enter Varrius.

[Exit Friar.

Duke, I thank thee, Varrius; thou haft made good

hafte :

Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius. [Exeunt.

Enter Ifabella and Mariana.

Ifab. To fpeak fo indirectly, I am loth : I'd say the truth; but to accufe him fo, That is your part; yet I'm advis'd to do it,

He

* He fays, to vail full purpose. Mari. Be rul'd by him.

Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure
He fpeak against me on the adverse fide,

I fhould not think it ftrange; for 'tis a phyfick,
That's bitter to fweet end.

Mari. I would, Friar Peter.

Ifab. Oh, peace; the Friar is come.

Enter Peter.

Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit, Where you may have fuch vantage on the Duke, He fhall not pafs you. Twice have the trumpets founded:

The generous and graveft citizens

Have hent the gates, and very near upon

The Duke is entring: therefore hence, away. [Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I..

A publick Place near the City.

Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Escalus,
Lucio, and Citizens at feveral Doors.

DUKE.

Y very worthy coufin, fairly met;

MY

Our old and faithful friend, we're glad to fee you.

Ang. and Efcal. Happy return be to your royal Grace! Duke. Many and hearty thanks be to you both: We've made enquiry of you, and we hear

4 He fays, to vail full purpose.] Mr. Theobald alters it to He fays, t'availful purpofe; because he has no idea of the common reading. A good reafon! Yet the common reading is right. Full is ufed for beneficial; and the meaning is, He fays, it is to hide a beneficial purpose, that must not be yet revealed.

Ff4

Such