Duke. Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing how haftily you are to depart, I am come to advise you, comfort you, and pray with you.

Barnar. Friar, not I: I have been drinking hard all night, and I will have more time to prepare me, or they fhall beat out my brains with billets: I will not confent to die this day, that's certain.

Duke. Oh, Sir, you muft; and therefore I beseech you, look forward on the journey you fhall go.

Barnar. I fwear, I will not die to-day for any man's perfuafion.

Duke. But hear you,

Barnar. Not a word: if you have any thing to say to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to-day. [Exit.

Enter Provoft.

Duke. Unfit to live, or die: oh gravel heart!
After him, fellows: bring him to the block.
Prov. Now, Sir, how do you find the prisoner?
Duke. A creature unprepar'd, unmeet for death
And, to tranfport him in the mind he is,
Were damnable.

Prov, Here in the prison, father,

There dy'd this morning of a cruel fever
One Ragozine, a moft notorious pirate,

A man of Claudio's years; his beard, and head,
Juft of his colour: What if we omit

This reprobate, 'till he were well inclin'd;
And fatisfy the Deputy with the visage

Of Ragozine, more like to Claudio?

Duke. O, 'tis an accident, that heav'n provides :
Difpatch it prefently; the hour draws on
Prefixt by Angelo: fee, this be done,

And fent according to command, while I

Perfuade this rude wretch willingly to die.

Prov. This fhall be done, good father, prefently: But Barnardine muft die this afternoon :

And how fhall we continue Claudio,

To fave me from the danger that might come,

If he were known alive?

Duke. Let this be done;

Put them in fecret holds, both Barnardine and Claudio:
Ere twice the fun hath made his journal greeting
To yonder generation, you shall find

Your fafety manifefted.

Prov. I am your free dependant.

Duke. Quick, dispatch, and fend the head to Angelo.

Now will I write letters to Angelo,

[Exit Prov

(The Provoft, he shall bear them;) whofe contents
Shall witnefs to him, I am near at home;

And that, by great injunctions, I am bound
To enter publickly: him I'll defire

To meet me at the confecrated fount,
A league below the city; and from thence,
By cold gradation and weal-balanc'd form,
We shall proceed with Angelo.

Enter Provoft.

Prov. Here is the head, I'll carry it myself. Duke. Convenient is it; make a swift return; For I would commune with you of such things, That want no ears but yours.

Prov. I'll make all speed.

Ifab. [Within.] Peace, hoa, be here!

[Exit.

Duke. The tongue of Ifabel.-She comes to know,

If yet her brother's pardon be come hither:

But I will keep her ign'rant of her good,

To make her heav'nly comforts of defpair,
When it is leaft expected.

Enter Ifabel.

Ifab. Hoa, by your leave.

Duke. Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter.

Ijab. The better, giv'n me by fo holy a man: Hath yet the Deputy fent my brother's pardon?

Duke. He hath releas'd him, Isabel, from the world;

His head his off, and fent to Angelo.

Ifab. Nay, but it is not so.

Duke. It is no other.

Shew your wisdom, daughter, in your clofeft patience.
Ifab. Oh, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes.
Duke. You fhall not be admitted to his fight.
Ifab. Unhappy Claudio, wretched Isabel!
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,

In that good path that I would wish it go,

And you shall 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 cause 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 fecret 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?

Lucio. Oh, pretty Ifabella, I am pale at mine heart to fee 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 fay, the duke will be here tomorrow. 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 Ifabella. 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 tak'st 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 fuch a thing?

Lucio. Yes, marry, did I; But I was fain to forfwear it; they would elfe have married me to the rotten medlar.

Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honest, reft 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 changes to the Palace.

Enter Angelo and Efcalus..

Escal. Every letter, he hath writ, hath difvouch'd

His

Ang. In moft uneven and distracted manner. 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.

Efcal. I guess not.

Ang. And why fhould we proclaim it in an hour before his entring, that if any crave redress of injustice, they should exhibit their petitions in the ftreet?

Efcal. He fhews his reafon for that; to have a difpatch 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 proclaimed betimes i'the 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 againft it! but that her tender shame
Will not proclaim against her maiden lofs,

How might the tongue me? yet reafon dares her: (25)
For my authority bears a credent bulk;

That no particular scandal once can touch,

But it confounds the breather. He fhould have liv'd,
Save that his riotous youth, with dangerous fense,
Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge;

By fo receiving a dishonour'd life,

With sanfom 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.

[Exit.

(25) ·yee reafon dares ber :] The old folio impreffions read, yet reafon dares ber no:- perhaps, dares her note: i. e. ftifles her voice; frights her from fpeaking. In this fenfe, our Author uses the word dare, again, in his Henry VIII.

Farewel, nobility! let his Grace go forward,
And dare us with his cap, like larks.

SCENE