صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

How I perfuaded, how I pray'd and kneel'd,
How he repell'd me, and how I reply'd ;
For this was of much length) the vile conclufion
I now begin with grief and shame to utter.
He would not, but by gift of my chafte body
To his concupifcent intemp'rate luft,

Release my brother; and after much debatement,
My fifterly remorfe confutes mine honour,

And I did yield to him: But the next morn betimes,
His purpofe furfeiting, he fends a warrant

For my poor brother's head.

Duke. This is most likely!

Ifab. Oh, that it were as like, as it is true!

Duke. By heav'n, fond wretch, thou know'ft not what thou fpeak'ft;

Or elfe thou art fuborn'd against his honour

In hateful practice. First, his integrity

Stands without blemish; next, it imports no reason,
That with fuch vehemence he should purfue
Faults proper to himself: if he had so offended,
He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself,
And not have cut him off. Some one hath set you on;
Confefs the truth, and fay, by whose advice
Thou cam'ft here to complain.

Ifab. And is this all?

Then, oh, you bleffed minifters above!

Keep me in patience; and with ripen'd time,
Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up

In countenance: heav'n fhield your Grace from woe,
As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved

go.

Duke. I know you'd fain be gone. An officer;
To prifon with her. Shall we thus permit
A blafting and a scandalous breath to fall

On him fo near us? this needs must be a practice.
Who knew of your intent, and coming hither?

Ifab. One that I would were here, Friar Lodowick.
Duke. A ghoftly father, belike:

Who knows that Lodowick?

Lucie. My Lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling Friar;

I do not like the man; had he been lay, my Lord,
For certain words he fpake against your Grace
In your retirement, I had fwing'd him foundly.

Duke. Words against me? this is a good Friar, belike; And to fet on this wretched woman here

Against our fubftitute! let this Friar be found.

Lucio. But yefternight, my Lord, fhe and that Friar, I saw them at the prifon : a fawcy Friar, A very fcurvy fellow.

Peter. Bleffed be your royal Grace!

I have stood by, my Lord, and I have heard
Your royal ear abus'd. First, hath this woman
Moft wrongfully accus'd your fubstitute;
Who is as free from touch or foil with her,
As the from one ungot.

Duke. We did believe no lefs.

Know you that Friar Lodowick, which he speaks of?
Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy;
Not scurvy, nor a temporary medler,

As he's reported by this gentleman;
And, on my truft, a man that never yet
Did, as he vouches, mifreport your Grace.
Lucio. My Lord, moft villainoufly;

believe it.

Peter. Well; he in time may come to clear himself; But at this instant he is fick, my Lord,

Of a strange fever. On his mere request,

(Being come to knowledge that there was complaint
Intended 'gainst Lord Angelo) came I hither

To speak as from his mouth, what he doth know
Is true, and false; and what he with his oath
By all probation will make up full clear,
Whenever he's conven'd. First, for this woman;
To juftify this worthy nobleman,

So vulgarly and perfonally accus'd,

Her fhall you hear difproved to her eyes
"Till the herself confess it.

Duke. Good Friar, let's hear it.
Do you not smile at this, Lord Angelo?
O heav'n; the vanity of wretched fools.

Give us fome feats; come, coufin Angelo, (29)
In this I will be partial: be you judge

Of your own caufe. Is this the witness, Friar?

[Ifabella is carried off, guarded.

Enter Mariana veiled.

First, let her fhew her face, and after, speak.
Mari. Pardon, my Lord, I will not fhew my face,
Until my husband bid me.

Duke. What, are you marry'd?

Mari. No, my Lord.

Duke. Are you a maid?

Mari. No, my Lord.

Duke. A widow then?

Mari. Neither, my Lord.

Duke. Why are you nothing then? neither maid, widow, nor wife?

Lucio. My Lord, fhe may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, nòr wife.

Duke. Silence that fellow: I would, he had fome cause to prattle for himself.

Lucio. Well, my Lord.

Mari. My Lord, I do confefs, I ne'er was marry'd ;
And, I confefs befides, I am no maid;

I've known my husband; yet my husband knows not,
That ever he knew me.

(29)

-come coufin Angelo,

In this I'll be impartial: be you judge

Of your own caufe.] Surely, this Duke had odd notions of impartiality: to profefs it, and then commit the decifion of a caufe to the perfon accus'd of being the criminal. He talks much more rationally on this affair, when he speaks in the character of the Friar, -The Duke's unjust

Thus to retort your manifeft appeal;

And put your trial in the villain's mouth,
Which here you come t' accufe.-

I think, there needs no ftronger authority to convince, that the
Poet must have wrote as I have corrected;

In this I will be partial ;

[ocr errors]

Lucie. He was drunk then, my Lord; it can be no

better.

Duke. For the benefit of filence, would thou wert fo

too.

Lucio. Well, my Lord.

Duke. This is no witnefs for Lord Angelo.
Mari. Now I come to❜t, my Lord.

She, that accuses him of fornication,

In felf-fame manner doth accufe my husband;
And charges him, my Lord, with fuch a time,
When I'll depofe I had him in mine arms,
With all the effect of love.

Ang Charges fhe more than me ?
Mari. Not that I know.

Dude. No? you fay, your hufband.

[To Mariana.

Mari. Why, juft, my Lord; and that is Angelo; Who thinks, he knows, that he ne'er knew my body; But knows, he thinks, that he knows Ifabel's.

[ocr errors]

Ang. This is a strange abuse; let's fee thy face. Mari. My husband bids me; now I will unmask. [Unveiling.

This is that face, thou cruel Angelo,

Which once thou fwor'ft, was worth the looking on;
This is the hand, which, with a vow'd contract,
Was faft belock'd in thine: this is the body,
That took away the match from Isabel;

And did fupply thee at thy garden-house

In her imagin'd perfon.

Duke. Know you this woman?

Lucio. Carnally, the fays.
Duke. Sirrah, no more.

Lucio. Enough, my Lord.

Ang. My Lord, I must confefs, I know this woman; And five years fince there was fome speech of marriage Betwixt myself and her; which was broke off,

Partly, for that her promised proportions
Came fort of compofition; but, in chief,
For that her reputation was dif-valu'd
In levity: fince which{time of five years
VOL. I.

[ocr errors]

I neve

I never fpake with her, faw her, nor heard from her,
Upon my faith and honour.

Mari. Noble Prince,

As there comes light from heav'n, and words from breath,

As there is fenfe in truth, and truth in virtue,

I am affianc'd this man's wife, as strongly

As words could make up vows: and, my good Lord, But Tuesday night laft gone, in's garden-house,

He knew me as a wife; as this is true,

Let me in fafety raise me from my knees;

Or else for ever be confixed here,

A marble monument.

Ang. I did but fmile 'till now.

Now, good my Lord, give me the fcope of justice
My patience here is touch'd; I do perceive,
These poor informal women are no more
But inftruments of fome more mightier member,
That fets them on. Let me have way, my Lord,
To find this practice out.

Duke. Ay, with my heart;

And punish them unto your height of pleasure.
Thou foolish Friar, and thou pernicious woman,
Compact with her that's gone; think'ft thou, thy oaths
Tho' they would fwear down each particular faint,
Were teftimonies 'gainst his worth and credit,
That's feal'd in approbation? You, Lord Efcalus,
Sit with my coufin; lend him your kind pains
To find out this abuse, whence 'tis deriv'd.
There is another Friar, that set them on;

[merged small][ocr errors]

Peter. Would he were here, my Lord; for he, indeed, Hath fet the women on to this complaint.

Your Provoft knows the place, where he abides;

And he may fetch him.

Duke. Go, do it inftantly.

And you, my noble and well-warranted coufin,
Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth;"

Do with your injuries, as feems you best,

« السابقةمتابعة »