Mark what I fay; which you shall surely 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 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 shall 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 shall 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?

SCENE XI.

Lucio. Good even;

Friar, where's the Provoft?

Duke. Not within, Sir.

Enter Lucio.

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 to-mor row. By my troth, Ifabel, I lov'd thy brother. If the old fantastical 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 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 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 ftick.

[Exeunt.

SCENE XII. Changes to the palace.
Enter Angelo and Escalus.

Efcal.Every letter he hath writ,hath difvouch'dother. Ang. In most uneven and distracted manner. His actions fhew much like to madness: pray heav'n his wifdom 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 before his entering, that if any crave redress of injustice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street?

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

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

Rr 2

[Exit. Ang.

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 inforce'd

The law against it! but that her tender fhame
Will not proclaim against her maiden lofs,

How might fhe tongue me! Yet reafon dares her, No.
For my authority bears a credant 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 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.

S C

ENE XIII.

Changes to the fields without the town.

[Exit.

Enter Duke in his own habit, and Friar Peter.
Duke. Thefe letters at fit time deliver me.
The Provost knows ours purpose, and our 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 stay; 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 fhall be fpeeded 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.

SCENE

SCENE

XIV.

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 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 strange; for 'tis a phyfic,
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 ftand 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 entering; therefore hence, away. [Exeunt.

ACT V. SCENE I.

A public place near the city.

Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Efcalus, Lucio, and citizens at feveral doors.

Duke.

M

Y very worthy coufin, fairly met;

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 inquiry of you, and we hear

Such goodness of your juftice, that our foul
Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks,
Forerunning more requital.

Ang. You make my bonds ftill greater.

Duke. Oh, your defert fpeaks loud; and I should wrong it,

full, for beneficial.

To

To lock it in the wards of covert bofom,
When it deferves with characters of brass
A forted refidence, 'gainst the tooth of time
And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,
And let the fubjects see, to make them know
That outward courtefies would fain proclaim
Favours that keep within. Come, Efcalus;
You must walk by us on our other hand;
And good fupporters are you. [As the Duke is going out.
SCENE II. Enter Peter and Ifabella.

Peter. Now is your time: speak loud, and kneel before him.

Ifab. Juftice, O Royal Duke! vail your regard
Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have faid, a maid.
Oh, worthy Prince, difhonour not your eye
By throwing it on any other object,

Till you have heard me in my true complaint,
And given me justice, justice, juftice, juftice.

Duke. Relate your wrongs. In what? by whom? be brief:

Here is Lord Angelo fhall give you justice;
Reveal yourself to him.

Ifab. Oh, worthy Duke,

You bid me feek redemption of the devil.
Hear me yourself, for that which I must speak

Muft either punish me, not being believ'd,.

Or wring redress from you: oh hear me, hear me? Ang. My Lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm : She hath been a fuitor to me for her brother,

Cut off by courfe of justice.

Ifab. Courfe of justice!

Ang. And fhe will fpeak moft bitterly, and ftrange. Ifab. Moft ftrange, but yet moft truly, will I speak. That Angelo's forfworn, is it not ftrange?

That Angelo's a murth'rer, is't not strange?

That Angelo is an adult'rous thief,

An hypocrite, a virgin-violater;

Is it not ftrange, and ftrange?

Duke. Nay, it is ten times ftrange. Ifab. It is not truer he is Angelo. Than this is all as true, as it is ftrange:

Nay,