ページの画像
PDF
ePub
[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

SCENE, A publick Place near the City.

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

M

DUKE.

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 enquiry of you, and we heart... Such goodness of your juilice, that our foul Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks, Forerunning more requital.

[ocr errors]

ding. You make my bonds fill greater, *10. Duke. Oh, your defert speaks loud; and Ivfhould wrong it,

[ocr errors]

To lock it in the wards of covert bofom,
When it deferves with characters of brass ari doj
A forted refidence, 'gainst the tooth of time au
And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,
And let the fubjects fee, to make them know La
That outward courtefies would fain proclaim.
Favours that keep within. Come, Escalasti che vor
You inuft walk by us on our other hand:

J

And good fupporters are you, [As the Duke is going out.

[ocr errors]

Enter Peter and Ifabella.

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

Hab. Juftice, O royal Duke! vail your regard Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have faid, a maid:

Oh,

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, justice.

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 course of justice.

Ifab. Courfe of justice!

Ang. And the will speak most bitterly, and strange. (19) Ifab. Moft ftrange, but yet moft truly, will I speak ; That Angelo's forfworn, is it not strange?

That Angelo's a murd'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, it is ten times truer; for truth is truth
To th' end of reckoning.

Duke. Away with her poor foul,

She speaks this in th' infirmity of fenfe.

(19) And he will speak moft bitterly.] Thus is the Verfe left imperfect by Mr. Rowe and Mr. Pope; though the old Copies all fill it up, as I have done. I have reftored an infinite Number of fuch Paffages tacitly from the first Impreffions: but I thought proper to take notice, once for all, here, that as Mr. Pope follows Mr. Rowe's Edition in his Errors and Omiffions, it gives great Sufpicion, notwithstanding the pretended Collation of Copies, that Mr. Pope for the Generality, took Mr. Rowe's Edition as his Guide.

[merged small][ocr errors]

Ifab. O Prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ❜st
There is another comfort than this world,

That thou neglect me not, with that opinion
That I am touch'd with madnefs. Make not impoffible
That, which but feems unlike; 'tis not impossible,
But one, the wicked'ft caitiff on the ground,
May feem as fhy, as grave, as juft, as abfolute,
As Angelo; even fo may Angelo,

In all his dreflings, caracts, titles, forms,
Be an arch-villain: believe it, royal Prince,
If he be lefs, he's nothing; but he's more,
Had I more name for badnefs.

Duke. By mine honesty,

If the be mad, as I believe no other,
Her madness hath the oddeft frame of fense;
Such a dependency of thing on thing,
As e'er I heard in madness.

Ifab. Gracious Duke,

Harp not on that; nor do not banish reafon
For inequality; but let your reason serve
To make the truth appear, where it seems hid;
Not hide the falfe, feems true.

Duke. Many, that are not mad,
Have, fure, more lack of reason.
What would you say?

Ifab. I am the fifter of one Claudio,
Condemn'd upon the act of fornication
To lofe his head; condemn'd by Angelo:
I, in probation of a fifterhood,

Was fent to by my brother; one Lucio,
As then the meffenger,

Lucio. That's I, an't like your Grace:

I came to her from Claudio, and defir'd her

To try her gracious fortune with lord Angelo,
For her poor brother's pardon.

Ifab. That's he, indeed.

Duke. You were not bid to fpeak.

[To Lucio.

Lucio. No, my good lord, nor wish'd to hold my peace.

Duke.

Duke. I wish you now then;

Pray you, take note of it: and when you have
A bufinefs for yourself, pray heav'n, you then
Be perfect.

Lucio. I warrant your Honour.

Duke. The warrant's for yourself; take heed to't.
Ifab. This gentleman told somewhat of my tale.
Lucio. Right.

3

Duke. It may be right, but you are in the wrong To speak before your time. Proceed.

Ifab. I went

To this pernicious caitiff Deputy.

Duke. That's fomewhat madly spoken.
Ifab. Pardon it:

The phrafe is to the matter.

[ocr errors]

Duke. Mended again: the matter;-proceed.
Ifab. In brief; (to fet the needlefs procefs by,
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 fhame 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 purpose furfeiting, he fends a warrant

For my poor brother's head.

Duke. This is most likely!

B

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

t

(.

Duke. By heav'n, fond wretch, thou know'st not what thou speak '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 fhould pursue
Faults proper to himfelf: if he had fo offended,
He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself,

And not have cut him off. Some one hath fet you on i

R 5

Confefs

Confefs the truth, and say, by whofe advice
Thou cam't 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?

Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a medling Friar ; I do not like the man; had he been Lay, my Lord, For certain words he spake 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 Subftitute! let this Friar be found.

Lucio. But yefternight, my lord, she and that Friar, I faw 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 Substitute;

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 she speaks oft Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy;

Not fcurvy, 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.

« 前へ次へ »