ページの画像
PDF
ePub

Lucio. My lord, moft villainously; believe it. Peter. Well; he in time may come to clear himself; But at this inftant 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 fhe herself confefs it.

Duke. Good Friar, let's hear it.

Do you not fmile at this, lord Angelo?
O heav'n! the vanity of wretched fools!-
Give us fome feats; come, Coufin Angelo, (20)
In this I will be partial: be you judge

Of your own Caufe. Is this the witness, Friar?
[[fabella is carried off, guarded.

(20)

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 fpeaks in the Character of the Friar,

[blocks in formation]

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

Enter

Enter Mariana veil'd.

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?

Luico. My lord, fhe may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, nor wife.

Duke. Silence that fellow, I would, he had fome caufe 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 hufband; yet my husband knows not, That ever he knew me.

Luci. 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 accufes 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 th' effect of love.

Ang. Charges fhe more than me?

Mari. Not that I know.

Duke. 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

But knows, he thinks, that he knows Ifabel's.
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 Ifabel;

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 myfelf and her; which was broke off,
Partly, for that her promised proportions
Came fhort of compofition; but, in chief,
For that her Reputation was dif-valu'd
In levity; fince which time of five years

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 elfe for ever be confixed here,

A marble monument!

Ang. I did but fmile 'till now.

Now, good my lord, give me the fcope of juftice;
My patience here is touch'd; I do perceive,
Thefe poor informal women are no more

But inftruments of fome more mightier member,

That

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 Saint,
Were teftimonies 'gainst his worth and credit,
That's feal'd in approbation? You, lord Eftalus,
Sit with my coufin; lend him your kind pains
To find out this abuse, whence 'tis deriv'd.
There is another Friar, that fet them on;
Let him be fent for.

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,

1

In any chaftifement: I for a while

Will leave you; but ftir not you, 'till you have welf
Determined upon these flanderers.

[Exit. Efcal. My lord, we'll do it throughly. Signior Lucio, did not you fay, you knew that Friar Lodowick to be a difhoneft perfon?

Lucio. Cucullus non facit monachum; honeft in nothing, but in his cloaths; and one that hath spoke most villanous fpeeches of the Duke.

Efcal. We fhall intreat you to abide here 'till he come, and inforce them against him; we shall find this Friar a notable fellow.

Lucio. As any in Vienna, on my word.

Efcal. Call that fame Isabel here once again: I would fpeak with her: pray you, my lord, give me leave to queftion; you fhall fee how I'll handle her.

Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report.

Efcal

Efcal. Say you;

Lucie. Marry, Sir, I think, if you handled her privately, she should fooner confefs; perchance, publickly fhe'll be afham'd.

Enter Duke in the Friar's babit, and Provoft; Ifabella is brought in.

Efcal. I will go darkly to work with her.

Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight.

Efcal. Come on, miftrefs: here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have faid.

Lucio. My lord, here comes the rafcal I spoke of, here with the Provost.

Efcal. In very good time: fpeak not you to him, till we call upon you.

Lucio. Mum

Efcal. Come, Sir, did you fet thefe women on to flander lord Angelo? they have confefs'd you did. Duke. "Tis falfe.

Efcal. How? know you where you are?

Duke. Refpe&t to your great Place; and let the devil Be fometime honour'd for his burning throne. Where is the Duke? 'tis he should hear me speak:

Efcal. The Duke's in us; and we will hear you speak: Look, you speak juftly.

Duke. Boldly, at leaft. But oh, poor fouls,
Come you to feek the lamb here of the fox?
Good night to your redrefs: is the Duke gone?
Then is your cause gone too. The Duke's unjust,
Thus to retort your manifeft appeal;

And put your tryal in the villain's mouth,
Which here you come to accuse.

Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he, I spoke of.
Efcal. Why, thou unrev'rend and unhallow'd Friar,
Is't not enough thou haft fuborn'd these women
T'accufe this worthy man, but with foul mouth,
And in the witness of his proper car,

To

« 前へ次へ »