Let me in safety raise me from my knees; [tice; Ang. I did but smile till now; Now, good my lord, give me the scope of jusMy patience here is touch'd: I do perceive, These poor informal women are no more But instruments of some more mightier member, That sets them on: Let me have way, my lord, To find this practicet out. Duke. Ay, with my heart; [sure. And punish them unto your height of pleaThou foolish friar; and thou pernicious woman, Compact with her that's gone! think'st thou, thy oaths, Though they would swear down each particular saint, Were testimonies against his worth and credit, That's seal'd in approbation?-You, lord Es calus, Sit with my cousın; lend him your kind pains To find out this abuse, whence 'tis deriv'd.There is another friar that set them on; Let him be sent for. F. Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, indeed, Hath set the women on to this complaint: Your provost knows the place where he abides, And he may fetch him. Duke. Go, do it instantly.- [Exit PROVOST. And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin, Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth, Do with your injuries as seems you best, In any chastisement: I for a while Will leave you; but stir not you, till you have Determined upon these slanderers. [well Escal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.- [Exit DUKE.] Signior Lucio, did not you say, you knew that friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person? Lucio. Cucullus non facit monachum: honest in nothing, but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most villainous speeches of theduke. Escal. We shall entreat you to abide here till he come, and enforce them against him: we shall find this friar a notable fellow. Lucio. As any in Vienna, on my word. Escal. Call that same Isabel here once again; [To an Attendant.] I would speak with her: Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her. Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report. Escal. Say you? Lucio. Marry, Sir, I think, if you handled her privately, she would sooner confess; perchance, publicly she'll be ashamed. Re-enter Officers, with ISABELLA, the DUKE, in the Friar's habit, and PROVOST. Escal. I will go darkly to work with her. Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight. Escal. Come on, mistress: [To ISABELLA.] here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said. Lucio. My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of; here with the provost. Escal. In very good time: speak not you to him, till we call upon you. Lucio. Mum. Escal. Come, Sir: Did you set these women on to slander lord Angelo? they have confess'd you did. Duke. "Tis false. Escal. How! know you where you are? • Crazy. + Conspiracy. ↑ To the end. Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. friar! Escal. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women To accuse this worthy man; but, in foul mouth, And in the witness of his proper ear, To call him villain? [self; And then to glance from him to the duke himTo tax him with injustice?-Take him hence; To the rack with him :-We'll touze you joint by joint, [just? But we will know this purpose:-What! unDuke. Be not so hot; the duke Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he Dare rack his own; his subject am I not, Nor here provincial :† My business in this state Made me a looker-on here in Vienna, Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble, Till it o'er-run the stew: laws, for all faults; But faults so countenanc'd, and the strong statutes Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop, Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to prison. Ang. What can you vouch against him, signior Lucio? Is this the man that you did tell us of? Lucio. "Tis he, my lord. Come hither, good. man bald-pate: Do you know me? Duke. I remember you, Sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison, in the absence of the duke. Lucio. O, did you so? And do you remember what you said of the duke ? Duke. Most notedly, Sir. Lucio. Do you so, Sir? And was the duke a flesh-monger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? Duke. You must, Sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, spoke so of him; and much more, much worse. Lucio. O thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose, for thy speeches? Duke. I protest, I love the duke, as I love my self. Ang. Hark! how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses. Escal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal:-Away with him to prison :-Where is the provost? Away with him to prison; lay bolts enough upon him: let him speak no more:Away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate companion. [The PROVOST lays hands on the DUKE.] Duke. Stay, Sir; stay a while. Ang. What! resists he? Help him, Lucio. Lucio. Come, Sir; come, Sir; come, Sir foh, Sir: Why, you bald-pated, lying rascal! you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's visage, with a pox to you! show your • Refer back. + Accountable. ‡ Wantons. : and you Must have a word anon:-lay hold on him. Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence, And hold no longer out. Ang. O my dread lord, I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, When I perceive, your grace, like power divine, prince, No longer session hold upon my shame, Duke. Come hither, Mariana : Say, wast thou e'er contracted to this woman? Ang. I was, my lord. Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly. Do you the office, friar; which consummate, Return him here again:-Go with him, Provost. [Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and PROVOST. Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dis[honour, Than at the strangeness of it. Duke. Come hither, Isabel: Your friar is now your prince: As I was then Advertising, and holy to your business, Not changing heart with habit, I am still Attorney'd at your service. husband: Consenting to the safeguard of your honour, Mari. O, my dear lord, I crave no other, nor no better man. Duke. You do but lose your labour; Away with him to death. Now, Sir, to you. [TO LUCIO. Mari. O, my good lord! - Sweet Isabel, take my part: Lend me your knees, and all my life to come I'll lend you, all my life to do you service. Duke. Against all senset you do impórtune her: Should she kneel down, in mercy of this fact, Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break, And take her hence in horror. Mari. Isabel, Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me; Hold up your hands, say nothing, I'll speak all. They say, best men are moulded out of faults; And, for the most, become much more the better Isab. O, give me pardon, That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd For being a little bad: so may my husband. Your unknown sovereignty. Duke. You are pardon'd, Isabel: And now, dear maid, be you as free to us. Your brother's death, I know, sits at your heart; And you may marvel, why I obscur'd myself, Labouring to save his life; and would not rather O, Isabel! will you not lend a knee? Duke. He dies for Claudio's death. Isab. Most bounteous Sir, [Kneeling. Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd, His act did not o'ertake his bad intent; Mari. Merely, my lord. [jects; Duke. Your suit's unprofitable; stand up, I say. I have bethought me of another fault :Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded At an unusual hour? Prov. was commanded so. Duke. Ha vou a special warrant for the deed. Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private Yet did repent me, after more advice :* Duke. What's he? Prov. His name is Barnardine. Duke. I would thou had'st done so by Claudio. Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him. [Exit PROVOST. Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd, Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood, And lack of temper'd judgement afterward. Ang. I am sorry, that such sorrow I procure: And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart, That I crave death more willingly than mercy; Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it. You, sirrah, [To Lucio.] that knew me for a fool, a coward, One all of luxury, an ass, a madman; Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it ut according to the trick: If you will hang me for it, you may, but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipp'd. Duke. Whipp'd first, Sir, and hang'd after.Proclaim it, Provost, round about the city; rovost, If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow, (As I have heard him swear himself, there's one Whom he begot with child,) let her appear, And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd, Let him be whipp'd and hang'd. Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore! Your highness said even now, Re-enter PROVOST, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO, and I made you a duke; good my lord, do not re JULIET. demn'd'; But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all; Prov. This is another prisoner, that I sav'd, compense me, in making me a cuckold. Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her. Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging. Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore. Joy to you, Mariana!-love her, Angelo; There's more behind, that is more gratulate.§ So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show * Incontinence. † Punishments. 1 1 Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio. Mess. Much deserved on his part, and equally remembered by Don Pedro: He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age; doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion: he hath, indeed, better bettered expectation, than you must expect of me to tell you how. Leon. He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very much glad of it. Mess. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even so much, that joy could not show itself modest enough, without a badge of bitterness. Leon. Did he break out into tears? Leon. A kind overflow of kindness: There are no faces truer than those that are so washed. How much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping? Beat. I pray you, is signior Montanto returned from the wars, or no? Mess. I know none of that name, lady; there was none such in the army of any sort. Leon. What is he that you ask for, niece ? Hero. My cousin means signior Benedick of Padua. Mess. O, he is returned; and as pleasant as ever he was. Beat. He set up his bills here in Messina, and challenged Cupid at the flight:* and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt.I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for, indeed, I promised to eat all of his killing. Leon. Faith, niece, you tax signior Benedick too much; but he'll be meets with you, I doubt it not. Mess. He hath done good service, lady, in these wars. Beat. You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it: he is a very valiant trencherman, he hath an excellent stomach. Mess. And a good soldier too, lady. Beat. And a good soldier to a lady;-But what is he to a lord? Mess. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues. Beat. It is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuffed man: but for the stuffing,-Well, we are all mortal. Leon. You must not, Sir, mistake my niece: there is a kind of merry war betwixt signior Benedick and her: they never meet, but there is a skirmish of wit between them. Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict, four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one: so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse: for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable creature. - Who is his companion now? He hath every month a new sworn brother. Mess. Is it possible? Possible Beat. Very easily possible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next block.§ Mess. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books. Beat. No: an he were, I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young squarer* now, that will make | tell him, we shall stay here at least a month; a voyage with him to the devil ? Mess. He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio. Beat. O Lord! he will hang upon him like a disease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, it will cost him a thousand pound ere he be cured. Mess. I will hold friends with you, lady. Leon. You will never run mad, niece. Enter Don. PEDRO, attended by BALTHAZAR, and others, Don JOHN, CLAUDIO, and BENEDICK. D. Pedro. Good signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it. Leon. Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your grace: for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but, when you depart from me, sorrow abides, and happiness takes his leave. D. Pedro. You embrace your charget too willingly. I think, this is your daughter. $0. Leon. Her mother hath many times told me Bene. Were you in doubt, Sir, that you asked her? Leon. Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a child. D. Pedro. You have it full, Benedick: we may guess by this what you are, being a man. Truly, the lady fathers herself: -Be happy, lady! for you are like an honourable father. Bene. If signior Leonato be her father, she would not have his head on her shoulders, for all Messina, as like him as she is.. Beat. I wonder, that you will still be talking, signior Benedick; nobody marks you. Bene. What, my dear lady Disdain! are you yet living? Beat. Is it possible, disdain should die, while she hath such meet food to feed it, as signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence. Bene. Then is courtesy a turn-coat:-But it is certain, I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted: and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none. Beat. A dear happiness to women; they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God, and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that; I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me. Bene. God keep your ladyship still in that mind! so some gentleman or other shall 'scape a predestinate scratched face. Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such a face as yours were. Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher. Beat. A bird of my tongue, is better than a beast of yours. Bene. I would my horse had the speed of your tongue; and so good a continuer: But keep your way o' God's name; I have done. Beat. You always end with a jade's trick; I know you of old. D. Pedro. This is the sum of all: Leonato, signior Claudio, and signior Benedick,-my dear friend Leonato, hath invited you all. I and he heartily prays, some occasion may detain us longer: I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart. Leon. If you swear, my lord, you shall not be forsworn.-Let me bid you welcome, my lord: being reconciled to the prince your brother, I owe you all duty. D. John. I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thank you. Leon. Please it your grace lead on? D. Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go together. [Exeunt all but BENEDICK and CLAUDIO Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the daugh ter of signior Leonato? Bene. I noted her not; but I looked on her. Claud. Is she not a modest young lady? Bene. Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgement; or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex? Claud. No, I pray thee, speak in sober judgement. Bene. Why, i'faith, methinks she is too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise: only this commendation I can afford her; that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her. Claud. Thou thinkest, I am in sport; I pray thee, tell me truly how thou likest her. Bene. Would you buy her, that you inquire after her. Claud. Can the world buy such a jewel? Bene. Yea, and a case to put it into. But speak you this with a sad brow? or do you play the flouting Jack; to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall a man take you, to go in the song? Claud. In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on. Bene. I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter: there's her cousin, an she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty, as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope, you have no intent to turn husband; have you ? Claud. I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife. Bene. Is it come to this, i'faith? Hath not the world one man, but he will wear his cap with suspicion? Shall I never see a bachelor of three-score again? Go to, i'faith; an thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and sigh away Sundays. Look, Don Pedro is returned to seek you. Re-enter Don PEDRO. D. Pedro. What secret hath held you here, that you followed not to Leonato's? Bene. I would, your grace would constrain me to tell. D. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegience. Bene. You hear, count Claudio: I can be secret as a dumb man, I would have you think so; but on my allegience, mark you this, on my allegience :- He is in love. With who?now that is your grace's part.-Mark, how short his answer is:- With Hero, Leonato's short daughter. Claud. If this were so, so were it uttered. Bene. Like the old tale, my lord: it is not so, nor 'twas not so; but, indeed, God forbid it should be so, |