Duke. This hurts not him, nor profits you a jot Forbear it therefore, give your Cause to Heav'n : Mark what I fay, which you fhall find

By every Syllable a faithful Verity.

The Duke comes home to Morrow; nay, dry your Eyes; One of our Convent, and his Confeffor,

Gives me this Inftant: Already he hath carry'd

Notice to Efcalus and Angelo,

Who do prepare to meet him at Gates,

There to give up their Power. 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 general Honour.

Ifab. I am 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 Cause, and
Il perfect him withal, and he fhall bring you
Before the Duke; and to the Head of Angelo
Accufe him home and home. For my poor self,
I am combined by a facred Vow,

yours,

And fhall be abfent. Wend you with this Letter:
Command thefe fretting Waters from your Eyes
With a light Heart; truft not my holy Order
If I prevert your Courfe. Who's here?

Lucio. Good Even;

Enter Lucio.

Friar, where's the Provoft?

Duke. Not within, Sir.

Lucio. Oh pretty Isabella, 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 Morrow. By my Troth, Ifabel, I lov'd thy Brother: If the old fantastical Duke of dark Corners had been at Home, he had lived.

Duke. Sir, the Duke is marvellous little beholden to your Reports; but the best is, he lives not in them.

Lucio. Friar, thou knoweft not the Duke fo well as I doi he's a better Woodman than thou tak'ft him for.

Duke. Well, you'll answer this one Day. Fare ye well. Lacio. 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, 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 Medler. Duke. Sir, your Company is fairer than honeft; Reft

well,

you

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; day, Friar, I am a kind of Bur, I shall stick.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

Enter Angelo and Efcalus.

Efcal. Every Letter he hath writ hath difvouch'd other 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 Gates, and deliver our Authorities there?

Efcal. I guess not.

Ang. And why should we proclaim it in an Hour before his entring, that if any crave Redrefs of Injustice, they fhould exhibit their Petitions in the Street ?

Efcal. He fhews his Reafon for that; to have a Dispatch of Complaints, and to deliver us from Devices hereafter, which fhall then have no Power to ftand 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.

Ang. Good Night.

This Deed unthapes me quite, makes me unpregnant,

And dull to all Proceedings. A defloured Maid,

And by an eminent Body, that enforc'd

[Exit.

The Law against it? But that her tender Shame
Will not proclaim against her Maiden lofs,

How might the Tongue me? Yet Reafon dares her no;
For my Authority bears off a credent 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 Senfe,
Might in the Times to come, have ta'en Revenge
By fo receiving a dishonourd Life,

With Ranfom of fuch Shame: Would yet he had liv'd,
Alack, when once our Grace we have forgot,

Nothing goes right, we would, and we would not. [Exit.

SCENE The Fields without the Town.

Enter Duke in his own Habit, and Friar Peter.
Duke. Thefe Letters at fit time deliver me.
The Provost knows our 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's Houfe,
And tell him where I ftay; give the like notice
To Valencius, Rowland, and to Craffus,

And bid them bring the Trumpets to the Gate:
But fend me Flavius firft.

Peter. It fhall be speeded well.

Enter Varrius.

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.

SCENE V.

Enter Ifabella and Mariana.

•Ifab. To fpeak fo indirectly I am loath;
I would fay the Truth; but to accuse him fo,
That is your Part; yet I am advis'd to do it:
He fays, to vail full Purpose.

Mar. Be rul'd by him.

[Exeunt.

1

Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure
He fpeak against me on the adverse fide,

I fhould not think it ftrange; for 'tis a Phyfick
That's bitter to fweet End.

Enter Peter.

Mar. I would Friar Peter

Ifab. Oh Peace; the Friar is come.

Peter. Come, I have found you out a Stand moft 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 entring:

Therefore hence away.

[Exeunt

ACT V. SCENE I

SCENE the Street.

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

Duke.

Y very worthy Coufin, fairly met;

MY

Our old and faithful Friend, we are glad to fee you? Ang. and Efc. Happy Return be to your Royal Grace. Duke. Many and hearty thankings be to you both: We have made Enquiry of you, and we hear Such Goodness of your Juftice, that our Soul Cannot but yield you forth to publick Thanks, Forerunning more Requital.

Ang. You make my Bonds ftill greater.

Duke. Oh, your Defert fpeaks loud, and I should wrong To lock it in the Wards of covert Bofom. When it deferves, with Characters of Brafs, A forted Refidence 'gainst the tooth of Time, And razure of Oblivion: Give me your Hand, And let the Subject fee, to make them know, That outward Coutefies would fain proclaim Favours that keep within. Come, Efcalus,

You

You must walk by us on our other Hand:

And good Supporters are you.

Enter Peter and Ifabella.

Peter. Now is your time:

Speak loud, and kneel before him.

Ifab. Juftice, O royal Dukę; vail your Regard
Upon a wrong'd, I would 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 give me Juftice, Juftice, Juftice.
Duke. Relate your Wrongs;
In what, by whom? be brief:

Here is Lord Angelo fhall give you Justice;
Reveal your felf to him.

Ifab. Oh worthy Duke,

You bid me feek Redemption of the Devil:
Hear me your felf; for that which I must speak
Muft either punish me, not being believ'd,
Or wring Redress from you:

Hear me; oh hear me here.

Ang. My Lord, her Wits, I fear me, are not firm: She hath been a Suitor to me for her Brother, Cut off by courfe of Juftice.

Jab. By courfe of Justice!

Ang. And the will speak moft bitterly.

Ifab. Moft ftrange, but yet moft truly will I fpeak; That Angelo's forfworn: Is it not ftrange?

That Angelo's a Murtherer; Is't not ftrange?
That Angelo is an adulterous Thief,

An Hypocrite, a Virgin Violater:
Is it not strange, and strange?

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 true; for Truth is Truth
To th' end of reckoning.

Duke. Away with her: Poor Soul,
She speaks this in th'infirmity of Sense.

Ifab. Oh Prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st There is another Comfort than this World,

That