That thou neglect me not, with that Opinion,
That I am touch'd with Madness. Make not impoffible
That which but feems unlike. 'Tis not impoffible
But one, the wicked'ft Caitiff on the Ground,
May feem as fhy, as grave, as juft, as abfolute
As Angelo; ev'n fo may Angelo,

In all his Dreffings, 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 Badness.

Duke. By mine Honefty,

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

Ifab. O gracious Duke,

Harp not on that; nor do not banish Reason
For Inequality; but let your Reason ferve
To make the Truth appear, where it seems hid,
And hide the falfe feems true.

Duke. Many that are not mad
Have fure more lack of Reason.
What would you fay?

Ifab. I am the Sifter of one Claudio,
Condemn'd, upon the A& of Fornication,
To lofe his Head; condemn'd by Angelo:
I, in Probation of a Sifter-hood,

Was fent to by my Brother; one Lucio,
As then the Messenger,-

Lucio. That's I, and'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.

Lucio. No, my good Lord,

Nor wish'd to hold my peace.
Duke. I wish you now then;

Pray you take note of it: And when you have

A bufinefs for

Be perfect.

VOL. I.

felf, pray Heav'n you then

your felf,

S

[To Lucio.

Lucio

Lucio. I warrant your Honour.

Duke. The Warrant's for your felf; take heed to't.
Ijab. This Gentleman told fomething of my Tale.
Lucio. Right.

Duke. It may be right, but you are i'th' wrong
To fpeak before your time. Proceed.
Ifab. I went

To this pernicious Caitiff Deputy.
Duke. That's fomewhat madly fpoken.
Ifab. Pardon it:

The Phrafe is to the Matter.

Duke. Mended again: The Matter; proceed.
Ifab. In brief; to fet the needlefs by,
How I perfuaded, how I pray'd, and kneeľ'd,
How he refell'd me, and how I reply'd,

For this was of much length; the vile Conclufion
I now begin with Grief and Shame to utter.
He would not, but by Gift of my chafte Body
To his concupifcible intemperate 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 forfeiting, he fends a Warrant

For my poor Brother's Head.

Duke. This is most likely.

Ifab. Oh that it were as like as it is true.

[fpeak'ft;

Duke, By Heav'n, fond Wretch, thou know'ft not what thou

Or elfe thou art fuborn'd against his Honour

In hateful Practice. Firft, his Integrity

Stands without blemish; next, it imports no Reafon,
That with fuch vehemency he should purfue
Faults proper to himself: 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;
Confefs the Truth, and fay by whofe Advice
Thou cam'ft here to complain.

Ifab. And is this all?

Then oh you blessed 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 Wo.
As I thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go.

Duke.

Duke. I know you'd fain be gone. An Officer; To Prifon with her. Shall we thus permit

A blafting and a fcandalous Breath to fall

On him so near us? This needs must be a Practice.
Who knew of our 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 Women here

Against our Substitute! Let this Friar be found.

Lucio. But Yefternight, my Lord, she and that Friar, I fay them at the Prifon: A fawcy Friar,

A very fcurvy Fellow.

Peter. Bleffed be your Royal Grace!

I have ftood 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 of?
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.

Lucio. My Lord, moft villanoufly; believe it. Peter. Well; he in time may come to clear himself; But at this inftant he is fick, my Lord,

Of a ftrange Fever; Upon his meer Request,

Being

come to knowledge, that there was Complaint
Intended against Lord Angelo, came I hither
To fpeak, as from his Mouth, what he doth know
Is true and falfe; and he with his Oath,

And all Probation, will make up full clear,
Whenfoever he is convented. First, for this Womar,

S 2

Το

To juftifie this worthy Nobleman,
So vulgarly and perfonally accus'd,
Her fhall you hear difproved to her Eyes.
'Till the her felf confefs it.

Duke. Good Friar, let's hear it.

Do you not fmile at this, Lord Angelo?
Ah, Heav'n! the vanity of wretched Fools!
Give us fome Seats, Come, Coufin Angelo,
In this I'll be impartial: Be you Judge

Of your own Caufe. Is this the Witness, Friar?
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?

Lucio. My Lord, she 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 have known my Husband, yet my Husband

Knows not that ever he knew me.

Lucio. He was drunk then, my Lord; it can be no better. Duke. For the benefit of Silence, 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 Fornicatior,
In felf-fame manner doth accuse 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,

Ang. Charges fhe more than me?

Mari. Not that I know.

Duke. No? you fay your Husband.

[To Mariana. Mari. Why, juft, my Lord, and that is Angelo, Who thinks he knows, that he ne'er knew my Body; But knows, he thinks, that he knows Ifabel's.

Ang. This is a ftrange Abufe: Let's fee thy Face. Mari. My Husband bids me; now I will unmak. [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-houfe
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 fpeech of Marriage
Betwixt my felf and her; which was broke off,
Partly for that her promised Proportions
Came short of Compofition; but in chief,
For that her Reputation was dif-valued
In Levity; Since 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 Senfe 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 raife me from my Knees;
Or else for ever be confixed here

A Marble Monument.

Ang. I did but fmile 'till now.

Now, good my Lord, give me the Scope of Justice;
My Patience here is touch'd: I do perceive

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