Measure for Measure ACT I SCENE I. Enter Duke, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attend D UKE. Escalus- ants. Duke. Of government, the properties to unfold Would seem in me to affect speech and discourse; My strength can give you. Then no more remains Our city's institutions, and the terms For common justice, you are as pregnant in As art and practice hath enriched any That we remember. There is our commission, From which we would not have you warp.-Call hither, I say, bid come before us Angelo. [Exit an Attendant. Lent him our terror, drest him with our love; Duke. Enter ANGELO. Look where he comes. Ang. Always obedient to your grace's will, Duke. Not light them for themselves; for if our virtues As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech To one that can my part in him advertise; In our remove, be thou at full ourself; Mortality and Mercy in Vienna Live in thy tongue and heart. Old Escalus, Though first in question, is thy secondary. Ang. Now, good my lord, Let there be some more test made of my metal Be stamp'd upon it. Duke. No more evasion. We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice To the hopeful execution do I leave you Ang. Yet give leave, my lord, That we may bring you something on the way. Duke. My haste may not admit it; Nor need you on mine honour have to do With any scruple: your scope is as mine own, So to enforce or qualify the laws As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand; But do not like to stage me to their eyes; [Exit. Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave A power I have, but of what strength and nature Ang. 'Tis so with me. Let us withdraw together, And we may soon our satisfaction have Touching that point. Escal. I'll wait upon your honour. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen. Lucio. If the duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the King of Hungary, why, then, all the dukes fall upon the king. 1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the King of Hungary's! 2 Gent. Amen. Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. 1 Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to steal. There's not a soldier of us all that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where grace was said. 2 Gent. No? A dozen times at least. I Gent. What? In metre? Lucio. In any proportion, or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ay! Why not? Grace is grace, despite of all controversy. As, for example, thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. 1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of shears be tween us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet. Thou art the list. I Gent. And thou the velvet. Thou art good velvet; thou art a three-piled piece, I warrant thee. I had as lief be a list of an English kersey as be piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech. I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. I Gent. I think I have done myself wrong, have I not? 2 Gent. Yes, that thou hast; whether thou art tainted or free. Lucio. Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation comes! I have purchased as many diseases under her roof as come to 2 Gent. To what, I pray? 1 Gent. Judge. 2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a year. 1 Gent. Ay, and more. Lucio. A French crown more. I Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thou art full of error; I am sound. Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound as things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow; impiety has made a feast of thee. Enter Bawd. I Gent. How now? Which of your hips has the most profound sciatica? Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prison, was worth five thousand of you all. 1 Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Bawd. Marry, sir, that's Claudio, Signior Claudio. I Gent. Claudio to prison? 'Tis not so. Bawd. Nay, but I know 'tis so; I saw him arrested; saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head's to be chopped off. So. Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it Art thou sure of this? Bawd. I am too sure of it; and it is for getting Madam Julietta with child. Lucio. Believe me, this may be. He promised to meet me two hours since; and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. 2 Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose. I Gent. But most of all agreeing with the proclamation. Lucio. Away; let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt LUCIO and Gentlemen. Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk. How now? what's the news with you? Enter Clown. Clown. Yonder man is carried to prison. |