Accuse him home and home. For my poor self, And shall be abfent. Wend you with this letter: Lucio. O pretty Ifabella, I am pale at mine heart to fee thine eyes fo red; thou must be patient; I am fain to dine and sup 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 beft is, he lives not in them. Lucio. Friar, thou knoweft not the duke fo well as I do; he's a better woodman than thou tak'ft him for. Duke. Well; you'll answer this one day. Fare ye well. Lucio. 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, fir, 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 medlar. Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honest: rest you well. 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; nay, friar, I am a kind of bur, I fhall stick. [Exeunt. SCENE Efcal. SCENE XII. The Palace. Enter Angelo, and Escalus. VERY letter he hath writ hath difvouch'd other. Εν Ang. In most uneven and distracted manner. His actions show much like to madness: pray heav'n, his wisdom be not tainted! and why meet him at the 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 redress of injuftice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street? Efcal. He fhows his reason for that; to have a dispatch of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which shall then have no power to stand against us. Ang. Well; I beseech you, let it be proclaim❜d betimes i̇' th’ morn; I'll call you at your house: give notice to fuch men of fort and fuit as are to meet him. Escal. I fhall, fir: fare you well. Ang. Good night. This deed Unfhapes me quite, makes me unpregnant, dull To all proceedings. A defloured maid! And by an eminent body, that enforc’d The law against it! but that her tender shame Will not proclaim against her maiden loss, How might she tongue me! yet reafon dares her: no, That no particular scandal once can touch, But it confounds the breather. He fhould have liv'd, [Exit. With ransom of such shame. Would yet he had liv'd! [Exit. Duke. The fields without the town. Enter Duke in his own habit, and friar Peter. T The provost knows our purpose, and our plot: Though fometimes you do blench from this to that, Peter. It fhall be speeded well. Enter Varrius. Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou haft made good haste: Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius. [Exeunt. Enter Ifabella, and Mariana. Ifab. To fpeak fo indirectly I am loath: I'd say the truth; but to accuse him so, That is your part; yet I'm advis'd to do it ; Mari. Be rul'd by him. Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that, if peradventure VOL. I. Z z He He speak against me on the adverse fide, I should not think it strange; for 'tis a phyfick That's bitter to fweet end. Mari. I would, friar Peter Ifab. O, peace; the friar is come. Enter Peter. Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit, He shall not pass you. Twice have the trumpets founded: Have hent the gates, and very near upon The duke is entring: therefore hence, away. [Exeunt. Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Efcalus, Lucio, and Citizens, at feveral doors. M DUKE. very worthy coufin, fairly met; Our old and faithful friend, we're glad to see you. Ang and Efc. Happy return be to your royal grace! We've made inquiry of you, and we hear Such goodness of your justice, that our foul Ang. You make bonds ftill greater. my Duke. O, your defert speaks loud; and I should wrong it 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 And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand, SCENE II. Enter Peter, and Ifabella. Peter. Now is your time: speak loud, and kneel before him. Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have faid, a maid: By throwing it on any other object, 'Till you have heard me in my true complaint, And give me juftice, justice, justice, justice. Duke. Relate your wrongs; in what? by whom? be brief: Here is lord Angelo fhall give you justice; Reveal yourself to him. Ifab. O worthy duke, You bid me feek redemption of the devil: Hear me yourself; for that which I must speak Must either punish me, not being believ'd, Or wring redrefs from you: o, hear me here! Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm: She hath been a fuitor to me for her brother, Cut off by course of juftice. Ifab. Course of justice! Ang. And fhe will speak most bitterly, and strange. Ifab. Moft ftrange but yet most truly will I speak; That Angelo's forfworn: is it not strange? That Angelo's a murth'rer: is't not strange? That Angelo is an adult'rous thief, An hypocrite, a virgin-violater: Z z 2 Duke. |