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Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends
Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius.

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Enter Isabella and Mariana.

Ifab. To fpeak so indirectly I am loth:

I'd say the truth; but to accufe him fo,
That is your part; yet I'm advis'd to do it,
He says 'to 'vailful purpose.

Mari. Be rul'd by him.

4

Isab. Besides, he tells me, that if peradventure

He speak againft me on the adverse side,
I should not think it strange; for 'tis a physick
That's bitter to sweet end.

Mari. I would Friar Peter

Ifab. Oh, peace, the Friar is come.

Enter Peter.

[Exeunt.

Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit,

Where you may have such vantage on the Duke,

He shall not pass you. Twice have the trumpets founded! The generous and gravest citizens

Have hent the gates, and very near upon

The Duke is entring: therefore hence, away. (Exeunt.

5 to vail full old edit. Theob. emend.

..

ACT ACT V. SCENE I.

The STREET.

Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Escalus, Lucio, and Citizens, at several doors.

M

DUKE.

Y very worthy cousin, fairly met;

Our old and faithful friend, we're glad to see you.
Ang. and Eft. Happy return be to your royal Grace!

Duke. Many and hearty thanks be to you both:
We've made enquiry of you, and we hear
Such goodness of your justice, that our foul
Cannot but yield you forth to publick thanks,
Forerunning more requital.

Ang. You make my bonds still greater.
Duke. Oh, your defert speaks loud, and I should wrong it

To lock it in the wards of covert bosom,
When it deserves with characters of brass
A forted residence, 'gainst the tooth of time,
And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand
And let the subjects see, to make them know
That outward courtefies would fain proclaim
Favours that keep within. Come, Efcalus,
You must walk by us on our other hand;
And good fupporters are you.

SCENE

Enter Peter and Isabella.

II.

:

Peter. Now is your time: speak loud and kneel before him. Isab. Justice, O royal Duke! vail your regard

Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have faid, a maid:

VOL. I.

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Oh

Oh worthy prince, dishonour not your eye
By throwing it on any other object,
'Till you have heard me in my true complaint,
And give me justice, juftice, juftice, juftice.

Duke. Relate your wrongs; in what, by whom? be brief:
Here is lord. Angelo shall give you justice:
Reveal your felf to him.

Ifab. Oh worthy Duke,

You bid me feek redemption of the devil:
Hear me your self; for that which I must speak
Must either punish me, not being believ'd,
Or wring redress from you: oh, hear me here!

Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm:
Sh' 'ath been a fuitor to me for her brother,
Cut off by course of justice.

Ifab. Course of justice!

Ang. And the will speak most bitterly, and strange.
Ifab. Moft strange but yet most truly will I speak;

That Angelo's forsworn: 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:
Is it not strange and strange?

Duke. Nay, ten times strange.
Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo,
Than this is all as true as it is strange:
Nay, it is ten times true; for truth is truth
To th' end of reckoning.

Duke. Away with her: poor foul,
She speaks this in th' infirmity of fenfe.

Ifab. Oh, I conjure thee, Prince, as thou believ'st

There is another comfort than this world,
That thou neglect me not, with that opinion

That I am touch'd with madness. Make not impossible

That which but seems unlike; 'tis not impossible

But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground,

May feem as fhy, as grave, as just, as absolute

As Angelo; ev'n so may Angelo,

In all his dressings, caracts, titles, forms,
Be an arch-villain: trust me, royal Prince,
If he be less, he's nothing; but he's more,
Had I more name for badness.

Duke. By mine 'honour,
If she 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. Gracious Duke,

1.

Harp not on that; and do not banish reason
For inequality; but let your reason
Serve to make truth appear where it seems hid,
Not hide the false seems true.

Duke. Many 'not mad

Have sure more lack of reason. What would you say?

Ifab. I am the sister of one Claudio, Condemn'd upon the act of fornication,

To lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo:

I, in probation of a sisterhood,

Was sent to by my brother;

As then the messenger,

one Lucio being

Lucio. That's I, an'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.

Isab. That's he indeed.

Duke. You were not bid to speak.

[To Lucio.

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 business for your self, pray heav'n you then
Be perfect.

Lucio. I warrant your honour, Sir.

Duke. The warrant's for your self; "be sure take heed to't.

Isab. This gentleman told something of my tale.

Lucio. Right.

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6 honesty, 7 that are not mad & one Lucio 9 take heed to't.

Duke. It may be right, but you are in the wrong

To fpeak before your time. Proceed.

Ifab. I went

To this pernicious caitiff Deputy.

Duke. That's fomewhat madly spoken,
Isab. Pardon it:

The phrafe is to the matter.

Duke. Mend again: 'the matter then; proceed.
Isab. In brief; (to set the needless process by,

How I perfuaded, how I pray'd and kneel'd,
How he repell'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 chaste body
To his concupifcent intemp'rate luft,
Release my brother; after much debatement,
My fisterly remorfe confutes mine honour,
And I did yield to him: next morn betimes,
His purpose forfeiting, he sends a warrant
For iny poor brother's head.

Duke. This is most likely !

Isab. Oh that it were as like as it is true! [thou speak'st;
Duke. By heav'n, fond wretch, thou know'st not what

Or elfe thou art fuborn'd against his honour
In hateful practice. His integrity

Stands without blemish; it imports no reason,
That with fuch vehemence 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 set you on, confefs the truth, and say
By whose advice thou cam'st here to complain.
Ifab. And is this all?
Then oh you blessed ministers 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 woe,

the matter; proceed.

As

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