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ISABELLA: O gracious duke, Harp not on that, nor do not banish reason For inequality; but let your reason serve To make the truth appear where it seems hid, And hide the false seems true. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Many that are not mad Have, sure, more lack of reason. What would you say? |
ISABELLA: 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; one Lucio As then the messenger,-- |
LUCIO: That's I, an't like your grace: I came to her from Claudio, and desired her To try her gracious fortune with Lord Angelo For her poor brother's pardon. |
ISABELLA: That's he indeed. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: You were not bid to speak. |
LUCIO: No, my good lord; Nor wish'd to hold my peace. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: I wish you now, then; Pray you, take note of it: and when you have A business for yourself, pray heaven you then Be perfect. |
LUCIO: I warrant your honour. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: The warrants for yourself; take heed to't. |
ISABELLA: This gentleman told somewhat of my tale,-- |
LUCIO: Right. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: It may be right; but you are i' the wrong To speak before your time. Proceed. |
ISABELLA: I went To this pernicious caitiff deputy,-- |
DUKE VINCENTIO: That's somewhat madly spoken. |
ISABELLA: Pardon it; The phrase is to the matter. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Mended again. The matter; proceed. |
ISABELLA: In brief, to set the needless process by, How I persuaded, how I pray'd, and kneel'd, How he refell'd me, and how I replied,-- For this was of much length,--the vile conclusion I now begin with grief and shame to utter: He would not, but by gift of my chaste body To his concupiscible intemperate lust, Release... |
DUKE VINCENTIO: This is most likely! |
ISABELLA: O, that it were as like as it is true! |
DUKE VINCENTIO: By heaven, fond wretch, thou knowist not what thou speak'st, Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour In hateful practise. First, his integrity Stands without blemish. Next, it imports no reason That with such vehemency he should pursue Faults proper to himself: if he had so offended, He would have ... |
ISABELLA: And is this all? Then, O you blessed ministers above, Keep me in patience, and with ripen'd time Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up In countenance! Heaven shield your grace from woe, As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go! |
DUKE VINCENTIO: I know you'ld fain be gone. An officer! To prison with her! Shall we thus permit A blasting and a scandalous breath to fall On him so near us? This needs must be a practise. Who knew of Your intent and coming hither? |
ISABELLA: One that I would were here, Friar Lodowick. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: A ghostly father, belike. Who knows that Lodowick? |
LUCIO: My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling 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 swinged him soundly. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Words against me? this is a good friar, belike! And to set on this wretched woman here Against our substitute! Let this friar be found. |
LUCIO: But yesternight, my lord, she and that friar, I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar, A very scurvy fellow. |
FRIAR PETER: Blessed be your royal grace! I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard Your royal ear abused. First, hath this woman Most wrongfully accused your substitute, Who is as free from touch or soil with her As she from one ungot. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: We did believe no less. Know you that Friar Lodowick that she speaks of? |
FRIAR PETER: I know him for a man divine and holy; Not scurvy, nor a temporary meddler, As he's reported by this gentleman; And, on my trust, a man that never yet Did, as he vouches, misreport your grace. |
LUCIO: My lord, most villanously; believe it. |
FRIAR PETER: Well, he in time may come to clear himself; But at this instant he is sick my lord, Of a strange fever. Upon his mere request, Being come to knowledge that there was complaint Intended 'gainst Lord Angelo, came I hither, To speak, as from his mouth, what he doth know Is true and false; and what he with his... |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Good friar, let's hear it. Do you not smile at this, Lord Angelo? O heaven, the vanity of wretched fools! Give us some seats. Come, cousin Angelo; In this I'll be impartial; be you judge Of your own cause. Is this the witness, friar? First, let her show her face, and after speak. |
MARIANA: Pardon, my lord; I will not show my face Until my husband bid me. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: What, are you married? |
MARIANA: No, my lord. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Are you a maid? |
MARIANA: No, my lord. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: A widow, then? |
MARIANA: Neither, my lord. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Why, you are 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 VINCENTIO: Silence that fellow: I would he had some cause To prattle for himself. |
LUCIO: Well, my lord. |
MARIANA: My lord; I do confess I ne'er was married; And I confess besides 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 VINCENTIO: For the benefit of silence, would thou wert so too! |
LUCIO: Well, my lord. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: This is no witness for Lord Angelo. |
MARIANA: Now I come to't my lord She that accuses him of fornication, In self-same manner doth accuse my husband, And charges him my lord, with such a time When I'll depose I had him in mine arms With all the effect of love. |
ANGELO: Charges she more than me? |
MARIANA: Not that I know. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: No? you say your husband. |
MARIANA: Why, just, my lord, and that is Angelo, Who thinks he knows that he ne'er knew my body, But knows he thinks that he knows Isabel's. |
ANGELO: This is a strange abuse. Let's see thy face. |
MARIANA: My husband bids me; now I will unmask. This is that face, thou cruel Angelo, Which once thou sworest was worth the looking on; This is the hand which, with a vow'd contract, Was fast belock'd in thine; this is the body That took away the match from Isabel, And did supply thee at thy garden-house In her imagine... |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Know you this woman? |
LUCIO: Carnally, she says. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Sirrah, no more! |
LUCIO: Enough, my lord. |
ANGELO: My lord, I must confess I know this woman: And five years since there was some speech of marriage Betwixt myself and her; which was broke off, Partly for that her promised proportions Came short of composition, but in chief For that her reputation was disvalued In levity: since which time of five years I never ... |
MARIANA: Noble prince, As there comes light from heaven and words from breath, As there is sense in truth and truth in virtue, I am affianced this man's wife as strongly As words could make up vows: and, my good lord, But Tuesday night last gone in's garden-house He knew me as a wife. As this is true, Let me in safety ... |
ANGELO: I did but smile till now: Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice My patience here is touch'd. I do perceive These poor informal women are no more But instruments of some more mightier member That sets them on: let me have way, my lord, To find this practise out. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Ay, with my heart And punish them to your height of pleasure. Thou foolish friar, and thou pernicious woman, Compact with her that's gone, think'st thou thy oaths, Though they would swear down each particular saint, Were testimonies against his worth and credit That's seal'd in approbation? You, Lord Es... |
FRIAR PETER: Would he were here, my lord! for he indeed Hath set the women on to this complaint: Your provost knows the place where he abides And he may fetch him. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Go do it instantly. And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin, Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth, Do with your injuries as seems you best, In any chastisement: I for a while will leave you; But stir not you till you have well determined Upon these slanderers. |
ESCALUS: My lord, we'll do it throughly. Signior Lucio, did not you say you knew that Friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person? |
LUCIO: 'Cucullus non facit monachum:' honest in nothing but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most villanous speeches of the duke. |
ESCALUS: We shall entreat you to abide here till he come and enforce them against him: we shall find this friar a notable fellow. |
LUCIO: As any in Vienna, on my word. |
ESCALUS: Call that same Isabel here once again; I would speak with her. Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her. |
LUCIO: Not better than he, by her own report. |
ESCALUS: Say you? |
LUCIO: Marry, sir, I think, if you handled her privately, she would sooner confess: perchance, publicly, she'll be ashamed. |
ESCALUS: I will go darkly to work with her. |
LUCIO: That's the way; for women are light at midnight. |
ESCALUS: Come on, mistress: here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said. |
LUCIO: My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of; here with the provost. |
ESCALUS: In very good time: speak not you to him till we call upon you. |
LUCIO: Mum. |
ESCALUS: Come, sir: did you set these women on to slander Lord Angelo? they have confessed you did. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: 'Tis false. |
ESCALUS: How! know you where you are? |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Respect to your great place! and let the devil Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne! Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak. |
ESCALUS: The duke's in us; and we will hear you speak: Look you speak justly. |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Boldly, at least. But, O, poor souls, Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox? Good night to your redress! Is the duke gone? Then is your cause gone too. The duke's unjust, Thus to retort your manifest appeal, And put your trial in the villain's mouth Which here you come to accuse. |
LUCIO: This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. |
ESCALUS: Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar, Is't not enough thou hast suborn'd these women To accuse this worthy man, but, in foul mouth And in the witness of his proper ear, To call him villain? and then to glance from him To the duke himself, to tax him with injustice? Take him hence; to the rack with him! We... |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Be not so hot; the duke Dare no more stretch this finger of mine than he Dare rack his own: his subject am I not, Nor here provincial. My business in this state Made me a looker on here in Vienna, Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble Till it o'er-run the stew; laws for all faults, But faults so ... |
ESCALUS: Slander to the state! Away with him to prison! |
ANGELO: What can you vouch against him, Signior Lucio? Is this the man that you did tell us of? |
LUCIO: 'Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman baldpate: do you know me? |
DUKE VINCENTIO: I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison, in the absence of the duke. |
LUCIO: O, did you so? And do you remember what you said of the duke? |
DUKE VINCENTIO: Most notedly, sir. |
LUCIO: Do you so, sir? And was the duke a fleshmonger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? |
DUKE VINCENTIO: You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, spoke so of him; and much more, much worse. |
LUCIO: O thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose for thy speeches? |
DUKE VINCENTIO: I protest I love the duke as I love myself. |
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