SCENE V. Fields without the Town. Enter Duke in his own habit, and Friar PETER. Duke. These letters at fit time deliver me. [Giving letters. Though sometimes you do blench from this to that," And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate; Peter. It shall be speeded well. Enter VARRIUS. [Exit Friar. Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou hast made good haste: Come, we will walk: There's other of our friends SCENE VI. Street near the City Gate. Enter ISABELLA and MARIANA. Isab. To speak so indirectly, I am loth; I would say the truth: but to accuse him so, Mari. Be rul'd by him. Isab. Besides, he tells me, that, if peradventure That's bitter to sweet end. Mari. I would, friar Peter, Isab. O, peace; the friar is come. Enter Friar PETER. 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 sounded; [7] To blench is to start off, to fly off. 32* VOL. I. STEEVENS. The generous and gravest citizens Have hent the gates, and very near upon ACT V. [Exe. SCENE I.-A public Place near the City Gate. MARIANA (veild), ISABELLA, and PETER, at a distance. Enter at opposite doors, Duke, VARRIUS, Lords; ANGELO, ESCALUS, LUCIO, Provost, Officers, and Citizens. MY Duke. very worthy cousin, fairly met : Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you. Ang. You make my bonds still greater. Duke. O, your desert speaks loud; and I should wrong it, To lock it in the wards of covert bosom, PETER and ISABELLA come forward. Pet.Now is your time; speak loud, and kneel before him. Isab. Justice, O royal duke! Vail your regard1 Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have said, a maid ! O worthy prince, dishonour not your eye By throwing it on any other object, [8] i. e. the most noble, &c. Generous is here used in its Latin sense. "Virgo et generosa et nobilis."-Cicero. STEEVENS. [9] Have seized or taken possession of the gates. JOHNSON. [That is, withdraw your thoughts from higher things, let your notice descend upon a wronged woman. To vail is to lower JOHNSON. Till you have heard me in my true complaint, Duke. Relate your wrongs: In what? By whom? Be brief: Here is lord Angelo shall give you justice; Reveal yourself to him. Isab. O, worthy duke, You bid me seek redemption of the devil: Hear me yourself; for that which I must speak Must either punish me, not being believ'd, Or wring redress from you hear me, O, hear me, here. Cut off by course of justice. Isab. By course of justice! Ang. And she will speak most bitterly, and strange. Isab. Most strange, but yet most truly, will I speak : That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange? That Angelo's a murderer; is't not strange? That Angelo is an adulterous thief, An hypocrite, a virgin-violator ; 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 : To the end of reckoning.2 Duke. Away with her :-Poor soul, She speaks this in the infirmity of sense. Isab. O prince, I conjure thee, 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 seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute, 3 As Angelo; even so may Angelo, In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms, Be an arch-villain: believe it, royal prince, [2] That is, truth has no gradations; nothing which admits of increase can be so much what it is, as truth is truth. There may be a strange thing, and a thing more strange, but if a proposition be true, there can be none more true. JOHNSON. [3] As shy, as reserved, as abstracted: as just,-as nice, as exact: as absolute,-as complete in all the round of duty.. JOHNSON. If he be less, he's nothing; but he's more, Duke. By mine honesty, If she be mad, (as I believe no other,) Isab. O, gracious duke, Harp not on that; nor do not banish reason To make the truth appear, where it seems hid; Duke. Many that are not mad, Have, sure, more lack of reason.-What would you say? To lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo: Was sent to by my brother: One Lucio Lucio. That's I, an't like your grace: I came to her from Claudio, and desir'd her Isab. That's he, indeed. Duke. You were not bid to speak. 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 Lucio. I warrant your honour. Duke. The warrant's for yourself; take heed to it. Isab. This gentleman told somewhat of my tale. Lucio. Right. Duke. It may be right; but you are in the wrong To speak before your time.-Proceed. Isab. I went To this pernicious caitiff deputy Duke. That's somewhat madly spoken. Isab. Pardon it; The phrase is to the matter. Duke. Mended again: the matter ;-Proceed. Isab. In brief,-to set the needless process by, (For this was of much length,) the vile conclusion Release my brother; and, after much debatement, And I did yield to him: But the next morn betimes, For my poor brother's head. Duke. This is most likely! Isab. O, that it were as like, as it is true! Duke. By heaven, fond wretch, 4 thou know'st not what thou speak'st; Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour, Stands without blemish :-next, it imports no reason, Faults proper to himself if he had so offended, And not have cut him off: Some one hath set you on; Thou cam'st here to complain? Isab. 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 !-Heaven shield your grace from woe, As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go! Duke. I know, you'd 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 practice.5 Isab. One that I would were here, friar Lodowick. Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling friar ; I do not like the man: had he been lay, my lord, [4] Fond wretch is foolish wretch. STEEVENS, [5] Practice was used by the old writers for any unlawful or insidious stratagem. JOHNSON. |