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Barnar. Friar, not I: I have been drinking hard all night, and I will have more time to prepare me, or they fhall beat out my brains with billets: I will not consent to die this day, that's certain.

Duke. Oh, Sir, you muft; and therefore, I beseech you, look forward on the journey you fhall go. Barnar. I fwear, I will not die to day for any man's perfuafion.

Duke. But hear you,~

Barnar. Not a word: if you have any thing to fay to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to

day.

[Exit.

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Duke.

Enter Provoft.

U him, bring block.

NFIT to live, or die: oh, gravel heart!

:

Prov. Now, Sir, how do you find the prisoner? Duke. A creature unprepar'd, unmeet for death; And, to transport him in the mind he is, Were damnable.

Prov. Here in the prifon, father,

There dy'd this morning of a cruel fever
One Ragozine, a moft notorious pirate,
A man of Claudio's years; his beard, and head,
Juft of his colour: What if we omit
This reprobate, 'till he were well inclin'd;
And fatisfy the deputy with the vifage
Of Ragozine, more like to Claudio?

Duke. O, 'tis an accident, that heav'n provides : Difpatch it prefently; the hour draws on

Prefixt by Angelo: fee, this be done,

And fent according to command; while I

Persuade this rude wretch willingly to die.

Prov. This fhall be done, good father, presently: But Barnardine muft die this afternoon:

And how fhall we continue Claudio,

To

To fave me from the danger that might come,

If he were known alive?

Duke. Let this be done;

Put them in fecret holds, both Barnardine and Claudio:
Ere twice the fun hath made his journal greeting
To th' under generation, you fhall find

Your fafety manifefted.

Prov. I am your free dependant.

Duke. Quick, dispatch, and send the head to Angelo.

Now will I write letters to Angelo,

[Exit Provoft.

(The Provost, he fhall bear them;) whose contents
Shall witness to him, I am near at home;
And that, by great injunctions, I am bound
To enter publicly: him I'll defire

To meet me at the confecrated fount,
A league below the city; and from thence,
By cold gradation and weal-balanced form,
We fhall proceed with Angelo.

Enter Provost.

Prov. Here is the head, I'll carry it myself. Duke. Convenient is it: make a swift return; For I will commune with you of fuch things, That want no ears but yours.

Prov. I'll make all speed.

Ifab. [within.] Peace, hoa, be here!

[Exit.

Duke. The tongue of Isabel.-She comes to know,

If yet her brother's pardon be come hither:
But I will keep her ign'rant of her good,
To make her heav'nly comforts of despair,
When it is least expected.

SCENE X.

Enter Ifabel.

fab. LOA, by your leave.

H

Duke. Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter.

Ifab.

Ifab. The better, giv'n me by fo holy a man: Hath yet the deputy fent my brother's pardon? Duke. He hath releas'd him, fabel, from the world; His head is off, and fent to Angelo.

Ifab. Nay, but it is not so.

Duke. It is no other.

Shew your wisdom, daughter, in your clofeft patience.
Ifab. Oh, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes.
Duke. You fhall not be admitted to his fight.
Ifab. Unhappy Claudio! wretched Ifabel!
Injurious world! moft damned Angelo !

Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jot:
Forbear it therefore, give your caufe to heav'n:
Mark, what I fay; which you fhall furely find
By ev'ry fyllable a faithful verity.

The Duke comes home to-morrow; dry your eyes;
One of our convent, and his confeffor,

Gives me this inftance: already he hath carry'd
Notice to Efcalus and Angelo,

Who do prepare to meet him at the gates, [wisdom
There to give up their pow'r. If you can, pace your
In that good path that I would with it go,
And you fhall have your bofom on this wretch,
Grace of the Duke, revenges to your heart,
And gen'ral honour.

Ifab. I'm directed by you.

Duke. This letter then to Friar Peter give;
'Tis That he fent me of the Duke's return:
Say, by this token, I defire his company
At Mariana's house to night. Her caufe and yours
I'll perfect him withal, and he fhall bring you
Before the Duke, and to the head of Angelo
Accufe him home, and home. For my poor felf,
I am combined by a facred vow,

And fhall be abfent. Wend you with this letter:
Command these fretting waters from your eyes
With a light heart; truft not my holy Order,
If I pervert your courfe. Who's here?

SCENE

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Lucio. Oh, pretty Ifabella, I am pale at mine heart, to fee thine eyes fo red; thou must be patient; I am fain to dine and fup 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 liv'd. [Exit Ifabella. Duke. Sir, the Duke is marvellous little beholden to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them.

Lucio. Friar, thou knoweft not the Duke so 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, Sir, if they be true; if not true, 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 honeft: reft 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 flick.

[Exeunt. SCENE,

Efcal.

E

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Changes to the Palace.

Enter Angelo and Escalus.

VERY letter, he hath writ, hath difvouch'd other.

Ang. In most uneven and distracted manner. His actions fhew much like to madnefs: 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 fhould we proclaim it in an hour. before his entering, that if any crave redress of injustice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street?

Efcal. He fhews his reason for that; to have a dispatch of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which fhall then have no power to ftand against us.

Ang. Well; I befeech you, let it be proclaim'd betimes i'th' morn: I'll call you at your house: give notice to fuch men of fort and fuit, as are to meet him.

Efcal. I fhall, Sir: fare you well.

Ang. Good night.

[Exit.

This deed unfhapes me quite, makes me unpregnant,
And 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 the tongue me? yet reason dares her No.
For my authority bears a credent bulk;
That no particular scandal once can touch,

But it confounds the breather. He should have liv`d,
Save that his riotous youth, with dangerous fense,
Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge;
By fo receiving a difhonour'd life,

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