Enter Provoft.

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

If

Prov. I'll make all speed.

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

[Exit

Duke. The tongue of Ifabel.She comes to know, 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 defpair,
When it is leaft expected.

Enter Ifabel.

Ifab. Hoa, by your leave.

Duke. Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter. 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, Isabel, from the world; His head is off, and fent to Angelo.

Ifab. Nay, but it is not fo.

Duke. It is no other.

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

Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jot:
Forbear it therefore, give your cause to heav'n:
Mark, what I fay; which you fhall surely find

By every fyllable a faithful verity.

The Duke comes home to-morrow; dry your eyes;

One of our convent, and his confessor,

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

Who do prepare to meet him at the gates,

VOL. I.

B

There

There to give up their pow'r. If you can, pace your wisdom In that good path that I would with it

go,

And you shall 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 houfe to-night. Her caufe and yours
I'll perfect him withal, and he shall 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 shall 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?

Lucio. Good even;

Enter Lucio.

Friar, where's the Provoft?

Duke. Not within, Sir.

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, fabel, I lov'd thy brother: if the old fantaftical 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 fo well as I do; he's a better woodman, than thou tak'st 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.

Dnke. 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 t; nay, Friar, I am a kind of bur, I fhall stick,

SCENE changes to the Palace.

Escal.
E

Enter Angelo and Escalus.

- [Exeunt

VERY letter, he hath writ, hath difvouch'd

the other.

His

Ang. In most uneven and diftracted manner. actions fhew 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 fhould we proclaim it in an hour before his entering, that if any crave redrefs of injuftice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street?

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

Ang. Well; I beseech 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.

Re

[Exit.

Ang.

Ang. Good night.

1

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 fhame
Will not proclaim against her maiden lofs,

How might the tongue me? yet reafon dares her: (17)
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 sense,
Might in the times to come have ta’en revenge :
By fo receiving a dishonour'd life,

With ransom of fuch shame. 'Would yet, he had liv'd !
Alack, when once our grace we have forgot,

Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not.

Duke.

Enter Duke in his own Habit, and Friar Peter,

•T

HESE letters at fit time deliver me The Provoft knows our purpofe, and our plot: The matter being afoot, keep your inftruction, And hold you ever to our fpecial drift; Tho' fometimes you do blench from this to that, As caufe doth minifter: go, call at Flavius' house, And tell him, where I ftay; give the like notice Unto Valentius, Rowland, and to Crafus,

ལས་

And bid them bring the trumpets to the gates, fix" But fend me Flavius first.

Peter. It fhall be speeded well.

[Exit Friar.

(17) yet Reafon dares ber :] The old Folio Impreffions read, yet reafon dares ber no:- -perhaps, dares ber Note: i, e. ftifles her Voice; frights her from speaking.

Enter

Enter Varrius.

Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou haft made good hafte: Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius.

Enter Ifabella and Mariana.

Ifab. To fpeak fo indirectly, I am loth: I'd fay the truth; but to accufe him fo, That is your part; yet I'm advis'd to do it, He fays, t'availful purpose. (18)

Mari. Be rul'd by him.

[Exeunt.

Ilab. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure He speak against me on the, adverfe fide,

1 fhould not think it ftrange; for 'tis a phyfick, That's bitter to fweet end.

Mari. I would, Friar Peter

Ifab. Oh, peace; the Friar is come.

Enter Peter.

Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit, Where you may have fuch vantage on the Duke, He shall not pass you. Twice have the trumpets founded: The generous and graveft citizens

Have hent the gates, and very near upon

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

(18) He fays to vail full purpofe] Thus the old Copies, I don't know, what Idea our Editors form'd to themselves, of wailing full purpofe; but, I'm perfuaded, the Poet meant, as I have reftor'd; viz. to a Purpose that will stand us in ftead, that will profit us.