William Shakespeare - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

I am affianc’d this man’s wife as strongly

As words could make up vows: and, my good lord,

But Tuesday night last gone, in his garden-house,

He knew me as a wife. As this is true,

Let me in safety raise me from my knees,

Or else for ever be confixed here,

A marble monument!

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 practice out.

DUKE.

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, thinkst 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 Escalus,

Sit with my cousin; lend him your kind pains

To find out this abuse, whence ‘tis deriv’d.—

There is another friar that set them on;

Let him be sent for.

PETER.

Would lie 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.

Go, do it instantly.—

[Exit PROVOST.]

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.

[Exit DUKE.]

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 villainous 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 [to an Attendant]; 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.

[Re-enter Officers, with ISABELLA.]

ESCALUS.

I will go darkly to work with her.

LUCIO.

That’s the way; for women are light at midnight.

ESCALUS. Come on, mistress [to ISABELLA]; here’s a gentlewoman denies all that you have said.

LUCIO.

My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of, here with the Provost.

[Re-enter the DUKE in his friar’s habit, and 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.

‘Tis false.

ESCALUS.

How! Know you where you are?

DUKE.

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.

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’ll touze you joint by joint,

But we will know his purpose.—What! unjust?

DUKE.

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’errun the stew: laws for all faults,

But faults so countenanc’d that the strong statutes

Stand like the forfeits in a barber’s shop,

As much in mock as mark.

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 bald-pate.

Do you know me?

DUKE. 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.

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. 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.

I protest I love the duke as I love myself.

ANGELO. Hark how the villain would gloze now, after his treasonable abuses!

ESCALUS. Such a fellow is not to be talked withal. Away with him to prison!—Where is the provost?—Away with him to prison! lay bolts enough upon him: let him speak no more.—Away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate companion!

[The PROVOST lays hands on the DUKE.]

DUKE.

Stay, sir; stay awhile.

ANGELO.

What! resists he?—Help him, Lucio.

LUCIO. Come, sir; come, sir! come, sir; foh, sir! Why, you bald-pated lying rascal! you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave’s visage, with a pox to you! show your sheepbiting face, and be hanged an hour! Will’t not off?

[Pulls off the Friar’s hood and discovers the DUKE.]

DUKE.

Thou art the first knave that e’er made a duke.—

First, Provost, let me bail these gentle three:—

Sneak not away, sir[To Lucio.]; for the friar and you

Must have a word anon:—Lay hold on him.

LUCIO.

This may prove worse than hanging.

DUKE.

What you have spoke I pardon; sit you down.—[To ESCALUS.]

We’ll borrow place of him.—[To ANGELO.] Sir, by your leave.

Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence,

That yet can do thee office? If thou hast,

Rely upon it till my tale be heard,

And hold no longer out.

ANGELO.

O my dread lord,

I should be guiltier than my guiltiness,

To think I can be undiscernible,

When I perceive your grace, like power divine,

Hath look’d upon my passes. Then, good Prince,

No longer session hold upon my shame,

But let my trial be mine own confession:

Immediate sentence then, and sequent death,

Is all the grace I beg.

DUKE.

Come hither, Mariana:—

Say, wast thou e’er contracted to this woman?

ANGELO.

I was, my lord.

DUKE.

Go, take her hence and marry her instantly.

Do you the office, friar; which consummate,

Return him here again.—Go with him, Provost.

[Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and PROVOST.]