Duke.

Ay, with my heart;

And punish them to your height of pleasure.

Thou foolish friar; and thou pernicious woman,

240 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 Escalus,

Sit with my cousin; lend him your kind pains

245 To find out this abuse, whence ’tis derived.

There is another friar that set them on;

Let him be sent for.

Fri. P. Would he were here, my lord! for he, indeed,

Hath set the women on to this complaint:

V. 1
250 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,

255 In any chastisement: I for a while will leave you;

But stir not you till you have well determined

Upon these slanderers.

290 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.

Escal. The Duke’s in us; and we will hear you speak:

Look you speak justly.

295 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,

V. 1
300 And put your trial in the villain’s mouth

Which here you come to accuse.

Escal. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow’d friar,

Is’t not enough thou hast suborn’d these women

305 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 touse you

310 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

315 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 countenanced, that the strong statutes

Stand like the forfeits in a barber’s shop,

320 As much in mock as mark.

Ang. What can you vouch against him, Signior Lucio?

Is this the man that you did tell us of?

Duke. Thou art the first knave that e’er madest a Duke.

355 First, provost, let me bail these gentle three.

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

Must have a word anon. Lay hold on him.

Duke. [To Escalus] What you have spoke I pardon: sit you down:

360 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.

Ang.

O my dread lord,

365 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,

370 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?

V. 1
375 Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.

Do you the office, friar; which consummate,

Return him here again. Go with him, provost.

Escal. My lord, I am more amazed at his dishonour

Than at the strangeness of it.

Duke.

Come hither, Isabel.

380 Your friar is now your prince: as I was then

Advertising and holy to your business,

Not changing heart with habit, I am still

Attorney’d at your service.

Isab.

O, give me pardon,

That I, your vassal, have employ’d and pain’d

Your unknown sovereignty!

385 Duke.

You are pardon’d, Isabel:

And now, dear maid, be you as free to us.

Your brother’s death, I know, sits at your heart;

And you may marvel why I obscured myself,

Labouring to save his life, and would not rather

390 Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power

Than let him so be lost. O most kind maid,

It was the swift celerity of his death,

Which I did think with slower foot came on,

That brain’d my purpose. But, peace be with him!

395 That life is better life, past fearing death,

Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort,

So happy is your brother.

Duke. For this new-married man, approaching here,

Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong’d

V. 1
400 Your well-defended honour, you must pardon

For Mariana’s sake: but as he adjudged your brother,—

Being criminal, in double violation

Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach

Thereon dependent, for your brother’s life,—

405 The very mercy of the law cries out

Most audible, even from his proper tongue,

‘An Angelo for Claudio, death for death!’

Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;

Like doth quit like, and MEASURE still FOR MEASURE.

410 Then, Angelo, thy fault’s thus manifested;

Which, though thou wouldst deny, denies thee vantage.

We do condemn thee to the very block

Where Claudio stoop’d to death, and with like haste.

Away with him!

Mari.

O my most gracious lord,

415 I hope you will not mock me with a husband.

Duke. It is your husband mock’d you with a husband.

Consenting to the safeguard of your honour,

I thought your marriage fit; else imputation,

For that he knew you, might reproach your life,

420 And choke your good to come: for his possessions,

Although by confiscation they are ours,

We do instate and widow you withal,

To buy you a better husband.

Mari.

O my dear lord,

I crave no other, nor no better man.

Duke.

You do but lose your labour.

Away with him to death! [To Lucio] Now, sir, to you.

Mari. O my good lord! Sweet Isabel, take my part;

Lend me your knees, and all my life to come

430 I’ll lend you all my life to do you service.

Duke. Against all sense you do importune her:

Should she kneel down in mercy of this fact,

Her brother’s ghost his paved bed would break,

And take her hence in horror.

Mari.

Isabel,

435 Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me;

Hold up your hands, say nothing,—I’ll speak all.

They say, best men are moulded out of faults;

And, for the most, become much more the better

For being a little bad: so may my husband.

440 O Isabel, will you not lend a knee?

Isab.

Most bounteous sir, Kneeling.

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn’d,

As if my brother lived: I partly think

A due sincerity govern’d his deeds,

445 Till he did look on me: since it is so,

Let him not die. My brother had but justice,

In that he did the thing for which he died:

For Angelo,

His act did not o’ertake his bad intent;

V. 1
450 And must be buried but as an intent

That perish’d by the way: thoughts are no subjects;

Intents, but merely thoughts.

Duke. Your suit’s unprofitable; stand up, I say.

I have bethought me of another fault.

455 Provost, how came it Claudio was beheaded

At an unusual hour?

Duke. For which I do discharge you of your office:

Give up your keys.

460 Prov.

Pardon me, noble lord:

I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;

Yet did repent me, after more advice:

For testimony whereof, one in the prison,

That should by private order else have died,

I have reserved alive.

Duke. I would thou hadst done so by Claudio.

Go fetch him hither; let me look upon him.

Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise

As you, Lord Angelo, have still appear’d,

470 Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood,

And lack of temper’d judgment afterward.

Ang. I am sorry that such sorrow I procure:

And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart,

That I crave death more willingly than mercy;

V. 1
475 ’Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.

Duke. There was a friar told me of this man.

Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul,

That apprehends no further than this world,

480 And squarest thy life according. Thou’rt condemn’d:

But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all;

And pray thee take this mercy to provide

For better times to come. Friar, advise him;

I leave him to your hand. What muffled fellow’s that?

485 Prov. This is another prisoner that I saved,

Who should have died when Claudio lost his head;

As like almost to Claudio as himself. Unmuffles Claudio.

Duke. [To Isabella] If he be like your brother, for his sake

Is he pardon’d; and, for your lovely sake,

490 Give me your hand, and say you will be mine,

He is my brother too: but fitter time for that.

By this Lord Angelo perceives he’s safe;

Methinks I see a quickening in his eye.

Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well:

495 Look that you love your wife; her worth worth yours.

I find an apt remission in myself;

And yet here’s one in place I cannot pardon.

[To Lucio] You, sirrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward,

One all of luxury, an ass, a madman;

V. 1
500 Wherein have I so deserved of you,

That you extol me thus?

505 Duke. Whipt first, sir, and hang’d after.

Proclaim it, provost, round about the city,

Is any woman wrong’d by this lewd fellow,

As I have heard him swear himself there’s one

Whom he begot with child, let her appear,

510 And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish’d,

Let him be whipt and hang’d.

Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her.

Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal

Remit thy other forfeits.—Take him to prison;

And see our pleasure herein executed.

Duke. Slandering a prince deserves it.

Exeunt Officers with Lucio.

She, Claudio, that you wrong’d, look you restore.

Joy to you, Mariana! Love her, Angelo:

V. 1
525 I have confess’d her, and I know her virtue.

Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:

There’s more behind that is more gratulate.

Thanks, provost, for thy care and secrecy:

We shall employ thee in a worthier place.

530 Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home

The head of Ragozine for Claudio’s:

The offence pardons itself. Dear Isabel,

I have a motion much imports your good;

Whereto if you’ll a willing ear incline,

535 What’s mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.

So, bring us to our palace; where we’ll show

What’s yet behind, that’s meet you all should know.