For terror, not to use; in time the rod

Becomes more mock'd, than fear'd: fo our Decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead;

And Liberty plucks Juftice by the nofe;
The baby beats the nurfe, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri. It refted in your Grace

T'unloose this ty'd up juftice, when you pleas'd:
And it in you more dreadful would have feem'd,
Than in lord Angelo.

Duke. I do fear, too dreadful.

Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope,
'Twould be my tyranny to ftrike, and gall them,
For what I bid them do. For we bid this be done,
When evil deeds have their permiffive pass,

And not the punishment. Therefore, indeed, my
ther,

I have on Angelo impos'd the office:

Who may in th' ambush of my name ftrike home,
And yet, my nature never in the fight

To do in flander: And to behold his fway,
I will, as 'twere a Brother of your Order,
Vifit both prince and people; therefore, pr'ythee,
Supply me with the habit, and instruct me
How I may formally in person bear,

Like a true Friar. More reasons for this action
At our more leifure fhall I render you;
Only, this one: -Lord Angelo is precife;
Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confeffes
That his blood flows, or that his appetite
Is more to bread than stone: hence shall we see,
If pow'r change purpose, what our feemers be.

fa

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Ifab.

A

Enter Ifabella and Francisca.

ND have you Nuns no further privileges ?
Nun. Are not these large enough?

Ifab. Yes, truly; I speak not as defiring more;
But rather wishing a more ftrict restraint
Upon the fifter-hood, the votarifts of Saint Clare
Lucio. [within.] Hoa! Peace be in this place!
Ifab. Who's that, which calls?

Nun. It is a man's voice: gentle Ifabella,
Turn you the key, and know his bufinefs of him;
You may; I may not; you are yet unsworn:
When you have vow'd, you must not speak with men,
But in the prefence of the Prioress;

Then, if you speak, you must not fhew your face;
Or, if you fhew your face, you must not speak.
He calls again; I pray you, answer him. [Exit Franc.
Ifab. Peace and profperity! who is't that calls?

Enter Lucio.

Lucio. Hail, virgin, (if you be) as those cheekrofes

Proclaim you are no lefs; can you so stead me,
As bring me to the fight of Isabella,

A novice of this place, and the fair fifter

To her unhappy brother Claudio ?

Ifab. Why her unhappy brother? let me ask
The rather, for I now muft make you know
I am that Ifabella, and his fifter.

Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets

you;

Not to be weary with you, he's in prison.
Ifab. Woe me! for what?

Lucio. For that, which, if myself might be his
judge,

He fhould receive his punishment in thanks;
He hath got his friend with child.

Ifab. Sir, make me not your ftory.

Lucio. 'Tis true :-I would not (tho' 'tis my fa-
miliar fin

With maids to feem the lapwing, and to jeft,
Tongue far from heart) play with all virgins fo.
I hold you as a thing en-sky'd, and sainted ;
By your renouncement, an immortal Spirit;
And to be talk'd with in fincerity,

As with a Saint.

Ifab. You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me. Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, 'tis thus ; Your brother and his lover having embrac'd, As thofe that feed grow full, as bloffoming time That from the feedness the bare fallow brings To teeming foifon; fo her plenteous womb Expreffeth his full tilth and husbandry. Ifab. Some one with child by him?

-my coufin

Ifab.Adoptedly, as school-maids change their names,

By vain, tho' apt, affection.

Lucio. She it is.

Ifab. O, let him

marry her!

Lucio. This is the point.

The Duke is very strangely gone from hence;
Bore many gentlemen, myfelf being one,
In hand and hope of action; but we learn,
By those that know the very nerves of ftate,
His givings out were of an infinite distance
From his true-meant defign. Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,
Governs lord Angelo; a man whofe blood,
Is very fnow-broth; one who never feels
The wanton ftings and motions of the fense;

But

But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, ftudy and faft.
He, (to give fear to use and liberty,
Which have long time run by the hideous law,
As mice by lions;) hath pickt out an act,
Under whofe heavy fenfe your brother's life
Falls into forfeit; he arrefts him on it;
And follows close the rigour of the ftatute,
To make him an example; all hope's gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer
To foften Angelo; and that's my pith of business
'Twixt you and your poor brother.

Ifab. Doth he fo

Seek for his life?

Lucio. H'as cenfur'd him already;
And, as I hear, the Provost hath a warrant
For's execution.

Ifab. Alas! what poor

Ability's in me, to do him good?
Lucio. Affay the power you have.
Ifab. My power? Alas! I doubt.
Lucio. Our doubts are traitors;

And make us loofe the good, we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to lord Angelo,

And let him learn to know, when maidens fue, Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel, All their petitions are as truly theirs,

As they themselves would owe them.

Ifab. I'll fee what I can do.

Lucio. But, fpeedily.

Ifab. I will about it ftrait;

No longer staying, but to give the mother
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you;
Commend me to my brother: foon at night
I'll fend him certain word of my fuccefs.
Lucio, I take my leave of you.
Ijab. Good Sir, adieu.

[Exeunt.

ACT.

ACT II.

SCENE I

The PALACE.

Enter Angelo, Escalus, a Justice, and Attendants.

W

ANGELO.

E must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to fear the birds of prey, And let it keep one shape, 'till custom make it Their pearch, and not their terror.

Efcal. Ay, but yet

Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,

Than fall, and bruife to death. Alas! this gentleman, Whom I would fave, had a moft noble father;

Let but your Honour know,

Whom I believe to be moft ftrait in virtue,
That, in the working of your own affections,
Had time coher'd with place, or place with wishing,
Or that the refolute acting of your blood

Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose;
Whether you had not fometime in your life
Err'd in this point, which now you cenfure him,
And pull'd the law upon you.

Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,

The jury, paffing on the prifoner's life,

May in the fworn twelve have a thief or two, Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to

juftice,

That juftice feizes on.

What know the laws,

That thieves do pass on thieves? 'tis very pregnant,
The jewel that we find, we ftoop and take't,
Because we fee it; but what we do not fee,

We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not fo extenuate his offence,

For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me,

When