With ransom of such shame. 'Would yet, he had

liv'd!

Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not.

[Exit.

Changes to the Fields without the Town.

Enter Duke in his own habit, and Friar Peter. Duke. HESE letters at fit time deliver me. The Provost knows our purpose, and our plot:

TH

The matter being afoot, keep your inftruction,
And hold you ever to our special drift;

Tho' fometimes you do blench from this to that,
As cause doth minifter: go, call at Flavius' house,
And tell him, where I ftay; give the like notice
Unto Valentius, Rowland, and to Craffus,

And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate :
But fend me Flavius first.

Peter. It shall be speeded well.

Enter Varrius.

[Exit Friar.

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. [Exeunt.

Enter Ifabella and Mariana.

Ijab. T I'd fay the truth; but to accufe him fo,

O fpeak fo indirectly, I am loth:

That is your part; yet I'm advis'd to do it,
He fays, to vail full purpose.

Mari. Be rul'd by him.
VOL. II.

E

Ifab.

Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure
He speak againft me on the adverfe fide,

I should not think it ftrange; for 'tis a phyfic,
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 ftand moft fit, Where you may have fuch vantage on the Duke, He fhall not pafs you. Twice have the trumpets

founded:

The generous and gravest citizens

Have hent the gates, and very near upon
The Duke is entring: therefore hence, away. [Exeunt.

ACT V. SCENE I.

A public Place near the City.

Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Escalus, Lucio, and Citizens at feveral Doors.

DUKE.

MY very worthy coufin, fairly met;

Μ

Our old and faithful friend, we're glad to fee you.

Ang. & Efcal. Happy return be to your royal Grace!

Duke. Many and hearty thanks be to you both: W 'e made enquiry of you, and we hear Such goodness of your juftice, that our foul Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks, Forerunning more requital.

Ang. You make my bonds ftill greater.

Duke.

Duke Oh, your desert speaks loud; and I should wrong it,

To lock it in the wards of covert bofom,
When it deferves with characters of brass
A forted refidence, 'gainst the tooth of time,
And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,
And let the fubjects fee, to make them know
That outward courtefies would fain proclaim
Favours that keep within. Come, Efcalus;
You must walk by us on our other hand:
And good fupporters are you. [As the Duke is going out.

Peter.

Enter Peter and Ifabella.

NOW is your time: fpeak loud, and kneel

before

Ifab. Juftice, O royal Duke! vail your regard
Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have said, a maid:
Oh, worthy Prince, dishonour not your eye
By throwing it on any other object,

'Till

you have heard me in my true complaint, And given me juftice, juftice, juftice, juftice.

Duke. Relate your wrongs; in what, by whom? be brief:

Here is lord Angelo fhall give you justice;

Reveal yourself to him,

Ifab. Oh, worthy Duke,

You bid me feek redemption of the devil:

Hear me yourself, for that which I must speak
Muft either punish me, not being believ'd,

Or wring redrefs from you: oh, hear me, hear me.
Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm:
She hath been a fuitor to me for her brother,
Cut off by course of justice.

Ifab. Courfe of justice!

Ang. And she will speak moft bitterly, and strange.

E 2

Ifab.

Ifab. Moft ftrange, but yet most truly, will I speak; That Angelo's forfworn, is it not strange? That Angelo's a murth'rer, is't not strange? That Angelo is an adult'rous thief, An hypocrite, a virgin-violater; Is it not ftrange, and strange? Duke. Nay, it is ten times ftrange. Ifab. It is not truer he is Angelo, Than this is all as true, as it is strange: Nay, it is ten times truer; for truth is truth To th' end of reckoning.

Duke. Away with her: poor foul,

She fpeaks this in th' infirmity of fenfe.

Ifab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'ft
There is another comfort than this world,
That thou neglect me not; with that opinion
That I am touch'd with madness. Make not im-
poffible

That, which but seems unlike; 'tis not impoffible,
But one, the wicked'ft caitiff on the ground,
May feem as fhy, as grave, as juft, as abfolute,
As Angelo; even so may Angelo,

In all his dreffings, caracts, titles, forms,
Be an arch-villain: believe it, royal Prince,
If he be less, he's nothing; but he's more,
Had I more name for badness.

Duke. By mine honefty,

If fhe be mad, as I believe no other,

Her madness hath the oddeft frame of sense;
Such a dependency of thing on thing,
As e'er I heard in madness.

Ifab. Gracious Duke,

Harp not on That; nor do not banish reason
For inequality; but let your reason serve
To make the truth appear, where it feems hid;
Not hide the false, seems true.

Duke. Many, that are not mad,
Have, fure, more lack of reason.
What would you say?

Jab.

Ifab. I am the fifter of one Claudio,
Condemn'd upon the act of fornication
To lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo:
I, in probation of a fifterhood,

Was fent to by my brother; one Lucio,
As then the meffenger,-

Lucio. That's I, an't like your Grace:

I came to her from Claudio, and defir'd her
To try her gracious fortune with lord Angelo,
For her poor brother's pardon.

Ifab. That's he, indeed.

Duke. You were not bid to speak.

[To Lucio.

Lucio. No, my good lord, nor wish'd to hold my

peace.

Duke. I wish you now then;

Pray, you, take note of it: and when you have
A bufinefs for yourself; pray heav'n, you then
Be perfect.

Lucio. I warrant your Honour.

Duke. The warrant's for yourself; take heed to't. Ifab. This gentleman told somewhat of my tale. Lucio. Right.

Duke. It may be right, but you are in the wrong To fpeak before your time. Proceed.

Ifab. I went

To this pernicious caitiff Deputy.

Duke. That's fomewhat madly spoken.
Ifab. Pardon it:

The phrafe is to the matter.

Duke. Mended again: the matter;-proceed.
Ifab. In brief; (to fet the needlefs Process by,
How I perfuaded, how I pray'd and kneel'd,
How he repell'd me, and how I reply'd;
For this was of much length) the vile conclufion
I now begin with grief and shame to utter.
He would not, but by gift of my chafte body
To his concupifcent intemp'rate luft,

Release my brother; and after much debatement,