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.
340 Ang. Hark how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses!
Escal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal.
Away with him to prison! Where is the provost?
Away with him to prison! Lay bolts enough on him, let him speak no more. Away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate companion! 348 [The PROVOST lays hands on the DUKE. Duke. Stay, sir; stay awhile.
Ang. 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? 356 [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. [To LUCIO.] Sneak not away, sir; for the friar and you
Must have a word anon. Lay hold on him. 360 Lueio. This may prove worse than hanging. Duke. [To ESCALUS.] What you have spoke I pardon; sit you down:
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.
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?
Ang. I was, my lord.
377 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, FRIAR PETER, and PROVOST.
Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour
Than at the strangeness of it.
Duke.
Come hither, Isabel. 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! Duke.
You are pardon'd, Isabel: And now, dear maid, be you as free to us. 389 Your brother's death, I know, sits at your heart; And you may marvel why I obscur'd myself, Labouring to save his life, and would not rather 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!
I crave no other, nor no better man.
Duke. Never crave him; we are definitive, 428
Mari. [Kneeling.] Gentle my liege,
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,
I'll lend you all my life to do you service. 433
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.
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, 440
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad: so may my husband.
O, Isabel! will you not lend a knee?
Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.
Isab. [Kneeling.] Most bounteous sir,
Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,
As if my brother liv'd. I partly think
A due sincerity govern'd his deeds,
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,
As you, Lord Angelo, have still appear'd,
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 476
That I crave death more willingly than mercy:
'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.
Re-enter PROVOST, with BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO
muffled, and JULIET.
Duke. Which is that Barnardine?
This, my lord.
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, 482
And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt con-
demn'd:
But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all, 484
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?
Prov. This is another prisoner that I sav'd, That should have died when Claudio lost his head,
452 As like almost to Claudio as himself.
His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;
And must be buried but as an intent
That perish'd by the way. Thoughts are no
subjects;
Intents but merely thoughts.
[Unmuffles CLAUDIO. Duke. [To ISABELLA.] If he be like your brother, for his sake
Is he pardon'd; and, for your lovely sake 492
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:
Look that you love your wife; her worth worth
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:
Wherein have I so deserv'd of you,
That you extol me thus?
Duke. Slandering a prince deserves it. She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore. Joy to you, Mariana! love her, Angelo: have confess'd her and I know her virtue. Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:
Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick. If you will hang me for it, you may; but I had rather it would please you II might be whipped. 508 Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after. Proclaim it, provost, round about the city, If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow, As I have heard him swear himself there's one Whom he begot with child, let her appear, 513 And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd, Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.
Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore. Your highness said even now, I made you a duke: good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold.
Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her. 520
Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal
There's more behind that is more gratulate.
Thanks, provost, for thy care and secrecy; 532
We shall employ thee in a worthier place.
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,
What's mine is yours, and what is yours is
mine.
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show 540 What's yet behind, that's meet you all should [Exeunt.
Why thou departedst from thy native hoine, And for what cause thou cam'st to Ephesus.
Ege. A heavier task could not have been impos'd
Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable;
Yet, that the world may witness that my end
Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence,
I'll utter what my sorrow gives me leave.
In Syracusa was I born, and wed
Unto a woman, happy but for me,
And by me too, had not our hap been bad.
With her I liv'd in joy: our wealth increas'd
By prosperous voyages I often made
To Epidamnum; till my factor's death,
And the great care of goods at random left,
Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse:
From whom my absence was not six months old,
Before herself,-almost at fainting under
The pleasing punishment that women bear,—
Had made provision for her following me,
And soon and safe arrived where I was.
16 There had she not been long but she became
A joyful mother of two goodly sons;
And, which was strange, the one so like the
Excludes all pity from our threat'ning looks.
For, since the mortal and intestine jars
'Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us,
It hath in solemn synods been decreed,
Both by the Syracusians and ourselves,
T'admit no traffic to our adverse towns:
Nay, more, if any, born at Ephesus
Be seen at Syracusian marts and fairs;
Again, if any Syracusian born
Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies,
His goods confiscate to the duke's dispose;
Unless a thousand marks be levied,
To quit the penalty and to ransom him.
Thy substance, valu'd at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks;
Therefore, by law thou art condemn'd to die.
Ege. Yet this my comfort: when your words
are done,
20 As could not be distinguish'd but by names. 52 That very hour, and in the self-same inn,
A meaner woman was delivered
Of such a burden, male twins, both alike.
Those, for their parents were exceeding poor,
I bought, and brought up to attend my sons. 57
My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys,
Made daily motions for our home return:
Unwilling I agreed; alas! too soon
We came aboard.
league from Epidamnum had we sail'd,
At eighteen years became inquisitive
After his brother; and importun'd me
That his attendant-for his case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name-128
Might bear him company in the quest of him;
Whom whilst I labour'd of a love to see,
80 I hazarded the loss of whom I lov'd.
Yet the incessant weepings of my wife,
Weeping before for what she saw must come,
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
That mourn'd for fashion, ignorant what to fear,
Fore'd me to seek delays for them and me.
And this it was, for other means was none:
The sailors sought for safety by our boat,
And left the ship, then sinking-ripe, to us:
My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
Had fasten'd him unto a small spare mast,
Such as seafaring men provide for storms;
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilst I had been like heedful of the other.
The children thus dispos'd, my wife and I,
Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fix'd, 84
Fasten'd ourselves at either end the mast;
And floating straight, obedient to the stream,
Were carried towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the sun, gazing upon the earth,
Dispers'd those vapours that offended us,
And, by the benefit of his wished light
The seas wax'd calm, and we discovered
Two ships from far making amain to us;
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this:
But ere they came,-O! let me say no more;
Gather the sequel by that went before.
Duke. Nay, forward, old man; do not break off so; 96
92 Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,
Against my crown, my oath, my dignity,
Which princes, would they, may not disannul,
My soul should sue as advocate for thee.
But though thou art adjudged to the death
And passed sentence may not be recall'd
But to our honour's great disparagement, 148
Yet will I favour thee in what I can:
Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day
To seek thy life by beneficial help.
Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus;
Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum,
And live; if no, then thou art doom'd to die.
Gaoler, take him to thy custody.
Gaol. I will, my lord.
For we may pity, though not pardon thee.
Ege. O! had the gods done so, I had not now
Worthily term'd them merciless to us!
For, ere the ships could meet by twice five
leagues,
We were encounter'd by a mighty rock;
Which being violently borne upon,
Our helpful ship was splitted in the midst;
So that, in this unjust divorce of us
Fortune had left to both of us alike
What to delight in, what to sorrow for.
Her part, poor soul! seeming as burdened
With lesser weight, but not with lesser woe, 108
Was carried with more speed before the wind,
And in our sight they three were taken up
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length, another ship had seiz'd on us;
And, knowing whom it was their hap to save,
Gave healthful welcome to their ship-wrack'd
guests;
And would have reft the fishers of their prey,
Æge. Hopeless and helpless doth Ægeon wend, But to procrastinate his lifeless end. [Exeunt.
SCENE II.-The Mart.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse, DROMIO of
Syracuse, and a Merchant.
Mer. Therefore, give out you are of Epidam-
num,
Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate.
This very day, a Syracusian merchant
Is apprehended for arrival here;
|