A thousand irreligious cursed hours, Which forced marriage would have brought upon her. In love the heavens themselves do guide the state; Fal. I am glad, though you have ta'en a special stand to strike at me, that your arrow hath glanced. Page. Well, what remedy? Fenton, heaven give thee joy! Fal. When night-dogs run, all sorts of deer are chased. Good husband, let us every one go home, Ford. Let it be so. Sir John, To Master Brook you yet shall hold your word; [Exeunt. 1 ། MEASURE FOR MEASURE VINCENTIO, the Duke. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ ESCALUS, an ancient Lord. Two other gentlemen. PROVOST. THOMAS, two friars. ELBOW, a simple constable. FROTH, a foolish gentleman. BARNARDINE, a dissolute prisoner. ISABELLA, sister to Claudio. MISTRESS ÓVERDONE, a bawd. Lords, Officers, Citizens, Boy, and Attendants. SCENE: Vienna. ACT I-SCENE I An apartment in the Duke's palace. Duke. Escalus. Escal. My lord. Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, My strength can give you: then no more remains, as your worth is able, And let them work. The nature of our people, Our city's institutions, and the terms For common justice, you 're as pregnant in As art and practice hath enriched any That we remember. There is our commission, From which we would not have you warp. Call hither, I say, bid come before us Angelo. [Exit an Attendant. What figure of us think you he will bear? For you must know, we have with special soul Lent him our terror, dress'd him with our love, To undergo such ample grace and honour, Duke. Look where he comes. Enter Angelo. Ang. Always obedient to your Grace's will, Duke. Angelo, As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech To one that can my part in him advertise; Hold therefore, Angelo : In our remove be thou at full ourself; Live in thy tongue and heart: old Escalus, Ang. Now, good my lord, Let there be some more test made of my metal, Be stamped upon it. Duke. No more evasion: We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do So to enforce or qualify the laws As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand: But do not like to stage me to their eyes: Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave To have free speech with you; and it concerns me A power I have, but of what strength and nature Ang. 'Tis so with me. Let us withdraw together, And we may soon our satisfaction have [Exit. Escal. I'll wait upon your honour. [Exeunt. SCENE II A street. Enter Lucio and two Gentlemen. Lucio. If the Duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the King of Hungary, why then all the dukes fall upon the king. First Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the King of Sec. Gent. Amen. [Hungary's! Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the Ten Commandments, but scraped one out of the table. Sec. Gent. Thou shalt not steal'? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. First Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions: they put forth to steal. There's not a soldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, do relish the petition well that prays for Sec. Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. [peace. Lucio. I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where grace Sec. Gent. No? a dozen times at least. First Gent. What, in metre? Lucio. In any proportion or in any language. First Gent. I think, or in any religion. [was said. Lucio. Ay, why not? Grace is grace, despite of all controversy: as, for example, thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. First Gent. Well, there went but a pair of shears between us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet. Thou art the list. First Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou 'rt a three-piled piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. I First Gent. I think I have done myself wrong, have I not? Lucio. Judge. Sec. Gent. To three thousand dolours a year. First Gent. Ay, and more. Lucio. A French crown more. First Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thou art full of error; I am sound. Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound as things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow; impiety has made a feast of thee. Enter Mistress Overdone. First Gent. How now! which of your hips has the most profound sciatica ? Mrs Ov. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested and carried to prison was worth five thousand of you all. Sec. Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Mrs Ov. Marry, sir, that 's Claudio, Signior Claudio. First Gent. Claudio to prison? 'tis not so. Mrs Ov. Nay, but I know 'tis so: I saw him arrested; saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head's to be chopped off. Lucio. But after all this fooling, I would not have it so. Art thou sure of this? Mrs Ov. I am too sure of it: and it is for getting Madam Julietta with child. Lucio. Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two hours since, and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. Sec. Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose. First Gent. But, most of all, agreeing with the proclamation. |