Be perdurably fin'd? oh Ifabel! Ifab. What fays my brother? Claud. Ay, but to die, and go we know not where: The wearieft and most loathed worldly life, To what we fear of death. Ifab. Alas! alas! Claud. Sweet fifter, let me live. That it becomes a virtue. Ifab. Oh, you beast! Oh faithless coward! oh dishonest wretch! Is't not a kind of inceft, to take life From thine own fifter's fhame? what fhould I think? For fuch a warped flip of wilderness Ne'er iffu'd from his blood. Take my defiance, Die, perish! might my only bending down Claud. Hear me, Ifabel. Ifab. Oh, fie, fie, fie! Thy fin's not accidental, but a trade; Tis "Tis beft that thou dy't quickly. Claud. Oh hear me, Ifabella. SCENE III. To them, Enter Duke and Provost. Duke. Might you difpenfe with your leifure, I would by and by have some speech with you: the fatisfaction I would require is likewise your own benefit. Ifab. I have no fuperfluous leifure; my stay must be ftelen out of other affairs: but I will attend you a while. Duke. Son, I have over-heard what hath past between you and your fifter. Angelo had never the purpofe to corrupt her; only he hath made an effay of her virtue, to practife his judgment with the difpofition of natures. She, having the truth of honour in her, hath made him that gracious denial, which he is moft glad to receive: I am confeffor to Angelo, and I know this to be true; therefore prepare your felf to death. Do not falfifie your refolution with hopes that are fallible; to-morrow you must die; go to your knees, and make ready. Claud. Let me afk my fifter pardon; I am fo out of love with life, that I will fue to be rid of it. [Exit Claud. Duke. Hold you there; farewel. Provoft, a word with you. Prov. What's your will, father? Duke. That now you are come you will be gone; leave me a while with the maid; my mind promises with my habit no lofs fhall touch her by my company. Prov. In good time. [Exit Prov. Duke. The hand that hath made you fair, hath made you good; the goodness that is cheap in beauty, makes beauty brief in fuch goodness; but grace being the foul of your complection, fhall keep the body of it ever fair. The affault that Angelo hath made on you, fortune hath convey'd to my understanding; and but that frailty hath examples for his falling, I fhould wonder at Angelo: how will you do to content this Substitute, and to fave your brother? Ifab. I am now going to refolve him: I had rather my brother die by the law, than my son should be unlawfully born. born. But oh, how much is the good Duke deceiv'd in Angelo! if ever he return, and I can speak to him, I will open my lips in vain, or difcover his government. Duke. That fhall not be much amifs; yet as the matter now ftands, he will avoid your accufation; he made tryal of you only. Therefore faften your ear on my advifings: to the love I have in doing good, a remedy prefents itself. I do make myself believe that you may most uprightly do a poor wronged lady a merited benefit; redeem your bro ther from the angry law; do no ftain to your own gra cious perfon, and much please the abfent Duke, if peradventure he shall ever return to have hearing of this bufinefs. Ifab. Let me hear you speak, father: I have spirit to do any thing that appears not foul in the truth of my fpirit. Duke. Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful: have you not heard speak of Mariana, the fifter of Frederick the great foldier who mifcarried at fea? Ifab. I have heard of the lady, and good words went with her name. Duke. Her fhould this Angelo have marry'd; he was affianc'd to her by oath, and the nuptial appointed: between which time of the contract, and limit of the folemnity, her brother Frederick was wreck'd at fea, having in that perifh'd veffel the dowry of his fifter. But mark how heavily this befel to the poor gentlewoman; there fhe loft a noble and renowned brother, in his love to ward her ever most kind and natural; with him the portion and finew of her fortune, her marriage-dowry; with both, her combinate-hufoand, this well-feeming Angelo. Ifab. Can this be fo? did Angelo fo leave her? Duke. Left her in her tears, and dry'd not one of them with his comfort; fwallow'd his vows whole, pretending in her discoveries of difhonour: in few words, beftow'd her on her own lamentation, which the yet wears for his fake; and he, a marble to her tears, is washed with them, but relents not. Ifab. What a merit were it in death to take this poor. maid from the world! what corruption in this life, that it will let this man live! but how out of this can fhe avail? D 3 Duke. Duke. It is a rupture that you may eafily heal; and the cure of it not only faves your brother, but keeps you from difhonour in doing it. Ifab. Shew me how, good father. Duke. This fore-nam'd maid hath yet in her the continuance of her first affection; his unjuft kindness, that in all reafon fhould have quenched her love, hath, like an impediment in the current, made it more violent and unruly. Go you to Angelo, anfwer his requiring with a plaufible obedience; agree with his demands to the point; only refer your felf to this advantage: firft, that your stay with him may not be long; that the time may have all shadow and filence in it; and the place anfwer to convenience. This being granted, in courfe now follows all: we fhall advise this wronged maid to ftead up your appointment, go in your place; if the encounter acknowledge it felf hereafter, it may compel him to her recompence; and here by this is your brother faved, your honour untainted, the poor Mariana advantaged, and the corrupt Deputy scaled. The maid will I frame, and make fit for his attempt: if you think well to carry this as you may, the doubleness of the benefit defends the deceit and reproof. What think you of it? Ifab. The image of it gives me content already, and I truft it will grow to a moft profperous perfection. Duke. It lyes much in your holding up; hafte you fpeedily to Angelo; if for this night he intreat you to his bed, give him promife of fatisfaction. I will presently to St. Luke's; there at the moated grange refides this dejected Mariana; at that place call upon me, and difpatch with Angelo, that it may be quickly. fab. I thank you for this comfort: fare you well, good father. [Exeunt feverally. SCENE IV. The Street. Enter Duke, Elbow, Clown and Officers. Elb. Nay, if there be no remedy for it, but that you will needs buy and fell men and women like beafts, we hall have all the world drink brown and white baftard. Duke. Oh heav'ns! what ftuff is here? Clown. 'Twas never merry world fince of two ufurers the the merrieft was put down, and the worfer allow'd, by order of law, a furr'd gown to keep him warm, and furr'd with fox and lamb-skins too, to fignifie, that craft being richer than innocency ftands for the facing. Elb. Come your way, Sir: blefs you, good father Friar. Duke. And you, good brother father; what offence hath this man made you, Sir? Elb. Marry, Sir, he hath offended the law; and, Sir, we take him to be a thief too, Sir; for we have found upon him, Sir, a ftrange pick-lock, which we have fent to the Deputy. Duke. Fie, Sirrah, a bawd, a wicked bawd! That is thy means to live. Do thou but think Clown. Indeed it doth ftink in fome fort, Sir; but yet, Sir, I would prove Duke. Nay, if the devil have giv'n thee proofs for fin, Thou wilt prove his. Take him to prifon, officer; Correction and inftruction must both work, Ere this rude beast will profit. Elb. He muft before the Deputy, Sir; he has given him warning; the Deputy cannot abide a whore-master; if he be a whore-monger, and comes before him, he were as good go a mile on his errand. Duke. That we were all, as fome would seem to be, Free from all faults, as from faults feeming free! SCENE V. Enter Lucio. Elb. His neck will come to your wafte, a cord, Sir. Clown. I fpy comfort; I cry bail: here's a gentleman, and a friend of mine. Lucio. How now, noble Pompey? what, at the wheels of Cæfar? art thou led in triumph? what, is there none of Pygmalion's images newly made woman to be had now, for putting the hand in the pocket, and extracting it clutch'd? |