Barnar. Not a word: if you have any thing to fay to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to day. [Exit. SCENE IX. Enter Provoft.

Duke. Unfit to live, or die: oh gravel heart!

Prov. After him, fellows: bring him to the block.
Now, Sir, how do you find the pioner?

Duke. A creature unprepar'd, unmeet for death;
And to transport him in the mind he is,
C Were damnable.

Prov. Here in the prifon, father,
There dy'd this morning of a cruel fever
One Ragozine, a moft notorious pyrate,
A man of Claudio's years; his beard and head
Juft of his colour. What if we omit
This reprobate 'till he were well inclin'd,
And fatisfy the Deputy with the visage
Of Ragozine, more like to Claudio?

Duke. O, 'tis an accident that heav'n provides:
Difpatch it presently; the hour draws on
Prefixt by Angelo: fee this be done,

And fent according to command ; while I

Persuade this rude wretch willingly to die.

Prov. This fhall be done, good father, presently. But Barnardine muft die this afternoon :

And how fhall we continue Claudio,

To fave me from the danger that might come,
If he were known alive?

Duke. Let this be done ;

Put them in fecret holds, Claudio and Barnardine :
Ere twice the fun hath made his journal greeting
To th'under generation, you shall find

Your fafety manifeft.

Prov. I am your free dependant..

Duke. Quick, quick, and send the head to Angelo.

Now will I write letters to Angelo,

The Provoft he shall bear them, whofe contents
Shall witness to him I am near at home;
And that by great injunctions I am bound
To enter publickly: him I'll defire

[Exit Prov.

То

To meet me at the confecrated fount,
A league below the city; and from thence,
By cold gradation and well-ballanc'd form,
We fhall proceed with Angelo.

Enter Provoft.

Prov. Here is the head, I'll carry it my felf. Duke. Convenient is it: make a fwift return; For I would commune with you of fuch things That want no ear but yours.

Prov. I'll make all speed.

SCENE X.

Ifab. Peace, hoa, be here!
Duke. The tongue of Ifabel.

[Exit.

Ifabel within.

She comes to know

If yet her brother's pardon be come hither:
But I will keep her ign'rant of her good,
To make her heav'nly comfort of despair,
When it is leaft expected.

Ifab. By your leave.

Enter Ifabel.

Duke. Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter. Ifab. The better, giv'n me by fo holy a man: Hath yet the Deputy fent my brother's pardon?

Duke. He hath releas'd him, Ifabel, from the worldg His head is off, and fent to Angelo.

Ifab. Nay, but it is not fo.

Duke. It is no other.

Shew wifdom, daughter, in your clofeft patience.
Ifab. Oh, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes.
Duke. You fhall not be admitted to his fight.
Ifab. Unhappy Claudio, wretched Ifabel!
Injurious world, moft damned Angelo!

Duke. This hurts not him, nor profits you a jot:
Forbear it therefore, give your caufe to heav'n:
Mark what I fay, which you fhall furely find

By ev'ry fyllable a faithful verity.

The Duke comes home to-morrow; dry your eyes ;
One of our convent, and his confeffor

Gives me this news: already he hath carry'd
Notice to Efcalus and Angelo,

Who do prepare to meet him at the gates,

There

There to give up their power. Pace your wisdom
In that good path that I would with it go,
And you fhall have your bofom on this wretch,
Grace of the Duke, revenges to your heart,
And gen'ral honour.

Ifab. I'm directed by you.

Duke. This letter then to Friar Peter give ;
'Tis that he fent me of the Duke's return:
Say, by this token, I defire his company
At Mariana's house. Her cause and yours
I'll perfect him withal, and he fhall bring you
Before the Duke; and to the head of Angelo
Accufe him home and home. For my poor felf,
I am combined by a facred vow,

And shall be abfent.

Wend you with this letter:
Command these fretting waters from your eyes
With a light heart; truft not my holy order
If I pervert your courfe. Whc's here?

SCENE XI.

Lucio. Good even;

Friar, where is the Provoft?

Duke. Not within, Sir.

Enter Lucio.

Lucio. Oh pretty Isabella, I am pale at mine heart to fee thine eyes fo red; thou must be patient; I am fain to dine and fup with water and bran; I dare not for my head fill my belly one fruitful meal would fet me to't. But they fay the Duke will be here to-morrow. By my troth, Ifabel, I lov'd thy brother: if the old fantastical Duke of dark corners had been at home, he had lived.

Duke. Sir, the Duke is marvellous little beholden to your reports; but the beft is, he lives not in them.

Lucio. Friar, thou knoweft not the Duke fo well as I do; he's a better woodman than thou tak'ft him for.

Duke. Well, you'll answer this one day. Fare ye well. Lucio. Nay, tarry, I'll go along with thee: I can tell thee pretty tales of the Duke.

Duke. You have told me too many of him already, Sir, if they be true; if not, none were enough.

Lucio. I was once before him for getting a wench with child.

VOL. II,

F

Duke

Duke, Did you fuch a thing?

Lucio. Yes marry did i; but I was fain to forswear it ; they would elfe have marry'd me to the rotten medlar.

Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honeft: reft you well.

Lucio. By my troth, I'll go with thee to the lane's end : if bawdy talk offend you, we'll have very little of it; nay, Friar, I am a kind of bur, I fhall ftick. [Exeunt.

SCENE XII. The Palace.

Enter Angelo and Escalus.

Efcal. Every letter he hath writ hath difvouch'd other. Ang. In moft uneven and distracted manner. His actions shew much like to madness: pray heav'n his wisdom be not tainted and why meet him at the gates, and deliver our authorities there?

Efcal. I guess not.

Ang. And why should we proclaim it in an hour before his entring, that if any crave redress of injustice, they fhould exhibit their petitions in the ftreet?

Efcal. He fhews his reafon for that; to have a dispatch of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which fhall then have no power to ftand against us.

Ang. Well; befeech you, let it be proclaim'd betimes i'th' morn; I'll call you at your houfe: give notice to such men of fort and fuit as are to meet him.

Efcal. I fhall, Sir: fare you well.
Ang. Good night. This deed

Unfhapes me quite, makes me unpregnant, dull
To all proceedings. A defloured maid,

And by an eminent body, that enforc'd

The law againft it! but that her tender shame
Will not proclaim against her maiden lofs,

[Exit.

How might the tongue me! yet reafon dares her: no,
For my authority bears off all credence ;

That no particular fcandal once can touch,

But it confounds the breather. He should have liv❜d,
Save that his riotous youth, with dang'rous fenfe,
Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge
By fo receiving a dishonour'd life,

With ranfom of fuch fhame. Would yet he had liv'd!

Alack,

Alack, when once our grace we have forgot,

Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not. [Exit. SCENE XIII. The fields without the Town.

Enter Duke in bis own balit, and Friar Peter,

Duke. Thefe letters at fit time deliver me.
The Provoft knows our purpofe and our plot :
The matter being afoot, keep your inftruction,
And hold you ever to our fpecial drift,

Tho' fometimes you do blench from this to that,
As caufe doth minifter: call at Flavius' houfe,
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 fhall be speeded well.

Duke. I thank thee,

Come, we will walk.

Enter Varrius.

[Exit.

arrius; thou haft made good hafte There's other of our friends

Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius.

Exeunt,

SCENE XIV. Enter Ifabella and Mariana.

Ifab. To fpeak fo indirectly I am loth:

I'd fay the truth; but to accufe him fo,
That is your part; yet I'm advis'd to do it,
He fays to 'vailful purpose.

Mari. Be rul'd by him.

Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure
He speak against me on the adverse fide,

I should not think it ftrange; for 'tis a phyfick
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 out a stand most fit, Where you may have fuch vantage on the Duke,

He fhall not pafs you. Twice have the trumpets founded:

The generous and graveft citizens

Have hent the gates, and very near upon

The Duke is entring: therefore hence, away.

[Exeunt.