Until husband bid me.

my

Duke. What, are you marry'd?

Mari. No, my lord.

Duke. Are you a maid ?

Mari. No, my lord.

Duke. A widow then?
Mari. Neither, my lord.

Duke. Why, are you nothing then? neither maid, widow, nor wife?

Lucio. My lord, fhe may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, nor wife.

Duke. Silence that fellow: I would he had fome caufe to prattle for himself.

Lucio. Well, my lord,

Mari. My lord, I do confefs I ne'er was marry'd,
And I confefs befides, I am no maid;

I've known my husband, yet my husband knows not
That ever he knew me.

Lucio. He was drunk then, my lord; it can be no better.
Duke. For the benefit of filence, would thou wert so too,
Lucio. Well, my lord.

Duke. This is no witnefs for lord Angele
Mari. Now I come to't, my lord.
She that accuses him of fornication,

In felf-fame manner doth accufe my husband,
And charges him, my lord, with fuch a time,
When I'll depose I had him in mine arms,
With all th' effect of love,

Ang. Charges fhe more

Than me?

Mari. Not that I know.

Duke. You fay your husband,

[To Mariana.

Mari. Why, juft, my lord, and that is Angelo,
Who thinks he knows that he ne'er knew my body;
But knows, he thinks, that he knew Ifabel's.
Ang. This is a ftrange abufe: let's fee thy face.
Mari. My hufband bids me; now I will unmask.
This is that face, thou cruel Angelo,
Which once thou fwor'ft was worth the looking on:
This is the hand which, with a vow'd contract,

[Unveiling.

Was

Was faft belock'd in thine: this is the body
That took away the match from. Ifabel,
And did fupply thee at thy garden-house
In her imagin'd perfon.

Duke. Know you this woman?
Lucio. Carnally, she says.
Duke. Sirrah, no more.
Lucio. Enough.

Ang. My lord, I must confefs I know this woman;
And five years fince there was fome speech of marriage
Betwixt my felf and her; which was broke off,
Partly for that her promifed proportions
Came fhort of compofition; but in chief,
For that her reputation was dif-valu'd
In levity; fince which time, of five years
I never spake with, faw, or heard from her,
Upon my faith and honour.

Mari. Noble Prince,

As there comes light from heav'n, and words from breath, As there is fenfe in truth, and truth in virtue,

I am affianc'd this man's wife, as strongly

As words could make up vows: and, my good lord,

But Tuesday night laft gone, in's garden-house

He knew me as a wife; as this is true,

Let me in fafety raise me from my knees;
Or elfe for ever be confixed here

A marble monument.

Ang. I did but fmile 'till now.

Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice;
My patience here is touch'd; i do perceive
These poor informing women are no more
But infruments of fome more mighty member
That fets them on. Let me have way, my lord,
To find this practice out.

Duke. Ay, with my heart;

And punish them unto your height of pleasure.
Thou foolish Friar, and thou pernicious woman,
Compact with her that's gone; think'ft thou thy oaths,
Tho' they would swear down each particular Saint,
Were teftimonies 'gainst his worth and credit,

That's

That's feal'd in approbation? You, lord Efcalus,
Sit with my coufin; lend him your kind pains
To find out this abufe, whence 'tis deriv'd.
There is another Friar that fet them on;

Let him be fent for.

Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he indeed Hath fet the women on to this complaint:

Your Provoft knows the place where he abides;
And he may fetch him.

Duke. Do it inftantly.

And you, my noble and well-warranted coufin,
Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,
Do with your injuries as feems you best
In any chastisement: I for a while

Will leave you: but ftir not you, 'till you have
Determin'd well upon thefe flanderers.

SCENE IV.

[Exit.

Efcal. My lord, we'll do it throughly. Signior Lucio, did not you fay you knew that Friar Lodowick to be a difboneft perfon?

Lucio. Cucullus non facit monachum ; honeft in nothing but in his cloaths, and one that hath spoke moft villainous fpeeches of the Duke.

Efcal. We fhall intreat you to abide here till he come, and inforce them against him; we shall find this Friar a notable fellow.

Lucio. As any in Vienna, on my word.

Efcal. Call that fame Ifabel here once again: I would Speak with her pray you, my lord, give me leave to queftion; you shall fee how I'll handle her.

:

Lucio. Not better than he by her own report.

Efcal. Say you?

Lucio. Marry, Sir, I think if you handled her privately she should fooner confefs; perchance publickly fhe'd be afham'd.

Enter Duke in the Friar's habit, and Provoft; Ifabella is brought in.

Efcal. I will go darkly to work with her.

Lucio. That's the way; for women are light at midnight.

Efcal.

Efcal. Come on, mistress: here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said.

Lucio. My lord, here comes the rafcal I spoke of, here with the Provoft.

Efcal. In very good time: speak not you to him 'till we call upon you.

Lucio. Mum.

Efcal. Come, Sir, did you fet these women on to slander lord Angelo? they have confefs'd you did.

Duke. 'Tis falfe.

Efcal. How? know you where you are?

Duke. Refpect to your great place! and let the devil
Be fometime honour'd for his burning throne.
Where is the Duke? 'tis he fhould hear me fpeak.

Efcal. The Duke's in us; and we will hear you speak: Look you speak juftly.

Duke. Boldly at leaft I'll fpeak. But oh, poor fouls,
Come you to feek the lamb here of the fox?
Good-night to your redress: is the Duke gone?
Then is your caufe gone too. The Duke's unjust,
Thus to retort your manifeft appeal,

And put your tryal in the villain's mouth
Which here you come to accufe.

Lucio. This is the rafcal; this is he I spoke of.
Efcal. Why thou unrev'rend and unhallow'd Friar,
Is't not enough thou haft fuborn'd these women
T'accuse this worthy man, but in foul mouth,
And in the witness of his proper ear,

To call him villain; and then glance from him
To th' Duke himself, to tax him with injustice?

Take him hence; to the rack with him: we'll touze you (Ev'n joint by joint) but we will know this purpose: What? He unjust?

Duke. Be not fo hot; the Duke

Dare no more ftretch this finger of mine, than he
Dare rack his own: his fubject am I not,

Nor here provincial; my business in this state
Made me a looker-on here in Vienna ;

Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble,

"Till it o'er-run the ftew: laws for all faults,

But faults fo countenanc'd, that the ftrong ftatutes
Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop,

As much in mock as mark.

Efcal. Slander to th' ftate! away with him to prifon, Ang. What can you vouch against him, fignior Lucio? Is this the man that you did tell us of?

Lucio. 'Tis he, my lord. pate: Do you know me?

Come hither, goodman bald

Duke. I remember you, Sir, by the found of your voice: I met you at the prifon in the abfence of the Duke.

Lucio. Oh, did you fo? and do you remember what you faid of the Duke?

Duke. Moft notedly, Sir.

Lucio. Do you fo, Sir? and was the Duke a flesh-monger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be?

Duke. You muft, Sir, change perfons with me ere you make that my report: you indeed spoke fo of him, and much more, much worse.

Lucio. Oh thou damnable fellow! did not I pluck thee by the nose for thy speeches!

Duke. I proteft, I love the Duke as I love my felf.

Ang. Hark how the villain would clofe now after his treasonable abuses.

Efcal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal: away with him to prifon: where is the Provoft? away with him to prifon; lay bolts enough upon him; let him fpeak no more; away with thofe giglets too, and with the other confederate companion.

Duke. Stay, Sir, stay a while.

Ang. What! refifts he? help him, Lucio.

Lucio, Come, Sir, come, Sir, come, Sir; foh, Sir; why, you bald-pated lying rafcal; you must be hooded,

It is a cuftom in the fhops of all mechanicks to make it a forfeiture for any ftranger to ufe or take up the tools of their trade: In a Barber's thop efpecially, when heretofore Barbers practis'd the under parts of Surgery, their inftruments being of a nice kind and their fhops generally full of idle people, there was hung up a table fhewing what particular forfeiture was required for meddling with each inftrument.