Lucio. Oh, pretty Ifabella, 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 fantaftical Duke of dark corners had been at home, he had lived. [Ex. Ifabella.

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'st 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 true, none were enough. Lucio. I was once before him for getting a wench with child.

Duke. Did you fuch a thing?

Lucio. Yes, marry, did I; but I was fain to forfwear 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 tick. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the PALACE

Enter Angelo and Escalus.

Escal. EVERY letter, he hath writ, hath disvouch'd

Ang. In most uneven and distracted manner. His actions fhew 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.

Efcal. I guess not.

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

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

Ang. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd betimes i'th' morn; I'll call you at your house: give notice to fuch men of Sort and Suit, as are to meet him.

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

[Exit.

This Deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpregnant, And dull to all proceedings. A defloured maid!

And by an eminent body, that enforc'd

The Law against it! but that her tender fhame
Will not proclaim against her maiden lofs,

How might the tongue me? yet reafon dares her: (25)
For my authority bears a credent Bulk;

That no particular fcandal once can touch,

But it confounds the breather. He should have liv'd,
Save that his riotous youth, with dangerous fense,
Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge;
By fo receiving a difhonour'd life,

With ransom of fuch shame. Would yet, he had liv'd!
Alack, when once our grace we have forgot,
Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not.

(25)

get Reafon dares her no:

[Exit.

yet reafon dares her:] The old Folio Impreffions read, perhaps, dares her Note: i. e. ftiles her Voice; frights her from fpeaking. In this Senfe, our Author ufes the Word dare, again, in his Henry VIII.

Farewel, Nobility! Let his Grace go forward,
And dare us with his Cap, like Larks.

SCENE

SCENE changes to the Fields without the Town.

Enter Duke in his own habit; and Friar Peter. Duke. HESE letters at fit time deliver me.

The Provost knows our purpose, 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 cause doth minifter: go, call at Flavius' house,
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 firft.

Peter. It shall be speeded well.

Enter Varrius.

[Exit Friar.

Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou haft made good hafte:

Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius. [Exeunt. Enter Ifabella and Mariana.

Ifab. To fpeak fo indirectly, I am loth: I'd fay the truth; but to accuse him fo, That is your Part; yet I'm advis'd to do it, He fays, t'availful purpose. (26)

Mari. Be rul'd by him.

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

I fhould not think it ftrange; for 'tis a phyfick,
That's bitter to sweet end.

Mari. I would, Friar Peter

(26) He fays to vail full purpose.] Thus the old Copies. I don't know, what Idea our Editors form'd to themselves, of vailing full Purpofe, but, I'm perfuaded, the Poet meant, as I have reftor'd; viz. to a Purpose that will stand us in ftead, that will profit us.

fab.

Ifab. Oh, peace; the Friar is come.

Enter Peter.

Peter. Come, I have found you out a Stand moft fit, Where you may have fuch vantage on the Duke, He fhall not pafs you. Twice have the trumpets founded:

The generous and gravest citizens

Have hent the gates, and very near upon (27)
The Duke is entring: therefore hence, away. [Exeunt.

SCENE, a publick Place near the City.

Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Efcalus, Lucio, and Citizens at several doors.

DUKE.

Y very worthy Coufin, fairly met;

M

Our old and faithful friend, we're glad to fee you.

Ang. and Efcal. Happy Return be to your royal Grace!

(27) Have hent the Gates,-] An anonymous Correspondent advis'd me to read;

Have hemm'd the Gates,

But, I apprehend, there is no Occafion for any Change. To bend,
SKINNER and fome other Gloffaries tell us, fignifies, to feize, lay hold
on with the hand; but we find by Spenser, in his Colin Clout, that it
likewife fignifies, to furround, encircle; (in which Senfes it is used here.)
From thence another World of Land we ken'd,
Floating amid the Sea in Jeopardy;

And round about with mighty white Rocks hend,
Against the Sea's encroaching Cruelty.

We meet with the Word again, in its firft Acceptation, in our Author's

Winter's Tale.

Fog on, jog on, the foot-path Way,

And merrily hent the Stile a:
A merry Heart all the day,
Your fad tires in a mile a

goes

Duke.

Duke. Many and hearty thanks be to you both;
We've made enquiry of you, and we hear
Such goodness of your juftice, that our soul
Cannot but yield you forth to publick thanks,
Forerunning more requital.

Ang. You make my bonds ftill greater.

Duke. Oh, your defert fpeaks loud, and I fhould wrong it,

To lock it in the wards of covert bosom,
When it deferves with characters of brafs
A forted refidence, 'gainst the tooth of time
And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,
And let the Subjects fee, to make them know
That outward courtefies would fain proclaim
Favours that keep within. Come, Efcalus;
You must walk by us on our other hand:

And good Supporters are you. [As the Duke is going out,

Enter Peter and Ifabella.

Peter. Now is your time: fpeak loud, and kneel before him.

Ifab. Juftice, O royal Duke; vail your regard
Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have faid, a maid:
Oh, worthy Prince, difhonour not your eye
By throwing it on any other object,

"Till you have heard me in my true complaint,
And given me justice, justice, juftice, juftice.

Duke. Relate your wrongs; in what, by whom? be brief:

Here is lord Angelo fhall give you justice;

Reveal your felf to him.

Ifab. Oh, worthy Duke,

You bid me feek Redemption of the Devil:

Hear me your felf; for that which I must speak
Muft either punish me, not being believ'd,

Or wring redress from you: oh, hear me, hear me.
Ang. My lord, her Wits, I fear me, are not firm:
She hath been a fuitor to me for her brother,
Cut off by course of justice.