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. Duke. A creature unprepar'd, unmeet for death; Prov. Here in the prifon, father, Duke. O, 'tis an accident that heav'n provides: 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, Duke. Let this be done ; Put them in fecret holds, Claudio and Barnardine : 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 [Exit Prov. То To meet me at the confecrated fount, 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! [Exit. Ifabel within. She comes to know If yet her brother's pardon be come hither: 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. Duke. This hurts not him, nor profits you a jot: By ev'ry fyllable a faithful verity. The Duke comes home to-morrow; dry your eyes ; Gives me this news: already he hath carry'd Who do prepare to meet him at the gates, There There to give up their power. Pace your wisdom Ifab. I'm directed by you. Duke. This letter then to Friar Peter give ; And shall be abfent. Wend you with this letter: 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. Unfhapes me quite, makes me unpregnant, dull And by an eminent body, that enforc'd The law againft it! but that her tender shame [Exit. How might the tongue me! yet reafon dares her: no, That no particular fcandal once can touch, But it confounds the breather. He should have liv❜d, 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. Tho' fometimes you do blench from this to that, 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, Mari. Be rul'd by him. Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure I should not think it ftrange; for 'tis a phyfick 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. |