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Lucio. Within two hours.
Claud. Come, officer, away.

[Exeunt.

Duke. N

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Enter Duke and Friar Thomas.
TO; holy father, throw away that thought,
Believe not that the dribbling dart of love
Can pierce a compleat breaft: why I defire thee
To give me fecret harbour, hath a purpose
More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends
Of burning youth.

Fri. May your Grace speak of it?

Duke. My holy Sir, none better knows than you
How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd

And held in idle price to haunt affemblies,
Where youth, and coft, and witless bravery keep.
I have deliver'd to lord Angelo

(A man of stricture and firm abftinence)
My abfolute pow'r and place here in Vienna,
And he supposes me travell'd to Poland;
For fo I've ftrew'd it in the common ear,
And fo it is receiv'd: now, pious Sir,
You will demand of me, why I do this?
Fri. Gladly, my lord.

4

Duke. We have ftrict ftatutes and moft biting laws, (The needful bits and curbs for head-ftrong + 'fteeds)` Which for this nineteen years we have let 'fleep;` Even like an o'er-grown lion in a cave,

That goes not out to prey: now, as fond fathers
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to ftick it in their children's fight,

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For

For terror, not to ufe; in time the rod
Becomes more mock'd than fear'd: fo our decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead,
And liberty plucks juftice by the nose;
The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri. It refted in your Grace

T'unloose this ty'd-up juftice, when you pleas'd:
And it in you more dreadful would have feem'd
Than in lord Angelo.

Duke. I fear, too dreadful.

Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope,'
'Twould be my tyranny to ftrike and gall them
For what I bid them do. For we bid this
When evil deeds have their permiffive pass,
And not the punishment. Therefore, my father,
I have on Angelo impos'd the office:

Who may in th' ambush of my name ftrike home,
And yet, my nature never in the fight

? 'To do it flander: To` behold his sway,
I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,
Vifit both Prince and people; therefore pr'ythee
Supply me with the habit, and instruct me
How I may formally my perfon bear

Like a true Friar. More reasons for this action
At your more leisure fhall I render you;
Only this one: lord Angelo is precife,
Stand at a guard with envy, fcarce confeffes

That his blood flows, or that his appetite

Is more to bread than ftone: hence fhall we fee,

If power change purpose, what our feemers be. [Exeunt.

7 So do in flander: And to

SCENE

X 3

Isab. AN

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Enter Ifabella and Francifca.

ND have you Nuns no farther privileges?
Nun. Are not these large enough?
Ifab. Yes truly; I fpeak not as defiring more,
But rather wishing a more ftrict restraint

Upon the fifter votarifts of Saint Clare.

Lucio within.

Lucio. Hoa! peace be in this place!
Ifab. Who's that which calls?

Nun. It is a man's voice: gentle Isabella,

Turn you the key, and know his bufinefs of him

You may; I may not; you are yet unfworn:

When you have vow'd, you must not speak with men

But in the prefence of the Priorefs;

Then if you speak, you must not fhew your face,
Or if you fhew your face, you must not speak.
He calls again; I pray you, anfwer him.

[Exit Franc. Ifab. Peace and profperity! who is't that calls?

Enter Lucio.

Lucio. Hail, virgin, if you be, as thofe cheek-rofes
Prockim you are no lefs, can you fo ftead me,
As bring me to the fight of Isabella,

A novice of this place, and the fair fifter

To her unhappy brother Claudio?

Ifab. Why her unhappy brother? let me ask The rather, for I now muft make you know

I am that Ifabella, and his fifter.

Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you; Not to be weary with you, he's in prison.

Isab

Ifab. Wo me, for what?

Lucio. For that, which, if my felf might be his judge, He should receive his punishment in thanks; He hath got his friend with child.

Ifab. Sir, make me not your ftory.

Lucio. I would not, tho' 'tis my familiar fin
With maids to feem the lapwing, and to jeft,
Tongue far from heart, play with all virgins fo.
I hold you as a thing en-sky'd and fainted,
By your renouncement an immortal spirit,
And to be talk'd with in fincerity,

As with a faint.

Ifab. You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me. Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, 'tis thus; Your brother and his lover having embrac'd,

As those that feed grow full, as bloffoming time
8/Doth from the feedness the bare fallow bring
To teeming foyfon; fo her plenteous womb
Expreffeth its full tilth and husbandry.

Ijab. Some one with child by him? my coufin Juliet?
Lucio. Is the your cousin ?

Ijab. Adoptedly, as fchool-maids change their names, By vain, tho' apt, affection.

Lucio. She it is.

Ifab. Let him then marry her.
Lucio. This is the point.

The Duke is very strangely gone from hence;
Bore many gentlemen, my felf being one,
In hand and hope of action; but we learn,
By those that know the very nerves of state,
His givings out were of an infinite diftance
From his true-meant defign. Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,
Governs lord Angelo; a man whofe blood
Is very fnow-broth, one who never feels

X 4

The

(a) The Lapwings fly with feeming fright and anxiety far from their nefts to deceive thofe who feek their young.

8 That from the feed nefs the bare fallow brings

9 his

The wanton ftings and motions of the fenfe;
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, study and fast.
He, to give fear to use and liberty,

Which have long time run by the hideous law
As mice by lions; hath pickt out an act,
Under whofe heavy fenfe your brother's life
Falls into forfeit; he arrefts him on it,
And follows clofe the rigor of the ftatute,
To make him an example; all hope's gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer
To foften Angelo; and that's my pith

Of bufinefs betwixt you and your poor brother,
Ifab. Doth he fo feek his life?

Lucio. H'as cenfur'd him

I

Already, and, I hear, the provoft hath
A warrant for his execution.

Ifab. Alas! what poor ability's in me

To do him good?

Lucio. Affay the power you have,
Ifab. My power alas! I doubt.

Lucio. Our doubts are traitors,

And make us lofe the good we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when maidens fue
Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,

As they themselves would owe them.
Ifab. I'll fee what I can do.
Lucio. But fpeedily.

Ifab. I will about it strait;

No longer staying, but to give the mother
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you
Commend me to my brother: foon at night
I'll fend him certain word of my fuccefs.
Lucio. I take my leave of you.
Ifab. Good Sir, adieu.

I and, as I hear,

[Exeunt.

ACT

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