How I may formally in perfon bear,

Like a true Fiar. More reafons for this action.
At our more leifure fhall I render you;
Only, this one:-Lord Angelo is precife;
Stands at a guard with envy; fcarce confeffes
That his blood flows, or that his appetite

Is more to bread than stone: hence fhall we fee,
If pow'r change purpose, what our feemers be. [Exes.
SCENE, a Nunnery.

Enter Ifabella and Francifca.

Nab. A Num. Are not thefe large enough?

ND have you nuns no farther privileges.

Ifab. Yes, truly; I fpeak not, as defiring more; But rather wifhing a more strict restraint

,

Upon the fifter-hood, the votarifts of Saint Clare.. Lucio. [Within.] Hoa! Peace be in this place lov]` fab. Who's that which calls?

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

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 prioress;

'Then, if you speak, you must not fhew your face;
Or, if you fhew your face, you must not fpeak.ne
He calls again; pray you, anfwer him. (Exit Franc..
Lab. Peace and prosperity! who is't that calls

Enter Lucio.

Lucio. Hail, virgin, (if you be) as thofe cheek-rofes Proclaim you are no lefs; can you fo ftead me. As bring me to the fight of Ifabella.

A novice of this place, and the fair sister.

To her unhappy brother Claudio?

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

I am that Ifabella, and his fiiler.

Lucio: Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you Not to be weary with you, he's in priion,

P

Ifab. Woe me! for what?

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

Ijab. Sir, make me not your story.

Lucio. Tis true: would not (tho' 'tis my familiar fa 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-fky'd, and fainted; By your renouncement, an immortal fpirit; And to be talk'd with in fincerity,

As with a faint.

fab. You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me. Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewne fs, and truth, 'tis that; Your brother and his lover having embrac'd, As thofe that feed grow full, as bloffoming time That from the feednefs the bare fallow bringsTo teeming foyfon; fo her plenteous womb Expreffeth his full tilth and husbandry.

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

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

Lucio. She it is.

Ifab. O, let him marry her.

Lucio. This is the point.

The Duke is very firangely gone from hence;.
Bore many gentlemen, myfelt being one,
In hand and hope of action; but we learn,
By thofe 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
The wanton ftrings and motions of the fenfe,;
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, ftudy and faft.
He, (to give fear to use and liberty,
Which have long time run by the hideous law,

Ag

As mice by lyons;) hath pickt out an act,
Under whofe heavy sense your brother's life
Falls into forfeit; he arrefts him on it;
And follows close the rigor of the ftatute,
To make him an example;, all hope's gone,"
Unlefs you have the grace by your fair prayer
To foften Angelo; and that's my pith of bufinefs
"Twixt you and your poor brother.

Ifab. Doth he fo

Seek for his life?

1

Lucio. H'as cenfur'd him already;

1

And, as I hear, the Provoft hath a warrant
For's execution.

Ifab. Alas! what poor

Ability's in me, to do him good ?~
Lucio. Affay the power you have.
fab. 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. will about it ftrait;

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

[Exeunt

ACT

«X*X*X*X*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X*X*

SCENE, the Palace.

Enter Angelo, Efcalus, a Justice, and Attendants.

ANGELO.

E must not make a feare-crow of the law,

W Setting it up to fear the birds of prey

And let it keep one thape, 'till custom make it
Their pearch, and not their terror.

Efcal, Ay, but yet,

Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,

Than fall, and bruife to death. Alas! this gentleman, Whom I would fave, had a moft noble father;

Let but your honour know,

Whom I believe to be moft ftrait in virtue,

That, in the working of your own affections,

Had time coher'd with place, or place with wifhing,
Or that the refolute acting of your blood

Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose
Whether you had not fometime in your life

Err'd in this point, which now you cenfure him,
And pull'd' the law upon you.

Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,

The jury, paffing on the prifoner's life,

May in the fworn twelve have a thief or two,

12

Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to juftice,
That justice feizes on. What know the laws,

That thieves do pafs on thieves? 'tis very pregnant,
The jewel that we find, we ftoop and take't,

Becaufe we fee is; but what we do not fee,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not fo extenuate his, offence,
For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me,
When I, that cenfure him, do fo offend,
Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

Enter

Prov. Here, if it like your honour.
Ang. See, that Claudio

Be executed by nine to-morrow morning

Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd;

1

For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage. Exit Prov.
Efcal. Well, heav'n forgive him! and forgive us all: :
Some rife by fin, and fome by virtue fall:

Some run through brakes of vice, and answer none;
And fome condemned for a fault alone.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers:

Elb. Come, bring them away; if thefe be good! people in a common-weal, that do nothing but use their abufes in common houfes, I know no law; bring them away.

Ang. How now, Sir, what's your name and what's

the matter?

Elb. If it pleafe your honour, I am the poor Duke' conftable, and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon juffice, Sir, and do bring in here before your good. honour two notorious benefactors.

Aug. Benefactors? well; what benefactors are they? are they not malefactors?

Elb. If it pleafe your honour, I know not well what they are; but precife villains they are, that I am fureof; and void of all profanation in the world, that good chriftians ought to have...

Efcal. This comes off well; here's a wife officer... Ang. Go to: what quality are they of? Elbow jis your name? Why dost thou not fpeak, Elbow? Clown. He cannot. Sir; he's out at elbow

Ang. What are you, Sir?

Elb. He, Sirt a tapfter, Sir; parcel bawd; one that ferves a bad woman; whofe houfe, Sir, was, as they fay, pluckt down in the fuburbs; and now the profeffes. a hot-house; which, I think, is a very ill hole too...