Signior Lucio, did not you say you knew that Friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person? LUCIO 'Cucullus non facit monachum:' honest in nothing but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most villanous speeches of the duke. ESCALUS We shall entreat you to abide here till he come and enforce them against him: we shall find this friar a notable fellow. LUCIO As any in Vienna, on my word. ESCALUS Call that same Isabel here once again;I would speak with her.
Exit an Attendant Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question;you shall see how I'll handle her. LUCIO Not better than he, by her own report. ESCALUS Say you? LUCIO Marry, sir, I think, if you handled her privately, she would sooner confess: perchance, publicly, she'll be ashamed. ESCALUS I will go darkly to work with her. LUCIO That's the way; for women are light at midnight.
Re-enter Officers with ISABELLA; and Provost with the DUKE VINCENTIO in his friar's habit ESCALUS Come on, mistress: here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said. LUCIO My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of; here with the provost. ESCALUS In very good time: speak not you to him till we call upon you. LUCIO Mum. ESCALUS Come, sir: did you set these women on to slander Lord Angelo? they have confessed you did. DUKE VINCENTIO 'Tis false. ESCALUS How! know you where you are? DUKE VINCENTIO Respect to your great place! and let the devil Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne!
Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak. ESCALUS The duke's in us; and we will hear you speak:
Look you speak justly. DUKE VINCENTIO Boldly, at least. But, O, poor souls, Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox?
Good night to your redress! Is the duke gone?
Then is your cause gone too. The duke's unjust, Thus to retort your manifest appeal, And put your trial in the villain's mouth Which here you come to accuse. LUCIO This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. ESCALUS Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar, Is't not enough thou hast suborn'd these women To accuse this worthy man, but, in foul mouth And in the witness of his proper ear, To call him villain? and then to glance from him To the duke himself, to tax him with injustice?
Take him hence; to the rack with him! We'll touse you Joint by joint, but we will know his purpose.
What 'unjust'! DUKE VINCENTIO Be not so hot; the duke Dare no more stretch this finger of mine than he Dare rack his own: his subject 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 stew; laws for all faults, But faults so countenanced, that the strong statutes Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop, As much in mock as mark. ESCALUS Slander to the state! Away with him to prison! ANGELO What can you vouch against him, Signior Lucio?
Is this the man that you did tell us of? LUCIO 'Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman baldpate:
do you know me? DUKE VINCENTIO I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison, in the absence of the duke. LUCIO O, did you so? And do you remember what you said of the duke? DUKE VINCENTIO Most notedly, sir. LUCIO Do you so, sir? And was the duke a fleshmonger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? DUKE VINCENTIO You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, spoke so of him;and much more, much worse. LUCIO O thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose for thy speeches? DUKE VINCENTIO I protest I love the duke as I love myself. ANGELO Hark, how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses! ESCALUS Such a fellow is not to be talked withal.
Away with him to prison! Where is the provost? Away with him to prison! lay bolts enough upon him: let him speak no more. Away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate companion! DUKE VINCENTIO [To Provost] Stay, sir; stay awhile. ANGELO What, resists he? Help him, Lucio. LUCIO Come, sir; come, sir; come, sir; foh, sir! Why, you bald-pated, lying rascal, you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's visage, with a pox to you!
show your sheep-biting face, and be hanged an hour!
Will't not off?
Pulls off the friar's hood, and discovers DUKE VINCENTIO DUKE VINCENTIO Thou art the first knave that e'er madest a duke.
First, provost, let me bail these gentle three.
To LUCIO
Sneak not away, sir; for the friar and you Must have a word anon. Lay hold on him. LUCIO This may prove worse than hanging. DUKE VINCENTIO [To ESCALUS] What you have spoke I pardon:
sit you down:
We'll borrow place of him.
To ANGELO
Sir, by your leave.
Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence, That yet can do thee office? If thou hast, Rely upon it till my tale be heard, And hold no longer out. ANGELO O my dread lord, I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, To think I can be undiscernible, When I perceive your grace, like power divine, Hath look'd upon my passes. Then, good prince, No longer session hold upon my shame, But let my trial be mine own confession:
Immediate sentence then and sequent death Is all the grace I beg. DUKE VINCENTIO Come hither, Mariana.
Say, wast thou e'er contracted to this woman? ANGELO I was, my lord. DUKE VINCENTIO Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.
Do you the office, friar; which consummate, Return him here again. Go with him, provost.
Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, FRIAR PETER and Provost ESCALUS My lord, I am more amazed at his dishonour Than at the strangeness of it. DUKE VINCENTIO Come hither, Isabel.
Your friar is now your prince: as I was then Advertising and holy to your business, Not changing heart with habit, I am still Attorney'd at your service. ISABELLA O, give me pardon, That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd Your unknown sovereignty! DUKE VINCENTIO You are pardon'd, Isabel:
And now, dear maid, be you as free to us.