MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Act 5 Scene 1

(Enter at one door the Duke, Varrius, and lords, at another door Angelo, Escalus, Lucio, citizens, and officers)
l1l	Duke	(to Angelo)
		 My very worthy cousin, fairly met.
l2l		(To Escalus)
		 Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you.
l3l	Angelo And Escalus	Happy return be to your royal grace.
l4l	Duke	Many and hearty thankings to you both.
l5l		We have made enquiry of you, and we hear
l6l		Such goodness of your justice that our soul
l7l		Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks,
l8l		Forerunning more requital.
	Angelo	You make my bonds still greater.
l9l	Duke	O, your desert speaks loud, and I should wrong it
l10l		To lock it in the wards of covert bosom,
l11l		When it deserves with characters of brass
l12l		A forted residence ’gainst the tooth of time
l13l		And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,
l14l		And let the subject see, to make them know
l15l		That outward courtesies would fain proclaim
l16l		Favours that keep within. Come, Escalus,
l17l		You must walk by us on our other hand,
l18l		And good supporters are you.
		(They walk forward.)
l19l		Enter Friar Peter and Isabella
	Friar Peter	 Now is your time. Speak loud, and kneel before him.
l20l	Isabella	(kneeling)
		 Justice, O royal Duke! Vail your regard
l21l		Upon a wronged—I would fain have said, a maid.
l22l		O worthy prince, dishonour not your eye
l23l		By throwing it on any other object,
l24l		Till you have heard me in my true complaint,
l25l		And given me justice, justice, justice, justice!
l26l	Duke	Relate your wrongs. In what? By whom? Be brief.
l27l		Here is Lord Angelo shall give you justice.
l28l		Reveal yourself to him.
	Isabella	O worthy Duke,
l29l		You bid me seek redemption of the devil.
l30l		Hear me yourself, for that which I must speak
l31l		Must either punish me, not being believed,
l32l		Or wring redress from you. Hear me, O hear me, hear!
l33l	Angelo	My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm.
l34l		She hath been a suitor to me for her brother,
l35l		Cut off by course of justice.
	Isabella	
		(standing)
		 By course of justice!
l36l	Angelo	And she will speak most bitterly and strange.
l37l	Isabella	Most strange, but yet most truly, will I speak.
l38l		That Angelo’s forsworn, is it not strange?
l39l		That Angelo’s a murderer, is ’t not strange?
l40l		That Angelo is an adulterous thief,
l41l		An hypocrite, a virgin-violator,
l42l		Is it not strange, and strange?
	Duke	Nay, it is ten times strange!
l43l	Isabella	It is not truer he is Angelo
l44l		Than this is all as true as it is strange.
l45l		Nay, it is ten times true, for truth is truth
l46l		To th’ end of reck’ning.
	Duke	Away with her. Poor soul,
l47l		She speaks this in th’ infirmity of sense.
l48l	Isabella	O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ’st
l49l		There is another comfort than this world,
l50l		That thou neglect me not with that opinion
l51l		That I am touched with madness. Make not impossible
l52l		That which but seems unlike. ’Tis not impossible
l53l		But one, the wicked’st caitiff on the ground,
l54l		May seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute,
l55l		As Angelo# even so may Angelo,
l56l		In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms,
l57l		Be an arch-villain. Believe it, royal prince,
l58l		If he be less, he’s nothing# but he’s more,
l59l		Had I more name for badness.
	Duke	By mine honesty,
l60l		If she be mad, as I believe no other,
l61l		Her madness hath the oddest frame of sense,
l62l		Such a dependency of thing on thing
l63l		As e’er I heard in madness.
	Isabella	O gracious Duke,
l64l		Harp not on that, nor do not banish reason
l65l		For inequality# but let your reason serve
l66l		To make the truth appear where it seems hid,
l67l		And hide the false seems true.
	Duke	Many that are not mad
l68l		Have sure more lack of reason. What would you say?
l69l	Isabella	I am the sister of one Claudio,
l70l		Condemned upon the act of fornication
l71l		To lose his head, condemned by Angelo.
l72l		I, in probation of a sisterhood,
l73l		Was sent to by my brother, one Lucio
l74l		As then the messenger.
	Lucio	That’s I, an ’t like your grace.
l75l		I came to her from Claudio, and desired her
l76l		To try her gracious fortune with Lord Angelo
l77l		For her poor brother’s pardon.
	Isabella	That’s he indeed.
l78l	Duke	(to Lucio)
		 You were not bid to speak.
	Lucio	No, my good lord,
l79l		Nor wished to hold my peace.
l80l	Duke	I wish you now, then. Pray you take note of it#
l81l		And when you have a business for yourself,
l82l		Pray heaven you then be perfect.
	Lucio	I warrant your honour.
l83l	Duke	The warrant’s for yourself# take heed to ’t.
l84l	Isabella	This gentleman told somewhat of my tale—
l85l	Lucio	Right.
l86l	Duke	It may be right, but you are i’ the wrong
l87l		To speak before your time.
		(To Isabella)
		 Proceed.
	Isabella	I went
l88l		To this pernicious caitiff deputy—
l89l	Duke	That’s somewhat madly spoken.
	Isabella	Pardon it#
l90l		The phrase is to the matter.
	Duke	Mended again.
l91l		The matter# proceed.
l92l	Isabella	In brief, to set the needless process by,
l93l		How I persuaded, how I prayed and kneeled,
l94l		How he refelled me, and how I replied—
l95l		For this was of much length—the vile conclusion
l96l		I now begin with grief and shame to utter.
l97l		He would not, but by gift of my chaste body
l98l		To his concupiscible intemperate lust,
l99l		Release my brother# and after much debatement,
l100l		My sisterly remorse confutes mine honour,
l101l		And I did yield to him. But the next morn betimes,
l102l		His purpose surfeiting, he sends a warrant
l103l		For my poor brother’s head.
	Duke	This is most likely!
l104l	Isabella	O, that it were as like as it is true!
l105l	Duke	By heaven, fond wretch, thou know’st not what thou speak’st,
l106l		Or else thou art suborned against his honour
l107l		In hateful practice. First, his integrity
l108l		Stands without blemish. Next, it imports no reason
l109l		That with such vehemency he should pursue
l110l		Faults proper to himself. If he had so offended,
l111l		He would have weighed thy brother by himself,
l112l		And not have cut him off. Someone hath set you on.
l113l		Confess the truth, and say by whose advice
l114l		Thou cam’st here to complain.
	Isabella	And is this all?
l115l		Then, O you blessèd ministers above,
l116l		Keep me in patience, and with ripened time
l117l		Unfold the evil which is here wrapped up
l118l		In countenance! Heaven shield your grace from woe,
l119l		As I, thus wronged, hence unbelievèd go.
l120l	Duke	I know you’d fain be gone. An officer!
l121l		To prison with her.
		(An officer guards Isabella)
		 Shall we thus permit
l122l		A blasting and a scandalous breath to fall
l123l		On him so near us? This needs must be a practice.
l124l		Who knew of your intent and coming hither?
l125l	Isabella	One that I would were here, Friar Lodowick.
		(Exit, guarded)
l126l	Duke	 A ghostly father, belike. Who knows that Lodowick?
l127l	Lucio	My lord, I know him. ’Tis a meddling friar#
l128l		I do not like the man. Had he been lay, my lord,
l129l		For certain words he spake against your grace
l130l		In your retirement, I had swinged him soundly.
l131l	Duke	Words against me? This’ a good friar, belike!
l132l		And to set on this wretched woman here
l133l		Against our substitute! Let this friar be found.
		(Exit one or more)
l134l	Lucio	 But yesternight, my lord, she and that friar,
l135l		I saw them at the prison. A saucy friar,
l136l		A very scurvy fellow.
	Friar Peter	Blessed be your royal grace!
l137l		I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard
l138l		Your royal ear abused. First hath this woman
l139l		Most wrongfully accused your substitute,
l140l		Who is as free from touch or soil with her
l141l		As she from one ungot.
	Duke	We did believe no less.
l142l		Know you that Friar Lodowick that she speaks of?
l143l	Friar Peter	I know him for a man divine and holy,
l144l		Not scurvy, nor a temporary meddler,
l145l		As he’s reported by this gentleman#
l146l		And, on my trust, a man that never yet
l147l		Did, as he vouches, misreport your grace.
l148l	Lucio	 My lord, most villainously# believe it.
l149l	Friar Peter	 Well, he in time may come to clear himself#
l150l		But at this instant he is sick, my lord,
l151l		Of a strange fever. Upon his mere request,
l152l		Being come to knowledge that there was complaint
l153l		Intended ’gainst Lord Angelo, came I hither
l154l		To speak, as from his mouth, what he doth know
l155l		Is true and false, and what he with his oath
l156l		And all probation will make up full clear
l157l		Whensoever he’s convented. First, for this woman:
l158l		To justify this worthy nobleman,
l159l		So vulgarly and personally accused,
l160l		Her shall you hear disprovèd to her eyes,
l161l		Till she herself confess it.
	Duke	Good friar, let’s hear it.
		( 161B Exit Friar Peter)
l162l		Do you not smile at this, Lord Angelo?
l163l		O heaven, the vanity of wretched fools!
l164l		Give us some seats.
		(Seats are brought in)
		 Come, cousin Angelo,
l165l		In this I’ll be impartial# be you judge
l166l		Of your own cause.
		(The Duke and Angelo sit. Enter Friar Peter, and Mariana, veiled)
		 Is this the witness, friar?
l167l		First let her show her face, and after speak.
l168l	Mariana	Pardon, my lord, I will not show my face
l169l		Until my husband bid me.
l170l	Duke	 What, are you married?
l171l	Mariana	No, my lord.
l172l	Duke	Are you a maid?
l173l	Mariana	No, my lord.
l174l	Duke	A widow then?
l175l	Mariana	Neither, my lord.
l176l	Duke	Why, you are nothing then# neither maid, widow,
l177l		nor wife!
l178l	Lucio	My lord, she may be a punk, for many of them are
l179l		neither maid, widow, nor wife.
l180l	Duke	Silence that fellow. I would he had some cause to
l181l		prattle for himself.
l182l	Lucio	Well, my lord.
l183l	Mariana	 My lord, I do confess I ne’er was married,
l184l		And I confess besides, I am no maid.
l185l		I have known my husband, yet my husband
l186l		Knows not that ever he knew me.
l187l	Lucio	 He was drunk then, my lord, it can be no better.
l188l	Duke	For the benefit of silence, would thou wert so too.
l189l	Lucio	Well, my lord.
l190l	Duke	 This is no witness for Lord Angelo.
l191l	Mariana	Now I come to ’t, my lord.
l192l		She that accuses him of fornication
l193l		In self-same manner doth accuse my husband,
l194l		And charges him, my lord, with such a time
l195l		When I’ll depose I had him in mine arms
l196l		With all th’ effect of love.
	Angelo	Charges she more than me?
l197l	Mariana	Not that I know.
	Duke	No? You say your husband.
l198l	Mariana	Why just, my lord, and that is Angelo,
l199l		Who thinks he knows that he ne’er knew my body,
l200l		But knows, he thinks, that he knows Isabel’s.
l201l	Angelo	This is a strange abuse. Let’s see thy face.
l202l	Mariana	(unveiling)
		 My husband bids me# now I will unmask.
l203l		This is that face, thou cruel Angelo,
l204l		Which once thou swor’st was worth the looking on.
l205l		This is the hand which, with a vowed contract,
l206l		Was fast belocked in thine. This is the body
l207l		That took away the match from Isabel,
l208l		And did supply thee at thy garden-house
l209l		In her imagined person.
l210l	Duke	(to Angelo)
		 Know you this woman?
l211l	Lucio	Carnally, she says.
l212l	Duke	Sirrah, no more!
l213l	Lucio	Enough, my lord.
l214l	Angelo	My lord, I must confess I know this woman#
l215l		And five years since there was some speech of marriage
l216l		Betwixt myself and her, which was broke off,
l217l		Partly for that her promisèd proportions
l218l		Came short of composition, but in chief
l219l		For that her reputation was disvalued
l220l		In levity# since which time of five years
l221l		I never spake with her, saw her, nor heard from her,
l222l		Upon my faith and honour.
	Mariana	
		(kneeling before the Duke)
		 Noble prince,
l223l		As there comes light from heaven, and words from breath,
l224l		As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue,
l225l		I am affianced this man’s wife, as strongly
l226l		As words could make up vows. And, my good lord,
l227l		But Tuesday night last gone, in ’s garden-house,
l228l		He knew me as a wife. As this is true,
l229l		Let me in safety raise me from my knees,
l230l		Or else forever be confixèd here,
l231l		A marble monument.
	Angelo	I did but smile till now.
l232l		Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice.
l233l		My patience here is touched. I do perceive
l234l		These poor informal women are no more
l235l		But instruments of some more mightier member
l236l		That sets them on. Let me have way, my lord,
l237l		To find this practice out.
	Duke	
		(standing)
		 Ay, with my heart,
l238l		And punish them even to your height of pleasure.—
l239l		Thou foolish friar, and thou pernicious woman
l240l		Compact with her that’s gone, think’st thou thy oaths,
l241l		Though they would swear down each particular saint,
l242l		Were testimonies against his worth and credit
l243l		That’s sealed in approbation? You, Lord Escalus,
l244l		Sit with my cousin# lend him your kind pains
l245l		To find out this abuse, whence ’tis derived.
l246l		There is another friar that set them on.
l247l		Let him be sent for.
		(Escalus sits)
l248l	Friar Peter	 Would he were here, my lord, for he indeed
l249l		Hath set the women on to this complaint.
l250l		Your Provost knows the place where he abides,
l251l		And he may fetch him.
	Duke	
		(to one or more)
		 Go, do it instantly.
		(Exit one or more)
l252l		(To Angelo)
		 And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin,
l253l		Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,
l254l		Do with your injuries as seems you best
l255l		In any chastisement. I for a while will leave you,
l256l		But stir not you till you have well determined
l257l		Upon these slanderers.
	Escalus	My lord, we’ll do it throughly.
		( 257B Exit Duke)
l258l		Signor Lucio, did not you say you knew that Friar
l259l		Lodowick to be a dishonest person?
l260l	Lucio	Cucullus non facit monachum: honest in nothing but
l261l		in his clothes# and one that hath spoke most villainous
l262l		speeches of the Duke.
l263l	Escalus	We shall entreat you to abide here till he come,
l264l		and enforce them against him. We shall find this friar
l265l		a notable fellow.
l266l	Lucio	As any in Vienna, on my word.
l267l	Escalus	Call that same Isabel here once again# I would
l268l		speak with her.
		(Exit one or more)
l269l		(To Angelo)
		 Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question.
l270l		You shall see how I’ll handle her.
l271l	Lucio	Not better than he, by her own report.
l272l	Escalus	Say you?
l273l	Lucio	Marry, sir, I think if you handled her privately, she
l274l		would sooner confess# perchance publicly she’ll be
l275l		ashamed.
l276l	Escalus	I will go darkly to work with her.
l277l	Lucio	That’s the way, for women are light at midnight.
		( 277 Enter Isabella, guarded)
l278l	Escalus	(to Isabella)
		 Come on, mistress, here’s a gentlewoman
l279l		denies all that you have said.
		(Enter the Duke, disguised as a friar, hooded, and the Provost)
l280l	Lucio	 My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of, here
l281l		with the Provost.
l282l	Escalus	In very good time. Speak not you to him till we
l283l		call upon you.
l284l	Lucio	Mum.
l285l	Escalus	(to the Duke)
		 Come, sir, did you set these women
l286l		on to slander Lord Angelo? They have confessed you
l287l		did.
l288l	Duke	’Tis false.
l289l	Escalus	How! Know you where you are?
l290l	Duke	 Respect to your great place, and let the devil
l291l		Be sometime honoured fore his burning throne.
l292l		Where is the Duke? ’Tis he should hear me speak.
l293l	Escalus	The Duke’s in us, and we will hear you speak.
l294l		Look you speak justly.
	Duke	Boldly at least.
		(To Isabella and Mariana)
		 But O, poor souls,
l295l		Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox,
l296l		Good night to your redress! Is the Duke gone?
l297l		Then is your cause gone too. The Duke’s unjust
l298l		Thus to retort your manifest appeal,
l299l		And put your trial in the villain’s mouth
l300l		Which here you come to accuse.
l301l	Lucio	This is the rascal, this is he I spoke of.
l302l	Escalus	Why, thou unreverend and unhallowed friar,
l303l		Is ’t not enough thou hast suborned these women
l304l		To accuse this worthy man but, in foul mouth,
l305l		And in the witness of his proper ear,
l306l		To call him villain, and then to glance from him
l307l		To th’ Duke himself, to tax him with injustice?
l308l		Take him hence# to th’ rack with him. We’ll touse you
l309l		Joint by joint—but we will know his purpose.
l310l		What, “unjust”?
	Duke	Be not so hot. The Duke
l311l		Dare no more stretch this finger of mine than he
l312l		Dare rack his own. His subject am I not,
l313l		Nor here provincial. My business in this state
l314l		Made me a looker-on here in Vienna,
l315l		Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble
l316l		Till it o’errun the stew# laws for all faults,
l317l		But faults so countenanced that the strong statutes
l318l		Stand like the forfeits in a barber’s shop,
l319l		As much in mock as mark.
l320l	Escalus	Slander to th’ state!
l321l		Away with him to prison.
l322l	Angelo	What can you vouch against him, Signor Lucio?
l323l		Is this the man that you did tell us of?
l324l	Lucio	 ’Tis he, my lord.—Come hither, goodman Bald-
l325l		pate. Do you know me?
l326l	Duke	I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice. I
l327l		met you at the prison, in the absence of the Duke.
l328l	Lucio	O, did you so? And do you remember what you
l329l		said of the Duke?
l330l	Duke	Most notedly, sir.
l331l	Lucio	Do you so, sir? And was the Duke a fleshmonger,
l332l		a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be?
l333l	Duke	You must, sir, change persons with me ere you
l334l		make that my report. You indeed spoke so of him, and
l335l		much more, much worse.
l336l	Lucio	O, thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by
l337l		the nose for thy speeches?
l338l	Duke	I protest I love the Duke as I love myself.
l339l	Angelo	Hark how the villain would close now, after his
l340l		treasonable abuses.
l341l	Escalus	Such a fellow is not to be talked withal. Away
l342l		with him to prison. Where is the Provost? Away with
l343l		him to prison. Lay bolts enough upon him. Let him
l344l		speak no more. Away with those giglets too, and with
l345l		the other confederate companion.
		(Mariana is raised to her feet, and is guarded.)
l346l		The Provost makes to seize the Duke
	Duke	 Stay, sir, stay a while.
l347l	Angelo	What, resists he? Help him, Lucio.
l348l	Lucio	(to the Duke)
		 Come, sir# come, sir# come, sir! Foh,
l349l		sir! Why, you bald-pated lying rascal, you must be
l350l		hooded, must you? Show your knave’s visage, with a
l351l		pox to you! Show your sheep-biting face, and be hanged
l352l		an hour! Will ’t not off?
		(He pulls off the friar's hood, and discovers the Duke. Angelo and Escalus rise)
l353l	Duke	 Thou art the first knave that e’er madest a duke.
l354l		First, Provost, let me bail these gentle three.
l355l		(To Lucio)
		 Sneak not away, sir, for the friar and you
l356l		Must have a word anon.
		(To one or more)
		 Lay hold on him.
l357l	Lucio	 This may prove worse than hanging.
l358l	Duke	(to Escalus)
		 What you have spoke, I pardon. Sit you down.
l359l		We’ll borrow place of him.
		(Escalus sits)
		
		(To Angelo)
		 Sir, by your leave.
		(He takes Angelo's seat)
l360l		Hast thou or word or wit or impudence
l361l		That yet can do thee office? If thou hast,
l362l		Rely upon it till my tale be heard,
l363l		And hold no longer out.
	Angelo	O my dread lord,
l364l		I should be guiltier than my guiltiness
l365l		To think I can be undiscernible,
l366l		When I perceive your grace, like power divine,
l367l		Hath looked upon my passes. Then, good prince,
l368l		No longer session hold upon my shame,
l369l		But let my trial be mine own confession.
l370l		Immediate sentence then, and sequent death,
l371l		Is all the grace I beg.
	Duke	Come hither, Mariana.
l372l		(To Angelo)
		 Say, wast thou e’er contracted to this woman?
l373l	Angelo	I was, my lord.
l374l	Duke	Go, take her hence and marry her instantly.
l375l		Do you the office, friar# which consummate,
l376l		Return him here again. Go with him, Provost.
		(Exeunt Angelo, Mariana, Friar Peter, and the Provost)
l377l	Escalus	 My lord, I am more amazed at his dishonour
l378l		Than at the strangeness of it.
	Duke	Come hither, Isabel.
l379l		Your friar is now your prince. As I was then
l380l		Advertising and holy to your business,
l381l		Not changing heart with habit I am still
l382l		Attorneyed at your service.
	Isabella	O, give me pardon,
l383l		That I, your vassal, have employed and pained
l384l		Your unknown sovereignty.
	Duke	You are pardoned, Isabel.
l385l		And now, dear maid, be you as free to us.
l386l		Your brother’s death I know sits at your heart,
l387l		And you may marvel why I obscured myself,
l388l		Labouring to save his life, and would not rather
l389l		Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power
l390l		Than let him so be lost. O most kind maid,
l391l		It was the swift celerity of his death,
l392l		Which I did think with slower foot came on,
l393l		That brained my purpose. But peace be with him!
l394l		That life is better life, past fearing death,
l395l		Than that which lives to fear. Make it your comfort,
l396l		So happy is your brother.
	Isabella	I do, my lord.
		(Enter Angelo, Mariana, Friar Peter, and the Provost)
l397l	Duke	 For this new-married man approaching here,
l398l		Whose salt imagination yet hath wronged
l399l		Your well-defended honour, you must pardon
l400l		For Mariana’s sake# but as he adjudged your brother—
l401l		Being criminal in double violation
l402l		Of sacred chastity and of promise-breach,
l403l		Thereon dependent, for your brother’s life—
l404l		The very mercy of the law cries out
l405l		Most audible, even from his proper tongue,
l406l		“An Angelo for Claudio, death for death”.
l407l		Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure#
l408l		Like doth quit like, and measure still for measure.
l409l		Then, Angelo, thy fault’s thus manifested,
l410l		Which, though thou wouldst deny, denies thee vantage.
l411l		We do condemn thee to the very block
l412l		Where Claudio stooped to death, and with like haste.
l413l		Away with him.
	Mariana	O my most gracious lord,
l414l		I hope you will not mock me with a husband!
l415l	Duke	It is your husband mocked you with a husband.
l416l		Consenting to the safeguard of your honour,
l417l		I thought your marriage fit# else imputation,
l418l		For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
l419l		And choke your good to come. For his possessions,
l420l		Although by confiscation they are ours,
l421l		We do enstate and widow you with all,
l422l		To buy you a better husband.
	Mariana	O my dear lord,
l423l		I crave no other, nor no better man.
l424l	Duke	Never crave him# we are definitive.
l425l	Mariana	Gentle my liege—
	Duke	You do but lose your labour.—
l426l		Away with him to death.
		(To Lucio)
		 Now, sir, to you.
l427l	Mariana	(kneeling)
		 O my good lord!—Sweet Isabel, take my part#
l428l		Lend me your knees, and all my life to come
l429l		I’ll lend you all my life to do you service.
l430l	Duke	Against all sense you do importune her.
l431l		Should she kneel down in mercy of this fact,
l432l		Her brother’s ghost his pavèd bed would break,
l433l		And take her hence in horror.
	Mariana	Isabel,
l434l		Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me.
l435l		Hold up your hands# say nothing# I’ll speak all.
l436l		They say best men are moulded out of faults,
l437l		And, for the most, become much more the better
l438l		For being a little bad. So may my husband.
l439l		O Isabel, will you not lend a knee?
l440l	Duke	He dies for Claudio’s death.
	Isabella	
		( 440B kneeling)
		 Most bounteous sir,
l441l		Look, if it please you, on this man condemned
l442l		As if my brother lived. I partly think
l443l		A due sincerity governed his deeds,
l444l		Till he did look on me. Since it is so,
l445l		Let him not die. My brother had but justice,
l446l		In that he did the thing for which he died.
l447l		For Angelo,
l448l		His act did not o’ertake his bad intent,
l449l		And must be buried but as an intent
l450l		That perished by the way. Thoughts are no subjects,
l451l		Intents but merely thoughts.
	Mariana	Merely, my lord.
l452l	Duke	Your suit’s unprofitable. Stand up, I say.
		(Mariana and Isabella stand)
l453l		I have bethought me of another fault.
l454l		Provost, how came it Claudio was beheaded
l455l		At an unusual hour?
	Provost	It was commanded so.
l456l	Duke	Had you a special warrant for the deed?
l457l	Provost	No, my good lord, it was by private message.
l458l	Duke	For which I do discharge you of your office.
l459l		Give up your keys.
	Provost	Pardon me, noble lord.
l460l		I thought it was a fault, but knew it not,
l461l		Yet did repent me after more advice#
l462l		For testimony whereof one in the prison
l463l		That should by private order else have died
l464l		I have reserved alive.
l465l	Duke	What’s he?
l466l	Provost	His name is Barnardine.
l467l	Duke	I would thou hadst done so by Claudio.
l468l		Go fetch him hither. Let me look upon him.
		(Exit Provost)
l469l	Escalus	 I am sorry one so learned and so wise
l470l		As you, Lord Angelo, have still appeared,
l471l		Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood
l472l		And lack of tempered judgement afterward.
l473l	Angelo	I am sorry that such sorrow I procure,
l474l		And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart
l475l		That I crave death more willingly than mercy.
l476l		’Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.
		(Enter Barnardine and the Provost; Claudio, muffled, <A Middleton> and Juliet)
l477l	>
Duke	 Which is that Barnardine?
	Provost	This, my lord.
l478l	Duke	There was a friar told me of this man.
l479l		(To Barnardine)
		 Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul
l480l		That apprehends no further than this world,
l481l		And squar’st thy life according. Thou’rt condemned#
l482l		But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all,
l483l		And pray thee take this mercy to provide
l484l		For better times to come.—Friar, advise him.
l485l		I leave him to your hand.
		(To Provost)
		 What muffled fellow’s that?
l486l	Provost	This is another prisoner that I saved,
l487l		Who should have died when Claudio lost his head,
l488l		As like almost to Claudio as himself.
		(He unmuffles Claudio)
l489l	Duke	(to Isabella)
		 If he be like your brother, for his sake
l490l		Is he pardoned# and for your lovely sake
l491l		Give me your hand, and say you will be mine.
l492l		He is my brother too. But fitter time for that.
l493l		By this Lord Angelo perceives he’s safe.
l494l		Methinks I see a quick’ning in his eye.
l495l		Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well.
l496l		Look that you love your wife, her worth worth yours.
l497l		I find an apt remission in myself#
l498l		And yet here’s one in place I cannot pardon.
l499l		(To Lucio)
		 You, sirrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward,
l500l		One all of luxury, an ass, a madman,
l501l		Wherein have I so deserved of you
l502l		That you extol me thus?
l503l	Lucio	 Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick.
l504l		If you will hang me for it, you may# but I had rather
l505l		it would please you I might be whipped.
l506l	Duke	 Whipped first, sir, and hanged after.
l507l		Proclaim it, Provost, round about the city,
l508l		If any woman wronged by this lewd fellow,
l509l		As I have heard him swear himself there’s one
l510l		Whom he begot with child, let her appear,
l511l		And he shall marry her. The nuptial finished,
l512l		Let him be whipped and hanged.
l513l	Lucio	 I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a
l514l		whore. Your highness said even now I made you a
l515l		duke# good my lord, do not recompense me in making
l516l		me a cuckold.
l517l	Duke	 Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her.
l518l		Thy slanders I forgive, and therewithal
l519l		Remit thy other forfeits.—Take him to prison,
l520l		And see our pleasure herein executed.
l521l	Lucio	 Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death,
l522l		whipping, and hanging.
l523l	Duke	 Slandering a prince deserves it.
		(Exit Lucio guarded)
l524l		She, Claudio, that you wronged, look you restore.
l525l		Joy to you, Mariana. Love her, Angelo.
l526l		I have confessed her, and I know her virtue.
l527l		Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness.
l528l		There’s more behind that is more gratulate.
l529l		Thanks, Provost, for thy care and secrecy.
l530l		We shall employ thee in a worthier place.
l531l		Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
l532l		The head of Ragusine for Claudio’s.
l533l		Th’ offence pardons itself. Dear Isabel,
l534l		I have a motion much imports your good,
l535l		Whereto, if you’ll a willing ear incline,
l536l		What’s mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.
l537l		(To all)
		 So bring us to our palace, where we’ll show
l538l		What’s yet behind that’s meet you all should know.
		(Exeunt)