Ang.
I did but smile till now:
Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice;
My patience here is touch'd: I do perceive,
These poor informal women are no more
But instruments of some more mightier member,
That sets them on: Let me have way, my lord,
To find this practice 2 out.
Duke.
Ay, with my heart;
And punish them unto your height of pleasure.
Thou foolish friar; and thou pernicious woman,
Compact with her that's gone! think'st thou thy oaths,
Though they would swear down each particular saint,
Were testimonies against his worth and credit,
That's seal'd in approbation? - You, lord Escalus,
Sit with my cousin; lend him your kind pains
To find out this abuse, whence 'tis derived.
There is another friar that set them on;
Let him be sent for.

Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. Escal. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar! Is't not enough, that 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 touze you joint by joint,
But we will know this purpose:
What! unjust?

Duke. 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 countenanc'd, that the strong statutes

F. Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop,

indeed,

And you, my noble, and well-warranted cousin,
Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,

Do with your injuries as seems you best,
In any chastisement: I for a while
Will leave you;

but stir not you, till you have well Determined upon these slanderers.

Escal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.-[Exit. Duke.] 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 villainous speeches of the duke.

Escal. 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.

Escal. Call that same Isabel here once again; [To an Attendant.] I would speak with her: Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her. Re-enter Officers, with ISABELLA; the Duke, in the Friar's habit, and Provost.

Escal. Come on, mistress: [To ISABELLA.] here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said.

As much in mock as mark.

Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to prison.

Ang. 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 bald-pate: Do you know me?

Duke. 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. 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?

Did not I

Duke. 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 abominable fellow! pluck thee by the nose, for thy speeches ? Duke. I protest I love the duke as I love myself. Ang. Hark! how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses.

Escal. 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 3

Lucio. My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of; too, and with the other confederate companion. here with the provost.

Escal. In very good time: - speak not you to him, till we call upon you.

Lucio. Mum.

[The Provost lays hands on the Duke. Duke. Stay, sir; stay awhile. Ang. 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! Show your sheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour! Will't not off? [Pulls off the Friar's hood, and discovers the Duke.

Duke. Thou art the first knave that e'er made a
duke.

First, provost, let me bail these gentle three :
Sneak not away, sir; [To LUCIO.] for the friar and

Re-enter Provost, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO, and (As I have heard him swear himself, there's one

Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth I have a motion much imports your good;

no faces truer than those that are so washed. How much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping?

Beat. I pray you, is signior Montanto returned

Leonato. I learn in this letter, that don Pedro of from the wars, or no? Arragon comes this night to Messina.

Mess. He is very near by this; he was not three leagues off, when I left him.

Leon. How many gentlemen have you lost in this action ?

Mess. But few of any sort, and none of name. Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio.

Mess. Much deserved on his part, and equally remembered by don Pedro: He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age; doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion: he hath, indeed, better bettered expectation, than you must expect of me to tell you how.

Leon. He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very much glad of it.

Mess. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even so much, that joy could not show itself modest enough, without a badge of bitterness.

Leon. Did he break out into tears?
Mess. In great measure.1

Leon. A kind overflow of kindness: There are

1 Abundance.

Mess. I know none of that name, lady; there was none such in the army of any sort.

Leon. What is he that you ask for, niece?
Hero. My cousin means signior Benedick of
Padua.

Mess. O, he is returned; and as pleasant as ever he was.

Beat. He set up his bills here in Messina, and challenged Cupid at the flight: and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for, indeed, I promised to eat all of his killing.

Leon. Faith, niece, you tax signior Benedick too much; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not. Mess. He hath done good service, lady, in these

wars.

Beat. You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it: he is a very valiant trencher-man, he hath an excellent stomach.

Mess. And a good soldier too, lady.

Beat. And a good soldier to a lady: - But what is he to a lord?

Mess. A lord to a lord, a man to a man.
Beat. Well, we are all mortal.

Leon. You must not, sir, mistake my niece: there