Must either punish me, not being believ'd,

Or wring redress from you: Hear me, O, hear me,

here!

Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm: She hath been a suitor to me for her brother,

Cut off by course of justice.

Isab.
By course of justice!
Ang. And she will speak most bitterly, and strange.
Isab. Most strange, but yet most truly, will I speak:
That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange?
That Angelo's a murderer; is't not strange?
That Angelo is an adulterous thief,
An hypocrite, a virgin-violator;
Is it not strange, and strange?

Duke. Nay, it is ten times strange.
Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo,
Than this is all as true as it is strange:
Nay, it is ten times true; for truth is truth
To the end of reckoning.

Duke.

Away with her: - Poor soul!

She speaks this in the infirmity of sense.

Isab. O prince! I conjure thee, as thou believ'st There is another comfort than this world,

That thou neglect me not, with that opinion

That I am touch'd with madness: make not impos

sible

That which but seems unlike: 'Tis not impossible
But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground,
May seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute,
As Angelo; even so may Angelo,

2

3

In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms,

2 That is, habiliments of office.

3 Characts are distinctive marks or characters. A statute of Edward VI. directs the seals of office of every bishop to have "certain characts under the king's arms for the knowledge of the diocese."

Be an arch-villain: Believe it, royal prince,
If he be less, he's nothing; but he's more,
Had I more name for badness.

Duke.

By mine honesty, If she be mad, as I believe no other,

Her madness hath the oddest frame of sense,
Such a dependency of thing on thing,

As e'er I heard in madness.

Isab.

O, gracious Duke '

Harp not on that; nor do not banish reason

4

For inequality: but let your reason serve

To make the truth appear, where it seems hid;
And hide the false, seems true.5

Duke.

Many that are not mad Have, sure, more lack of reason. -What would you

say?

Isab. I am the sister of one Claudio,
Condemn'd upon the act of fornication
To lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo:
I, in probation of a sisterhood,

Was sent to by my brother: One Lucio
As then the messenger;

Lucio.

That's I, an't like your grace:

I came to her from Claudio, and desir'd her

To try her gracious fortune with Lord Angelo,
For her poor brother's pardon.

Isab.

Duke. You were not bid to speak.
Lucio.

Nor wish'd to hold my peace.

Duke.

That's he, indeed.

No, my good lord;

I wish you now then:

Pray you, take note of it; and when you have

4 The meaning appears to be,- -"Do not suppose me mad because I speak inconsistently or unequally."

5 That is,- Let your reason serve to discover the truth, where it lies hid, and to refute the false, where it seems true.

H.

A business for yourself, pray Heaven

Be perfect.

Lucio. I warrant your honour.

you then

Duke. The warrant's for yourself: take heed to it.

Isab. This gentleman told somewhat of my tale. Lucio. Right.

Duke. It may be right; but you are in the wrong To speak before your time. - Proceed.

Isab.

To this pernicious caitiff deputy.

Duke. That's somewhat madly spoken.
Isab.

The phrase is to the matter.6

Duke. Mended again: the matter?

Isab. In brief,

I went

Pardon it:

Proceed.

-to set the needless process by, How I persuaded, how I pray'd, and kneel'd, How he refell'd' me, and how I replied;

(For this was of much length)—the vile conclusion
I now begin with grief and shame to utter:
He would not, but by gift of my chaste body
To his concupiscible intemperate lust,

Release my brother; and, after much debatement,
My sisterly remorse 9 confutes mine honour,

And I did yield to him. But the next morn betimes, His purpose surfeiting, he sends a warrant

For my poor brother's head.

Duke.

This is most likely!

Isab. O, that it were as like as it is true!

Duke. By Heaven, fond wretch! thou know'st not what thou speak'st ;

Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour,

That is, suited to the matter; as in Hamlet: "The phrase would be more german to the matter."

7 Refell'd is refuted.

8 Remorse is pity.

In hateful practice. First, his integrity

Stands without blemish :- next, it imports no rea

son,

That with such vehemency he should pursue
Faults proper to himself: if he had so offended,
He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself,
And not have cut him off: Some one hath set
you on:

Confess the truth, and say by whose advice

Thou cam'st here to complain.

Isab.

And is this all?

Then, O! you blessed ministers above,

Keep me in patience; and, with ripen'd time,
Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up

In countenance! 10-Heaven shield your grace from

woe,

As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go!
Duke. I know, you'd fain be gone:

An officer!

To prison with her! Shall we thus permit
A blasting and a scandalous breath to fall

On him so near us? This needs must be a practice.
Who knew of your intent, and coming hither?

Isab. One that I would were here; friar Lodowick. Duke. A ghostly father, belike: Who knows that Lodowick ?

Lucio. My lord, I know him: 'tis a meddling friar;

I do not like the man: had he been lay," my lord,
For certain words he spake against your grace
In your retirement, I had swing'd him soundly.

Duke. Words against me? This a good friar belike!

9 Practice was used by the old writers for any insidious stratagem or treachery.

10 That is, false appearance.

11 That is, of the laity, a layman.

And to set on this wretched woman here

"Against our substitute! Let this friar be found. Lucio. But yesternight, my lord, she and that friar I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar,

A very scurvy fellow.

F. Peter.

Blessed be your royal grace!

I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard

Your royal ear abus'd. First, hath this woman
Most wrongfully accus'd your substitute;

Who is as free from touch or soil with her,

As she from one ungot.

Duke.

We did believe no less. Know you that friar Lodowick that she speaks of? F. Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy; Not scurvy nor a temporary meddler,12

As he's reported by this gentleman :

And, on my trust, a man that never yet

Did, as he vouches, misreport your grace.

Lucio. My lord, most villanously; believe it. F. Peter. Well, he in time may come to clear himself;

But at this instant he is sick, my lord,

Of a strange fever: Upon his mere request,
(Being come to knowledge that there was complaint
Intended 'gainst lord Angelo,) came I hither
To speak, as from his mouth, what he doth know
Is true, and false; and what he with his oath,
And all probation, will make up full clear,
Whensoever he's convented.13 First, for this woman;
(To justify this worthy nobleman,

14

So vulgarly 1 and personally accus'd ;)

12 That is, a minder of other men's business; an intermeddler in matters that do not belong to him.

serving.

13 Convented, cited, summoned.

Temporary means time

14 That is, publicly.

H.