Mrs. Page. Why went you not with master doctor, maid? You would have married her most shamefully, A thousand irreligious cursed hours, Which forced marriage would have brought upon her. In love, the heavens themselves do guide the state; Money buys lands, and wives are sold by fate. Fal. I am glad, though you have ta'en a special stand to strike at me, that your arrow hath glanced. Page. Well, what remedy? Fenton, heaven give thee joy! What cannot be eschew'd must be embrac'd. Fal. When night-dogs run all sorts of deer are chas'd. Mrs. Page. Well, I will muse no further: master Fenton, Good husband, let us every one go home, Ford. Let it be so :-) To master Brook you yet shall hold your word; [Exeunt. Duke. ACT I. SCENE I-An Apartment in the Duke's Palace. Escal. My lord. Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, My strength can give you: Then, no more remains: Our city's institutions, and the terms For common justice, you are as pregnant in, As art and practice hath enriched any That we remember: There is our commission, From which we would not have you warp.-Call hither, I say, bid come before us Angelo. What figure of us think you he will bear? For you must know, we have with special soul Lent him our terror, dress'd him with our love; [Exit an Attendant. To undergo such ample grace and honour, Duke. Enter ANGELO. Look, where he comes. Always obedient to your grace's will, I cone to know your pleasure. Ang. Duke. Did not go forth of us, 't were all alike As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech To one that can my part in him advertise; In our remove, be thou at full ourself: Mortality and mercy in Vienna Live in thy tongue and heart: Old Escalus, Ang. Now, good my lord, Let there be some more test made of my metal, Be stamp'd upon it. Duke. Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, That we may bring you something on the way. Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do With any scruple: your scope is as mine own. So to enforce or qualify the laws As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand; I'll privily away: I love the people, But do not like to stage me to their eyes: That does affect it. Once more, fare you well. Ang. The heavens give safety to your purposes ! Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave [Exit. To have free speech with you; and it concerns me A power I have; but of what strength and nature I am not yet instructed. Ang. T is so with me :-Let us withdraw together, And we may soon our satisfaction have Touching that point. Escal. I'll wait upon your honour. SCENE II.-A Street. [Exeunt. Enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen. Lucio. If the duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the king of Hungary, why, then all the dukes fall upon the king. 1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the king of Hungary's! 2 Gent. Amen. Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. I Gent. Why, 't was a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to steal: There's not a soldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where grace was said. 2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least. I Gent. Lucio. 1 Gent. Lucio. What? in metre? In any proportion, or in any language. Ay! why not? grace is grace, despite of all controversy: As for example: Thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. 1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of shears between us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet: Thou art the list. 1 Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou art a three-piled piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. 1 Gent. I think I have done myself wrong; have I not? 2 Gent. Yes, that thou hast; whether thou art tainted, or free. Lucio. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes ! I have purchased as many diseases under her roof as come to2 Gent. To what, I pray? Lucio. Judge. To three thousand dollars a-year. 2 Gent. 1 Gent. Lucio. 1 Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me: but thou art full of error; I am sound. Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound as things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow: impiety has made a feast of thee. 1 Gent. sciatica ? Enter Bawd. How now? Which of your hips has the most profound Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prison, was worth five thousand of you all. 2 Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Bawd. Marry, sir, that's Claudio, signior Claudio. 1 Gent. Bawd. Claudio to prison ! 't is not so. Nay, but I know 't is so: I saw him arrested; saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head's to be chopped off. Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so: Art thou sure of this? Bawd. I am too sure of it: and it is for getting madam Julietta with child. Lucio. Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two hours since; and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. 2 Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose. 1 Gent. But most of all, agreeing with the proclamation. Lucio. Away; let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt LUCIO and Gentlemen. Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk. now? what's the news with you? Clo. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. Bawd. What, is there a maid with child by him? How Clo. No; but there's a woman with maid by him: You have not heard of the proclamation, have you? |