LUCIO.

Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you: Not to be weary with you, he's in prison. ISABELLA.

Woe me! for what?

LUCIO.

For that which, if myself might be his judge,
He should receive his punishment in thanks:
He hath got his friend with child.

ISABELLA.

Sir, make me not your story. LUCIO.

It is true.

I would not (though 'tis my familiar sin
With maids to seem the lapwing, and to jest,
Tongue far from heart) play with all virgins so:
I hold you as a thing ensky'd and sainted;
By your renouncement, an immortal spirit;
And to be talk'd with in sincerity,

As with a saint.

ISABELLA.

You do blaspheme the good in mocking me. LUCIO.

Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, 'tis thus: Your brother and his lover have embrac'd: As those that feed grow full, as blossoming time, That from the seedness the bare fallow brings To teeming foison, even so her plenteous womb Expresseth his full tilth and husbandry. ISABELLA.

Some one with child by him?-My cousin Juliet? LUCIO.

Is she your cousin?

ISABELLA.

Adoptedly; as school-maids change their names By vain, though apt, affection.

Bore many gentlemen, myself being one,
In hand, and hope of action: but we do learn
By those that know the very nerves of state,
His givings-out were of an infinite distance
From his true-meant design. Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,

Governs Lord Angelo; a man whose blood

Is

very snow-broth; one who never feels
The wanton stings and motions of the sense,
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, study and fast.
He (to give fear to use and liberty,
Which have for long run by the hideous law,
As mice by lions) hath pick'd out an act,
Under whose heavy sense your brother's life
Falls into forfeit: he arrests him on it;
And follows close the rigour of the statute,
To make him an example. All hope is gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer
To soften Angelo:

And that's my pith of business

'Twixt you and your poor brother.

ISABELLA.

Doth he so seek his life?

LUCIO.

H'as censur'd him

Already; and, as I hear, the provost hath

A warrant for his execution.

And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt. Go to Lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when maidens sue,

Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as freely theirs

As they themselves would owe them.

No longer staying but to give the Mother Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you: Commend me to my brother: soon at night: I'll send him certain word of my success. LUCIO.

I take my leave of you. ISABELLA.

ACT II.

SCENE I. A hall in Angelo's house. Enter Angelo, Escalus, and a Justice, Provost, Officers, and other Attendants, behind.

ANGELO.

We must not make a scarecrow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,

And let it keep one shape, till custom make it
Their perch, and not their terror.

ESCALUS.

Ay, but yet

Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,

Than fall, and bruise to death. Alas, this gentleman,
Whom I would save, had a most noble father!

Let but your honour know,

Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue,

That, in the working of your own affections,

Had time coher'd with place, or place with wishing,
Or that the resolute acting of your blood

Could have attain'd the effect of your own purpose,
Whether you had not sometime in your life

Err'd in this point which now you censure him,
And pull'd the law upon you.

ANGELO.

'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,

Another thing to fall. I not deny,

The jury, passing on the prisoner's life,

May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two

Guiltier than him they try.

What's open made to justice, that justice seizes:

What know the laws that thieves do pass on thieves?

'Tis very pregnant,

The jewel that we find, we stoop and take 't,

Because we see it; but what we do not see

We tread upon, and never think of it.

You may not so extenuate his offence

For I have had such faults; but rather tell me,
When I, that censure him, do so offend,
Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.
ESCALUS.

Be it as your wisdom will.
ANGELO.

Where is the provost?

PROVOST.

Here, if it like your honour. ANGELO.

See that Claudio Be executed by nine to-morrow morning: Bring him his confessor, let him be prepar'd; For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage.

(Exit Provost.)

Well, heaven forgive him! and forgive us all!
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall:

Some run from brakes of vice, and answer none;
And some condemned for a fault alone.

(Enter Elbow, & Officers with Froth & Pompey.) ELBOW.

Come, bring them away: if these be good people in a commonweal that do nothing but use their abuses in common houses, I know no law; bring them away.

ANGELO.

How now, sir! What's your name? and what 's the matter?

ELBOW.

If it please your honour, I am the poor Duke's constable, and my name is Elbow: I do lean upon justice, sir, and do bring in here before your good honour two notorious benefactors.

ANGELO.

'Benefactors'? Well; what benefactors are they? are they not malefactors?

ELBOW.

If it please your honour, I know not well what they are: but precise villains they are, that I am sure of; and void of all profanation in the world that good Christians ought to have.

ESCALUS.

This comes off well; here is a wise officer. ANGELO.

Go to: what quality are they of? Elbow is why dost thou not speak, Elbow?

POMPEY.

He cannot, sir; he's out at elbow.

ANGELO.

What are you, sir?

your name?