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Claud. No.

Lucio. Letchery?

Claud. Call it fo.

Prov. Away, Sir, you muft go.

Claud. One Word, good Friend:

Lucio, a Word with you.

Lucio. A hundred;

If they'll do you any good: Is Letchery fo look'd after? Cland. Thus ftands it with me; upon a true Contract I got Poffeffion of Julietta's Bed,

You know the Lady, fhe is faft my Wife,

Save that we do the Denunciation lack

Of outward Order. This we came not to,
Only for Propagation of a Dowre

Remaining in the Coffer of her Friends,

From whom we thought it meet to hide our Love

'Till Time had made them for us.

But it chances.

The Stealth of our moft mutual Entertainment

With Character too grofs, is writ in Juliet.
Lucio. With Child, perhaps?

Cland. Unhappily, even fo.

And the new Deputy, now for the Duke,
Whether it be the fault and glimpse of Newness,
Or whether that the Body publick be

A Horse whereon the Governor doth ride,
Who newly in the Seat, that it may know
He can command, lets it ftrait feel the Spur;
Whether the Tyranny be in his Place,
Or in his Eminence that fills it up,

I ftagger in: But this new Governor
Awakes me all the enrolled Penalties

Which have, like unfcour'd Armour, hung by th' Wall
So long, that nineteen Zodiacks have gone round,
And none of them been worn; and for a Name,
Now puts the drowfie and neglected A&

Freshly on me; 'tis furely for a Name.

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Lucio. I warrant it is; and thy Head ftands fo tickle on thy Shoulders, that a Milk-maid, if fhe be in Love, may figh it off. Send after the Duke, and appeal to him.

Claud. I have done fo, but he's not to be found.

I prethee, Lucio, do me this kind Service:

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SCENE IV. A Nunnery.

Enter Ifabella and Francifca.

Ifab. And have you Nuns no farther Privileges?
Nun. Are not thefe large enough?

Ifab. Yes truly; I fpeak not as defiring more,
But rather wishing a more ftrict Restraint
Upon the Sisterhood, the Votarifts of Saint Clare.
Lucio within.

Lucio. Hoa! Peace be in this Place.
Ifab. Who's that which calls?

Nun. It is a Man's Voice, gentle Isabella,
Turn you the Key, and know his Bufinefs of him;
You may, I may not, you are yet unfworn:

When you have vow'd, you must not speak with Men,
But in the Prefence of the Priorefs;

Then if you speak, you must not fhew your Face,
Or if you fhew your Face, you must not fpeak.
He calls again, I pray you answer him.

[Exit Franc. Ifab. Peace and Profperity, who is't that calls? Enter Lucio.

Lucio. Hail Virgin, if you be, as those Cheek-Rofes
Proclaim you are no lefs, can you fo ftead me,
As bring me to the Sight of Ifabella,

A Novice of this Place, and the fair Sifter
To her unhappy Brother Claudio?

Ifab. Why her unhappy Brother? Let me ask,
The rather, for I now muft make you know

I am that Ifabella, and his Sifter.

Lucio. Gentle and Fair, your Brother kindly greets you; Not to be weary with you, he's in Prison.

Ifab. Wo me, for what?

Lucio. For that, which if my felf might be his Judge, He should receive his Punishment in Thanks;

He hath got his Friend with Child.

Ifab. Sir, make me not your Story.

Lucio. 'Tis true; I would not, tho' tis my familiar Sin, With Maids to seem the Lapwing, and to jeft,

Tongue, far from Heart; play with all Virgins fo.
I hold you as a thing en-sky'd and fainted,

By

Be your Renouncement an Immortal Spirit,
And to be talk'd with in Sincerity,

As with a Saint.

Ifab. You do blafpheme the Good, in mocking me. Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness, and Truth; 'tis thus; Your Brother and his Lover having embrac'd,

As those that feed grow full, as blossoming time
That from the Seedness the bare Fallow brings
To teeming Foyfon; even fo her plenteous Womb
Expreffeth his full Tilth and Husbandry.

Ifab. Some one with Child by him? My Cozen Juliet?
Lucio Is the your Cozen?

Ijab. Adoptedly, as School-Maids change their Names, By vain, tho' apt Affection.

Lucio. She it is.

Ifab. Let him marry her.

Lucio. This is the Point.

The Duke is very ftrangely gone from hence;
Bore many Gentlemen, my felf 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 Defign. Upon his Place,
And with full Line of his Authority,

Governs Lord Angelo; a Man whofe 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 Faft.
He, to give Fear to Ufe and Liberty,.
Which have for long run by the hideous Law,
As Mice by Lyons, hath pickt out an Act,
Under whofe heavy Senfe your Brother's Life
Falls into Forfeit; he arrefts him on it,
And follows close the Rigor of the Statute,
To make him an Example; all Hope is gone,
Unless you have the Grace by your fair Prayer
To foften Angelo; and that's my Pith of Bufinefs
'Twixt you, and your poor Brother.

Ifab. Doth he fo

Seek his Life?

Lucio. Has cenfur'd him already,

And, as I hear, the Provoft hath a Warrant
For's Execution.

Ifab. Alas! what poor

Ability's in me, to do him good?
Lucio. Affay the Power you have.
Ifab. My Power? Alas! I doubt.
Lucio. Our Doubts are Traitors,

And makes us lofe the Good we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to Lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when Maidens fue,
Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their Petitions are as truly theirs,

As they themselves would owe them.
Ifab. I'll fee what I can do.
Lucio. But fpeedily.

Ifab. I will about it ftrait;

No longer ftaying, but to give the Mother
Notice of my Affair. I humbly thank you;
Commend me to my Brother: Soon at Night
I'll fend him certain word of my Success.
Lucio. I take my Leave of you.
Ifab. Good Sir, adieu.

ACT II.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

SCENE the Palace.

Enter Angelo, Efcalus, Juftice and Attendants.

Ang. WE

E muft not make a Scar-crow of the Law,
Setting it up to fear the Birds of prey,

And let it keep one Shape, 'till Cuftom make it
Their Pearch, and not their Terror.

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Alas! this Gentleman,

Whom I would fave, had a most noble Father;
Let but your Honour know,

Whom I believe to be moft ftrait in Virtue,

That

That in the working of your own Affections,

Had Time coheer'd with Place, or Place with Wishing,
Or that the refolute acting of your
your Blood,
Could have attain'd th' Effect of your own Purpose,
Whether you had not fometime in your Life
Err'd in this Point, which now you cenfure him,
And pull'd the Law upon you.

Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny

The Jury paffing on the Prifoner's Life,

May in the fworn Twelve have a Thief or two, Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to Justice,

That Juftice feizes. What knows the Laws

That Thieves do pafs on Thieves? 'Tis very pregnant,
The Jewel that we find, we ftoop and take't,
Because we see it; but what we do not fee,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not fo extenuate his Offence,
For I have had fuch Faults; but rather tell me
When I, that cenfure him, do fo offend,
Let mine own Judgment pattern out my Death,
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he muft die.
Enter Provolt.

Efcal. Be it as your Wisdom will.
Ang. Where is the Provoft?

Prov. Here, if it like your Honour.
Ang. See that Claudio

Be executed by nine to Morrow Morning.

Bring him his Confeffor, let him be prepar'd,

For that's the utmost of his Pilgrimage.

[Exit Provoft.

Efcal. Well: Heav'n forgive him; and forgive us all;

Some rife by Sin, and fome by Virtue fall:

Some run through Brakes of Vice, and answer none,
And fome condemned for a Fault alone.

Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown and Officers.

Elb. Come, bring them away; if these be good People in a Common-weal, that do nothing but ufe their Abuses in common Houses, I know no Law; bring them away.

Ang. How now, Sir, what's your Name? and what's the Matter?

VOL. I.

P

Elb.

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