Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne: Where is the Duke? 'tis he should hear me speak Escal. The Duke's in us; and he will hear you speak: Look, you speak justly. Duke. Boldly, at least:- But, O, poor souls! Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox? Good night to your redress. Is the Duke gone? Then is your cause gone too. The Duke's unjust, Thus to retort your manifest appeal, 24 And put your trial in the villain's mouth, Lucio. This is the rascal: this is he I spoke of. Escal. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar! Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women To call him villain? And then to glance from him Joint by joint, but we will know his purpose: Duke. Be not so hot; the Duke dare No more stretch this finger of mine, than he Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble, 24 To retort is to refer back. 25 Provincial is pertaining to a province; most usually taken for the circuit of an ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The chief or head of any religious order in such a province was called the provin cial to whom alone the members of that order were accountable But faults so countenanc'd, that the strong statutes Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop, As much in mock as mark.26 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. I 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 ? what you said of the Duke? And do you remember And was the Duke a flesh-monger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? 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 damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose for thy speeches? Duke. I protest, I love the Duke, as I love my. self. Ang. Hark! how the villain would glose now after his treasonable abuses. Escal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal: 20 Barbers' shops were anciently places of great resort for passing away time in an idle manner. By way of enforcing some kind of regularity, and perhaps as much to promote drinking, certain laws were usually hung up, the transgression of which was to be punished by specific forfeits; which were as much in mock as mark, because the barber had no authority of himself to enforce them, and also because they were of a ludicrous nature. Away with him to prison: - Where is the provost? -Away with him to prison: Lay bolts enough upon him :- Let him speak no inore.- Away with those giglots" too, and with the other confederate companion. [The Provost lays hands on the DUKE. Duke. Stay, sir; stay a while. 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, with a pox to you! show your sheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour! 28 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 First, provost, let me bail these gentle three: [To LUCIO.] Sneak not away, sir; for the friar and you Must have a word anon: - Lay hold on him. We'll borrow place of him:-[To ANGELO.] Sir, by your leave: Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence, That yet can do thee office? 29 If thou hast, Rely upon it till my tale be heard, And hold no longer out. Giglots are wantons. So, in 1 Henry VI., Act iv. se. 7 "Young Talbot was not born to be the pillage of a gigla wench." 28 What, Piper ho! be hang'd awhile," is a line in an old madrigal. And in Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair, we have,-"Leave the bottle behind you, and be curst awhile." That is, be hang'd, be curst; awhile being, like an hour in the text, merely a vulgar expletive. 29 That is, do thee service. H. Ang. O, my dread lord' I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, To think I can be undiscernible, When I perceive your grace, like power divine, But let my trial be mine own confession : Duke. Come hither, Mariana: Say, wast thou e'er contracted to this woman? Ang. I was, my lord. Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her in stantly. Do you the office, friar; which consummate, Return him here again:-Go with him, provost. [Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provost. Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dis honour, Than at the strangeness of it. Duke. Come hither, Isabel: Your friar is now your prince: As I was then Not changing heart with habit, I am still Isab. O, give me pardon, That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd Your unknown sovereignty! Duke. You are pardon'd, Isabel: 32 And now, dear maid, be you as free to us. 30 Passes probably put for trespasses; or it may mean courses, from passeés, Fr. Les passeés d'un cerf is the track or passages of a stag, his courses. 31 Advertising and holy, attentive and faithful. That is, generous;-pardon us as we have pardoned vou. Your brother's death, I know, sits at your heart; Which I did think with slower foot came on, That brain'd my purpose : 34 But, peace be with him That life is better life, past fearing death, Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort, So happy is your brother. Re-enter ANGELO, MARIANA, Friar PETER, and Isab. Provost. I do, my lord. Duke. For this new-married man, approaching here, Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd Your well-defended honour, you must pardon For Mariana's sake: But as he adjudg'd your brother, (Being criminal, in double violation Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach,35 Most audible, even from his proper 36 tongue, 33 Rash remonstrance; that is," a premature display" of it. Perhaps we should read demonstrance; but the word may be formed from remonstrer, French, to show again. 34 That brain'd my purpose. We still use in conversation a like phrase: "that knocked my design on the head." 36 Promise-breach. It should be promise; breach is superfluous. 36 Angelo's own tongue. |