The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 336

Give us some seats. Come, cousin Angelo; In this I'll be impartial; be you judge Of your own cause.

Enter MARIANA veiled

Is this the witness, friar?

FIRST let her show her face, and after speak.

MARIANA. Pardon, my lord; I will not show my face Until my husband bid me.

DUKE. What, are you married?

MARIANA. No, my lord.

DUKE. Are you a maid?

MARIANA. No, my lord.

DUKE. A widow, then?

MARIANA. Neither, my lord.

DUKE. Why, you are nothing then; neither maid, widow, nor wife.

LUCIO. My lord, she may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, nor wife.

DUKE. Silence that fellow. I would he had some cause To prattle for himself.

LUCIO. Well, my lord.

MARIANA. My lord, I do confess I ne'er was married, And I confess, besides, I am no maid.

I have known my husband; yet my husband Knows not that ever he knew me.

LUCIO. He was drunk, then, my lord; it can be no better.

DUKE. For the benefit of silence, would thou wert so too!

LUCIO. Well, my lord.

DUKE. This is no witness for Lord Angelo.

MARIANA. Now I come to't, my lord: She that accuses him of fornication, In self-same manner doth accuse my husband; And charges him, my lord, with such a time When I'll depose I had him in mine arms, With all th' effect of love.

ANGELO. Charges she moe than me?

MARIANA. Not that I know.

DUKE. No? You say your husband.

MARIANA. Why, just, my lord, and that is Angelo, Who thinks he knows that he ne'er knew my body, But knows he thinks that he knows Isabel's.

ANGELO. This is a strange abuse. Let's see thy face.

MARIANA. My husband bids me; now I will unmask.

[Unveiling]

This is that face, thou cruel Angelo, Which once thou swor'st was worth the looking on; This is the hand which, with a vow'd contract, Was fast belock'd in thine; this is the body That took away the match from Isabel, And did supply thee at thy garden-house In her imagin'd person.

DUKE. Know you this woman?

LUCIO. Carnally, she says.

DUKE. Sirrah, no more.

LUCIO. Enough, my lord.

ANGELO. My lord, I must confess I know this woman; And five years since there was some speech of marriage Betwixt myself and her; which was broke off, Partly for that her promised proportions Came short of composition; but in chief For that her reputation was disvalued In levity. Since which time of five years I never spake with her, saw her, nor heard from her, Upon my faith and honour.

MARIANA. n.o.ble Prince, As there comes light from heaven and words from breath, As there is sense in truth and truth in virtue, I am affianc'd this man's wife as strongly As words could make up vows. And, my good lord, But Tuesday night last gone, in's garden-house, He knew me as a wife. As this is true, Let me in safety raise me from my knees, Or else for ever be confixed here, A marble monument!

ANGELO. I did but smile till now.

Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice; My patience here is touch'd. I do perceive These poor informal women are no more But instruments of some more mightier member That sets them on. Let me have way, my lord, To find this practice out.

DUKE. Ay, with my heart; And punish them to your height of pleasure.

Thou foolish friar, and thou pernicious woman, Compact with her that's gone, think'st thou thy oaths, Though they would swear down each particular saint, Were testimonies against his worth and credit, That's seal'd in approbation? You, Lord Escalus, Sit with my cousin; lend him your kind pains To find out this abuse, whence 'tis deriv'd.

There is another friar that set them on; Let him be sent for.

PETER. Would lie were here, my lord! For he indeed Hath set the women on to this complaint.

Your provost knows the place where he abides, And he may fetch him.

DUKE. Go, do it instantly. Exit PROVOST And you, my n.o.ble and well-warranted cousin, Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth, Do with your injuries as seems you best In any chastis.e.m.e.nt. I for a while will leave you; But stir not you till you have well determin'd Upon these slanderers.

ESCALUS. My lord, we'll do it throughly. Exit DUKE Signior Lucio, did not you say you knew that Friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person?

LUCIO. 'Cucullus non facit monachum': honest in nothing but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most villainous speeches of the Duke.

ESCALUS. We shall entreat you to abide here till he come and enforce them against him. We shall find this friar a notable fellow.

LUCIO. As any in Vienna, on my word.

ESCALUS. Call that same Isabel here once again; I would speak with her. [Exit an ATTENDANT] Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her.

LUCIO. Not better than he, by her own report.

ESCALUS. Say you?

LUCIO. Marry, sir, I think, if you handled her privately, she would sooner confess; perchance, publicly, she'll be asham'd.

Re-enter OFFICERS with ISABELLA; and PROVOST with the DUKE in his friar's habit

ESCALUS. I will go darkly to work with her.

LUCIO. That's the way; for women are light at midnight.

ESCALUS. Come on, mistress; here's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said.

LUCIO. My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of, here with the Provost.

ESCALUS. In very good time. Speak not you to him till we call upon you.

LUCIO. Mum.

ESCALUS. Come, sir; did you set these women on to slander Lord Angelo? They have confess'd you did.

DUKE. 'Tis false.

ESCALUS. How! Know you where you are?

DUKE. Respect to your great place! and let the devil Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne!

Where is the Duke? 'Tis he should hear me speak.

ESCALUS. The Duke's in us; and we 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, And put your trial in the villain's mouth Which here you come to accuse.

LUCIO. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of.

ESCALUS. Why, thou unreverend and unhallowed friar, Is't not enough thou hast suborn'd these women To accuse this worthy man, but, in foul mouth, And in the witness of his proper ear, To call him villain; and then to glance from him To th' Duke himself, to tax him with injustice?

Take him hence; to th' rack with him! We'll touze you Joint by joint, but we will know his purpose.

What, 'unjust'!

DUKE. Be not so hot; the Duke Dare no more stretch this finger of mine than he Dare rack his own; his subject am I not, Nor here provincial. My business in this state Made me a looker-on here in Vienna, Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble Till it o'errun the stew: laws for all faults, But faults so countenanc'd that the strong statutes Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop, As much in mock as mark.

ESCALUS. Slander to th' state! Away with him to prison!

ANGELO. 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, good-man 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? And do you remember what you said of the Duke?

DUKE. Most notedly, sir.

LUCIO. Do you so, sir? And was the Duke a fleshmonger, 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 d.a.m.nable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose for thy speeches?

DUKE. I protest I love the Duke as I love myself.

ANGELO. Hark how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses!

ESCALUS. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal. Away with him to prison! Where is the Provost? Away with him to prison! Lay bolts enough upon him; let him speak no more. Away with those giglets too, and with the other confederate companion!

[The PROVOST lays bands on the DUKE]

DUKE. Stay, sir; stay awhile.

ANGELO. 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! Will't not off?

[Pulls off the FRIAR'S bood and discovers the DUKE]

DUKE. Thou art the first knave that e'er mad'st a duke.

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.

LUCIO. This may prove worse than hanging.

DUKE. [To ESCALUS] What you have spoke I pardon; sit you down.