Measure for Measure

face. Mariana

My husband bids me; now I will unmask. Unveiling.
This is that face, thou cruel Angelo,
Which once thou sworest 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 imagined 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

Noble prince,
As there comes light from heaven and words from breath,
As there is sense in truth and truth in virtue,
I am affianced 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 derived.
There is another friar that set them on;
Let him be sent for.

Friar Peter

Would he 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 noble and well-warranted cousin,
Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,
Do with your injuries as seems you best,
In any chastisement: I for a while will leave you;
But stir not you till you have well determined
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 ashamed. Escalus I will go darkly to work with her. Lucio That’s the way; for women are light at midnight. Re-enter Officers with Isabella; and Provost with the Duke in his friar’s habit. 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 confessed 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 unhallow’d 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 the duke himself, to tax him with injustice?
Take him hence; to the rack with him! We’ll touse 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’er-run the stew; laws for all faults,
But faults so countenanced, that the strong statutes
Stand like the forfeits in a barber’s shop,
As much in mock as mark.

Escalus Slander to the 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, goodman baldpate: 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 damnable fellow!