92 Sil. Had I been seized by a hungry lion, Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next Would I not undergo for one calm look? Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love, For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths Descended into perjury, to love me. [two, Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou hadst And that's far worse than none; better have Could have persuaded me: Now I dare not say I have one friend alive, thou would'st disprove : [Faints. Val. Why, boy! why wag! how now? what is the matter? Look up; speak. Jul. O good Sir, my master charg'd me *Felt, experienced. oaths, And entertain'd them deeply in her heart: [minds. It is the lesser blot, modesty finds, Women to change their shapes, than men their Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true: 0 heaven! were man But constant, he were perfect: that one error Fills him with faults; makes him run through all sins: Inconstancy falls off, ere it begins: Val. Come, come, a hand from either: Let me be blest to make this happy close? 'Twere pity two such friends should be long foes. Pro. Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for ever. Jul. And I have mine. Enter OUTLAWS, with DUKE and THURIO. Out. A prize, a prize, a prize! Val. Forbear, I say; it is my lord the duke. Your grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd, Banish'd Valentine. Duke. Sir Valentine! Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine. Val. Thurio give back, or else embrace thy death; Come not within the measure‡ of my wrath: Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I; His body for a girl that loves him not: I claim her not, and therefore she is thine. Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou To make such means for her as thou hast done, And leave her on such slight conditions.Now, by the honour of my ancestry, I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, And think thee worthy of an empress' love. Know then, I here forget all former griefs, Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again.Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit, To which I thus subscribe,-Sir Valentine, Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd; Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her. Val. I thank your grace; the gift hath made me happy. I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake, To grant one boon that I shall ask of you. Duke. I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be. Val. These banish'd men, that! have kept withal, * Direction. † An allusion to cleaving the pin in archery Interest. Length of my sword. Are men endued with worthy qualities; Dispose of them, as thou know'st their deserts. MEASURE FOR MEASURE. VINCENTIO, Duke of Vienna. PERSONS REPRESENTED. ANGELO, Lord Deputy in the Duke's absence. CLAUDIO, a young Gentleman. Two other like Gentlemen. CLOWN, Servant to Mrs. Over-done- ISABELLA, Sister to Claudio. VARRIUS, a Gentleman, Servant to the Duke. FRANCISCA, a Nun. ACT I. SCENE I.—An Apartment in the DUKE's Palace. Are not thine own so proper,* as to waste Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants. Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike Duke. Escalus, Escal. My lord. As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, But to fine issues :† nor nature never lends Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, [course; Would seem in me to affect speech and disSince I am put to know, that your own science, Exceeds, in that, the lists* of all advice My strength can give you: Then no more remains [able, But that to your sufficiency, as your worth is And let them work. The nature of our people, Our city's institutions, and the terms For common justice, you are as pregnantt in, As art and practice hath enriched any That we remember: There is our commission, Let there be some more test made of my metal, Ang. Now, good my lord, From which we would not have you warp. Before so noble and so great a figure Call hither, Take thy commission. Be stamp'd upon it. Duke. No more evasion: Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, As to your soul seems good. Give me your But do not like to stage me to their eyes: Escal. Lead forth, and bring you back in Duke. I thank you : Fare you well. [Exit. 2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a year. 1 Gent. Ay, and more. Lucio. A French crown* more. 1 Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me: but thou art full of error; I am sound. Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound, as things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow; impiety has made a feast of thee. Enter BAWD. To have free speech with you; and it concerns the most profound sciatica? 1 Gent. How now? Which of your hips has A power I have; but of what strength and na-rested, and carried to prison, was worth five Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder ar[ture thousand of you all. I am not yet instructed, Ang. 'Tis so with me :-Let us withdraw to gether, And we may soon our satisfaction have Escal. I'll wait upon your honour. [Exeunt. SCENE II-A Street. Enter Lucio and two GENTLEMEN. Lucio. If the duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the king of Hungary, why, then all the dukes fall upon the king. 1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the king of Hungary's! 2 Gent. Amen. Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. 1 Gent. Why,'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to steal: There's not a soldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for, I think, thou never wast where grace was said. 2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least. Leio. In any proportion,† or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ay! why not? Grace is grace, despite of all controversy: As for example; Thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. 1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of sheers between us.‡ Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet: Thou art the list. i Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou art a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. 1 Gent. I think, I have done myself wrong; have I not? 2 Gent. Yes, that thou hast; whether thou art tainted, or free. Lucio. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes! I have purchased as many dis eases under her roof, as come to 2 Gent. To what, I pray? 1 Gent. Judge. *Hailings. ↑ Measure. A cut of the same cloth. A jest on the loss of hair by the French disease. 1 Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Bawd. Marry, Sir, that's Claudio, signior Claudio. 1 Gent. Claudio to prison! 'tis not so. Bawd. Nay, but I know, 'tis so: I saw him arrested; saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head's to be chopped off. Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so: Art thou sure of this? Bawd. I am too sure of it: and it is for getting madam Julietta with child. Lucio. Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two hours since: and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. 2 Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose. the suburbs be pull'd down? Bawd. But shall all our houses of resort in Clo. To the ground, mistress. commonwealth! What shall become of me? Bawd. Why, here's a change, indeed, in the lack no clients: though you change your place, Clo. Come; fear not you; good counsellors you need not change your trade; I'll be your tapster still. Courage; there will be pity taken on you: you that have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you will be considered. Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapster? Let's withdraw. Clo. Here comes signior Claudio, led by the provost to prison: and there's madam Juliet. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The same. Enter PROVOST,* CLAUDIO, JULIET, and Officers; Lucio, and two Gentlemen. Claud. Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the world? Bear me to prison, where I am committed. Claud. Thus can the demi-god, Authority, Make us pay down for our offence by weight.The words of heaven;--on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, so; yet still 'tis just. Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio? whence comes this restraint? Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, As surfeit is the father of much fast, Lucio. If I could speak so wisely under an arrest, I would send for certain of my creditors: And yet, to say the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom, as the morality of imprisonment.-What's thy offence, Claudio? Claud. What, but to speak of would offend again. Lucio. What is it? murder? Claud. No. Lucio. Lechery? Claud. Call it so. Prov. Away, Sir; you must go. Claud. One word, good friend:-Lucio, a word with you. [Takes him aside. Lucio. A hundred, if they'll do you any good. --Is lechery so look'd after? Claud. Thus stands it with me :-Upon a true I got possession of Julietta's bed; [contráct, You know the lady; she is fast my wife, Save that we do the denunciation lack Of outward order: this we came not to, Only for propagation of a dower 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 most mutual entertainment, With character too gross, is writ on Juliet. Lucio. With child, perhaps? Claud. Unhappily, even so. And the new deputy now for the duke,Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness; Or whether that the body public be A horse whereon the governor doth ride, Who, newly in the seat, that it may know He can command, lets it straight feel the spur: Whether the tyranny be in his place, Or in his eminence that fills it up, I stagger in:-But this new governor Awakes me all the enrolled penalties, Which have, like unscour'd armour, hung by the wall So long, that nineteen zodiacs‡ have gone round, And none of them been worn; and, for a name, Now puts the drowsy and neglected act Freshly on me:-'tis surely, for a name. Lucio. I warrant, it is: and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders, that a milk-maid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the duke, and appeal to him. Claud. I have done so, but he's not to be found. † Voraciously devour. Ticklish. * Gaoler. Yearly circles. I I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind service: ous art When she will play with reason and discourse, And well she can persuade. Lucio. I pray, she may; as well for the encouragement of the like, which else would stand under grievous imposition; as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of ticktack. I'll to her. Claud. I thank you good friend Lucio. SCENE IV-A Monastery. [Exeunt. you How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd; Duke. We have strict statutes,and most biting laws, [steeds) (The needful bits and curbs for headstrong Which for these fourteen years we have let sleep; Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave, Fri. It rested in your grace Duke. I do fear, too dreadful: Sith** 'twas my fault to give the people scope, "Twould be my tyranny to strike, and gall them For what I bid them do: For we bid this be my father, have on Angelo impos'd the office; [home. Who may, in the ambush of my name, strike *Enter on her probation. Completely armed. Showy dress resides. Strictness. † Prompt. Retired. ** Since. |