MEASURE FOR MEASURE. ACT I. SCENE I. An Apartment in the Duke's Palace. Enter Duke, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants. Duke. ESCALUS, Escal. My lord. Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, My strength can give you: then no more remains, For common justice, you are as pregnant in, That we remember: there is our commission, From which we would not have you warp.-Call hither, I say, bid come before us, Angelo.— [Exit an Attendant. What figure of us think you he will bear? For you must know, we have with special soul 1 Lists are bounds. 2 Some words seem to be lost here; the sense of which may have been -Then no more remains But that to your sufficiency you join Elected him our absence to supply; Lent him our terror, dressed him with our love; Duke. Enter ANGELO. Look, where he comes. Ang. Always obedient to your grace's will, Duke. As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touched, But to fine issues: nor nature never lends The smallest scruple of her excellence, But like a thrifty goddess, she determines Herself the glory of a creditor, Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech To one that can my part in him advértise: Hold, therefore.-Angelo, In our remove, be thou at full ourself; Mortality and mercy in Vienna Live in thy tongue and heart: old Escalus, Ang. Now, good my lord, Let there be some more test made of my metal, 1 So much thy own property. 2 i. e. high purposes. 3 i. e. interest. 4 i. e. to one who is already sufficiently conversant with the nature and duties of that office which I have now delegated to him. Before so noble and so great a figure Duke. No more evasion: Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, That we may bring you something on the way. Nor need you, on mine honor, have to do hand; As to your soul seems good. Give me your Ang. The heavens give safety to your purposes! [Exit. Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave To have free speech with you; and it concerns me To look into the bottom of my place : A power I have; but of what strength and nature Ang. 'Tis so with me:-let us withdraw together, And we may soon our satisfaction have Touching that point. I'll wait upon your honor. Escal. 1i. e. concocted, matured. [Exeunt. 2 Aves are hailings. 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. 1 Gent. What? in metre? Lucio. 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 shears between us.2 Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet thou art the list. 1 Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet ; thou art a three-piled piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be piled, as thou 1 i. e. measure. 2 We are both of the same piece. art piled, for a French velvet.1 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 diseases under her roof, as come to 2 Gent. To what, I pray? 1 Gent. Judge. 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; 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. 1 Gent. How now? most profound sciatica? Which of your hips has the Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prison, was worth five thousand of you all. 1 Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Bawd. Marry, sir, that's Claudio, seignior 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? 1 Velvet was esteemed according to the richness of the pile; threepiled was the richest. But piled also means bald. |