ACT V SCENE I

Measure for Measure

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ACT V SCENE I	The city gate.
	MARIANA veiled, ISABELLA, and FRIAR PETER, at their stand. Enter DUKE VINCENTIO, VARRIUS, Lords, ANGELO, ESCALUS, LUCIO, Provost, Officers, and Citizens, at several doors.
DUKE VINCENTIO	My very worthy cousin, fairly met!
	Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you.
ANGELO	\|
	\| Happy return be to your royal grace!	5
ESCALUS	\|
DUKE VINCENTIO	Many and hearty thankings to you both.
	We have made inquiry of you; and we hear
	Such goodness of your justice, that our soul
	Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks,	10
	Forerunning more requital.
ANGELO	You make my bonds still greater.
DUKE VINCENTIO	O, your desert speaks loud; and I should wrong it,
	To lock it in the wards of covert bosom,
	When it deserves, with characters of brass,	15
	A forted residence ‘gainst the tooth of time
	And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,
	And let the subject see, to make them know
	That outward courtesies would fain proclaim
	Favours that keep within. Come, Escalus,	20
	You must walk by us on our other hand;
	And good supporters are you.
	FRIAR PETER and ISABELLA come forward.
FRIAR PETER	Now is your time: speak loud and kneel before him.
ISABELLA	Justice, O royal duke! Vail your regard
	Upon a wrong’d, I would fain have said, a maid!	25
	O worthy prince, dishonour not your eye
	By throwing it on any other object
	Till you have heard me in my true complaint
	And given me justice, justice, justice, justice!
DUKE VINCENTIO	Relate your wrongs; in what? by whom? be brief.	30
	Here is Lord Angelo shall give you justice:
	Reveal yourself to him.
ISABELLA	O worthy duke,
	You bid me seek redemption of the devil:
	Hear me yourself; for that which I must speak	35
	Must either punish me, not being believed,
	Or wring redress from you. Hear me, O hear me, here!
ANGELO	My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm:
	She hath been a suitor to me for her brother
	Cut off by course of justice,–	40
ISABELLA	By course of justice!
ANGELO	And she will speak most bitterly and strange.
ISABELLA	Most strange, but yet most truly, will I speak:
	That Angelo’s forsworn; is it not strange?
	That Angelo’s a murderer; is ‘t not strange?	45
	That Angelo is an adulterous thief,
	An hypocrite, a virgin-violator;
	Is it not strange and strange?
DUKE VINCENTIO	Nay, it is ten times strange.
ISABELLA	It is not truer he is Angelo	50
	Than this is all as true as it is strange:
	Nay, it is ten times true; for truth is truth
	To the end of reckoning.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Away with her! Poor soul,
	She speaks this in the infirmity of sense.	55
ISABELLA	O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believest
	There is another comfort than this world,
	That thou neglect me not, with that opinion
	That I am touch’d with madness! Make not impossible
	That which but seems unlike: ’tis not impossible	60
	But one, the wicked’st caitiff on the ground,
	May seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute
	As Angelo; even so may Angelo,
	In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms,
	Be an arch-villain; believe it, royal prince:	65
	If he be less, he’s nothing; but he’s more,
	Had I more name for badness.
DUKE VINCENTIO	By mine honesty,
	If she be mad,–as I believe no other,–
	Her madness hath the oddest frame of sense,	70
	Such a dependency of thing on thing,
	As e’er I heard in madness.
ISABELLA	O gracious duke,
	Harp not on that, nor do not banish reason
	For inequality; but let your reason serve	75
	To make the truth appear where it seems hid,
	And hide the false seems true.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Many that are not mad
	Have, sure, more lack of reason. What would you say?
ISABELLA	I am the sister of one Claudio,	80
	Condemn’d upon the act of fornication
	To lose his head; condemn’d by Angelo:
	I, in probation of a sisterhood,
	Was sent to by my brother; one Lucio
	As then the messenger,–	85
LUCIO	That’s I, an’t like your grace:
	I came to her from Claudio, and desired her
	To try her gracious fortune with Lord Angelo
	For her poor brother’s pardon.
ISABELLA	That’s he indeed.	90
DUKE VINCENTIO	You were not bid to speak.
LUCIO	No, my good lord;
	Nor wish’d to hold my peace.
DUKE VINCENTIO	I wish you now, then;
	Pray you, take note of it: and when you have	95
	A business for yourself, pray heaven you then
	Be perfect.
LUCIO	I warrant your honour.
DUKE VINCENTIO	The warrants for yourself; take heed to’t.
ISABELLA	This gentleman told somewhat of my tale,–	100
LUCIO	Right.
DUKE VINCENTIO	It may be right; but you are i’ the wrong
	To speak before your time. Proceed.
ISABELLA	I went
	To this pernicious caitiff deputy,–	105
DUKE VINCENTIO	That’s somewhat madly spoken.
ISABELLA	Pardon it;
	The phrase is to the matter.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Mended again. The matter; proceed.
ISABELLA	In brief, to set the needless process by,	110
	How I persuaded, how I pray’d, and kneel’d,
	How he refell’d me, and how I replied,–
	For this was of much length,–the vile conclusion
	I now begin with grief and shame to utter:
	He would not, but by gift of my chaste body	115
	To his concupiscible intemperate lust,
	Release my brother; and, after much debatement,
	My sisterly remorse confutes mine honour,
	And I did yield to him: but the next morn betimes,
	His purpose surfeiting, he sends a warrant	120
	For my poor brother’s head.
DUKE VINCENTIO	This is most likely!
ISABELLA	O, that it were as like as it is true!
DUKE VINCENTIO	By heaven, fond wretch, thou knowist not what thou speak’st,
	Or else thou art suborn’d against his honour	125
	In hateful practise. First, his integrity
	Stands without blemish. Next, it imports no reason
	That with such vehemency he should pursue
	Faults proper to himself: if he had so offended,
	He would have weigh’d thy brother by himself	130
	And not have cut him off. Some one hath set you on:
	Confess the truth, and say by whose advice
	Thou camest here to complain.
ISABELLA	And is this all?
	Then, O you blessed ministers above,	135
	Keep me in patience, and with ripen’d time
	Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up
	In countenance! Heaven shield your grace from woe,
	As I, thus wrong’d, hence unbelieved go!
DUKE VINCENTIO	I know you’ld fain be gone. An officer!	140
	To prison with her! Shall we thus permit
	A blasting and a scandalous breath to fall
	On him so near us? This needs must be a practise.
	Who knew of Your intent and coming hither?
ISABELLA	One that I would were here, Friar Lodowick.	145
DUKE VINCENTIO	A ghostly father, belike. Who knows that Lodowick?
LUCIO	My lord, I know him; ’tis a meddling friar;
	I do not like the man: had he been lay, my lord
	For certain words he spake against your grace
	In your retirement, I had swinged him soundly.	150
DUKE VINCENTIO	Words against me? this is a good friar, belike!
	And to set on this wretched woman here
	Against our substitute! Let this friar be found.
LUCIO	But yesternight, my lord, she and that friar,
	I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar,	155
	A very scurvy fellow.
FRIAR PETER	Blessed be your royal grace!
	I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard
	Your royal ear abused. First, hath this woman
	Most wrongfully accused your substitute,	160
	Who is as free from touch or soil with her
	As she from one ungot.
DUKE VINCENTIO	We did believe no less.
	Know you that Friar Lodowick that she speaks of?
FRIAR PETER	I know him for a man divine and holy;	165
	Not scurvy, nor a temporary meddler,
	As he’s reported by this gentleman;
	And, on my trust, a man that never yet
	Did, as he vouches, misreport your grace.
LUCIO	My lord, most villanously; believe it.	170
FRIAR PETER	Well, he in time may come to clear himself;
	But at this instant he is sick my lord,
	Of a strange fever. Upon his mere request,
	Being come to knowledge that there was complaint
	Intended ‘gainst Lord Angelo, came I hither,	175
	To speak, as from his mouth, what he doth know
	Is true and false; and what he with his oath
	And all probation will make up full clear,
	Whensoever he’s convented. First, for this woman.
	To justify this worthy nobleman,	180
	So vulgarly and personally accused,
	Her shall you hear disproved to her eyes,
	Till she herself confess it.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Good friar, let’s hear it.
	ISABELLA is carried off guarded; and MARIANA comes forward.
	Do you not smile at this, Lord Angelo?	185
	O heaven, the vanity of wretched fools!
	Give us some seats. Come, cousin Angelo;
	In this I’ll be impartial; be you judge
	Of your own cause. Is this the witness, friar?
	First, let her show her face, and after speak.	190
MARIANA	Pardon, my lord; I will not show my face
	Until my husband bid me.
DUKE VINCENTIO	What, are you married?
MARIANA	No, my lord.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Are you a maid?	195
MARIANA	No, my lord.
DUKE VINCENTIO	A widow, then?
MARIANA	Neither, my lord.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Why, you are nothing then: neither maid, widow, nor wife?
LUCIO	My lord, she may be a punk; for many of them are	200
	neither maid, widow, nor wife.
DUKE VINCENTIO	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;	205
	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 VINCENTIO	For the benefit of silence, would thou wert so too!	210
LUCIO	Well, my lord.
DUKE VINCENTIO	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,	215
	And charges him my lord, with such a time
	When I’ll depose I had him in mine arms
	With all the effect of love.
ANGELO	Charges she more than me?
MARIANA	Not that I know.	220
DUKE VINCENTIO	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.	225
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	230
	That took away the match from Isabel,
	And did supply thee at thy garden-house
	In her imagined person.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Know you this woman?
LUCIO	Carnally, she says.	235
DUKE VINCENTIO	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,	240
	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,	245
	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	250
	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,	255
	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	260
	But instruments of some more mightier member
	That sets them on: let me have way, my lord,
	To find this practise out.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Ay, with my heart
	And punish them to your height of pleasure.	265
	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,	270
	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	275
	Hath set the women on to this complaint:
	Your provost knows the place where he abides
	And he may fetch him.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Go do it instantly.
	Exit Provost.
	And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin,	280
	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.	285
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	290
	villanous 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.	295
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?	300
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.	305
	Re-enter Officers with ISABELLA; and Provost with DUKE VINCENTIO 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	310
	call upon you.
LUCIO	Mum.
ESCALUS	Come, sir: did you set these women on to slander
	Lord Angelo? they have confessed you did.
DUKE VINCENTIO	‘Tis false.	315
ESCALUS	How! know you where you are?
DUKE VINCENTIO	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:	320
	Look you speak justly.
DUKE VINCENTIO	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,	325
	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,	330
	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?	335
	Take him hence; to the rack with him! We’ll touse you
	Joint by joint, but we will know his purpose.
	What ‘unjust’!
DUKE VINCENTIO	Be not so hot; the duke
	Dare no more stretch this finger of mine than he	340
	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,	345
	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?	350
	Is this the man that you did tell us of?
LUCIO	‘Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman baldpate:
	do you know me?
DUKE VINCENTIO	I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice: I
	met you at the prison, in the absence of the duke.	355
LUCIO	O, did you so? And do you remember what you said of the duke?
DUKE VINCENTIO	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 VINCENTIO	You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make	360
	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 VINCENTIO	I protest I love the duke as I love myself.	365
ANGELO	Hark, how the villain would close now, after his
	treasonable abuses!
ESCALUS	Such a fellow is not to be talked withal. Away with
	him to prison! Where is the provost? Away with him
	to prison! lay bolts enough upon him: let him	370
	speak no more. Away with those giglots too, and
	with the other confederate companion!
DUKE VINCENTIO	To Provost
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	375
	you? Show your knave’s visage, with a pox to you!
	show your sheep-biting face, and be hanged an hour!
	Will’t not off?
	Pulls off the friar’s hood, and discovers DUKEVINCENTIO
DUKE VINCENTIO	Thou art the first knave that e’er madest a duke.
	First, provost, let me bail these gentle three.	380
	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 VINCENTIO	To ESCALUS.
	We’ll borrow place of him.
	To ANGELO.
	Sir, by your leave.	385
	Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence,
	That yet can do thee office? If thou hast,
	Rely upon it till my tale be heard,
	And hold no longer out.
ANGELO	O my dread lord,	390
	I should be guiltier than my guiltiness,
	To think I can be undiscernible,
	When I perceive your grace, like power divine,
	Hath look’d upon my passes. Then, good prince,
	No longer session hold upon my shame,	395
	But let my trial be mine own confession:
	Immediate sentence then and sequent death
	Is all the grace I beg.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Come hither, Mariana.
	Say, wast thou e’er contracted to this woman?	400
ANGELO	I was, my lord.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.
	Do you the office, friar; which consummate,
	Return him here again. Go with him, provost.
	Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, FRIAR PETER and Provost.
ESCALUS	My lord, I am more amazed at his dishonour	405
	Than at the strangeness of it.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Come hither, Isabel.
	Your friar is now your prince: as I was then
	Advertising and holy to your business,
	Not changing heart with habit, I am still	410
	Attorney’d at your service.
ISABELLA	O, give me pardon,
	That I, your vassal, have employ’d and pain’d
	Your unknown sovereignty!
DUKE VINCENTIO	You are pardon’d, Isabel:	415
	And now, dear maid, be you as free to us.
	Your brother’s death, I know, sits at your heart;
	And you may marvel why I obscured myself,
	Labouring to save his life, and would not rather
	Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power	420
	Than let him so be lost. O most kind maid,
	It was the swift celerity of his death,
	Which I did think with slower foot came on,
	That brain’d my purpose. But, peace be with him!
	That life is better life, past fearing death,	425
	Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort,
	So happy is your brother.
ISABELLA	I do, my lord.
	Re-enter ANGELO, MARIANA, FRIAR PETER, and Provost.
DUKE VINCENTIO	For this new-married man approaching here,
	Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong’d	430
	Your well defended honour, you must pardon
	For Mariana’s sake: but as he adjudged your brother,–
	Being criminal, in double violation
	Of sacred chastity and of promise-breach
	Thereon dependent, for your brother’s life,–	435
	The very mercy of the law cries out
	Most audible, even from his proper tongue,
	‘An Angelo for Claudio, death for death!’
	Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;
	Like doth quit like, and MEASURE still FOR MEASURE.	440
	Then, Angelo, thy fault’s thus manifested;
	Which, though thou wouldst deny, denies thee vantage.
	We do condemn thee to the very block
	Where Claudio stoop’d to death, and with like haste.
	Away with him!	445
MARIANA	O my most gracious lord,
	I hope you will not mock me with a husband.
DUKE VINCENTIO	It is your husband mock’d you with a husband.
	Consenting to the safeguard of your honour,
	I thought your marriage fit; else imputation,	450
	For that he knew you, might reproach your life
	And choke your good to come; for his possessions,
	Although by confiscation they are ours,
	We do instate and widow you withal,
	To buy you a better husband.	455
MARIANA	O my dear lord,
	I crave no other, nor no better man.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Never crave him; we are definitive.
MARIANA	Gentle my liege,–
	Kneeling
DUKE VINCENTIO	You do but lose your labour.	460
	Away with him to death!
	To LUCIO
	Now, sir, to you.
MARIANA	O my good lord! Sweet Isabel, take my part;
	Lend me your knees, and all my life to come
	I’ll lend you all my life to do you service.	465
DUKE VINCENTIO	Against all sense you do importune her:
	Should she kneel down in mercy of this fact,
	Her brother’s ghost his paved bed would break,
	And take her hence in horror.
MARIANA	Isabel,	470
	Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me;
	Hold up your hands, say nothing; I’ll speak all.
	They say, best men are moulded out of faults;
	And, for the most, become much more the better
	For being a little bad: so may my husband.	475
	O Isabel, will you not lend a knee?
DUKE VINCENTIO	He dies for Claudio’s death.
ISABELLA	Most bounteous sir,
	Kneeling
	Look, if it please you, on this man condemn’d,
	As if my brother lived: I partly think	480
	A due sincerity govern’d his deeds,
	Till he did look on me: since it is so,
	Let him not die. My brother had but justice,
	In that he did the thing for which he died:
	For Angelo,	485
	His act did not o’ertake his bad intent,
	And must be buried but as an intent
	That perish’d by the way: thoughts are no subjects;
	Intents but merely thoughts.
MARIANA	Merely, my lord.	490
DUKE VINCENTIO	Your suit’s unprofitable; stand up, I say.
	I have bethought me of another fault.
	Provost, how came it Claudio was beheaded
	At an unusual hour?
Provost	It was commanded so.	495
DUKE VINCENTIO	Had you a special warrant for the deed?
Provost	No, my good lord; it was by private message.
DUKE VINCENTIO	For which I do discharge you of your office:
	Give up your keys.
Provost	Pardon me, noble lord:	500
	I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
	Yet did repent me, after more advice;
	For testimony whereof, one in the prison,
	That should by private order else have died,
	I have reserved alive.	505
DUKE VINCENTIO	What’s he?
Provost	His name is Barnardine.
DUKE VINCENTIO	I would thou hadst done so by Claudio.
	Go fetch him hither; let me look upon him.
	Exit Provost
ESCALUS	I am sorry, one so learned and so wise	510
	As you, Lord Angelo, have still appear’d,
	Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood.
	And lack of temper’d judgment afterward.
ANGELO	I am sorry that such sorrow I procure:
	And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart	515
	That I crave death more willingly than mercy;
	‘Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.
	Re-enter Provost, with BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO muffled,and JULIET
DUKE VINCENTIO	Which is that Barnardine?
Provost	This, my lord.
DUKE VINCENTIO	There was a friar told me of this man.	520
	Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul.
	That apprehends no further than this world,
	And squarest thy life according. Thou’rt condemn’d:
	But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all;
	And pray thee take this mercy to provide	525
	For better times to come. Friar, advise him;
	I leave him to your hand. What muffled fellow’s that?
Provost	This is another prisoner that I saved.
	Who should have died when Claudio lost his head;
	As like almost to Claudio as himself.	530
	Unmuffles CLAUDIO.
DUKE VINCENTIO	To ISABELLA.
	Is he pardon’d; and, for your lovely sake,
	Give me your hand and say you will be mine.
	He is my brother too: but fitter time for that.
	By this Lord Angelo perceives he’s safe;
	Methinks I see a quickening in his eye.	535
	Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well:
	Look that you love your wife; her worth worth yours.
	I find an apt remission in myself;
	And yet here’s one in place I cannot pardon.
	To LUCIO.
	You, sirrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward,	540
	One all of luxury, an ass, a madman;
	Wherein have I so deserved of you,
	That you extol me thus?
LUCIO	‘Faith, my lord. I spoke it but according to the
	trick. If you will hang me for it, you may; but I	545
	had rather it would please you I might be whipt.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Whipt first, sir, and hanged after.
	Proclaim it, provost, round about the city.
	Is any woman wrong’d by this lewd fellow,
	As I have heard him swear himself there’s one	550
	Whom he begot with child, let her appear,
	And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish’d,
	Let him be whipt and hang’d.
LUCIO	I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore.
	Your highness said even now, I made you a duke:	555
	good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her.
	Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal
	Remit thy other forfeits. Take him to prison;
	And see our pleasure herein executed.	560
LUCIO	Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death,
	whipping, and hanging.
DUKE VINCENTIO	Slandering a prince deserves it.
	Exit Officers with LUCIO.
	She, Claudio, that you wrong’d, look you restore.
	Joy to you, Mariana! Love her, Angelo:	565
	I have confess’d her and I know her virtue.
	Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:
	There’s more behind that is more gratulate.
	Thanks, provost, for thy care and secrecy:
	We shill employ thee in a worthier place.	570
	Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
	The head of Ragozine for Claudio’s:
	The offence pardons itself. Dear Isabel,
	I have a motion much imports your good;
	Whereto if you’ll a willing ear incline,	575
	What’s mine is yours and what is yours is mine.
	So, bring us to our palace; where we’ll show
	What’s yet behind, that’s meet you all should know.
	Exeunt.