Enter DUKE VINCENTIO in his own habit, and FRIAR PETER
DUKE VINCENTIO
These letters at fit time deliver me
Deliver these letters at the right time for me.
Giving letters
The provost knows our purpose and our plot.The provost knows our situation and our plan.
The matter being afoot, keep your instruction,
That task being at hand, stick to your duty,And hold you ever to our special drift;
And remember our precise purpose;Though sometimes you do blench from this to that,
Though you may sometimes vary from this to thatAs cause doth minister. Go call at Flavius' house,
As necessity requires. Go visit at Flavius’ house,And tell him where I stay: give the like notice
And tell him where I am staying: say the same thingTo Valentinus, Rowland, and to Crassus,
To Valentinus, Rowland, and to CrassusAnd bid them bring the trumpets to the gate;
And ask them to bring trumpeters to the gate;But send me Flavius first.
But tell Flavius first.
FRIAR PETER
It shall be speeded well.
I will do it quickly.
Exit
Enter VARRIUS
DUKE VINCENTIO
I thank thee, Varrius; thou hast made good haste:
Thank you, Varrius; you have hurried here in time:Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends
Come on, let’s take a walk. More of our friendsWill greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius.
Will join us in a moment, my good man Varrius.
Exeunt
Enter ISABELLA and MARIANA
ISABELLA
To speak so indirectly I am loath:
I hate to speak so dishonestly:I would say the truth; but to accuse him so,
I want to say the trith; but accusing him truthfullyThat is your part: yet I am advised to do it;
Is your job: but I have been told to do it;He says, to veil full purpose.
He says to hide the true reason.
MARIANA
Be ruled by him.
Listen to him.
ISABELLA
Besides, he tells me that, if peradventure
Besides, he says that, if by chanceHe speak against me on the adverse side,
He were to speak against me of the opposing side,I should not think it strange; for 'tis a physic
I shouldn’t think it’s strange; because it’s a solutionThat's bitter to sweet end.
That’s difficult but for a good result.
MARIANA
I would Friar Peter—
I wish Friar Peter--
ISABELLA
O, peace! the friar is come.
Oh good! The friar is here.
Enter FRIAR PETER
FRIAR PETER
Come, I have found you out a stand most fit,
Come here, I have found you a good place to stand,Where you may have such vantage on the duke,
Where you may see the duke well enough,He shall not pass you. Twice have the trumpets sounded;
That he cannot pass you. The trumpets have sounded twice;The generous and gravest citizens
The kind and serious citizensHave hent the gates, and very near upon
Have arrived at the gates, and very soonThe duke is entering: therefore, hence, away!
The duke will enter: so go there, away with you!
Exeunt
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!
My wonderful friend, nice to see you!Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you.
And our old and faithful friend, I’m glad to see you too.
ANGELO ESCALUS
Happy return be to your royal grace!
Welcome home, your royal grace!
DUKE VINCENTIO
Many and hearty thankings to you both.
Thank you both so much.We have made inquiry of you; and we hear
We’ve asked about your work; and we’ve heardSuch goodness of your justice, that our soul
Such good things of your justice, that we Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks,
Cannot help but it thank you publicly,Forerunning more requital.
Before showing you more gratitude.
ANGELO
You make my bonds still greater.
You continue to make me indebted to you.
DUKE VINCENTIO
O, your desert speaks loud; and I should wrong it,
Oh, your praiseworthiness is great; and I would do you wrong,To lock it in the wards of covert bosom,
To keep it locked up in my heart,When it deserves, with characters of brass,
When it deserves, with brass plaques,A forted residence 'gainst the tooth of time
A castle against the ravages if timeAnd razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,
And obliteration into oblivion. Give me your hand,And let the subject see, to make them know
And let the people of the city see, to make sure they knowThat outward courtesies would fain proclaim
That outward displays of courtesy would happily showFavours that keep within. Come, Escalus,
The high regard we hold inside our hearts. Come on, Escalus,You must walk by us on our other hand;
You must walk on my other side;And good supporters are you.
You’re such good followers.
FRIAR PETER and ISABELLA come forward
FRIAR PETER
Now is your time: speak loud and kneel before him.
Now it’s time: speak loudly and kneel in front of him.
ISABELLA
Justice, O royal duke! Vail your regard
Justice, oh royal duke! Look downUpon a wrong'd, I would fain have said, a maid!
On someone who has been wronged, I would gladly have once called myself a virgin!O worthy prince, dishonour not your eye
Oh worthy duke, don’t spoil your eyesBy throwing it on any other object
By looking at any one elseTill you have heard me in my true complaint
Until you have heard my whole complaintAnd given me justice, justice, justice, justice!
And have given my justice, justice, justice, justice!
DUKE VINCENTIO
Relate your wrongs; in what? by whom? be brief.
Explain how you were wronged; how so? And by whom? Tell me quickly.Here is Lord Angelo shall give you justice:
Here is Lord Angelo to give you justice:Reveal yourself to him.
Explain yourself to him.
ISABELLA
O worthy duke,
Oh, worthy duke,You bid me seek redemption of the devil:
You are asking me to seek retribution from an evil man:Hear me yourself; for that which I must speak
Listen to me yourself; for what I am about to tell youMust either punish me, not being believed,
will either punish me, if you don’t believe me,Or wring redress from you. Hear me, O hear me, here!
Or force you to provide compensation for my wrongs. Listen to me, oh listen to me, right now!
ANGELO
My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm:
My lord, I’m afraid her mind is not sound:She hath been a suitor to me for her brother
She has been begging me to free her brotherCut off by course of justice,--
Executed in accordance with the law,--
ISABELLA
By course of justice!
In accordance with the law!
ANGELO
And she will speak most bitterly and strange.
And what she has to say will be angry and strange.
ISABELLA
Most strange, but yet most truly, will I speak:
What I have to say is quite strange, but still it is true:That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange?
&nb
sp; Is it not strange that Angelo would be a liar?That Angelo's a murderer; is 't not strange?
Is it not strange that Angelo would be a murderer?That Angelo is an adulterous thief,
That Angelo is a two-timing thief,An hypocrite, a virgin-violator;
A hypocrite, and violated a virgin;Is it not strange and strange?
It that not all quite strange?
DUKE VINCENTIO
Nay, it is ten times strange.
No, it is stranger than strange.
ISABELLA
It is not truer he is Angelo
It’s just as true the he is named AngeloThan this is all as true as it is strange:
That all this is as true as it is strange:Nay, it is ten times true; for truth is truth
No, it is truer than true; for truth is truthTo the end of reckoning.
Until the end of time.
DUKE VINCENTIO
Away with her! Poor soul,
Take her away! Poor woman,She speaks this in the infirmity of sense.
She speaks all this with an insane mind.
ISABELLA
O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believest
Oh duke, I beg of you, as you believeThere is another comfort than this world,
That there is a heaven beyond this world,That thou neglect me not, with that opinion
That you not neglect me, because you thinkThat I am touch'd with madness! Make not impossible
I have gone insane! Do not say it is impossibleThat which but seems unlike: 'tis not impossible
Because it is unlikely: it’s not impossibleBut one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground,
That the most evil scoundrel on the face of the earth,May seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute
May seem as withdrawn, as distinguished, as honorable, and as honestAs Angelo; even so may Angelo,
As Angelo does; just as Angelo could,In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms,
With all this official robes and badges and titles and actions,Be an arch-villain; believe it, royal prince:
Be an arch-villain; believe me, royal duke:If he be less, he's nothing; but he's more,
If he is better than what I am claim, than he’s nothing at all; but I would call him worseHad I more name for badness.
If I had more words for evilness.
DUKE VINCENTIO
By mine honesty,
Honestly,If she be mad,--as I believe no other,--
If she is crazy,--and I believe that to be the case,--Her madness hath the oddest frame of sense,
Her insanity has strange coherent logic.Such a dependency of thing on thing,
I’ve never heard such a logical progression of ideasAs e'er I heard in madness.
From an insane person.
ISABELLA
O gracious duke,
Oh kind duke,Harp not on that, nor do not banish reason
Don’t think very long about that, and don’t assume I am not logicalFor inequality; but let your reason serve
Because I am beneath you in rank; but instead use your logic toTo make the truth appear where it seems hid,
Discover that the truth only seems like an impossible lie,And hide the false seems true.
And the actual lie seems to be the truth.
DUKE VINCENTIO
Many that are not mad
Many who are not crazyHave, sure, more lack of reason. What would you say?
Make less reasonable sense, for sure. What do you have to say?
ISABELLA
I am the sister of one Claudio,
I am the sister of Claudio,Condemn'd upon the act of fornication
Who committed the sin of having sexual relationsTo lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo:
And was sentenced to lose his head; sentenced to this by Angelo:I, in probation of a sisterhood,
I was a novice at the convent,Was sent to by my brother; one Lucio
When my brother sent for me; LucioAs then the messenger,--
Was the messenger,--
LUCIO
That's I, an't like your grace:
That would be me, if you want to know, your grace:I came to her from Claudio, and desired her
I came to speak to her for Claudio, and wanted herTo try her gracious fortune with Lord Angelo
To try her good luck with Lord AngeloFor her poor brother's pardon.
To get her poor brother pardoned.
ISABELLA
That's he indeed.
That’s him in fact.
DUKE VINCENTIO
You were not bid to speak.
You were not asked to speak.
LUCIO
No, my good lord;
No, my good lord;Nor wish'd to hold my peace.
Nor was I asked to be silent.
DUKE VINCENTIO
I wish you now, then;
Well, I am asking you now, then;Pray you, take note of it: and when you have
Please, obey my wishes: and when you haveA business for yourself, pray heaven you then
A problem of your own, hope that you behaveBe perfect.
Perfectly.
LUCIO
I warrant your honour.
I will your honor.
DUKE VINCENTIO
The warrants for yourself; take heed to't.
The warning is for you; listen to it.
ISABELLA
This gentleman told somewhat of my tale,--
This gentleman told me part of what I have to say now,--
LUCIO
Right.
That’s right.
DUKE VINCENTIO
It may be right; but you are i' the wrong
It may be right; but you are in the wrongTo speak before your time. Proceed.
To speak before you are asked to. Continue.
ISABELLA
I wen.
I went To this pernicious caitiff deputy,--
To this evil scoundrel of a governor,--
DUKE VINCENTIO
That's somewhat madly spoken.
That was said with an insane tone.
ISABELLA
Pardon it;
I’m sorry;The phrase is to the matter.
The phrase is appropriate
DUKE VINCENTIO
Mended again. The matter; proceed.
I forgive you again. Continue your story.
ISABELLA
In brief, to set the needless process by,
In short, to leave out the unnecessary details,How I persuaded, how I pray'd, and kneel'd
Of how I begged him, and prayed, and kneeled in front of him,How he refell'd me, and how I replied,--
And how he refused me, and how I responded,--For this was of much length,--the vile conclusion
For that took a long time,--I will now tell you the terrible resultI now begin with grief and shame to utter:
Which I am sorry and ashamed to speak of:He would not, but by gift of my chaste body
He would not, unless I gave my virginityTo his concupiscible intemperate lust,
Over to his heated and uncontrollable lustful passion,Release my brother; and, after much debatement,
Free my brother; and, after much arguing,My sisterly remorse confutes mine honour,
My holy remorse overcame my virtue,And I did yield to him: but the next morn betimes,
And I gave in to him: but early the next morning,His purpose surfeiting, he sends a warrant
His desire having been accomplished, he sent out a warrantFor my poor brother's head.
For my poor brother’s death.
DUKE VINCENTIO
This is most likely!
Well, that sounds likely!
ISABELLA
O, that it were as like as it is true!
Oh, I wish it sounded as likely is it is true!
DUKE VINCENTIO
By heaven, fond wretch, thou knowist not what thou speak'st,
Dear God, foolish wench, you don’t know what you’re saying,Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour
>
Or else have been bribed to ruin his honor In hateful practise. First, his integrity
In a terrible conspiracy. First, his righteousnessStands without blemish. Next, it imports no reason
Has never had a word said against it. Next, makes no senseThat with such vehemency he should pursue
That he would so adamantely pursueFaults proper to himself: if he had so offended,
Punishing a crime he committed: if he has committed such a crime,He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself
He would have judged your brother from his own exampleAnd not have cut him off. Some one hath set you on:
And not have executed him. Some one has paid you to do this:Confess the truth, and say by whose advice
Confess the truth, and say by whose guidanceThou camest here to complain.
You came here to complain.
ISABELLA
And is this all?
That’s all?Then, O you blessed ministers above,
Then, oh you blessed angels above,Keep me in patience, and with ripen'd time
Give me patience, and in good timeUnfold the evil which is here wrapt up
Reveal the evil that is now disguisedIn countenance! Heaven shield your grace from woe,
By social rank! Heaven protect your grace from misfortune,As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go!
As I, having been wronged, go on not being believed.
DUKE VINCENTIO
I know you'ld fain be gone. An officer!
I know you would gladly be gone. Officer!To prison with her! Shall we thus permit
Take her to prison! How could be allowA blasting and a scandalous breath to fall
Such hurtful and scandalous talk to be directedOn him so near us? This needs must be a practise.
Towards a man so close to us? This must be a conspiracy.Who knew of Your intent and coming hither?
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 271