William Shakespeare - Ultimate Collection: Complete Plays & Poetry in One Volume. William Shakespeare

PROVOST.

       THOMAS, friar.

       PETER, friar.

       A JUSTICE.

       ELBOW, a simple Constable.

       FROTH, a foolish Gentleman.

       CLOWN, Servant to Mistress Overdone.

       ABHORSON, an Executioner.

       BARNARDINE, a dissolute Prisoner.

       ISABELLA, Sister to Claudio.

       MARIANA, betrothed to Angelo.

       JULIET, beloved by Claudio.

       FRANCISCA, a nun.

       MISTRESS OVERDONE, a Bawd.

       Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, Officers, and other Attendants.

       SCENE: Vienna

       ACT I.

      SCENE I. An apartment in the DUKE’S Palace.

       [Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, LORDS, and ATTENDANTS.]

       DUKE.

       Escalus,—

       ESCALUS.

       My lord.

       DUKE.

       Of government the properties to unfold,

       Would seem in me to affect speech and discourse;

       Since 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

       But that to your sufficiency, as your worth is able,

       And let them work. The nature of our people,

       Our city’s institutions, and the terms

       For common justice, you are as pregnant in

       As art and practice hath enriched any

       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

       Elected him our absence to supply;

       Lent him our terror, drest him with our love,

       And given his deputation all the organs

       Of our own power: what think you of it?

       ESCALUS.

       If any in Vienna be of worth

       To undergo such ample grace and honour,

       It is Lord Angelo.

       [Enter ANGELO.]

       DUKE.

       Look where he comes.

       ANGELO.

       Always obedient to your grace’s will,

       I come to know your pleasure.

       DUKE.

       Angelo,

       There is a kind of character in thy life

       That to th’ observer doth thy history

       Fully unfold. Thyself and thy belongings

       Are not thine own so proper as to waste

       Thyself upon thy virtues, they on thee.

       Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,

       Not light them for themselves: for if our virtues

       Did not go forth of us, ‘twere all alike

       As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch’d

       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 advertise;

       Hold, therefore, Angelo;

       In our remove be thou at full ourself:

       Mortality and mercy in Vienna

       Live in thy tongue and heart! Old Escalus,

       Though first in question, is thy secondary:

       Take thy commission.

       ANGELO.

       Now, good my lord,

       Let there be some more test made of my metal,

       Before so noble and so great a figure

       Be stamped upon it.

       DUKE.

       No more evasion:

       We have with a leaven’d and prepared choice

       Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.

       Our haste from hence is of so quick condition

       That it prefers itself, and leaves unquestion’d

       Matters of needful value. We shall write to you

       As time and our concernings shall importune,

       How it goes with us; and do look to know

       What doth befall you here. So, fare you well:

       To the hopeful execution do I leave you

       Of your commissions.

       ANGELO.

       Yet give leave, my lord,

       That we may bring you something on the way.

       DUKE.

       My haste may not admit it;

       Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do

       With any scruple: your scope is as mine own:

       So to enforce or qualify the laws

       As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand;

       I’ll privily away: I love the people,

       But do not like to stage me to their eyes:

       Though it do well, I do not relish well

       Their loud applause and ‘aves’ vehement:

       Nor do I think the man of safe discretion

       That does affect it. Once more, fare you well.

       ANGELO.

       The heavens give safety to your purposes!

       ESCALUS.

       Lead forth and bring you back in happiness.

       DUKE.

       I thank you. Fare you well.

       [Exit.]

       ESCALUS.

       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 pow’r I have, but of what strength and nature

       I am not yet instructed.

       ANGELO.

       ‘Tis so with me.—Let us withdraw together,

       And we may soon our satisfaction have

       Touching that point.

       ESCALUS.

       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