Measure for Measure - William Shakespeare (best book clubs txt) 📗

to thee again, would eat mutton on
Fridays. He's not past it; yet, and, I say to thee, he would
mouth with a beggar though she smelt brown bread and garlic.
Say that I said so. - Farewell.

[Exit.]

DUKE.
No might nor greatness in mortality
Can censure 'scape; back-wounding calumny
The whitest virtue strikes. What king so strong
Can tie the gall up in the slanderous tongue?
But who comes here?

[Enter ESCALUS, PROVOST, BAWD, and Officers.]

ESCALUS.
Go, away with her to prison.

BAWD.
Good my lord, be good to me; your honour is accounted a merciful
man; good my lord.

ESCALUS.
Double and treble admonition, and still forfeit in the same kind?
This would make mercy swear and play the tyrant.

PROVOST.
A bawd of eleven years' continuance, may it please your honour.

BAWD.
My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me: Mistress
Kate Keepdown was with child by him in the duke's time; he
promised her marriage: his child is a year and a quarter old
come Philip and Jacob; I have kept it myself; and see how he
goes about to abuse me.

ESCALUS.
That fellow is a fellow of much license: - let him be called
before us. - Away with her to prison. Go to; no more words.

[Exeunt BAWD and Officers.]

Provost, my brother Angelo will not be altered, Claudio must die
to-morrow: let him be furnished with divines, and have all
charitable preparation: if my brother wrought by my pity it
should not be so with him.

PROVOST.
So please you, this friar hath been with him, and advised him for
the entertainment of death.

ESCALUS.
Good even, good father.

DUKE.
Bliss and goodness on you!

ESCALUS.
Of whence are you?

DUKE.
Not of this country, though my chance is now
To use it for my time: I am a brother
Of gracious order, late come from the see
In special business from his holiness.

ESCALUS.
What news abroad i' the world?

DUKE.
None, but that there is so great a fever on goodness, that the
dissolution of it must cure it: novelty is only in request; and
as it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of course as it is
virtuous to be constant in any undertaking. There is scarce truth
enough alive to make societies secure; but security enough to
make fellowships accurst: much upon this riddle runs the wisdom
of the world. This news is old enough, yet it is every day's news.
I pray you, sir, of what disposition was the duke?

ESCALUS.
One that, above all other strifes, contended especially to know
himself.

DUKE.
What pleasure was he given to?

ESCALUS.
Rather rejoicing to see another merry, than merry at anything
which professed to make him rejoice: a gentleman of all temperance.
But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove
prosperous; and let me desire to know how you find Claudio
prepared. I am made to understand that you have lent him
visitation.

DUKE.
He professes to have received no sinister measure from his judge,
but most willingly humbles himself to the determination of
justice: yet had he framed to himself, by the instruction of his
frailty, many deceiving promises of life; which I, by my good
leisure, have discredited to him, and now he is resolved to die.

ESCALUS.
You have paid the heavens your function, and the prisoner the
very debt of your calling. I have laboured for the poor gentleman
to the extremest shore of my modesty; but my brother justice have
I found so severe that he hath forced me to tell him he is indeed
- justice.

DUKE.
If his own life answer the straitness of his proceeding, it shall
become him well: wherein if he chance to fail, he hath sentenced
himself.

ESCALUS.
I am going to visit the prisoner.
Fare you well.

DUKE.
Peace be with you!

[Exeunt ESCALUS and PROVOST.]

He who the sword of heaven will bear
Should be as holy as severe;
Pattern in himself to know,
Grace to stand, and virtue go;
More nor less to others paying
Than by self-offences weighing.
Shame to him whose cruel striking
Kills for faults of his own liking!
Twice treble shame on Angelo,
To weed my vice and let his grow!
O, what may man within him hide,
Though angel on the outward side!
How may likeness, made in crimes,
Make a practice on the times,
To draw with idle spiders' strings
Most pond'rous and substantial things!
Craft against vice I must apply;
With Angelo to-night shall lie
His old betrothed but despis'd;
So disguise shall, by the disguis'd,
Pay with falsehood false exacting,
And perform an old contracting.

[Exit.]


Act IV.

Scene I. A Room in Mariana's House.

[MARIANA discovered sitting; a Boy singing.]

SONG
Take, O, take those lips away,
That so sweetly were forsworn;
And those eyes, the break of day,
Lights that do mislead the morn:
But my kisses bring again
Bring again;
Seals of love, but seal'd in vain,
Sealed in vain.

MARIANA.
Break off thy song, and haste thee quick away;
Here comes a man of comfort, whose advice
Hath often still'd my brawling discontent. -

[Exit BOY.]
[Enter DUKE.]

I cry you mercy, sir; and well could wish
You had not found me here so musical:
Let me excuse me, and believe me so,
My mirth it much displeas'd, but pleas'd my woe.

DUKE.
'Tis good: though music oft hath such a charm
To make bad good and good provoke to harm.
I pray you ,tell me hath anybody inquired for me here to-day?
much upon this time have I promised here to meet.

MARIANA.
You have not been inquired after: I have sat here all day.

[Enter ISABELLA.]

DUKE.
I do constantly believe you. - The time is come even now. I shall
crave your forbearance a little: may be I will call upon you anon,
for some advantage to yourself.

MARIANA.
I am always bound to you.

[Exit.]

DUKE.
Very well met, and welcome.
What is the news from this good deputy?

ISABELLA.
He hath a garden circummur'd with brick,
Whose western side is with a vineyard back'd;
And to that vineyard is a planched gate
That makes his opening with this bigger key:
This other doth command a little door
Which from the vineyard to the garden leads;
There have I made my promise to call on him
Upon the heavy middle of the night.

DUKE.
But shall you on your knowledge find this way?

ISABELLA.
I have ta'en a due and wary note upon't;
With whispering and most guilty diligence,
In action all of precept, he did show me
The way twice o'er.

DUKE.
Are there no other tokens
Between you 'greed concerning her observance?

ISABELLA.
No, none, but only a repair i' the dark;
And that I have possess'd him my most stay
Can be but brief: for I have made him know
I have a servant comes with me along,
That stays upon me; whose persuasion is
I come about my brother.

DUKE.
'Tis well borne up.
I have not yet made known to Mariana
A word of this. - What ho, within! come forth.

[Re-enter MARIANA.]

I pray you be acquainted with this maid;
She comes to do you good.

ISABELLA.
I do desire the like.

DUKE.
Do you persuade yourself that I respect you?

MARIANA.
Good friar, I know you do, and have found it.

DUKE.
Take, then, this your companion by the hand,
Who hath a story ready for your ear:
I shall attend your leisure; but make haste;
The vaporous night approaches.

MARIANA.
Will't please you walk aside?

[Exeunt MARIANA and ISABELLA.]

DUKE.
O place and greatness, millions of false eyes
Are stuck upon thee! volumes of report
Run with these false, and most contrarious quest
Upon thy doings! Thousand 'scapes of wit
Make thee the father of their idle dream,
And rack thee in their fancies! - Welcome! how agreed?

[Re-enter MARIANA and ISABELLA.]

ISABELLA.
She'll take the enterprise upon her, father,
If you advise it.

DUKE.
It is not my consent,
But my entreaty too.

ISABELLA.
Little have you to say,
When you depart from him, but, soft and low,
'Remember now my brother.'

MARIANA.
Fear me not.

DUKE.
Nor, gentle daughter, fear you not at all;
He is your husband on a pre-contract:
To bring you thus together 'tis no sin,
Sith that the justice of your title to him
Doth flourish the deceit. Come, let us go;
Our corn's to reap, for yet our tithe's to sow.

[Exeunt.]


SCENE II. A Room in the prison.

[Enter PROVOST and CLOWN.]

PROVOST.
Come hither, sirrah. Can you cut off a man's head?

CLOWN.
If the man be a bachelor, sir, I can: but if he be a married man,
he's his wife's head, and I can never cut off a woman's head.

PROVOST.
Come, sir, leave me your snatches and yield me a direct answer.
To-morrow morning are to die Claudio and Barnardine. Here is in
our prison a common executioner, who in his office lacks a helper;
if you will take it on you to assist him, it shall redeem you from
your gyves; if not, you shall have your full time of imprisonment,
and your deliverance with an unpitied whipping; for you have been
a notorious bawd.

CLOWN.
Sir, I have been an unlawful bawd time out of mind; but yet I
will be content to be a lawful hangman. I would be glad to receive
some instruction from my fellow-partner.

PROVOST.
What ho, Abhorson! Where's Abhorson, there?


[Enter ABHORSON.]

ABHORSON.
Do you call, sir?

PROVOST.
Sirrah, here's a fellow will help you to-morrow in your
execution. If you think it meet, compound with him by the year,
and let him abide here with you; if not, use him for the
present, and dismiss him. He cannot plead his estimation with
you; he hath been a bawd.

ABHORSON.
A bawd, sir? Fie upon him; he will discredit our mystery.

PROVOST.
Go to, sir; you weigh equally; a feather will turn the scale.

[Exit.]

CLOWN.
Pray, sir, by your good favour, - for, surely, sir, a good favour
you have, but that you have a hanging look, - do you call, sir,
your occupation a mystery?

ABHORSON.
Ay, sir; a mystery.

CLOWN.
Painting, sir, I have heard say, is a mystery; and your whores,
sir, being members of my occupation, using painting, do prove
my occupation a mystery: but what mystery there should be in
hanging, if I should be hanged, I cannot imagine.

ABHORSON.
Sir, it is a mystery.

CLOWN.
Proof.

ABHORSON.
Every true man's apparel fits your thief: if it be too little for
your thief, your true man thinks it big enough; if it be too big
for your thief, your thief thinks it little enough; so every true
man's apparel fits your thief.

[Re-enter PROVOST.]

PROVOST.
Are you agreed?

CLOWN.
Sir, I will serve him; for I do find your hangman is a more
penitent