2 The miserable have no other medicine 3 But only hope: 4 I've hope to live, and am prepared to die.
DUKE VINCENTIO
5 Be absolute for death; either death or life 6 Shall thereby be the sweeter. Reason thus with life: 7 If I do lose thee, I do lose a thing 8 That none but fools would keep: a breath thou art, 9 Servile to all the skyey influences, 10 That dost this habitation, where thou keep'st, 11 Hourly afflict: merely, thou art death's fool; 12 For him thou labour'st by thy flight to shun 13 And yet runn'st toward him still. Thou art not noble; 14 For all the accommodations that thou bear'st 15 Are nursed by baseness. Thou'rt by no means valiant; 16 For thou dost fear the soft and tender fork 17 Of a poor worm. Thy best of rest is sleep, 18 And that thou oft provokest; yet grossly fear'st 19 Thy death, which is no more. Thou art not thyself; 20 For thou exist'st on many a thousand grains 21 That issue out of dust. Happy thou art not; 22 For what thou hast not, still thou strivest to get, 23 And what thou hast, forget'st. Thou art not certain; 24 For thy complexion shifts to strange effects, 25 After the moon. If thou art rich, thou'rt poor; 26 For, like an ass whose back with ingots bows, 27 Thou bear's thy heavy riches but a journey, 28 And death unloads thee. Friend hast thou none; 29 For thine own bowels, which do call thee sire, 30 The mere effusion of thy proper loins, 31 Do curse the gout, serpigo, and the rheum, 32 For ending thee no sooner. Thou hast nor youth nor age, 33 But, as it were, an after-dinner's sleep, 34 Dreaming on both; for all thy blessed youth 35 Becomes as aged, and doth beg the alms 36 Of palsied eld; and when thou art old and rich, 37 Thou hast neither heat, affection, limb, nor beauty, 38 To make thy riches pleasant. What's yet in this 39 That bears the name of life? Yet in this life 40 Lie hid moe thousand deaths: yet death we fear, 41 That makes these odds all even.
CLAUDIO
42 I humbly thank you. 43 To sue to live, I find I seek to die; 44 And, seeking death, find life: let it come on.
ISABELLA
Within 45 What, ho! Peace here; grace and good company!
Provost
46 Who's there? come in: the wish deserves a welcome.
DUKE VINCENTIO
47 Dear sir, ere long I'll visit you again.
CLAUDIO
48 Most holy sir, I thank you.
Enter ISABELLA
ISABELLA
49 My business is a word or two with Claudio.
Provost
50 And very welcome. Look, signior, here's your sister.
DUKE VINCENTIO
51 Provost, a word with you.
Provost
52 As many as you please.
DUKE VINCENTIO
53 Bring me to hear them speak, where I may be concealed.
Exeunt DUKE VINCENTIO and Provost
CLAUDIO
54 Now, sister, what's the comfort?
ISABELLA
55 Why, 56 As all comforts are; most good, most good indeed. 57 Lord Angelo, having affairs to heaven, 58 Intends you for his swift ambassador, 59 Where you shall be an everlasting leiger: 60 Therefore your best appointment make with speed; 61 To-morrow you set on.
CLAUDIO
62 Is there no remedy?
ISABELLA
63 None, but such remedy as, to save a head, 64 To cleave a heart in twain.
CLAUDIO
65 But is there any?
ISABELLA
66 Yes, brother, you may live: 67 There is a devilish mercy in the judge, 68 If you'll implore it, that will free your life, 69 But fetter you till death.
CLAUDIO
70 Perpetual durance?
ISABELLA
71 Ay, just; perpetual durance, a restraint, 72 Though all the world's vastidity you had, 73 To a determined scope.
CLAUDIO
74 But in what nature?
ISABELLA
75 In such a one as, you consenting to't, 76 Would bark your honour from that trunk you bear, 77 And leave you naked.
CLAUDIO
78 Let me know the point.
ISABELLA
79 O, I do fear thee, Claudio; and I quake, 80 Lest thou a feverous life shouldst entertain, 81 And six or seven winters more respect 82 Than a perpetual honour. Darest thou die? 83 The sense of death is most in apprehension; 84 And the poor beetle, that we tread upon, 85 In corporal sufferance finds a pang as great 86 As when a giant dies.
CLAUDIO
87 Why give you me this shame? 88 Think you I can a resolution fetch 89 From flowery tenderness? If I must die, 90 I will encounter darkness as a bride, 91 And hug it in mine arms.
ISABELLA
92 There spake my brother; there my father's grave 93 Did utter forth a voice. Yes, thou must die: 94 Thou art too noble to conserve a life 95 In base appliances. This outward-sainted deputy, 96 Whose settled visage and deliberate word 97 Nips youth i' the head and follies doth emmew 98 As falcon doth the fowl, is yet a devil 99 His filth within being cast, he would appear 100 A pond as deep as hell.
CLAUDIO
101 The prenzie Angelo!
ISABELLA
102 O, 'tis the cunning livery of hell, 103 The damned'st body to invest and cover 104 In prenzie guards! Dost thou think, Claudio? 105 If I would yield him my virginity, 106 Thou mightst be freed.
CLAUDIO
107 O heavens! it cannot be.
ISABELLA
108 Yes, he would give't thee, from this rank offence, 109 So to offend him still. This night's the time 110 That I should do what I abhor to name, 111 Or else thou diest to-morrow.
CLAUDIO
112 Thou shalt not do't.
ISABELLA
113 O, were it but my life, 114 I'ld throw it down for your deliverance 115 As frankly as a pin.
CLAUDIO
116 Thanks, dear Isabel.
ISABELLA
117 Be ready, Claudio, for your death tomorrow.
CLAUDIO
118 Yes. Has he affections in him, 119 That thus can make him bite the law by the nose, 120 When he would force it? Sure, it is no sin, 121 Or of the deadly seven, it is the least.
ISABELLA
122 Which is the least?
CLAUDIO
123 If it were damnable, he being so wise, 124 Why would he for the momentary trick 125 Be perdurably fined? O Isabel!
ISABELLA
126 What says my brother?
CLAUDIO
127 Death is a fearful thing.
ISABELLA
128 And shamed life a hateful.
CLAUDIO
129 Ay, but to die, and go we know not where; 130 To lie in cold obstruction and to rot; 131 This sensible warm motion to become 132 A kneaded clod; and the delighted spirit 133 To bathe in fiery floods, or to reside 134 In thrilling region of thick-ribbed ice; 135 To be imprison'd in the viewless winds, 136 And blown with restless violence round about 137 The pendent world; or to be worse than worst 138 Of those that lawless and incertain thought 139 Imagine howling: 'tis too horrible! 140 The weariest and most loathed worldly life 141 That age, ache, penury and imprisonment 142 Can lay on nature is a paradise 143 To what we fear of death.
ISABELLA
144 Alas, alas!
CLAUDIO
145 Sweet sister, let me live: 146 What sin you do to save a brother's life, 147 Nature dispenses with the deed so far 148 That it becomes a virtue.
ISABELLA
149 O you beast! 150 O faithless coward! O dishonest wretch! 151 Wilt thou be made a man out of my vice? 152 Is't not a kind of incest, to take life 153 From thine own sister's shame? What should I think? 154 Heaven shield my mother play'd my father fair! 155 For such a warped slip of wilderness 156 Ne'er issued from his blood. Take my defiance! 157 Die, perish! Might but my bending down 158 Reprieve thee from thy fate, it should proceed: 159 I'll pray a thousand prayers for thy death, 160 No word to save thee.
CLAUDIO
161 Nay, hear me, Isabel.
ISABELLA
162 O, fie, fie, fie! 163 Thy sin's not accidental, but a trade. 164 Mercy to thee would prove itself a bawd: 165 'Tis best thou diest quickly.
CLAUDIO
166 O hear me, Isabella!
Re-enter DUKE VINCENTIO
DUKE VINCENTIO
167 Vouchsafe a word, young sister, but one word.
ISABELLA
168 What is your will?
DUKE VINCENTIO
169 Might you dispense with your leisure, I would by and 170 by have some speech with you: the satisfaction I 171 would require is likewise your own benefit.
ISABELLA
172 I have no superfluous leisure; my stay must be 173 stolen out of other affairs; but I will attend you awhile.
Walks apart
DUKE VINCENTIO
174 Son, I have overheard what hath passed between you 175 and your sister. Angelo had never the purpose to 176 corrupt her; only he hath made an essay of her 177 virtue to practise his judgment with the disposition 178 of natures: she, having the truth of honour in her, 179 hath made him that gracious denial which he is most 180 glad to receive. I am confessor to Angelo, and I 181 know this to be true; therefore prepare yourself to 182 death: do not satisfy your resolution with hopes 183 that are fallible: tomorrow you must die; go to 184 your knees and make ready.
CLAUDIO
185 Let me ask my sister pardon. I am so out of love 186 with life that I will sue to be rid of it.
DUKE VINCENTIO
187 Hold you there: farewell. Exit CLAUDIO 188 Provost, a word with you!
Re-enter Provost
Provost
189 What's your will, father
DUKE VINCENTIO
190 That now you are come, you will be gone. Leave me 191 awhile with the maid: my mind promises with my 192 habit no loss shall touch her by my company.
Provost
193 In good time.
Exit Provost. ISABELLA comes forward
DUKE VINCENTIO
194 The hand that hath made you fair hath made you good: 195 the goodness that is cheap in beauty makes beauty 196 brief in goodness; but grace, being the soul of 197 your complexion, shall keep the body of it ever 198 fair. The assault that Angelo hath made to you, 199 fortune hath conveyed to my understanding; and, but 200 that frailty hath examples for his falling, I should 201 wonder at Angelo. How will you do to content this 202 substitute, and to save your brother?
ISABELLA
203 I am now going to resolve him: I had rather my 204 brother die by the law than my son should be 205 unlawfully born. But, O, how much is the good duke 206 deceived in Angelo! If ever he return and I can 207 speak to him, I will open my lips in vain, or 208 discover his government.
DUKE VINCENTIO
209 That shall not be much amiss: Yet, as the matter 210 now stands, he will avoid your accusation; he made 211 trial of you only. Therefore fasten your ear on my 212 advisings: to the love I have in doing good a 213 remedy presents itself. I do make myself believe 214 that you may most uprighteously do a poor wronged 215 lady a merited benefit; redeem your brother from 216 the angry law; do no stain to your own gracious 217 person; and much please the absent duke, if 218 peradventure he shall ever return to have hearing of 219 this business.
ISABELLA
220 Let me hear you speak farther. I have spirit to do 221 anything that appears not foul in the truth of my spirit.
DUKE VINCENTIO
222 Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful. Have 223 you not heard speak of Mariana, the sister of 224 Frederick the great soldier who miscarried at sea?
ISABELLA
225 I have heard of the lady, and good words went with her name.
DUKE VINCENTIO
226 She should this Angelo have married; was affianced 227 to her by oath, and the nuptial appointed: between 228 which time of the contract and limit of the 229 solemnity, her brother Frederick was wrecked at sea, 230 having in that perished vessel the dowry of his 231 sister. But mark how heavily this befell to the 232 poor gentlewoman: there she lost a noble and 233 renowned brother, in his love toward her ever most 234 kind and natural; with him, the portion and sinew of 235 her fortune, her marriage-dowry; with both, her 236 combinate husband, this well-seeming Angelo.
ISABELLA
237 Can this be so? did Angelo so leave her?
DUKE VINCENTIO
238 Left her in her tears, and dried not one of them 239 with his comfort; swallowed his vows whole, 240 pretending in her discoveries of dishonour: in few, 241 bestowed her on her own lamentation, which she yet 242 wears for his sake; and he, a marble to her tears, 243 is washed with them, but relents not.
ISABELLA
244 What a merit were it in death to take this poor maid 245 from the world! What corruption in this life, that 246 it will let this man live! But how out of this can she avail?
DUKE VINCENTIO
247 It is a rupture that you may easily heal: and the 248 cure of it not only saves your brother, but keeps 249 you from dishonour in doing it.
ISABELLA
250 Show me how, good father.
DUKE VINCENTIO
251 This forenamed maid hath yet in her the continuance 252 of her first affection: his unjust unkindness, that 253 in all reason should have quenched her love, hath, 254 like an impediment in the current, made it more 255 violent and unruly. Go you to Angelo; answer his 256 requiring with a plausible obedience; agree with 257 his demands to the point; only refer yourself to 258 this advantage, first, that your stay with him may 259 not be long; that the time may have all shadow and 260 silence in it; and the place answer to convenience. 261 This being granted in course,--and now follows 262 all,--we shall advise this wronged maid to stead up 263 your appointment, go in your place; if the encounter 264 acknowledge itself hereafter, it may compel him to 265 her recompense: and here, by this, is your brother 266 saved, your honour untainted, the poor Mariana 267 advantaged, and the corrupt deputy scaled. The maid 268 will I frame and make fit for his attempt. If you 269 think well to carry this as you may, the doubleness 270 of the benefit defends the deceit from reproof. 271 What think you of it?
ISABELLA
272 The image of it gives me content already; and I 273 trust it will grow to a most prosperous perfection.
DUKE VINCENTIO
274 It lies much in your holding up. Haste you speedily 275 to Angelo: if for this night he entreat you to his 276 bed, give him promise of satisfaction. I will 277 presently to Saint Luke's: there, at the moated 278 grange, resides this dejected Mariana. At that 279 place call upon me; and dispatch with Angelo, that 280 it may be quickly.
ISABELLA
281 I thank you for this comfort. Fare you well, good father.