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Measure for Measure

Act I, Scene 1

An apartment in the DUKE'S palace.
 
[Enter DUKE VINCENTIO, ESCALUS, Lords and Attendants]
 
DUKE VINCENTIO
Escalus.
 
ESCALUS
My lord.
 
DUKE VINCENTIO
          ,       ,          ,      ,      2    ,
      Of gov|ernment,| the prop|erties | to unfold,
              ,        ,     2    ,       T    .   T    T
      Would seem | in me | to affect | speech and discourse,
            ,       ,         ,        2      ,     ,
      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
            ,     ,     2     ,    2      2       ,          x
      But that,| to your suf|ficiency,| as your worth | is able,
           ,           ,         ,       ,            x
      And let | them work:| the na|ture of | our | people,
           ,        ,    ,         ,          ,
      Our ci|ty's inst|itu|tions, and | the terms
           ,        ,          ,          ,        ,
      For com|mon just|ice, you're | as preg|nant in
          ,          ,          ,         ,     ,
      As art,| and prac|tice, hath | enriched | any
        ,    2    ,         ,         ,       ,
      That we re|member:| there is | our com|mission,
             ,       2       ,      ,          ,           ,
      From which,| we would not | have you | warp; call*| hither,
         ,          ,        ,        ,    ,
      I say,| bid come | before | us Ang|elo:
            ,       ,        ,           ,          ,
      What fig|ure of | us think | you, he | will bear.
           ,           ,         ,          ,         ,
      For you | must know,| we have | with spe|cial soul
        ,       ,         ,        ,       ,
      Elect|ed him | our ab|sence to | supply;
        ,             ,          ,            ,          ,
      Lent him | our ter|ror, dressed | him with | our love,
            x          ,    ,       ,         ,      ->
      And given | his dep|uta|tion all | the org||ans
        2       ,   ,        ,      ,          ,
      Of our / own pow|er: what | think you | of it?
 
ESCALUS
          ,    ,      ,     ,        ,
      If an|y in | Vien|na be | of worth
          ,     ,         ,       ,          ,      ->
      To und|ergo | such^amp|le grace,| and hon||or,
       ,     2      ,    ,
      It | is Lord^Ang|elo.
 
DUKE VINCENTIO
                              ,               ,
                            Look where | he comes.
 
[Enter ANGELO]
 
ANGELO
       ,         ,   2    ,          ,        ,
      Always | obed|ient to | your grace|'s will,
          ,         ,           ,
      I come | to know | your pleas|ure.
 
DUKE VINCENTIO
                                         ,    ,
                                        Ang|elo:
             ,       ,         ,    2    ,         ,
      There is | a kind | of char|acter in | thy life,
            ,      2   ,         ,          ,    ,
      That to | the observ|er, doth | thy hist|ory
       ,          ,         ,         ,        ,       2->
      Fully | unfold:| thyself,| and thy | belong||ings
           ,           ,         ,       ,        ,
      Are not | thine^own | so prop|er, as | to waste
           ,      ,         ,          ,         ,
      Thyself | upon | thy vir|tues; they | on thee:
         Tx    T     Tx         ,          ,       ,
      Heaven doth with us,| as we,| with torch|es do,  ??
            ,           ,           ,      ,    2       ,
      Not light | them for | themselves:| for if our | virtues
           ,         ,         ,           ,       ,
      Did not | go forth | of us,| twere^all | alike
          ,       ,          ,       x                ,        ,
      As if | we had | them not:| Spirits are | not fine|ly touched, ????
         2     ,     ,            ,       ,       ,
      But to fine | issues:| nor na|ture nev|er lends
            ,         ,       ,        ,      ,
      The smal|lest scrup|le of | her ex|cellence,
       ,      2      ,        ,         ,      ,
      But like^a | thrifty | goddess,| she de|termines
           ,         ,      ,      ,     ,
      Herself | the glo|ry of | a cred|itor,
              ,          ,        ,        ,          ,
      Both^thanks,| and use;| but I | do bend | my speech
          ,          ,         ,      2     ,      ,
      To one | that can | my part | in him ad|vertise;
        T    T    T     ,   __
      Hold therefore | Ange|lo:   ??  \\
          ,        ,         ,         ,         ,
      In our | remove,| be thou | at full,| ourself:
          ,    ,        ,      ,     ,     ->
      Morta|lity | and mer|cy in | Vien||na
        ,      2       ,           ,          ,    ,
      Live | in thy tongue,| and heart:| old^Esc|alus
               ,          ,         ,        ,      x
      Though first | in ques|tion, is | thy sec|ondary.
        ,            ,     ,
      Take thy | commis|sion.
 
ANGELO
                                   ,         ,
                             Now good | my lord
            ,                 ,    ,      ,             x
      Let there | be some / more test,| made of | my mettle,
          ,        ,       ,         ,        ,      2->
      Before | so nob|le, and | so great | a fig||ure
            ,         ,
      Be stamped | upon | it.
 
DUKE VINCENTIO
                               ,     ,     ,
                              No | more e|vasion:
           ,        2    ,         ,        ,        ,
      We have | with a leav|ened, and | prepar|ed choice
          ,     2    ,      ,           ,          ,
      Procee|ded to you;| therefore | take your | honors:
            ,            ,       2    ,     ,        ,
      Our haste | from hence | is of so | quick con|dition,
        ,    2      ,       ,            ,        ,
      That it pre|fers it|self, and | leaves un|questioned
       ,     2       ,        ,       ,           ,     2
      Matters of | needful | value:| We shall | write to you
           ,         ,        ,       2       ,      ,
      As time,| and our | concern|ings shall^im|portune,
       ,         ,              ,         ,         ,
      How it | goes with | us, and | do look | to know
             ,        ,          ,         ,          ,
      What doth | befall | you here.| So fare | you well:
        2      ,       ,   ,       ,       ,         ->
      To the hope|ful ex|ecu|tion do | I leave | you,
       ,       2    ,
      Of | your commis|sions.
 
ANGELO
                               ,           ,          ,
                              Yet | give leave |(my lord)
            ,         ,           ,         ,        ,
      That we | may bring | you some|thing on | the way.
 
DUKE VINCENTIO
           ,          ,       ,
      My haste | may not | admit | it,   \\
            ,          ,         ,        ,        ,
      Nor need | you (on | mine^hon|or) have | to do
            ,       x            ,         ,         ,
      With an|y scruple:| your scope | is as | mine^own,
       ,          ,         ,     ,         ,
      So to | enforce,| or qual|ify | the laws
       ,   2         T    T     T      ,              ,
      As to your | soul seems good:| Give me | your hand,
             ,    ,     ,        ,           x
      I'll priv|ily | away:| I love | the people,
           ,         ,         ,         ,           ,
      But do | not like | to stage | me to | their eyes:
         ,             ,       ,        ,        ,
      Though it | do well,| I do | not rel|ish well
              ,         ,          ,     ,     ,
      Their loud | applause,| and Av|es ve|hement;
       ,    2      ,          ,         ,       ,
      Nor do I | think the | man of | safe dis|cretion
             ,        ,          ,            ,          ,
      That does | affect | it. Once | more* fare | you well.
 
ANGELO
            ,        ,      ,        2      ,     ,
      The heav|ens give | safety | to your pur|poses.
 
ESCALUS
        T    T     .    T           ,        ,      ,
      Lead forth, and bring | you back | in hap|piness.
 
DUKE VINCENTIO
          ,            ,          ,
      I thank | you, fare | you well.  \\
 
[Exit]
 
ESCALUS
          ,         ,          ,         ,         ,
      I shall | desire | you, sir,| to give | me leave
           ,      ,     ,                 ,    2      ,
      To have | free speech / with you;| and it con|cerns me
           ,       ,        ,       ,        ,
      To look | into | the bot|tom of | my place:
          x         ,               ,      ,           ,       o ->
      A power | I have,| but of / what strength | and na||ture,
              ,   ,        ,        o
      I am / not yet | instruc|ted.
 
ANGELO
            ,         ,    ,    2       ,      ,
      'Tis so | with me:| let us with|draw to|gether,
           ,         ,         ,     ,         ,
      And we | may soon | our sat|isfac|tion have
        ,     2         ,
      Touching that | point.
 
ESCALUS
                                     ,     ,          ,
                            I'll | wait u|pon your | honor.
 
[Exeunt]

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