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A room in ANGELO's house.
[Enter ANGELO]
ANGELO
, ,
, ,
,
When I | would pray,| and think,| I think,| and
pray
, ,
x 2
, ,
To seve|ral sub|jects*: heaven | hath* my emp|ty
words,
, ,
, ,
,
Whilst my | invent|ion, hear|ing not | my tongue,
,
, , x
,
Anchors | on Is|abel:| heaven in | my mouth,
, ,
, ,
,
As if | I did | but on|ly chew | his name,
,
, ,
, x
And in | my heart | the strong | and swell|ing evil
, 2 ,
, , ,
2->
Of my con|ception:| the state | whereon | I
stu||died
, ,
, ,
,
Is like | a good | thing, be|ing of|ten read
T T . T 2
, , ,
Grown feared, and ted|ious: yea,| my grav|ity
, ,
, , ,
Wherein | let^no | man hear | me) I / take pride,
, ,
, ,
,
Could I,| with boot,| change for | an id|le plume
, ,
, ,
,
Which the / air beats | for vain:| O place,| O
form,
,
, , ,
x
How of|ten dost | thou with | thy case,| thy
habit,
, ,
, ,
,
Wrench^awe | from fools,| and tie | the wis|er
souls
, ,
, T T
T
To thy / false seem|ing? Blood,| thou art blood,
, ,
, ,
,
Let's^write | good^ang|el on | the dev|il's horn
, ,
, , ,
'Tis not | the dev|il's crest:| How* now?| Who's^there?
[Enter a Servant]
SERVANT
, , ,
, , , ,
->
One^Is|abel,| a sis|ter, de/sires ac||cess to |
you.
ANGELO
,
T T
Tx
Teach / her the | way: oh, heavens
,
, , ,
,
Why does | my blood | thus must|er to | my heart,
,
, , ,
,
Making | both^it | unab|le for | itself,
, ,
, ,
,
And dis|posses|sing all | my oth|er parts
, ,
,
Of nec|essar|y fit|ness? \\
, ,
, , ,
So play | the fool|ish throngs | with one | that
swoons,
, ,
, , ,
Come^all | to help | him, and / so stop | the air
, ,
, ,
,
By which | he should | revive:| and ev|en so
,
, , 2 T
T T
The gene|ral sub|ject to a | well-wished king
,
T T T 2
, 2 ,
->
Quit their | own part, and | in obse|quious
fond||ness
,
2 , , , ,
Crowd | to his pres|ence, where their // untaught
love
,
, , ,
,
Must^needs | appear | offense:| how* now | fair* maid.
[Enter ISABELLA]
ISABELLA
, ,
, ,
oo
I am | come to | know your | pleasure.|
ANGELO
, x ,
, ,
That you / might know it,| would much | better
| please me
, ,
, , ,
, ->
Than to | demand | what 'tis:| Your broth|er
can||not live.
ISABELLA
Tx T Tx , ,
Even so: heaven | keep your | honor.
ANGELO
, ,
, , ,
Yet may | he live | awhile:| and it | may be
,
, ,
, ,
As long | as you,| or I:| yet^he | must die.
ISABELLA
, ,
Under | your sent|ence?
ANGELO
,
Yea. \\
ISABELLA
,
, ,
, ,
When, I | beseech | you: that | in his | reprieve
,
, ,
, x
(Longer,| or short|er) he | may be | so fitted
, ,
,
That his / soul sick|en not. \\
ANGELO
T T T ,
, 3 3
,
Ha? Fie, these | filthy | vices:| It were as
good
, , ,
,
x
To pard|on him,| that hath | from na|ture
stolen
, , ,
,
,
A man | alread|y made,| as to | remit
, ,
,
, ,
Their saucy sweetness, that do coin heaven's image
????
, ,
, x
,
In stamps | that are | forbid:| 'tis all as | easy,
, , ,
. T T T
Falsely | to take | away | a life true made,
,
, , ,
,
As to / put met|al in | restrain|ed means
,
,
___
To make | a false | one. \\
ISABELLA
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x , ,
'Tis set | down so | in heaven,| but not | in earth.
ANGELO
,
, ,
, ,
Say you | so: then | I shall | pose you | quickly.
,
, ,
, ,
Which had | you rath|er, that the // most just
law
, ,
, , 2 ,
Now* took | your broth|er's life,| or to re|deem
him
, 2 , ,
,
Give^up | your bo|dy to such | sweet un|cleanness
, ,
,
As she | that he | hath stained?
ISABELLA
, ,
Sir, be|lieve this.
2 ,
, ,
, ,
I had rath|er give | my bo|dy, than | my soul.
ANGELO
, ,
, , ,
I talk | not of | your soul:| our com/pelled sins
, ,
,
,
Stand more for number, than for accompt.
ISABELLA
,
How say you? ????
ANGELO
,
, ,
, ,
Nay I'll | not war|rant that:| for I | can speak
, ,
, , ,
Against | the thing | I say:| answer | to this,
T T . T
, , ,
I |(now the voice | of the | recor|ded law)
, , , , ,
Pronounce | a sent|ence on | your broth|er's
life,
,
, , ,
,
Might^there | not^be | a char|ity | in sin,
, ,
,
To save | this broth|er's life?
ISABELLA
,
x
Please you | to do it,
, ,
, ,
,
I'll take | it as | a per|il to | my soul,
,
, ,
, ,
It is | no sin | at all,| but char|ity.
ANGELO
,
x , ,
,
Pleased you | to do it | at per|il of | your soul
,
, ,
, ,
Were e|qual poise | of sin,| and char|ity.
ISABELLA
, ,
, ,
,
That I | do beg | his life,| if it | be sin
x
x ,
, ,
Heaven let | me bear it:| you grant|ing of | my
suit,
, ,
, ,
x
If that | be sin,| I'll make | it my / morn
prayer,
, ,
, ,
,
To have | it ad|ded to | the faults | of mine,
, ,
2
,
And noth/ing of your | answer.
ANGELO
,
,
Nay, but | hear me.
, , , , ,
,
Your sense pursues not mine: either you
are ignorant, ????
, , ,
. T T T
Or seem | so* craf|tily;| and that's not good.
ISABELLA
, 2
, ,
, ,
Let me be | ignor|ant, and | in noth|ing good,
,
, , ,
x
But gra|ciously | to know | I am | no better.
ANGELO
, ,
, , ,
Thus wis|dom wish|es to ap//pear most bright,
,
, ,
, ,
When it | doth tax | itself:| as these / black
masks
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Proclaim | an enshield | beauty | ten
times^|louder
, ,
, ,
o
Than beaut|y could | displayed.| But mark | me,
, ,
, T
T T
To be | received | plain, I'll | speak more gross:
, , ,
Your broth|er is | to die.
ISABELLA
__ oo
So.|
ANGELO
, ,
, , ,
And his | offense | is so,| as it | appears,
, , ,
, ,
Accoun|tant to | the law,| upon | that pain.
ISABELLA
__
True. \\
ANGELO
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, ,
Admit | no oth|er way | to save | his life
, 2
, ,
, ,
(As I sub|scribe not | that, nor | any | other,
, 2
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2 ,
,
But in the | loss of | question) that | you, his
| sister,
, 2
, ,
, ,
Finding your|self de|sired of | such a | person,
, ,
2 , T
T T
Whose cred/it with the | judge, or | own great place,
, ,
, ,
,
Could fetch | your broth|er from | the man|acles
, ,
, , ,
Of the / all-build|ing law:| and that | there
were
,
, ,
, ,
2->
No^earth|ly mean | to save | him, but | that
eith|er
, , , 2 , ,
You must | lay down | the treas|ures of your
| body,
, ,
, , x
To this | supposed,| or else | to let | him suffer:
T T
T __
What would you | do? \\
ISABELLA
, , , ,
,
As much | for my / poor broth|er, as | myself;
, ,
, ,
,
That is:| were I | under | the terms | of death,
2 ,
2 , ,
, ,
The impres|sion of keen | whips, I'd | wear as |
rubies,
,
, , ,
,
And strip | myself | to death,| as to | a bed,
,
, , ,
,
That long|ing have | been sick | for, ere | I'd
yield
, , ,
My bo|dy up | to shame.
ANGELO
, ,
,
Then must | your broth|er die. (tri with
prev)
ISABELLA
, ,
,
And twere | the chea|per way: (tri again)
,
, ,
, ,
Better | it were | a broth|er died | at once,
,
, ,
, ,
Than that | a sis|ter, by | redee|ming him
,
x
Should die | for ever. \\
ANGELO
, , , ,
,
Were not | you then | as cruel | as the |
sentence,
, ,
,
That you | have sland|ered so? \\
ISABELLA
, , ,
, ,
Igno|my in | ransom,| and free | pardon
, ,
, ,
Are of two houses: lawful mercy, ????
, ,
, , ,
Is noth|ing kin | to foul | redemp|tion.
ANGELO
, ,
, ,
x
You seemed | of late | to make | the law | a tyrant,
??
, ,
, , , 2->
And rath|er proved | the sli|ding of | your
broth||er
, ,
2 ,
A mer|riment,| than a vice. \\
ISABELLA
, ,
, ,
,
Oh pard|on me | my lord,| it oft | falls^out
, , ,
To have,| what we | would have,
, , ,
We speak | not what | we mean;
(trimeter with prev)
, ,
, ,
,
I some|thing do | excuse | the thing | I hate,
,
, ,
, ,
For his | advant|age that | I dear|ly love.
ANGELO
, ,
We are / all frail.
ISABELLA
, ,
,
Else^let | my broth|er die,
, ,
, , ,
If not | a fed|ary | but on|ly he
, ,
, o
Owe, and | succeed | thy weak|ness.
ANGELO
___ ,
, ___
Nay,| women | are frail | too. (tetra with prev)
ISABELLA
,
, ,
, ,
Aye, as | the glas|ses where | they view |
themselves,
, 2 ,
, T T T
Which are as | easy | broke as | they make forms:
Tx T
Tx ,
, ,
Women? Help heaven;| men their | creat|ion mar
, 2 ,
, 2 ,
,
In prof|iting by | them: nay,| call us ten |
times*^frail;
,
, , ,
,
For we | are soft,| as our | complex|ions are,
, 2
, ,
And cred|ulous to / false prints.
ANGELO
, ,
I think | it well:
, , ,
2 , ,
And from | this tes|timo|ny of your / own sex
, 2 ,
2 , ,
,
(Since I sup|pose we are | made to | be no |
stronger
,
, , ,
,
Than faults | may shake | our frames)| let* me |
be bold;
, ,
, ,
,
I do | arrest | your words.| Be that | you are,
, ,
, 2 , ,
That is | a wom|an; if | you be more,| you're
none.
,
, , ,
,
If you | be one |(as you | are well | expressed
,
, , ,
,
By all | exter|nal war|rants) show | it now,
,
, ,
, ,
By put|ting on | the dest|ined liv|ery.
ISABELLA
, , ,
, ,
I have | no tongue | but one:| gentle | my lord,
, 2
, , ,
,
Let me en|treat you | speak the | former |
language.
ANGELO
,
, ,
o
Plainly | conceive | I love | you.
ISABELLA
, , , ,
My broth|er did | love^Jul|iet, (tetra with
prev)
, ,
, , ,
And you | tell me | that he | shall die | for it.
ANGELO
, ,
2 , ,
,
He shall / not Is|abel* if | you give | me love.
ISABELLA
, , ,
, x
I know | your vir|tue hath | a li|cence in it,
, , , ,
,
Which seems | a lit|tle foul|er than | it is,
,
,
To pluck | on oth|ers. \\
ANGELO
,
, ,
Believe | me on | mine^ho|nor, \\
, ,
,
My words | express | my pur|pose. \\
ISABELLA
T Tx T
, ,
,
Ha? Little hon|or, to | be much | believed,
, ,
, , ,
->
And most | perni|cious pur|pose: seem|ing,
seem||ing.
, 2
, , , ,
2
I | will proclaim | thee, Ang|elo, | look for it.
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Sign me a | present | pardon | for my | brother,
, 2
T T T
, ,
, ->
Or with an | outstretched throat | I'll tell | the world ||
aloud
T T T ___
oo
What man thou | art.|
ANGELO
,
, , ,
Who will | believe | thee Is|abel?
<- , , , ,
, ,
My un||soiled | name, the | austere|ness of
| my life,
, ,
, ,
2 ,
My vouch | against | you, and | my place | in the
state,
, ,
, , ,
Will so | your ac|cusa|tion ov|erweigh,
, ,
, ,
,
That you | shall stif|le in | your own | report,
,
, , ,
,
And smell | of cal|umny.| I have | begun,
,
, , 2
, ,
And now | I give | my sens|ual race | the rein:
,
, . T T T ,
Fit thy | consent | to my sharp ap|petite,
, , , 2
, ,
Lay* by | all nice/ty, and pro|lixious | blushes
, , ,
,
That banish what they sue for: redeem thy brother,
????
, ,
, , ,
By yield|ing up | thy bo|dy to | my will,
,
, ,
, ,
Or else | he must | not on|ly die | the death,
,
, ,
, ,
But thy | unkind|ness shall | his death |
draw^out
, 2
, 2 , ,
, ->
To ling|ering suf|ferance: ans|wer me | tomor||row,
, 3 3
, ,
, ,
Or | by the affec|tion that / now guides | me
most,
,
, ,
, ,
I'll prove | a ty|rant to | him. As | for you,
,
, ,
, ,
Say what | you can;| my false,| oreweighs | your
true.
[Exit]
ISABELLA
, ,
, ,
,
To whom | should I | complain?| Did I | tell
this,
,
, , ,
,
Who would | believe | me? O | peri|lous mouths
,
, , 2 T
T T
That bear | in them,| one and the | self-same
tongue,
, ,
, ,
,
Either | of con|demna|tion, or | approof,
,
, , , ,
Bidding | the law | make curt|sey to | their
will:
,
, ,
2 , ,
Hooking | both^right | and wrong | to the
ap|petite,
,
, , ,
, ->
To fol|low as | it draws.| I'll to | my broth||er,
,
2 x ,
, ,
Though | he hath fallen | by promp|ture of | the
blood,
, 2
, ,
, ,
Yet hath he | in him | such a | mind of | honor,
,
, , ,
,
That had | he twen|ty heads | to tend|er down
,
, , ,
,
On twen|ty bloo|dy blocks,| he'd yield | them up,
,
, ,
, ,
Before | his sis|ter should | her bo|dy stoop
,
, , ,
oo
To such | abhorred | pollu|tion.|
, . T T T ,
,
Then Is||abel live chaste,| and broth|er
die;
,
, , ,
,
More than | our broth|er, is | our chast|ity.
,
, , ,
,
I'll tell | him yet | of Ang|elo's | request,
, ,
, , ,
And fit | his mind | to death,| for his / soul's rest.
[Exit]