MISTRESS OVERDONE What’s to do here, Thomas Tapster?

Let’s withdraw!

Enter the Provost, Claudio, Juliet, and officers; Lucio and the two Gentlemen

POMPEY Here comes Signor Claudio, led by the Provost to prison; and there’s Madame Juliet.

Exeunt Mistress Overdone and Pompey

CLAUDIO (to the Provost)

Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to th’ world?

Bear me to prison, where I am committed.

PROVOST

I do it not in evil disposition,

But from Lord Angelo by special charge.

CLAUDIO

Thus can the demigod Authority

Make us pay down for our offence, by weight,

The bonds of heaven. On whom it will, it will;

On whom it will not, so; yet still ’tis just.

LUCIO

Why, how now, Claudio? Whence comes this

restraint?

CLAUDIO

From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty.

As surfeit is the father of much fast,

So every scope, by the immoderate use,

Turns to restraint. Our natures do pursue,

Like rats that raven down their proper bane,

A thirsty evil; and when we drink, we die.

LUCIO If I could speak so wisely under an arrest, I would send for certain of my creditors. And yet, to say the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom as the morality of imprisonment. What’s thy offence, Claudio?

CLAUDIO

What but to speak of would offend again.

LUCIO

What, is’t murder?

CLAUDIO

No.

LUCIO

Lechery?

CLAUDIO Call it so.

PROVOST Away, sir; you must go.

CLAUDIO

One word, good friend.

⌈The Provost shows assent⌉

Lucio, a word with you.

LUCIO A hundred, if they’ll do you any good.

⌈Claudio and Lucio speak apart⌉

Is lechery so looked after?

CLAUDIO

Thus stands it with me. Upon a true contract,

I got possession of Julietta’s bed.

You know the lady; she is fast my wife,

Save that we do the denunciation lack

Of outward order. This we came not to

Only for propagation of a dower

Remaining in the coffer of her friends,

From whom we thought it meet to hide our love

Till time had made them for us. But it chances

The stealth of our most mutual entertainment

With character too gross is writ on Juliet.

LUCIO

With child, perhaps?

CLAUDIO

Unhapp’ly even so.

And the new deputy now for the Duke—

Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness,

Or whether that the body public be

A horse whereon the governor doth ride,

Who, newly in the seat, that it may know

He can command, lets it straight feel the spur—

Whether the tyranny be in his place,

Or in his eminence that fills it up—

I stagger in. But this new governor

Awakes me all the enrolled penalties

Which have, like unscoured armour, hung by th’ wall

So long that fourteen zodiacs have gone round,

And none of them been worn; and, for a name,

Now puts the drowsy and neglected act

Freshly on me. ’Tis surely for a name.

LUCIO I warrant it is; and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders that a milkmaid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the Duke, and appeal to him.

CLAUDIO

I have done so, but he’s not to be found.

I prithee, Lucio, do me this kind service.

This day my sister should the cloister enter,

And there receive her approbation.

Acquaint her with the danger of my state.

Implore her in my voice that she make friends

To the strict deputy. Bid herself assay him.

I have great hope in that, for in her youth

There is a prone and speechless dialect

Such as move men; beside, she hath prosperous art

When she will play with reason and discourse,

And well she can persuade.

LUCIO I pray she may—as well for the encouragement of thy like, which else would stand under grievous imposition, as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of tick-tack. I’ll to her.

CLAUDIO I thank you, good friend Lucio.

LUCIO Within two hours.

CLAUDIO Come, officer; away.

Exeunt ⌈Lucio and gentlemen at one door;

Claudio, Juliet, Provost, and officers at another⌉

1.3 Enter the Duke and a Friar

DUKE

No, holy father, throw away that thought.

Believe not that the dribbling dart of love

Can pierce a complete bosom. Why I desire thee

To give me secret harbour hath a purpose

More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends

Of burning youth.

FRIAR

May your grace speak of it?

DUKE

My holy sir, none better knows than you

How I have ever loved the life removed,

And held in idle price to haunt assemblies

Where youth and cost a witless bravery keeps.

I have delivered to Lord Angelo—

A man of stricture and firm abstinence—

My absolute power and place here in Vienna;

And he supposes me travelled to Poland—

For so I have strewed it in the common ear,

And so it is received. Now, pious sir,

You will demand of me why I do this.

FRIAR Gladly, my lord.

DUKE

We have strict statutes and most biting laws,

The needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds,

Which for this fourteen years we have let slip;

Even like an o‘ergrown lion in a cave

That goes not out to prey. Now, as fond fathers,

Having bound up the threat’ning twigs of birch

Only to stick it in their children’s sight