DUKE Sir, your company is fairer than honest. Rest you well.

LUCIO By my troth, I’ll go with thee to the lane’s end. If bawdy talk offend you, we’ll have very little of it. Nay, friar, I am a kind of burr; I shall stick.

Exeunt

4.4 Enter Angelo and Escalus

ESCALUS Every letter he hath writ hath disvouched other.

ANGELO In most uneven and distracted manner. His actions show much like to madness. Pray heaven his wisdom be not tainted. And why meet him at the gates, and redeliver our authorities there?

ESCALUS I guess not.

ANGELO And why should we proclaim it in an hour before his entering, that if any crave redress of injustice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street?

ESCALUS He shows his reason for that—to have a dispatch of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which shall then have no power to stand against us.

ANGELO

Well, I beseech you let it be proclaimed.

Betimes i’th’ morn I’ll call you at your house.

Give notice to such men of sort and suit

As are to meet him.

ESCALUS I shall, sir. Fare you well.

ANGELO Good night.

Exit Escalus

This deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpregnant

And dull to all proceedings. A deflowered maid,

And by an eminent body that enforced

The law against it! But that her tender shame

Will not proclaim against her maiden loss,

How might she tongue me! Yet reason dares her no,

For my authority bears off a credent bulk,

That no particular scandal once can touch

But it confounds the breather. He should have lived,

Save that his riotous youth, with dangerous sense,

Might in the times to come have ta’en revenge

By so receiving a dishonoured life

With ransom of such shame. Would yet he had lived.

Alack, when once our grace we have forgot,

Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not. Exit

4.5 Enter the Duke, in his own habit, and Friar Peter

DUKE

These letters at fit time deliver me.

The Provost knows our purpose and our plot.

The matter being afoot, keep your instruction,

And hold you ever to our special drift,

Though sometimes you do blench from this to that

As cause doth minister. Go call at Flavio’s house,

And tell him where I stay. Give the like notice

To Valentinus, Rowland, and to Crassus,

And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate.

But send me Flavius first.

FRIAR It shall be speeded well.

Exit

Enter Varrius

DUKE

I thank thee, Varrius; thou hast made good haste.

Come, we will walk. There’s other of our friends

Will greet us here anon. My gentle Varrius!

Exeunt

4.6 Enter Isabella and Mariana

ISABELLA

To speak so indirectly I am loath—

I would say the truth, but to accuse him so,

That is your part—yet I am advised to do it,

He says, to veil full purpose.

MARIANA

Be ruled by him.

ISABELLA

Besides, he tells me that if peradventure

He speak against me on the adverse side,

I should not think it strange, for ’tis a physic

That’s bitter to sweet end.

Enter Friar Peter

MARIANA I would Friar Peter—

ISABELLA O, peace; the friar is come.

FRIAR PETER

Come, I have found you out a stand most fit,

Where you may have such vantage on the Duke

He shall not pass you. Twice have the trumpets

sounded.

The generous and gravest citizens

Have hent the gates, and very near upon

The Duke is ent’ring; therefore hence, away. Exeunt

5.1 Enter ⌈at one door⌉ the Duke, Varrius, and lords, ⌈at another door⌉ Angelo, Escalus, Lucio, citizens, ⌈and officers⌉

DUKE (to Angelo)

My very worthy cousin, fairly met.

(To Escalus) Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to

see you.

ANGELO and ESCALUS

Happy return be to your royal grace.

DUKE

Many and hearty thankings to you both.

We have made enquiry of you, and we hear

Such goodness of your justice that our soul

Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks,

Forerunning more requital.

ANGELO

You make my bonds still greater.

DUKE

O, your desert speaks loud, and I should wrong it

To lock it in the wards of covert bosom,

When it deserves with characters of brass

A forted residence ’gainst the tooth of time

And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,

And let the subject see, to make them know

That outward courtesies would fain proclaim

Favours that keep within. Come, Escalus,

You must walk by us on our other hand,

And good supporters are you.

⌈ They walk forward. ⌉

Enter Friar Peter and Isabella

FRIAR PETER

Now is your time. Speak loud, and kneel before him.

ISABELLA (kneeling)

Justice, O royal Duke! Vail your regard

Upon a wronged—I would fain have said, a maid.

O worthy prince, dishonour not your eye

By throwing it on any other object,

Till you have heard me in my true complaint,

And given me justice, justice, justice, justice!

DUKE

Relate your wrongs. In what? By whom? Be brief.

Here is Lord Angelo shall give you justice.

Reveal yourself to him.