Who knew of Your intent and coming hither? ISABELLA One that I would were here, Friar Lodowick. DUKE VINCENTIO A ghostly father, belike. Who knows that Lodowick? LUCIO My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling friar;I do not like the man: had he been lay, my lord For certain words he spake against your grace In your retirement, I had swinged him soundly. DUKE VINCENTIO Words against me? this is a good friar, belike!
And to set on this wretched woman here Against our substitute! Let this friar be found. LUCIO But yesternight, my lord, she and that friar, I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar, A very scurvy fellow. FRIAR PETER Blessed be your royal grace!
I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard Your royal ear abused. First, hath this woman Most wrongfully accused your substitute, Who is as free from touch or soil with her As she from one ungot. DUKE VINCENTIO We did believe no less.
Know you that Friar Lodowick that she speaks of? FRIAR PETER I know him for a man divine and holy;Not scurvy, nor a temporary meddler, As he's reported by this gentleman;And, on my trust, a man that never yet Did, as he vouches, misreport your grace. LUCIO My lord, most villanously; believe it. FRIAR PETER Well, he in time may come to clear himself;But at this instant he is sick my lord, Of a strange fever. Upon his mere request, Being come to knowledge that there was complaint Intended 'gainst Lord Angelo, came I hither, To speak, as from his mouth, what he doth know Is true and false; and what he with his oath And all probation will make up full clear, Whensoever he's convented. First, for this woman.
To justify this worthy nobleman, So vulgarly and personally accused, Her shall you hear disproved to her eyes, Till she herself confess it. DUKE VINCENTIO Good friar, let's hear it.
ISABELLA is carried off guarded; and MARIANA comes forward Do you not smile at this, Lord Angelo?
O heaven, the vanity of wretched fools!
Give us some seats. Come, cousin Angelo;In this I'll be impartial; be you judge Of your own cause. Is this the witness, friar?
First, let her show her face, and after speak. MARIANA Pardon, my lord; I will not show my face Until my husband bid me. DUKE VINCENTIO What, are you married? MARIANA No, my lord. DUKE VINCENTIO Are you a maid? MARIANA No, my lord. DUKE VINCENTIO A widow, then? MARIANA Neither, my lord. DUKE VINCENTIO Why, you are nothing then: neither maid, widow, nor wife? LUCIO My lord, she may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, nor wife. DUKE VINCENTIO Silence that fellow: I would he had some cause To prattle for himself. LUCIO Well, my lord. MARIANA My lord; I do confess I ne'er was married;And I confess besides I am no maid:
I have known my husband; yet my husband Knows not that ever he knew me. LUCIO He was drunk then, my lord: it can be no better. DUKE VINCENTIO For the benefit of silence, would thou wert so too! LUCIO Well, my lord. DUKE VINCENTIO This is no witness for Lord Angelo. MARIANA Now I come to't my lord She that accuses him of fornication, In self-same manner doth accuse my husband, And charges him my lord, with such a time When I'll depose I had him in mine arms With all the effect of love. ANGELO Charges she more than me? MARIANA Not that I know. DUKE VINCENTIO No? you say your husband. MARIANA Why, just, my lord, and that is Angelo, Who thinks he knows that he ne'er knew my body, But knows he thinks that he knows Isabel's. ANGELO This is a strange abuse. Let's see thy face. MARIANA My husband bids me; now I will unmask.
Unveiling This is that face, thou cruel Angelo, Which once thou sworest was worth the looking on;This is the hand which, with a vow'd contract, Was fast belock'd in thine; this is the body That took away the match from Isabel, And did supply thee at thy garden-house In her imagined person. DUKE VINCENTIO Know you this woman? LUCIO Carnally, she says. DUKE VINCENTIO Sirrah, no more! LUCIO Enough, my lord. ANGELO My lord, I must confess I know this woman:
And five years since there was some speech of marriage Betwixt myself and her; which was broke off, Partly for that her promised proportions Came short of composition, but in chief For that her reputation was disvalued In levity: since which time of five years I never spake with her, saw her, nor heard from her, Upon my faith and honour. MARIANA Noble prince, As there comes light from heaven and words from breath, As there is sense in truth and truth in virtue, I am affianced this man's wife as strongly As words could make up vows: and, my good lord, But Tuesday night last gone in's garden-house He knew me as a wife. As this is true, Let me in safety raise me from my knees Or else for ever be confixed here, A marble monument! ANGELO I did but smile till now:
Now, good my lord, give me the scope of justice My patience here is touch'd. I do perceive These poor informal women are no more But instruments of some more mightier member That sets them on: let me have way, my lord, To find this practise out. DUKE VINCENTIO Ay, with my heart And punish them to your height of pleasure.
Thou foolish friar, and thou pernicious woman, Compact with her that's gone, think'st thou thy oaths, Though they would swear down each particular saint, Were testimonies against his worth and credit That's seal'd in approbation? You, Lord Escalus, Sit with my cousin; lend him your kind pains To find out this abuse, whence 'tis derived.
There is another friar that set them on;Let him be sent for. FRIAR PETER Would he were here, my lord! for he indeed Hath set the women on to this complaint:
Your provost knows the place where he abides And he may fetch him. DUKE VINCENTIO Go do it instantly.
Exit Provost And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin, Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth, Do with your injuries as seems you best, In any chastisement: I for a while will leave you;But stir not you till you have well determined Upon these slanderers. ESCALUS My lord, we'll do it throughly.
Exit DUKE
