תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

Mari.

O, my dear lord,

I crave no other, nor no better man.
Duke. Never crave him; we are definitive.

Mari. Gentle, my liege,

Duke.

[Kneeling.

You do but lose your labour;

Away with him to death.-Now, sir, [to LUCIO.] to

you.

Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my

part;

Lend me your knees, and all my life to come
I'll lend you, all my life to do you service.

Duke. Against all sense you do impórtune her:
Should she kneel down, in mercy of this fact,
Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,
And take her hence in horror.

[blocks in formation]

Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me;
Hold up your hands, say nothing, I'll speak all.
They say, best men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad: so may my husband.
O, Isabel! will you not lend a knee?
Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.
Isab.

Most bounteous sir,

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,
As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,
A due sincerity govern'd his deeds,
Till he did look on me; since it is so,

Let him not die: My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he died:

For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;

And must be buried but as an intent

[Kneeling.

That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no subjects; Intents but merely thoughts.

Mari.

Merely, my lord.

Duke. Your suit's unprofitable; stand up, I say.

I have bethought me of another fault:-
Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded
At an unusual hour?

Prov.

It was commanded so.

Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed? Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private message. Duke. For which I do discharge you of your office:

Give up your keys.

Prov.

Pardon me, noble lord:

I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me, after more advice':
For testimony whereof, one in the prison,
That should by private order else have died,
I have reserv'd alive.

Duke.

Prov.

What's he?

His name is Barnardine.

Duke. I would thou had'st done so by Claudio.Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.

[Exit Provost. Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd, Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood, And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

procure :

Ang. I am sorry, that such sorrow I
And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart,

That I crave death more willingly than mercy;
'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.

Re-enter Provost, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO, and JULIET.

Duke. Which is that Barnardine ?

Prov.

This, my lord.

Duke. There was a friar told me of this man :Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul, That apprehends no further than this world, And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt condemn'd;

7 after more advice:] After more consideration.

But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all;
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide

For better times to come :

Friar, advise him;

I leave him to your hand.-What muffled fellow's that?
Prov. This is another prisoner, that I sav'd,

That should have died when Claudio lost his head;
As like almost to Claudio, as himself.

[Unmuffles CLAUDIO. Duke. If he be like your brother, [to ISABELLA.] for

his sake

Is he pardon'd; And, for your lovely sake,
Give me your hand, and say you will be mine,
He is my brother too: But fitter time for that.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's safe;
Methinks, I see a quick'ning in his eye:-

Well, Angelo, your evil quits you

well:

Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth yours.— I find an apt remission in myself:

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon :

You, sirrah, [to LUCIO.] that knew me for a fool, a

coward,

One all of luxury, an ass, a madman;

Wherein have I so deserved of you,

That you extol me thus?

Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick: If you will hang me for it, you may, but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipp'd. Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.

Proclaim it, provost, round about the city;
If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow,
(As I have heard him swear himself, there's one
Whom he begot with child,) let her appear,
And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd,
Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.

Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore ! Your highness said even now, I made you a

8

according to the trick:] To the trick of the times.

duke; good my lord, do not recompense me, in making me a cuckold.

Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her.
Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal

Remit thy other forfeits:-Take him to prison:
And see our pleasure herein executed.

Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging.

Duke. Slandering a prince deserves it.—

She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.—
Joy to you, Mariana!-love her, Angelo;

I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.—
Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:
There's more behind, that is more gratulate.
Thanks, provost, for thy care and secrecy;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place:-
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's ;

The offence pardons itself.-Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good;
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,

What's mine is your's, and what is your's is mine:--
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show
What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know.

9

[Exeunt1.

that is more gratulate.] Some other reward in store for him more acceptable than thanks.

1 Of this play, the light or comick part is very natural and pleasing, but the grave scenes, if a few passages be excepted, have more labour than elegance. The plot is rather intricate than artful. The time of the action is indefinite; some time, we know not how much, must have elapsed between the recess of the Duke and the imprisonment of Claudio; for he must have learned the story of Mariana in his disguise, or he delegated his power to a man already known to be corrupted. The unities of action and place are sufficiently preserved. JOHNSON.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

« הקודםהמשך »