"Just. I humbly thank you.

"Escal. It grieves me for the death of Claudio;

"But there's no remedy.

"Just. Lord Angelo is severe.

"Escal. It is but needful:

"Mercy is not itself, that oft looks so;
"Pardon is still the nurse of second woe :

"But yet, Poor Claudio!--There's no remedy.

290

"Come, sir.

[Exeunt.

"SCENE II.

"ANGELO's house. Enter Provost, and a Servant.

"Serv. He's hearing of a cause; he will come

straight:

"I'll tell him of you.

"Prov. Pray you, do. [Exit Servant] I'll know "His pleasure; may be, he will relent: Alas, "He hatli but as offended in a dream! "All sects, all ages smack of this vice; and he "To die for it!

"Enter ANGELO.

"Ang. Now, what's the matter, provost ?"

Prov. Is it your will Claudio should die to-morrow? Ang. Did I not tell thee, yea? hadst thou not

order ?

Why dost thou ask again?

Prov. Lest I might be too rash :
Under your good correction, I have seen,
When, after execution, judgment hath
Repented o'er his doom.

Ang. Go to; let that be mine:
Do you your office, or give up your place,
And you shall well be spar'd.

Prov. I crave your honour's pardon.-
What shall be done, sir, with the groaning Juliet?
She's very near her hour.

Ang. Dispose of her

To some more fitting place; and that with speed.

[Re-enter Servant.]

Serv. Here is the sister of the man condemn'd,

Desires access to you.

Ang. Hath he a sister ?

310

Prov. Ay, my good lord; a very virtuous maid,

And to be shortly of a sister-hood,

If not already.

Ang. Well, let her be admitted. " See you, the fornicatress be remov'd;

321

[Exit Servant.

"Let her have needful, but not lavish means;

"There shall be order for it."

Enter Lucio and ISABELLA.

"Prov. Save your honour!"

Ang. "Stay yet a while."- [To ISAB.] You are

welcome:: What's your will?

Isab. I am a woeful suitor to your honour,
Please but your honour hear me.
Ang. Well; what's your suit ?

Isab. There is a vice, that most I do abhor, And most desire should meet the blow of justice; For which I would not plead, but that I must; For which I must not plead, but that I am

At war, 'twixt will, and will not.

Ang. Well; the matter?

330

Isab. I have a brother is condemn'd to die:

I do beseech you, let it be his fault,

And not my brother.

340

Prov. Heaven give thee moving graces!

Ang. Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it!

Why, every fault's condemn'd, ere it be done:
Mine were the very cypher of a function,

To find the faults, whose fine stands in record,

And let go by the actor.

Isab. O just, but severe law!

I had a brother then.-Heaven keep your honour. Lucio. [To ISAB.] Giv't not o'er so: to him again, intreat him;

Kneel down before him, hang upon his gown; 350
You are too cold: if you should need a pin,
You could not with more tame a tongue desire it:
To him I say.

Isab. Must he needs die?

Ang. Maiden, no remedy.

Isab. Yes; I do think that you might pardon him,

And neither heaven, nor man, grieve at the mercy.

Ang.

Ang. I will not do't.

Isab. But can you, if you would?

359

Ang. Look, what I will not, that I cannot do.
Isab. But might you do't, and do the world no

wrong,

If so your heart were touch'd with that remorse

As mine is to him?

Ang. He's sentenc'd; 'tis too late.

"Lucio. You are too cold.

[To ISABELLA."

Isab. Too late? why, no; I, that do speak a word,

May call it back again: Well, believe this,
No ceremony that to great ones 'longs,

Not the king's crown, nor the deputed sword,
The marshal's truncheon, nor the judge's robe, 370
Become them with one half so good a grace,

As mercy does.

If he had been as you, and you as he,

You would have slipt, like him; but he, like you, Would not have been so stern.

Ang. Pray you, be gone.

Isab. I would to heaven I had your potency, And you were Isabel! should it then be thus ? No; I would tell what 'twere to be a judge,

And what a prisoner.

380

Lucio. [Aside.] Ay, touch him: there's the vein. Ang. Your brother is a forfeit of the law,

And you but waste your words.

Isab. Alas! alas!

Why, all the souls that were, were forfeit once;
And He that might the vantage best have took,

Found

Found out the remedy: How would you be,
If he, which is the top of judgment, should
But judge you, as you are? Oh, think on that,
And mercy then will breathe within your lips,
Like man new made.

391

Ang. Be you content, fair maid : It is the law, not I, condemns your brother: Were he my kinsman, brother, or my son, It should be thus with him; he must die to-morrow. Isab. To-morrow? Oh, that's sudden! Spare him, spare him;

"He's not prepar'd for death! Even for our kitchens "We kill the fowl, of season; shall we serve heaven With less respect than we do minister

"To our gross selves?" Good, good my lord, bethink

you:

Who is it that hath died for this offence?

There's many have committed it.

Lucio. Ay, well said.

400

Ang. The law hath not been dead, though it hath

slept:

Those many had not dar'd to do that evil,

If the first man, that did the edict infringe,

Had answer'd for his deed: "now, 'tis awake;

"Takes note of what is done; and, like a prophet, "Looks in a glass that shews what future evils, " (Either now, or by remissness new-conceiv'd, 410 "And so in progress to be hatch'd and born)

"Are now to have no successive degrees, "But, ere they live, to end."