Hail to you , provost !— so I think you are . Bound by my charity and my blest order , I come to visit the afflicted spirits Here in the prison . Do me the common right 5 To let me see them , and to make me know The nature of their crimes , that I may minister To them accordingly . When must he die ? Repent you , fair one , of the sin you carry ? I 'll teach you how you shall arraign your conscience , And try your penitence , if it be sound , Or hollowly put on . Love you the man that wrong 'd you ? So , then , it seems your most offenceful act Was mutually committed ? Then was your sin of heavier kind than his . ‘ Tis meet so , daughter : but lest you do repent , 30 As that the sin hath brought you to this shame , Which sorrow is always towards ourselves , not heaven , Showing we would not spare heaven as we love it , But as we stand in fear ,— There rest . Your partner , as I hear , must die to-morrow , And I am going with instruction to him . Grace go with you , Benedicite ! So , then , you hope of pardon from Lord Angelo ? Be absolute for death ; either death or life 5 Shall thereby be the sweeter . Reason thus with life : If I do lose thee , I do lose a thing That none but fools would keep : a breath thou art , Servile to all the skyey influences . That dost this habitation , where thou keep'st , 10 Hourly afflict : merely , thou art death 's fool ; For him thou labour'st by thy flight to shun , And yet runn'st toward him still . Thou art not noble ; For all the accommodations that thou bear'st Are nursed by baseness . Thou'rt by no means valiant ; 15 For thou dost fear the soft and tender fork Of a poor worm . Thy best of rest is sleep , And that thou oft provokest ; yet grossly fear'st Thy death , which is no more . Thou art not thyself ; For thou exist'st on many a thousand grains 20 That issue out of dust . Happy thou art not ; For what thou hast not , still thou strivest to get . And what thou hast , forget'st . Thou art not certain ; For thy complexion shifts to strange effects , After the moon . If thou art rich , thou'rt poor ; 25 For , like an ass whose back with ingots bows , Thou bear'st thy heavy riches but a journey , And death unloads thee . Friend hast thou none ; For thine own bowels , which do call thee sire , The mere effusion of thy proper loins , 30 Do curse the gout , serpigo , and the rheum , For ending thee no sooner . Thou hast nor youth nor age . But , as it were , an after-dinner 's sleep , Dreaming on both ; for all thy blessed youth Becomes as aged , and doth beg the alms 35 Of palsied eld ; and when thou art old and rich , Thou hast neither heat , affection , limb , nor beauty , To make thy riches pleasant . What 's yet in this That bears the name of life ? Yet in this life Lie hid more thousand deaths : yet death we fear , 40 That makes these odds all even . Dear sir , ere long I 'll visit you again . Provost , a word with you . Bring me to hear them speak , where I may be concealed . Vouchsafe a word , young sister , but one word . Might you dispense with your leisure , I would by and by have some speech with you : the satisfaction I would require is likewise your own benefit . Son , I have overheard what hath passed between you and your sister . Angelo had never the purpose to corrupt her ; only he hath made an assay of her virtue to practise his judgement with the disposition of natures : she , having the truth of honour in her , hath made him that 160 gracious denial which he is most glad to receive . I am confessor to Angelo , and I know this to be true ; therefore prepare yourself to death : do not satisfy your resolution with hopes that are fallible : to-morrow you must die ; go to your knees , and make ready . 165 Hold you there : farewell .Provost , a word with you ! Re-enter PROVOST . That now you are come , you will be gone . Leave me awhile with the maid : my mind promises with my habit no loss shall touch her by my company . The hand that hath made you fair hath made 175 you good : the goodness that is cheap in beauty makes beauty brief in goodness ; but grace , being the soul of your complexion , shall keep the body of it ever fair . The assault that Angelo hath made to you , fortune hath conveyed to my understanding ; and , but that frailty hath examples for 180 his falling , I should wonder at Angelo . How will you do to content this substitute , and to save your brother ? That shall not be much amiss : yet , as the matter now stands , he will avoid your accusation ; he made trial of you only . Therefore fasten your ear on my advisings : to 190 the love I have in doing good a remedy presents itself . I do make myself believe that you may most uprighteously do a poor wronged lady a merited benefit ; redeem your brother from the angry law ; do no stain to your own gracious person ; and much please the absent Duke , if peradventure 195 he shall ever return to have hearing of this business . Virtue is bold , and goodness never fearful . Have you not heard speak of Mariana , the sister of Frederick the 200 great soldier who miscarried at sea ? She should this Angelo have married ; was affianced to her by oath , and the nuptial appointed : between 205 which time of the contract and limit of the solemnity , her brother Frederick was wrecked at sea , having in that perished vessel the dowry of his sister . But mark how heavily this befell to the poor gentlewoman : there she lost a noble and renowned brother , in his love toward her ever most 210 kind and natural ; with him , the portion and sinew of her fortune , her marriage-dowry ; with both , her combinate husband , this well-seeming Angelo . Left her in her tears , and dried not one of them 215 with his comfort ; swallowed his vows whole , pretending in her discoveries of dishonour : in few , bestowed her on her own lamentation , which she yet wears for his sake ; and he , a marble to her tears , is washed with them , but relents not . It is a rupture that you may easily heal : and the cure of it not only saves your brother , but keeps you from dishonour in doing it . 225 This forenamed maid hath yet in her the continuance of her first affection : his unjust unkindness , that in all reason should have quenched her love , hath , like an impediment in the current , made it more violent and unruly . 230 Go you to Angelo ; answer his requiring with a plausible obedience ; agree with his demands to the point ; only refer yourself to this advantage , first , that your stay with him may not be long ; that the time may have all shadow and silence in it ; and the place answer to convenience . This 235 being granted in course ,— and now follows all ,— we shall advise this wronged maid to stead up your appointment , go in your place ; if the encounter acknowledge itself hereafter , it may compel him to her recompense : and here , by this , is your brother saved , your honour untainted , the poor 240 Mariana advantaged , and the corrupt Deputy scaled . The maid will I frame and make fit for his attempt . If you think well to carry this as you may , the doubleness of the benefit defends the deceit from reproof . What think you of it ? 245 It lies much in your holding up . Haste you speedily to Angelo : if for this night he entreat you to his bed , give him promise of satisfaction . I will presently to 250 Saint Luke 's : there , at the moated grange , resides this dejected Mariana . At that place call upon me ; and dispatch with Angelo , that it may be quickly . O heavens ! what stuff is here ? And you , good brother father . What offence hath this man made you , sir ? Fie , sirrah ! a bawd , a wicked bawd ! The evil that thou causest to be done , That is thy means to live . Do thou but think What ‘ tis to cram a maw or clothe a back From such a filthy vice : say to thyself , 20 From their abominable and beastly touches I drink , I eat , array myself , and live . Canst thou believe thy living is a life , So stinkingly depending ? Go mend , go mend . Nay , if the devil have given thee proofs for sin , Thou wilt prove his . Take him to prison , officer : Correction and instruction must both work Ere this rude beast will profit . 30 That we were all , as some would seem to be , 35 From our faults , as faults from seeming , free ! Still thus , and thus ; still worse ! And you . I know none . Can you tell me of any ? I know not where ; but wheresoever , I wish him well . 85 He does well i n't . 90 It is too general a vice , and severity must cure it . How should he be made , then ? 100 You are pleasant , sir , and speak apace . I never heard the absent Duke much detected for women ; he was not inclined that way . 115 ‘ Tis not possible . You do him wrong , surely . What , I prithee , might be the cause ? Wise ! why , no question but he was . 130 Either this is envy in you , folly , or mistaking : the very stream of his life and the business he hath helmed must , upon a warranted need , give him a better proclamation . Let him be but testimonied in his own bringings-forth , 135 and he shall appear , to the envious , a scholar , a statesman and a soldier . Therefore you speak unskilfully ; or if your knowledge be more , it is much darkened in your malice . Love talks with better knowledge , and knowledge with dearer love . I can hardly believe that , since you know not what you speak . But , if ever the Duke return , as our prayers 145 are he may , let me desire you to make your answer before him . If it be honest you have spoke , you have courage to maintain it : I am bound to call upon you ; and , I pray you , your name ? He shall know you better , sir , if I may live to report you . O , you hope the Duke will return no more ; or 155 you imagine me too unhurtful an opposite . But , indeed , I can do you little harm ; you 'll forswear this again . Why should he die , sir ? No might nor greatness in mortality Can censure ‘ scape ; back-wounding calumny 175 The whitest virtue strikes . What king so strong Can tie the gall up in the slanderous tongue ? But who comes here ? Bliss and goodness on you ! Not of this country , though my chance is now 205 To use it for my time : I am a brother Of gracious order , late come from the See In special business from his Holiness . None , but that there is so great a fever on goodness , 210 that the dissolution of it must cure it : novelty is only in request ; and it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of course , as it is virtuous to be constant in any undertaking . There is scarce truth enough alive to make societies secure ; but security enough to make fellowships accurst :— 215 much upon this riddle runs the wisdom of the world . This news is old enough , yet it is every day 's news . I pray you , sir , of what disposition was the Duke ? What pleasure was he given to ? He professes to have received no sinister measure from his judge , but most willingly humbles himself to the determination of justice : yet had he framed to himself , 230 by the instruction of his frailty , many deceiving promises of life ; which I , by my good leisure , have discredited to him , and now is he resolved to die . If his own life answer the straitness of his proceeding , it shall become him well ; wherein if he chance to 240 fail , he hath sentenced himself . Peace be with you ! He who the sword of heaven will bear Should be as holy as severe ; 245 Pattern in himself to know , Grace to stand , and virtue go ; More nor less to others paying Than by self-offences weighing . Shame to him whose cruel striking 250 Kills for faults of his own liking ! Twice treble shame on Angelo , To weed my vice and let his grow ! O , what may man within him hide , Though angel on the outward side ! 255 How may likeness made in crimes , Making practice on the times , To draw with idle spiders ’ strings Most ponderous and substantial things ! Craft against vice I must apply : 260 With Angelo to-night shall lie His old betrothed but despised ; So disguise shall , by the disguised , Pay with falsehood false exacting , And perform an old contracting . NOTES : III , 2 . ‘ Tis good ; though music oft hath such a charm To make bad good , and good provoke to harm . 15 I pray you , tell me , hath any body inquired for me here to-day ? much upon this time have I promised here to meet . I do constantly believe you . The time is come 20 even now . I shall crave your forbearance a little : may be I will call upon you anon , for some advantage to yourself . Very well met , and well come . What is the news from this good Deputy ? 25 But shall you on your knowledge find this way ? 35 Are there no other tokens Between you ‘ greed concerning her observance ? 40 ‘ Tis well borne up . I have not yet made known to Mariana A word of this . What , ho ! within ! come forth ! Re-enter MARIANA . I pray you , be acquainted with this maid ; She comes to do you good . Do you persuade yourself that I respect you ? Take , then , this your companion by the hand , Who hath a story ready for your ear . I shall attend your leisure : but make haste ; 55 The vaporous night approaches . O place and greatness , millions of false eyes Are stuck upon thee ! volumes of report Run with these false and most contrarious quests 60 Upon thy doings ! thousand escapes of wit Make thee the father of their idle dreams , And rack thee in their fancies ! Re-enter MARIANA and ISABELLA . Welcome , how agreed ? It is not my consent , 65 But my entreaty too . Nor , gentle daughter , fear you not at all . He is your husband on a pre-contract : 70 To bring you thus together , ‘ tis no sin , Sith that the justice of your title to him Doth flourish the deceit . Come , let us go : Our corn 's to reap , for yet our tithe 's to sow . NOTES : IV , 1 . The best and wholesomest spirits of the night Envelop you , good Provost ! Who call 'd here of late ? Not Isabel ? They will , then , ere't be long . There 's some in hope . Not so , not so ; his life is parallel 'd 75 Even with the stroke and line of his great justice : He doth with holy abstinence subdue That in himself which he spurs on his power To qualify in others : were he meal 'd with that Which he corrects , then were he tyrannous ; 80 But this being so , he 's just . This is a gentle provost : seldom when The steeled gaoler is the friend of men . Re-enter PROVOST . Have you no countermand for Claudio yet , But he must die to-morrow ? As near the dawning , provost , as it is , 90 You shall hear more ere morning . And here comes Claudio 's pardon . This is his pardon , purchased by such sin For which the pardoner himself is in . Hence hath offence his quick celerity , 105 When it is borne in high authority : When vice makes mercy , mercy 's so extended , That for the fault 's love is the offender friended . Now , sir , what news ? Pray you , let 's hear .