MEASURE FOR MEASURE. William Shakespeare
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And let them work. The nature of our people,
Our city’s institutions, and the terms
For common justice, you are as pregnant in
As art and practice hath enriched any
That we remember. There is our commission,
From which we would not have you warp.—Call hither,
I say, bid come before us, Angelo.—
[Exit an Attendant.]
What figure of us think you he will bear?
For you must know we have with special soul
Elected him our absence to supply;
Lent him our terror, drest him with our love,
And given his deputation all the organs
Of our own power: what think you of it?
ESCALUS.
If any in Vienna be of worth
To undergo such ample grace and honour,
It is Lord Angelo.
[Enter ANGELO.]
DUKE.
Look where he comes.
ANGELO.
Always obedient to your grace’s will,
I come to know your pleasure.
DUKE.
Angelo,
There is a kind of character in thy life
That to th’ observer doth thy history
Fully unfold. Thyself and thy belongings
Are not thine own so proper as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtues, they on thee.
Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,
Not light them for themselves: for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, ‘twere all alike
As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch’d
But to fine issues: nor nature never lends
The smallest scruple of her excellence
But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines
Herself the glory of a creditor,
Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech
To one that can my part in him advertise;
Hold, therefore, Angelo;
In our remove be thou at full ourself:
Mortality and mercy in Vienna
Live in thy tongue and heart! Old Escalus,
Though first in question, is thy secondary:
Take thy commission.
ANGELO.
Now, good my lord,
Let there be some more test made of my metal,
Before so noble and so great a figure
Be stamped upon it.
DUKE.
No more evasion:
We have with a leaven’d and prepared choice
Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.
Our haste from hence is of so quick condition
That it prefers itself, and leaves unquestion’d
Matters of needful value. We shall write to you
As time and our concernings shall importune,
How it goes with us; and do look to know
What doth befall you here. So, fare you well:
To the hopeful execution do I leave you
Of your commissions.
ANGELO.
Yet give leave, my lord,
That we may bring you something on the way.
DUKE.
My haste may not admit it;
Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do
With any scruple: your scope is as mine own:
So to enforce or qualify the laws
As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand;
I’ll privily away: I love the people,
But do not like to stage me to their eyes:
Though it do well, I do not relish well
Their loud applause and ‘aves’ vehement:
Nor do I think the man of safe discretion
That does affect it. Once more, fare you well.
ANGELO.
The heavens give safety to your purposes!
ESCALUS.
Lead forth and bring you back in happiness.
DUKE.
I thank you. Fare you well.
[Exit.]
ESCALUS.
I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave
To have free speech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the bottom of my place:
A pow’r I have, but of what strength and nature
I am not yet instructed.
ANGELO.
‘Tis so with me.—Let us withdraw together,
And we may soon our satisfaction have
Touching that point.
ESCALUS.
I’ll wait upon your honour.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE II. A street.
[Enter Lucio and two Gentlemen.]
LUCIO. If the duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the King of Hungary, why then all the dukes fall upon the king.
FIRST GENTLEMAN.
Heaven grant us its peace, but not the King of Hungary’s!
SECOND GENTLEMAN.
Amen.
LUCIO.
Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate that went to sea
with the ten
commandments, but scraped one out of the table.
SECOND GENTLEMAN.
Thou shalt not steal?
LUCIO.
Ay, that he razed.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. Why, ‘twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to steal. There’s not a soldier of us all that, in the thanksgiving before meat, do relish the petition well that prays for peace.
SECOND GENTLEMAN.
I never heard any soldier dislike it.
LUCIO.
I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where grace was said.
SECOND GENTLEMAN.
No? A dozen times at least.
FIRST GENTLEMAN.
What? in metre?
LUCIO.
In any proportion or in any language.
FIRST GENTLEMAN.
I think, or in any religion.
LUCIO. Ay! why not? Grace