Prov.
'Save your honour.

Ang.
Stay yet a while.* ^note—[To Isab.] Y'are welcome; what's your will?

Isab.
I am a woful 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^{5 note}

Ang.
Well; the matter?

Isab.
I have a brother is condemn'd to die;
I do beseech you, let it be his fault,
And not my brother.

Prov.
Heav'n 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 cipher 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;—heav'n keep your Honour!

Lucio. [To Isab.]
Give not o'er so: to him again, intreat him,
Kneel down before him, hang upon his gown;
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 heav'n, nor man, grieve at the mercy.

Ang.
I will not do't.

Isab.
But can you if you would?

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 Isabel.

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,
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 heav'n 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.

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;^{6 note}
And he, that might the 'vantage best have took,
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,^{7 note}

Like man new made.

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 dies to-morrow.

Isab.
To-morrow, Oh! that's sudden. Spare him, spare him.
He's not prepar'd for death. Even for our kitchins
We kill the fowl, of season; shall we serve heav'n
With less respect than we do minister
To our gross selves? good, good my lord, bethink you:
Who is it, that hath dy'd for this offence?
There's many have committed it.

Lucio.
Ay, well said. [Aside.

Ang.
The law hath not been dead, tho' it hath slept:
Those many had not dar'd to do that evil,
If the first man, that did th' edict infringe,
Had answer'd for his deed. Now, 'tis awake;
Takes note of what is done; and, like a prophet,^{8 note}

Looks in a glass that shews what future evils,
Or new, or by remissness new-conceiv'd,

And so in progress to be hatch'd and born,
Are now to have no successive degrees;
But ere they live to end.^{9 note}

Isab.
Yet shew some pity.^{1 note}

Ang.
I shew it most of all, when I shew justice;
For then I pity those, I do not know;
Which a dismiss'd offence would after gaul;
And do him right, that, answering one foul wrong,
Lives not to act another. Be satisfy'd;
Your brother dies to-morrow; be content.

Isab.
So you must be the first, that gives this sentence;
And he, that suffers. Oh, 'tis excellent
To have a giant's strength; but it is tyrannous,
To use it like a giant.

Lucio.
That's well said. [Aside.

Isab.
Could great men thunder
As Jove himself does, Jove would ne'er be quiet;
For every pelting, petty, officer
Would use his heav'n for thunder;
Nothing but thunder.—Merciful heav'n!
Thou rather with thy sharp, and sulph'rous, bolt
Split'st the unwedgeable and gnarled oak,
Than the soft myrtle: O, but man! proud man,
Drest in a little brief authority,
Most ignorant of what he's most assur'd,
His glassy essence, like an angry ape,
Plays such fantastick tricks before high heav'n,
As make the angels weep;^{2 note} who, with our spleens,

Would all themselves laugh mortal.^{3 note}

Lucio. [Aside.]
Oh, to him, to him, Wench; he will relent;
He's coming: I perceive't.

Prov. [To Lucio.]
Pray heav'n, she win him!

Isab.
We cannot weigh our brother with yourself:^{4 note}

Lucio. [Aside.]
Thou'rt right, girl; more o'that.

Isab.
That in the captain's but a cholerick word,
Which in the soldier is flat blasphemy.

Lucio. [Aside.]
Art advis'd o'that? more on't.

Ang.
Why do you put these sayings upon me?

Isab.
Because authority, tho' it err like others,
Hath yet a kind of medicine in itself,
That skins the vice o' th' top. Go to your bosom;
Knock there, and ask your heart, what it doth know
That's like my brother's fault; if it confess
A natural guiltiness, such as is his,
Let it not sound a thought upon your tongue
Against my brother's life.

Ang. [Aside.]
She speaks, and 'tis such sense,
That my sense breeds with it.^{5 note}[To Isab.] Fare you well.

Isab.
Gentle, my lord, turn back.

Ang.
I will bethink me. Come again to-morrow.

Isab.
Hark, how I'll bribe you: good my lord, turn back.

Ang.
How? bribe me?

Isab.
Ay, with such gifts, that heav'n shall share with you.

Lucio.
You had marr'd all else. [Aside.

Isab.
Not with fond shekels of the tested gold,^{6 note}

Ang.
Well; come to morrow.

Lucio.
Go too; 'tis well; [Aside to Isabel.] away.

Isab.
Heav'n keep your Honour safe!

Ang.
Amen:
For I am that way going to temptation, [Aside.
Where prayers cross.^{8 note}

Isab.
At what hour to-morrow
Shall I attend your lordship?

Ang.
At any time 'fore noon.

Isab.
Save your Honour! [Exe. Lucio and Isabel.

Previous section

Next section