READ STUDY GUIDE: Act I, Scenes i-iii |
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Act I, Scene ii
| [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 is grace, despite of all controversy. As, for |
| example;—thou |
| thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| Well, there went but a pair of shears between us. |
| LUCIO.: |
| I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet. Thou art |
| the list. |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou'rt a three-piled |
| piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English |
| kersey as be piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet. |
| Do I speak feelingly now? |
| LUCIO.: |
| I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy |
| speech. I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy |
| health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| I think I have done myself wrong; have I not? |
| SECOND GENTLEMAN.: |
| Yes, that thou hast, whether thou art tainted or free. |
| LUCIO.: |
| Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation comes! I have purchased as |
| many diseases under her roof as come to— |
| SECOND GENTLEMAN.: |
| To what, I pray? |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| Judge. |
| SECOND GENTLEMAN.: |
| To three thousand dollars a year. |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| Ay, and more. |
| LUCIO.: |
| A French crown more. |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| Thou art always figuring diseases in me, but thou art full of |
| error; I am sound. |
| LUCIO.: |
| Nay, not, as one would say, healthy; but so sound as things that |
| are hollow: thy bones are hollow: impiety has made a feast of thee. |
| [Enter BAWD.] |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| How now! which of your hips has the most profound sciatica? |
| BAWD.: |
| Well, well; there's one yonder arrested and carried to prison was |
| worth five thousand of you all. |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| Who's that, I pray thee? |
| BAWD.: |
| Marry, sir, that's Claudio, Signior Claudio. |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| Claudio to prison! 'tis not so. |
| BAWD.: |
| Nay, but I know 'tis so: I saw him arrested; saw him carried |
| away; and, which is more, within these three days his head to |
| be chopped off. |
| LUCIO.: |
| But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so. Art thou |
| sure of this? |
| BAWD.: |
| I am too sure of it: and it is for getting Madam Julietta with |
| child. |
| LUCIO.: |
| Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two hours since, |
| and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. |
| SECOND GENTLEMAN.: |
| Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had |
| to such a purpose. |
| FIRST GENTLEMAN.: |
| But most of all agreeing with the proclamation. |
| LUCIO.: |
| Away; let's go learn the truth of it. |
| [Exeunt Lucio and Gentlemen.] |
| BAWD.: |
| Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the |
| gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk. |
| How now! what's the news with you? |
| [Enter CLOWN.] |
| CLOWN.: |
| Yonder man is carried to prison. |
| BAWD.: |
| Well: what has he done? |
| CLOWN.: |
| A woman. |
| BAWD.: |
| But what's his offence? |
| CLOWN.: |
| Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. |
| BAWD.: |
| What! is there a maid with child by him? |
| CLOWN.: |
| No; but there's a woman with maid by him. You have not heard of |
| the proclamation, have you? |
| BAWD.: |
| What proclamation, man? |
| CLOWN.: |
| All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be plucked down. |
| BAWD.: |
| And what shall become of those in the city? |
| CLOWN.: |
| They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too, but that a |
| wise burgher put in for them. |
| BAWD.: |
| But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be pulled down? |
| CLOWN.: |
| To the ground, mistress. |
| BAWD.: |
| Why, here's a change indeed in the commonwealth! What shall |
| become of me? |
| CLOWN.: |
| Come, fear not you; good counsellors lack no clients: though you |
| change your place you need not change your trade; I'll be your |
| tapster still. |
| Courage; there will be pity taken on you: you that have worn your |
| eyes almost out in the service, you will be considered. |
| BAWD.: |
| What's to do here, Thomas Tapster? Let's withdraw. |
| CLOWN.: |
| Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the provost to prison: and |
| there's Madam Juliet. |
| [Exeunt.] |
| [Enter PROVOST, CLAUDIO, JULIET, and Officers; LUCIO and twoGentlemen.] |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the world? |
| Bear me to prison, where I am committed. |
| PROVOST.: |
| I do it not in evil disposition, |
| But from Lord Angelo by special charge. |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| Thus can the demi-god Authority |
| Make us pay down for our offence by weight.— |
| The words of heaven;—on whom it will, it will; |
| On whom it will not, so; yet still 'tis just. |
| LUCIO.: |
| Why, how now, Claudio, whence comes this restraint? |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty: |
| As surfeit is the father of much fast, |
| So every scope by the immoderate use |
| Turns to restraint. Our natures do pursue,— |
| Like rats that ravin down their proper bane,— |
| A thirsty evil; and when we drink we die. |
| LUCIO.: |
| If I could speak so wisely under an arrest, I would send for |
| certain of my creditors; and yet, to say the truth, I had as |
| lief have the foppery of freedom as the morality of |
| imprisonment.—What's thy offence, Claudio? |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| What but to speak of would offend again. |
| LUCIO.: |
| What, is't murder? |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| No. |
| LUCIO.: |
| Lechery? |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| Call it so. |
| PROVOST.: |
| Away, sir; you must go. |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| One word, good friend.—Lucio, a word with you. |
| [Takes him aside.] |
| LUCIO.: |
| A hundred, if they'll do you any good. Is lechery so lookeed |
| after? |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| Thus stands it with me:—Upon a true contract |
| I got possession of Julietta's bed: |
| You know the lady; she is fast my wife, |
| Save that we do the denunciation lack |
| Of outward order;: this we came not to |
| Only for propagation of a dower |
| Remaining in the coffer of her friends; |
| From whom we thought it meet to hide our love |
| Till time had made them for us. But it chances |
| The stealth of our most mutual entertainment, |
| With character too gross, is writ on Juliet. |
| LUCIO.: |
| With child, perhaps? |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| Unhappily, even so. |
| And the new deputy now for the duke,— |
| Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness, |
| Or whether that the body public be |
| A horse whereon the governor doth ride, |
| Who, newly in the seat, that it may know |
| He can command, lets it straight feel the spur: |
| Whether the tyranny be in his place, |
| Or in his eminence that fills it up, |
| I stagger in.—But this new governor |
| Awakes me all the enrolled penalties |
| Which have, like unscour'd armour, hung by the wall |
| So long that nineteen zodiacs have gone round |
| And none of them been worn; and, for a name, |
| Now puts the drowsy and neglected act |
| Freshly on me; 'tis surely for a name. |
| LUCIO.: |
| I warrant it is: and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders |
| that a milkmaid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the |
| duke, and appeal to him. |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| I have done so, but he's not to be found. |
| I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind service: |
| This day my sister should the cloister enter, |
| And there receive her approbation: |
| Acquaint her with the danger of my state; |
| Implore her, in my voice, that she make friends |
| To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him; |
| I have great hope in that: for in her youth |
| There is a prone and speechless dialect |
| Such as moves men; beside, she hath prosperous art |
| When she will play with reason and discourse, |
| And well she can persuade. |
| LUCIO.: |
| I pray she may; as well for the encouragement of the like, which |
| else would stand under grievous imposition, as for the enjoying |
| of thy life, who I would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost |
| at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her. |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| I thank you, good friend Lucio. |
| LUCIO.: |
| Within two hours,— |
| CLAUDIO.: |
| Come, officer, away. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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