Chapter: SCENE IV.


_A room in ANGELO'S house._

  _Enter ANGELO and ESCALUS._

_Escal._ Every letter he hath writ hath disvouched other.

_Ang._ In most uneven and distracted manner. His
actions show much like to madness: pray heaven his wisdom
be not tainted! And why meet him at the gates,
and redeliver our authorities there?                                 5

_Escal._ I guess not.

_Ang._ And why should we proclaim it in an hour before
his entering, that if any crave redress of injustice, they
should exhibit their petitions in the street?

_Escal._ He shows his reason for that: to have a dispatch           10
of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter,
which shall then have no power to stand against us.

_Ang._ Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaimed betimes
i' the morn; I'll call you at your house: give notice to such
men of sort and suit as are to meet him.                            15

_Escal._ I shall, sir. Fare you well.

_Ang._ Good night.    [_Exit Escalus._

This deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpregnant,
And dull to all proceedings. A deflower'd maid!
And by an eminent body that enforced                                20
The law against it! But that her tender shame
Will not proclaim against her maiden loss,
How might she tongue me! Yet reason dares her no;
For my authority bears of a credent bulk,
That no particular scandal once can touch                           25
But it confounds the breather. He should have lived,
Save that his riotous youth, with dangerous sense,
Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge,
By so receiving a dishonour'd life
With ransom of such shame. Would yet he had lived!                  30
Alack, when once our grace we have forgot,
Nothing goes right: we would, and we would not.    [_Exit._


  NOTES: IV, 4.

  SCENE IV.] SCENE XII. Pope.
  A room ... house.] Capell. The palace. Rowe.
  2, sqq.: Angelo's speeches in this scene Collier prints as verse.
  5: _redeliver_] Capell. _re-liver_] F1. _deliver_ F2 F3 F4.
  13: A colon is put after _proclaim'd_ by Capell, who prints
    lines 13-16 as verse.
  19: _And_] om. Hanmer.
  23: _dares her no;_] Ff. _dares her:_ Pope. _dares her: no,_ Hanmer.
    _dares her No_ Warburton. _dares her? no:_ Capell.
    _dares her note_ Theobald conj. _dares her not_ Steevens conj.
    _dares her on_ Grant White (Becket conj.).
  _reason ... no_] _treason dares her?--No_ Jackson conj.
  24: _bears of a credent bulk_] F1 F2 F3.
    _bears off a credent bulk_ F4. _bears off all credence_ Pope.
    _bears a credent bulk_ Theobald.
    _bears such a credent bulk_ Collier MS.
    _here's of a credent bulk_ Singer. _bears so credent bulk_ Dyce.
    _bears up a credent bulk_ Grant White.

 At Angelo's house, Escalus and Angelo read a letter from the Duke and note that Vincentio's letters don't seem to make any sense. Has he gone mad, they wonder. Angelo also wonders why the Duke wants them to meet him at the city's gate and why the Duke wants them to make an announcement that anyone who's got a beef with Angelo's version of justice should make a public declaration. Escalus reasons, incorrectly, that the Duke just wants to make things easier for them. Escalus says so long to Angelo and heads home for the night. Alone on stage, Angelo tells us that he knows he's in deep, deep trouble. He hopes that Isabella will be too ashamed to accuse him of taking her virginity. Angelo also confesses that he didn't hold up his end of the bargain because he was afraid Claudio would want revenge.

