Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 2
A Street.
Lucio : If the duke with the other dukes come not to
[p]composition with the
King of Hungary, why then all
[p]the dukes fall upon the king.
First Gentleman : Heaven grant us its peace, but not the King of
[p]Hungary's!
Second Gentleman : Amen.
Lucio : Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that
[p]went to sea
with the Ten Commandments, but scraped
[p]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
[p]all the rest
from their functions: they put forth
[p]to steal. There's not a
soldier of us all, that, in
[p]the thanksgiving before meat, do relish
the petition
[p]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
[p]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
[p]controversy: as, for
example, thou thyself art a
[p]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
[p]velvet. Thou art
the list.
First Gentleman : And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou'rt
[p]a three-piled
piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief
[p]be a list of an English kersey
as be piled, as thou
[p]art piled, for a French velvet. Do I
speak
[p]feelingly now?
Lucio : I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful
[p]feeling of thy
speech: I will, out of thine own
[p]confession, learn to begin thy
health; but, whilst I
[p]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
[p]have purchased as
many diseases under her roof as come to--
Second Gentleman : To what, I pray?
Lucio : Judge.
Second Gentleman : To three thousand dolours a year.
First Gentleman : Ay, and more.
Lucio : A French crown more.
First Gentleman : Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thou
[p]art full of
error; I am sound.
Lucio : Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound as
[p]things that are
hollow: thy bones are hollow;
[p]impiety has made a feast of thee.
First Gentleman : How now! which of your hips has the most profound sciatica?
Mistress Overdone : Well, well; there's one yonder arrested and carried
[p]to prison was
worth five thousand of you all.
Second Gentleman : Who's that, I pray thee?
Mistress Overdone : Marry, sir, that's Claudio, Signior Claudio.
First Gentleman : Claudio to prison? 'tis not so.
Mistress Overdone : Nay, but I know 'tis so: I saw him arrested, saw
[p]him carried away;
and, which is more, within these
[p]three days his head to be chopped
off.
Lucio : But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so.
[p]Art thou sure
of this?
Mistress Overdone : I am too sure of it: and it is for getting Madam
[p]Julietta with
child.
Lucio : Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two
[p]hours since,
and he was ever precise in
[p]promise-keeping.
Second Gentleman : Besides, you know, it draws something near to the
[p]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.
Mistress Overdone : Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what
[p]with the gallows
and what with poverty, I am
[p]custom-shrunk.
[p][Enter POMPEY]
[p]How
now! what's the news with you?
Pompey : Yonder man is carried to prison.
Mistress Overdone : Well; what has he done?
Pompey : A woman.
Mistress Overdone : But what's his offence?
Pompey : Groping for trouts in a peculiar river.
Mistress Overdone : What, is there a maid with child by him?
Pompey : No, but there's a woman with maid by him. You have
[p]not heard of the
proclamation, have you?
Mistress Overdone : What proclamation, man?
Pompey : All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be plucked down.
Mistress Overdone : And what shall become of those in the city?
Pompey : They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too,
[p]but that a wise
burgher put in for them.
Mistress Overdone : But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be
[p]pulled down?
Pompey : To the ground, mistress.
Mistress Overdone : Why, here's a change indeed in the commonwealth!
[p]What shall become
of me?
Pompey : Come; fear you not: good counsellors lack no
[p]clients: though you
change your place, you need not
[p]change your trade; I'll be your
tapster still.
[p]Courage! there will be pity taken on you: you
that
[p]have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you
[p]will be
considered.
Mistress Overdone : What's to do here, Thomas tapster? let's withdraw.
Pompey : Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the provost to
[p]prison; and
there's Madam Juliet.
Claudio : Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the world?
[p]Bear me to prison,
where I am committed.
Provost : I do it not in evil disposition,
[p]But from Lord Angelo by special
charge.
Claudio : Thus can the demigod Authority
[p]Make us pay down for our offence by
weight
[p]The words of heaven; on whom it will, it will;
[p]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:
[p]As surfeit is the father
of much fast,
[p]So every scope by the immoderate use
[p]Turns to
restraint. Our natures do pursue,
[p]Like rats that ravin down their
proper bane,
[p]A thirsty evil; and when we drink we die.
Lucio : If could speak so wisely under an arrest, I would
[p]send for certain
of my creditors: and yet, to say
[p]the truth, I had as lief have the
foppery of freedom
[p]as the morality of imprisonment. What's
thy
[p]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.
Lucio : A hundred, if they'll do you any good.
[p]Is lechery so look'd after?
Claudio : Thus stands it with me: upon a true contract
[p]I got possession of
Julietta's bed:
[p]You know the lady; she is fast my wife,
[p]Save
that we do the denunciation lack
[p]Of outward order: this we came not
to,
[p]Only for propagation of a dower
[p]Remaining in the coffer of
her friends,
[p]From whom we thought it meet to hide our love
[p]Till
time had made them for us. But it chances
[p]The stealth of our most
mutual entertainment
[p]With character too gross is writ on Juliet.
Lucio : With child, perhaps?
Claudio : Unhappily, even so.
[p]And the new deputy now for the
duke--
[p]Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness,
[p]Or
whether that the body public be
[p]A horse whereon the governor doth
ride,
[p]Who, newly in the seat, that it may know
[p]He can command,
lets it straight feel the spur;
[p]Whether the tyranny be in his
place,
[p]Or in his emmence that fills it up,
[p]I stagger in:--but
this new governor
[p]Awakes me all the enrolled penalties
[p]Which
have, like unscour'd armour, hung by the wall
[p]So long that nineteen
zodiacs have gone round
[p]And none of them been worn; and, for a
name,
[p]Now puts the drowsy and neglected act
[p]Freshly on me: 'tis
surely for a name.
Lucio : I warrant it is: and thy head stands so tickle on
[p]thy shoulders
that a milkmaid, if she be in love,
[p]may sigh it off. Send after the
duke and appeal to
[p]him.
Claudio : I have done so, but he's not to be found.
[p]I prithee, Lucio, do me
this kind service:
[p]This day my sister should the cloister
enter
[p]And there receive her approbation:
[p]Acquaint her with the
danger of my state:
[p]Implore her, in my voice, that she make
friends
[p]To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him:
[p]I have
great hope in that; for in her youth
[p]There is a prone and
speechless dialect,
[p]Such as move men; beside, she hath prosperous
art
[p]When she will play with reason and discourse,
[p]And well she
can persuade.
Lucio : I pray she may; as well for the encouragement of the
[p]like, which
else would stand under grievous
[p]imposition, as for the enjoying of
thy life, who I
[p]would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at
a
[p]game of tick-tack. I'll to her.
Claudio : I thank you, good friend Lucio.
Lucio : Within two hours.
Claudio : Come, officer, away!
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