Measure For Measure | Act 4.4

 A room in ANGELO’s house

[Enter ANGELO and ESCALUS]

ESCALUS
Every letter he hath writ hath disvouched other.

ANGELO     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

ESCALUS     I guess not.

ANGELO     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?

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

ANGELO     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.

ESCALUS     I shall, sir. Fare you well.

ANGELO      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
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
But it confounds the breather. He should have lived,
Save that 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!
A lack, when once our grace we have forgot,
Nothing goes right: we would, and we would not.

 

[Exit] Act 4.3 | Act 4.5


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Updated: April 26, 2021 — 10:39 am