Measure for Measure
Act IV, Scene 4
A room in Angelo’s house.
Every letter he hath writ hath disvouch’d other.
From: Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare
Mary Cowden Clarke, Charles Cowden Clarke, 1870
- Enter Angelo and Escalus.
Escalus
1- Every letter he hath writ hath disvouch’d other.
Angelo
2 - 5- 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
6- I guess not.
Angelo
7 - 9- And why should we proclaim it in an hour before his
- ent’ring, that if any crave redress of injustice, they
- should exhibit their petitions in the street?
Escalus
10 - 12- 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
13 - 15- Well; I beseech you let it be proclaim’d betimes i’ th’
- morn. I’ll call you at your house. Give notice to such men
- of sort and suit as are to meet him.
Escalus
16- I shall, sir. Fare you well.
Angelo
17 - 32- Good night.
- Exit Escalus.
- This deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpregnant
- And dull to all proceedings. A deflow’red maid!
- And by an eminent body that enforc’d
- 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 liv’d,
- Save that his riotous youth with dangerous sense
- Might in the times to come have ta’en revenge,
- By so receiving a dishonor’d life
- With ransom of such shame. Would yet he had liv’d!
- Alack, when once our grace we have forgot,
- Nothing goes right—we would, and we would not.
- Exit.