The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (444 page)

It shall be speeded well.

I will do it quickly.

Exit

Enter VARRIUS

DUKE VINCENTIO

I thank thee, Varrius; thou hast made good haste:

Thank you, Varrius; you have hurried here in time:
Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends

Come on, let’s take a walk.  More of our friends
Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius.

Will join us in a moment, my good man Varrius.

Exeunt

Enter ISABELLA and MARIANA

ISABELLA

To speak so indirectly I am loath:

I hate to speak so dishonestly:
I would say the truth; but to accuse him so,

I want to say the trith; but accusing him truthfully
That is your part: yet I am advised to do it;

Is your job: but I have been told to do it;
He says, to veil full purpose.

He says to hide the true reason.

MARIANA

Be ruled by him.

Listen to him.

ISABELLA

Besides, he tells me that, if peradventure

Besides, he says that, if by chance
He speak against me on the adverse side,

He were to speak against me of the opposing side,
I should not think it strange; for 'tis a physic

I shouldn’t think it’s strange; because it’s a solution
That's bitter to sweet end.

That’s difficult but for a good result.

MARIANA

I would Friar Peter—

I wish Friar Peter--

ISABELLA

O, peace! the friar is come.

Oh good! The friar is here.

Enter FRIAR PETER

FRIAR PETER

Come, I have found you out a stand most fit,

Come here, I have found you a good place to stand,
Where you may have such vantage on the duke,

Where you may see the duke well enough,
He shall not pass you. Twice have the trumpets sounded;

That he cannot pass you.  The trumpets have sounded twice;
The generous and gravest citizens

The kind and serious citizens
Have hent the gates, and very near upon

Have arrived at the gates, and very soon
The duke is entering: therefore, hence, away!

The duke will enter: so go there, away with you!

Exeunt

MARIANA veiled, ISABELLA, and FRIAR PETER, at their stand. Enter DUKE VINCENTIO, VARRIUS, Lords, ANGELO, ESCALUS, LUCIO, PROVOST, Officers, and Citizens, at several doors

DUKE VINCENTIO

My very worthy cousin, fairly met!

My wonderful friend, nice to see you!
Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you.

And our old and faithful friend, I’m glad to see you too.

ANGELO ESCALUS

Happy return be to your royal grace!

Welcome home, your royal grace!

DUKE VINCENTIO

Many and hearty thankings to you both.

Thank you both so much.
We have made inquiry of you; and we hear

We’ve asked about your work; and we’ve heard
Such goodness of your justice, that our soul

Such good things of your justice, that we
Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks,

Cannot help but it thank you publicly,
Forerunning more requital.

Before showing you more gratitude.

ANGELO

You make my bonds still greater.

You continue to make me indebted to you.

DUKE VINCENTIO

O, your desert speaks loud; and I should wrong it,

Oh, your praiseworthiness is great; and I would do you wrong,
To lock it in the wards of covert bosom,

To keep it locked up in my heart,
When it deserves, with characters of brass,

When it deserves, with brass plaques,
A forted residence 'gainst the tooth of time

A castle against the ravages if time
And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,

And obliteration into oblivion. Give me your hand,
And let the subject see, to make them know

And let the people of the city see, to make sure they know
That outward courtesies would fain proclaim

That outward displays of courtesy would happily show
Favours that keep within. Come, Escalus,

The high regard we hold inside our hearts. Come on, Escalus,
You must walk by us on our other hand;

You must walk on my other side;
And good supporters are you.

You’re such good followers.

FRIAR PETER and ISABELLA come forward

FRIAR PETER

Now is your time: speak loud and kneel before him.

Now it’s time: speak loudly and kneel in front of him.

ISABELLA

Justice, O royal duke! Vail your regard

Justice, oh royal duke! Look down
Upon a wrong'd, I would fain have said, a maid!

On someone who has been wronged, I would gladly have once called myself a virgin!
O worthy prince, dishonour not your eye

Oh worthy duke, don’t spoil your eyes
By throwing it on any other object

By looking at any one else
Till you have heard me in my true complaint

Until you have heard my whole complaint
And given me justice, justice, justice, justice!

And have given my justice, justice, justice, justice!

DUKE VINCENTIO

Relate your wrongs; in what? by whom? be brief.

Explain how you were wronged; how so? And by whom? Tell me quickly.
Here is Lord Angelo shall give you justice:

Here is Lord Angelo to give you justice:
Reveal yourself to him.

Explain yourself to him.

ISABELLA

O worthy duke,

Oh, worthy duke,
You bid me seek redemption of the devil:

You are asking me to seek retribution from an evil man:
Hear me yourself; for that which I must speak

Listen to me yourself; for what I am about to tell you
Must either punish me, not being believed,

will either punish me, if you don’t believe me,
Or wring redress from you. Hear me, O hear me, here!

Or force you to provide compensation for my wrongs. Listen to me, oh listen to me, right now!

ANGELO

My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm:

My lord, I’m afraid her mind is not sound:
She hath been a suitor to me for her brother

She has been begging me to free her brother
Cut off by course of justice,--

Executed in accordance with the law,--

ISABELLA

By course of justice!

In accordance with the law!

ANGELO

And she will speak most bitterly and strange.

And what she has to say will be angry and strange.

ISABELLA

Most strange, but yet most truly, will I speak:

What I have to say is quite strange, but still it is true:
That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange?

Is it not strange that Angelo would be a liar?
That Angelo's a murderer; is 't not strange?

Is it not strange that Angelo would be a murderer?
That Angelo is an adulterous thief,

That Angelo is a two-timing thief,
An hypocrite, a virgin-violator;

A hypocrite, and violated a virgin;
Is it not strange and strange?

It that not all quite strange?

DUKE VINCENTIO

Nay, it is ten times strange.

No, it is stranger than strange.

ISABELLA

It is not truer he is Angelo

It’s just as true the he is named Angelo
Than this is all as true as it is strange:

That all this is as true as it is strange:
Nay, it is ten times true; for truth is truth

No, it is truer than true; for truth is truth
To the end of reckoning.

Until the end of time.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Away with her! Poor soul,

Take her away! Poor woman,
She speaks this in the infirmity of sense.

She speaks all this with an insane mind.

ISABELLA

O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believest

Oh duke, I beg of you, as you believe
There is another comfort than this world,

That there is a heaven beyond this world,
That thou neglect me not, with that opinion

That you not neglect me, because you think
That I am touch'd with madness! Make not impossible

I have gone insane! Do not say it is impossible
That which but seems unlike: 'tis not impossible

Because it is unlikely: it’s not impossible
But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground,

That the most evil scoundrel on the face of the earth,
May seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute

May seem as withdrawn, as distinguished, as honorable, and as honest
As Angelo; even so may Angelo,