The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (448 page)

First, provost, let me free the kind Isabel, gentle Mariana, and good Friar Peter.

To LUCIO

Sneak not away, sir; for the friar and you

Don’t sneak away, sir; for the friar and you
Must have a word anon. Lay hold on him.

Must have a word later. Keep hold of him.

LUCIO

This may prove worse than hanging.

This may end up being worse than being executed.

DUKE VINCENTIO

[To ESCALUS] What you have spoke I pardon: sit you down:

[To ESCALUS] What you have said I will forgive: sit down:
We'll borrow place of him.

I’ll take Angelo’s seat.

To ANGELO

Sir, by your leave.

Sir, excuse me,
Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence,

Do you have either words, or cleverness, or audacity,
That yet can do thee office? If thou hast,

That can still help you? If you do,
Rely upon it till my tale be heard,

Tell it now, until my story is told,
And hold no longer out.

And no longer hold back.

ANGELO

O my dread lord,

Oh, my respected lord,
I should be guiltier than my guiltiness,

I would be guiltier than I already am,
To think I can be undiscernible,

If I thought I could remain undeteced,
When I perceive your grace, like power divine,

When I realize that your grace, like the power of god,
Hath look'd upon my passes. Then, good prince,

Has noticed my crimes. Well then, good duke,
No longer session hold upon my shame,

Don’t hold the trial of my dishonor any longer
But let my trial be mine own confession:

But instead let my trial be my own confession:
Immediate sentence then and sequent death

Immediate punishment first and after that death
Is all the grace I beg.

Is all the favors I ask for.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Come hither, Mariana.

Come here, Mariana.
Say, wast thou e'er contracted to this woman?

Tell me, were you ever betrothed to this woman?

ANGELO

I was, my lord.

I was, my lord.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.

Go take her away, and marry her immediately.
Do you the office, friar; which consummate,

Friar Peter, marry them; when it is finished,
Return him here again. Go with him, provost.

Bring him back here.  Go with him, provost.

Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, FRIAR PETER and PROVOST

ESCALUS

My lord, I am more amazed at his dishonour

My lord, I am more amazed at his dishonor
Than at the strangeness of it.

Than at the strangeness of the situation.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Come hither, Isabel.

Come here, Isabel.
Your friar is now your prince: as I was then

The friar who helped you is now the duke: before I was
Advertising and holy to your business,

Attentive and devoted to your problem,
Not changing heart with habit, I am still

And since I don’t change my attitude with my clothes, I am still
Attorney'd at your service.

dedicated to your service.

ISABELLA

O, give me pardon,

Oh, forgive me,
That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd

Because I, your servant, have employed and troubled
Your unknown sovereignty!

Your royalty unknowingly!

DUKE VINCENTIO

You are pardon'd, Isabel:

You are forgiven, Isabel:
And now, dear maid, be you as free to us.

And now, dear lady, I hope you are as forgiving to us.
Your brother's death, I know, sits at your heart;

Your brother’s death, I know, weighs on your heart;
And you may marvel why I obscured myself,

And you may wonder why I disguised myself,
Labouring to save his life, and would not rather

Working to save his life, and didn’t instead
Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power

Hastily reveal my hidden power

Than let him so be lost. O most kind maid,

Rather than let him be executed. Oh most kind lady,
It was the swift celerity of his death,

It was because of the hurried speed of his death,
Which I did think with slower foot came on,

Which I thought was approaching slower,
That brain'd my purpose. But, peace be with him!

That destroyed my plan. But, peace be with him!
That life is better life, past fearing death,

That existence is a better life, beyond the fear of death,
Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort,

That the life that is lived in fear: comfort yourself with that thought,
So happy is your brother.

Your brother is content.

ISABELLA

I do, my lord.

I do, my lord.

Re-enter ANGELO, MARIANA, FRIAR PETER, and PROVOST

DUKE VINCENTIO

For this new-married man approaching here,

As for this newly married man approaching us here,
Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd

Whose lustful imagination would have wronged
Your well defended honour, you must pardon

Your preserved honor, you must forgive him
For Mariana's sake: but as he adjudged your brother,--

For Mariana’s sake: but since he condemned your brother,--
Being criminal, in double violation

And is therefore a criminal in violation of both
Of sacred chastity and of promise-breach

Of taking a virgin and of breaking the promise
Thereon dependent, for your brother's life,--

On which that virginity depended, for your brother’s life,--
The very mercy of the law cries out

The merciful nature of the law cries out
Most audible, even from his proper tongue,

Loudly, even from his own tongue, for
'An Angelo for Claudio, death for death!'

‘Angelo for Claudio, a death for a death!’
Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;

Speediness still repays speediness, and lenience repays lenience;
Like doth quit like, and MEASURE still FOR MEASURE.

Like repays like, and always measure for measure.
Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifested;

Then, Angelo, your crime thus proven;
Which, though thou wouldst deny, denies thee vantage.

Which, even if you were to deny it, it would do you no good.
We do condemn thee to the very block

We sentence you to the very same executioners block
Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like haste.

Where Claudio gave in to death, and with the same speediness.
Away with him!

Take him away!

MARIANA

O my most gracious lord,

Oh, my most gracious lord,
I hope you will not mock me with a husband.

I hope you are not taunting me with a husband.

DUKE VINCENTIO

It is your husband mock'd you with a husband.

It is your husband who taunted you with a husband.
Consenting to the safeguard of your honour,

As I agreed to protect your honor,
I thought your marriage fit; else imputation,

I thought your marriage was acceptable; otherwise accusations,
For that he knew you, might reproach your life

Because of your sexual relations with him, might condemn your life
And choke your good to come; for his possessions,

And strangle what good is to come to you; because his possessions,
Although by confiscation they are ours,

Although we confiscated them,
We do instate and widow you withal,

We bequeath to you and give you a widow’s settlement with that,
To buy you a better husband.

To provide a dowry for a better husband.

MARIANA

O my dear lord,

Oh, my dear lord,
I crave no other, nor no better man.

I want no other man, nor do I want a better man.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Never crave him; we are definitive.

Don’t want him; we have set our minds on this.

MARIANA

Gentle my liege,--

My gentle lord,--

Kneeling

DUKE VINCENTIO

You do but lose your labour.

You are wasting your efforts,
Away with him to death!

Take him away to death!

To LUCIO

Now, sir, to you.

Now, sir, on to you.

MARIANA

O my good lord! Sweet Isabel, take my part;

Oh, my good lord! Sweet Isabel, take my side;
Lend me your knees, and all my life to come

Kneel with me, and for the rest of my life
I'll lend you all my life to do you service.

I’ll give you everything in my power to help you.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Against all sense you do importune her:

Completely unreasonably are you asking for her help:
Should she kneel down in mercy of this fact,

Why should she kneel down for mercy of this crime,
Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,

Her brother’s ghost would break out of his grave,
And take her hence in horror.

And take her away in horror.

MARIANA

Isabel,

Isabel,
Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me;

Sweet Isabel, please just kneel by me;
Hold up your hands, say nothing; I'll speak all.

Hold up your hands, you don’t have to say anything; I’ll say everything.
They say, best men are moulded out of faults;

They say that the best men are created out of their crimes;
And, for the most, become much more the better

And, for the most part, become so much better
For being a little bad: so may my husband.

Because they were a little bad: so it could be with my husband.
O Isabel, will you not lend a knee?

Oh, Isabel, won’t you kneel with me?

DUKE VINCENTIO

He dies for Claudio's death.

He dies for Claudio’s death.

ISABELLA

Most bounteous sir,

Most giving sir,

Kneeling

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,

If you would like, consider this condemned man
As if my brother lived: I partly think

The same as you would if my brother has lived: I partly think
A due sincerity govern'd his deeds,

A proper authenticity led him to do what he did,
Till he did look on me: since it is so,

Until he looked on me: since that’s the case,
Let him not die. My brother had but justice,

Do not have him die. My brother had only justice,
In that he did the thing for which he died:

In that he committed the crime for which he died:
For Angelo,

For Angelo,
His act did not o'ertake his bad intent,

The crime he intended was not carried out,
And must be buried but as an intent