第 2 节
作者:冷如冰      更新:2024-04-07 11:51      字数:9322
  yonder arrested and carried to prison was worth five thousand of you all。
  FIRST     GENTLEMAN。           Who's    that;  I  pray  thee?   MRS。    OVERDONE。
  Marry;     sir;  that's  Claudio;    Signior    Claudio。    FIRST     GENTLEMAN。
  Claudio to prison? 'Tis not so。 MRS。 OVERDONE。 Nay; but I know 'tis so:
  I   saw   him   arrested;   saw   him   carried   away;   and;   which   is   more;   within
  these   three   days   his   head   to   be   chopp'd   off。   LUCIO。   But;   after   all   this
  fooling; I would not have it so。 Art thou sure of this? MRS。 OVERDONE。
  I am too sure of it; and it is for getting Madam Julietta with child。 LUCIO。
  Believe me; this may be; he promis'd to meet me two hours since; and he
  was ever precise in promise…keeping。 SECOND GENTLEMAN。 Besides;
  you know; it draws something near to the 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。  Exeunt    Lucio    and
  GENTLEMEN MRS。 OVERDONE。 Thus; what with the war; what with
  the   sweat;   what   with   the   gallows;   and   what   with   poverty;   I   am   custom…
  shrunk。
  Enter POMPEY
  How   now!   what's   the   news   with   you?    POMPEY。   Yonder   man        is
  carried to prison。 MRS。 OVERDONE。 Well; what has he done? POMPEY。
  A    woman。     MRS。     OVERDONE。          But   what's   his   offence?    POMPEY。
  Groping for trouts in a peculiar river。 MRS。 OVERDONE。 What! is there
  a maid with child by him? POMPEY。 No; but there's a woman with maid
  by    him。   You   have   not   heard   of  the  proclamation;     have   you?    MRS。
  OVERDONE。          What    proclamation;     man?    POMPEY。       All  houses   in  the
  suburbs of Vienna must be pluck'd down。 MRS。 OVERDONE。 And what
  shall   become   of   those   in   the   city?   POMPEY。   They  shall   stand   for   seed;
  they had gone down too; but that a wise burgher put in for them。 MRS。
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  OVERDONE。 But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be   pull'd
  down?      POMPEY。      To   the  ground;   mistress。    MRS。    OVERDONE。          Why;
  here's a change indeed in the commonwealth! What shall become of me?
  POMPEY。 Come; fear not you: good counsellors lack no clients。 Though
  you change your place you need not change your trade; I'll be your tapster
  still。 Courage; there will be pity taken on you; you that have worn   your
  eyes almost out in the service; you will be considered。 MRS。 OVERDONE。
  What's     to  do  here;   Thomas     Tapster?    Let's  withdraw。    POMPEY。       Here
  comes Signior Claudio; led by the provost to prison; and there's Madam
  Juliet。 Exeunt
  Enter   PROVOST;        CLAUDIO;        JULIET;     and   OFFICERS;       LUCIO
  following
  CLAUDIO。 Fellow; why dost thou show me thus to th' world? Bear
  me   to   prison;   where   I  am   committed。     PROVOST。   I      do   it  not   in  evil
  disposition;   But   from   Lord Angelo   by   special   charge。   CLAUDIO。   Thus
  can the demigod Authority Make us pay down for our offence by weight
  The words of heaven: on whom it will; it will; 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; As   surfeit   is   the
  father   of   much   fast;   So   every   scope   by   the   immoderate   use   Turns   to
  restraint。   Our   natures   do   pursue;   Like   rats   that   ravin   down   their   proper
  bane; A thirsty evil; and when we drink we die。 LUCIO。 If I could speak
  so wisely under an arrest; I would send for certain of my creditors; and yet;
  to say the truth; I had as lief have the foppery of freedom as the morality
  of   imprisonment。  What's   thy   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。   Is  lechery    so  look'd   after?
  CLAUDIO。 Thus stands it with me: upon a true contract I got possession
  of Julietta's bed。 You know the lady; she is fast my wife; Save that we do
  the   denunciation   lack   Of   outward   order;   this   we   came   not   to;   Only   for
  propagation of a dow'r Remaining in the coffer of her friends。 From whom
  we thought it meet to hide our love Till time had made them for us。 But it
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  chances The stealth of our most mutual entertainment; With character too
  gross;    is  writ   on   Juliet。  LUCIO。      With    child;   perhaps?    CLAUDIO。
  Unhappily; even so。 And the new deputy now for the Duke… Whether it be
  the fault and glimpse of newness; Or whether that the body public be A
  horse whereon the governor doth ride; Who; newly in the seat; that it may
  know He can command; lets it straight feel the spur; Whether the tyranny
  be in his place; Or in his eminence that fills it up; I stagger in。 But this new
  governor Awakes me all the enrolled penalties Which have; like unscour'd
  armour; hung by th' wall So long that nineteen zodiacs have gone round
  And none of them been worn; and; for a name; Now puts the drowsy and
  neglected act Freshly on me。 'Tis surely for a name。 LUCIO。 I warrant it is;
  and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders that a milkmaid; if she be in
  love; may sigh it off。 Send after the Duke; and appeal to him。 CLAUDIO。
  I have done so; but he's not to be found。 I prithee; Lucio; do me this kind
  service: This day my sister should the cloister enter; And there receive her
  approbation; Acquaint her with the danger of my state; Implore her; in my
  voice; that she make friends To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him。 I
  have great hope in that; for in her youth There is a prone and speechless
  dialect Such as move men; beside; she hath prosperous art When she will
  play with reason and discourse; And well she can persuade。 LUCIO。 I pray
  she   may;   as   well   for   the   encouragement   of   the   like;   which   else   would
  stand   under   grievous   imposition;   as   for   the   enjoying   of   thy   life;   who   I
  would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of tick…tack。 I'll to
  her。 CLAUDIO。 I thank you; good friend Lucio。 LUCIO。 Within two hours。
  CLAUDIO。 Come; officer; away。 Exeunt
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  SCENE III。 A monastery
  Enter DUKE and FRIAR THOMAS
  DUKE。 No; holy father; throw away that thought; Believe not that the
  dribbling dart of love Can pierce a complete bosom。 Why I desire thee To
  give me secret harbour hath a purpose More grave and wrinkled than the
  aims   and   ends   Of   burning   youth。   FRIAR。   May   your   Grace   speak   of   it?
  DUKE。 My holy sir; none better knows than you How I have ever lov'd
  the life removed; And held in idle price to haunt assemblies Where youth;
  and cost; a witless bravery keeps。 I have deliver'd to Lord Angelo; A man
  of   stricture   and   firm   abstinence;   My   absolute   power   and   place   here   in
  Vienna; And he supposes me travell'd to Poland; For so I have strew'd it in
  the common ear; And so it is received。 Now; pious sir; You will demand of
  me why I do this。 FRIAR。 Gladly; my lord。 DUKE。 We have strict statutes
  and   most   biting   laws;   The   needful   bits   and   curbs   to   headstrong   steeds;
  Which for this fourteen years we have let sleep; Even like an o'ergrown
  lion   in   a   cave;  That   goes   not   out   to   prey。   Now;   as   fond   fathers;   Having
  bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch; Only to stick it in their children's
  sight   For   terror;   not   to   use;   in   time   the   rod   Becomes   more   mock'd   than
  fear'd;   so   our   decrees;   Dead   to   infliction;   to   themselves   are   dead;   And
  liberty   plucks   justice   by   the   nose;   The   baby   beats   the   nurse;   and   quite
  athwart Goes all decorum。 FRIAR。 It rested in your Grace To unloose this
  tied…up justice when you pleas'd; And it in you more dreadful would have
  seem'd Than in Lord Angelo。 DUKE。 I do fear; too dreadful。 Sith 'twas my
  fault to give the people scope; 'Twould be my tyranny to strike and gall
  them For what I bid them do; for we bid this be done; When evil deeds
  have their permissive pass And not the punishment。 Therefore; indeed; my
  father; I have on Angelo impos'd the office; Who may; in th' ambush of my
  name; strike home; And yet my nat