290
Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne!
Where is the Duke? 'tis he should hear me speak.

_Escal._ The Duke's in us; and we will hear you speak:
Look you speak justly.

_Duke._ Boldly, at least. But, O, poor souls, 295
Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox?
Good night to your redress! Is the Duke gone?
Then is your cause gone too. The Duke's unjust,
Thus to retort your manifest appeal,
And put your trial in the villain's mouth 300
Which here you come to accuse.

_Lucio._ This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of.

_Escal._ Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar,
Is't not enough thou hast suborn'd these women
To accuse this worthy man, but, in foul mouth, 305
And in the witness of his proper ear,
To call him villain? and then to glance from him
To the Duke himself, to tax him with injustice?
Take him hence; to the rack with him! We'll touse you
Joint by joint, but we will know his purpose. 310
What, 'unjust'!

_Duke._ Be not so hot; the Duke
Dare no more stretch this finger of mine than he
Dare rack his own: his subject am I not,
Nor here provincial. My business in this state
Made me a looker-on here in Vienna, 315
Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble
Till it o'er-run the stew; laws for all faults,
But faults so countenanced, that the strong statutes
Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop,
As much in mock as mark. 320

_Escal._ Slander to the state! Away with him to prison!

_Ang._ What can you vouch against him, Signior Lucio?
Is this the man that you did tell us of?

_Lucio._ 'Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman bald-pate:
do you know me? 325

_Duke._ I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice:
I met you at the prison, in the absence of the Duke.

_Lucio._ O, did you so? And do you remember what
you said of the Duke?

_Duke._ Most notedly, sir. 330

_Lucio._ Do you so, sir? And was the Duke a flesh-monger,
a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him
to be?

_Duke._ You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you
make that my report: you, indeed, spoke so of him; and 335
much more, much worse.

_Lucio._ O thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee
by the nose for thy speeches?

_Duke._