Act I, Scene 3

A monastery.

[Enter DUKE VINCENTIO and FRIAR THOMAS]

• Vincentio. No, holy father; throw away that thought; 290
  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. 295

• Friar Thomas. May your grace speak of it?

• Vincentio. My holy sir, none better knows than you
  How I have ever loved the life removed
  And held in idle price to haunt assemblies
  Where youth, and cost, and witless bravery keeps. 300
  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, 305
  And so it is received. Now, pious sir,
  You will demand of me why I do this?

• Friar Thomas. Gladly, my lord.

• Vincentio. We have strict statutes and most biting laws.
  The needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds, 310
  Which for this nineteen years we have let slip;
  Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave,
  That goes not out to prey. Now, as fond fathers,
  Having bound up the threatening twigs of birch,
  Only to stick it in their children's sight 315
  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 320
  Goes all decorum.

• Friar Thomas. It rested in your grace
  To unloose this tied-up justice when you pleased:
  And it in you more dreadful would have seem'd
  Than in Lord Angelo. 325

• Vincentio. 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 330
  And not the punishment. Therefore indeed, my father,
  I have on Angelo imposed the office;
  Who may, in the ambush of my name, strike home,
  And yet my nature never in the fight
  To do in slander. And to behold his sway, 335
  I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,
  Visit both prince and people: therefore, I prithee,
  Supply me with the habit and instruct me
  How I may formally in person bear me
  Like a true friar. More reasons for this action 340
  At our more leisure shall I render you;
  Only, this one: Lord Angelo is precise;
  Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confesses
  That his blood flows, or that his appetite
  Is more to bread than stone: hence shall we see, 345
  If power change purpose, what our seemers be.

[Exeunt]