Tales From Shakespeare [85]
were Isabel. Should it then be thus? No, I would tell you what it were to be a judge, and what a prisoner."
"Be content, fair maid!" said Angelo: "it is the law, not I, condemns your brother. Were he my kinsman, my brother, or my son, it should be thus with him. He must die to-morrow."
"To-morrow?" said Isabel. "Oh, that is sudden! Spare him, spare him. He is not prepared for death. Even for our kitchens we kill the fowl in season; shall we serve Heaven with less respect than we minister to our gross selves? Good, good, my lord, bethink you, none have died for my brother's offense, though many have committed it. So you would be the first that gives this sentence and he the first that suffers it. Go to your own bosom, my lord; knock there, and ask your heart what it does know that is like my brother's fault; if it confess a natural guiltiness such as his is, let it not sound a thought against my brother's life!"
Her last words more moved Angelo than all she had before said, for the beauty of Isabel had raised a guilty passion in his heart
and he began to form thoughts of dishonorable love, such as Claudio's crime had been, and the conflict in his mind made him to turn away from Isabel; but she called him back, saying: "Gentle my lord, turn back. Hark, how I will bribe you. Good my lord, turn back!"
"How! bribe me?" said Angelo, astonished that she should think of offering him a bribe.
"Aye," said Isabel, "with such gifts that Heaven itself shall share with you; not with golden treasures, or those glittering stones whose price is either rich or poor as fancy values them, but with true prayers that shall be up to Heaven before sunrise--prayers from preserved souls, from fasting maids whose minds are dedicated to nothing temporal."
"Well, come to me to-morrow," said Angelo.
And for this short respite of her brother's life, and for this permission that she might be heard again, she left him with the joyful hope that she should at last prevail over his stern nature. And as she went away she said: "Heaven keep your Honor safe! Heaven save your Honor!" Which, when Angelo heard, he said within his heart, "Amen, I would be saved from thee and from thy virtues." And then, affrighted at his own evil thoughts, he said: "What is this? What is this? Do I love her, that I desire to hear her speak again and feast upon her eyes? What is it I dream on? The cunning enemy of mankind, to catch a saint, with saints does bait the hook. Never could an immodest woman once stir my temper, but this virtuous woman subdues me quite. Even till now, when men were fond, I smiled and wondered at them."
In the guilty conflict in his mind Angelo suffered more that night than the prisoner he had so severely sentenced; for in the prison Claudio was visited by the good duke, who, in his friar's habit, taught the young man the way to heaven, preaching to him the words of penitence and peace. But Angelo felt all the pangs of irresolute guilt, now wishing to seduce Isabel from the paths of innocence and honor, and now suffering remorse and horror for a crime as yet but intentional. But in the end his evil thoughts prevailed; and he who had so lately started at the offer of a bribe resolved to tempt this maiden with so high a bribe as she might not be able to resist, even with the precious gift of her dear brother's life.
When Isabel came in the morning Angelo desired she might be admitted alone to his presence; and being there, he said to her, if she would yield to him her virgin honor and transgress even as Juliet had done with Claudio, he would give her her brother's life.
"For," said he, "I love you, Isabel."
"My brother," said Isabel, "did so love Juliet, and yet you tell me he shall die for it."
"But," said Angelo, "Claudio shall not die if you will consent to visit me by stealth at night, even as Juliet left her father's house at night to come to Claudio."
Isabel, in amazement at his words, that he should tempt her to the same fault for which he passed sentence upon her brother, said, "I would do as much for my poor
"Be content, fair maid!" said Angelo: "it is the law, not I, condemns your brother. Were he my kinsman, my brother, or my son, it should be thus with him. He must die to-morrow."
"To-morrow?" said Isabel. "Oh, that is sudden! Spare him, spare him. He is not prepared for death. Even for our kitchens we kill the fowl in season; shall we serve Heaven with less respect than we minister to our gross selves? Good, good, my lord, bethink you, none have died for my brother's offense, though many have committed it. So you would be the first that gives this sentence and he the first that suffers it. Go to your own bosom, my lord; knock there, and ask your heart what it does know that is like my brother's fault; if it confess a natural guiltiness such as his is, let it not sound a thought against my brother's life!"
Her last words more moved Angelo than all she had before said, for the beauty of Isabel had raised a guilty passion in his heart
and he began to form thoughts of dishonorable love, such as Claudio's crime had been, and the conflict in his mind made him to turn away from Isabel; but she called him back, saying: "Gentle my lord, turn back. Hark, how I will bribe you. Good my lord, turn back!"
"How! bribe me?" said Angelo, astonished that she should think of offering him a bribe.
"Aye," said Isabel, "with such gifts that Heaven itself shall share with you; not with golden treasures, or those glittering stones whose price is either rich or poor as fancy values them, but with true prayers that shall be up to Heaven before sunrise--prayers from preserved souls, from fasting maids whose minds are dedicated to nothing temporal."
"Well, come to me to-morrow," said Angelo.
And for this short respite of her brother's life, and for this permission that she might be heard again, she left him with the joyful hope that she should at last prevail over his stern nature. And as she went away she said: "Heaven keep your Honor safe! Heaven save your Honor!" Which, when Angelo heard, he said within his heart, "Amen, I would be saved from thee and from thy virtues." And then, affrighted at his own evil thoughts, he said: "What is this? What is this? Do I love her, that I desire to hear her speak again and feast upon her eyes? What is it I dream on? The cunning enemy of mankind, to catch a saint, with saints does bait the hook. Never could an immodest woman once stir my temper, but this virtuous woman subdues me quite. Even till now, when men were fond, I smiled and wondered at them."
In the guilty conflict in his mind Angelo suffered more that night than the prisoner he had so severely sentenced; for in the prison Claudio was visited by the good duke, who, in his friar's habit, taught the young man the way to heaven, preaching to him the words of penitence and peace. But Angelo felt all the pangs of irresolute guilt, now wishing to seduce Isabel from the paths of innocence and honor, and now suffering remorse and horror for a crime as yet but intentional. But in the end his evil thoughts prevailed; and he who had so lately started at the offer of a bribe resolved to tempt this maiden with so high a bribe as she might not be able to resist, even with the precious gift of her dear brother's life.
When Isabel came in the morning Angelo desired she might be admitted alone to his presence; and being there, he said to her, if she would yield to him her virgin honor and transgress even as Juliet had done with Claudio, he would give her her brother's life.
"For," said he, "I love you, Isabel."
"My brother," said Isabel, "did so love Juliet, and yet you tell me he shall die for it."
"But," said Angelo, "Claudio shall not die if you will consent to visit me by stealth at night, even as Juliet left her father's house at night to come to Claudio."
Isabel, in amazement at his words, that he should tempt her to the same fault for which he passed sentence upon her brother, said, "I would do as much for my poor