A Monastery.
 Enter DUKE and FRIAR PETER.

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 Peter						May your grace speak of it?

Duke	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, witless bravery keeps.
	I have delivered to Lord Angelo
	- A man of stricture and firm abstinence-
	My absolute power and place here in Vienna,
	And he supposes me travelled to Poland;
	For so I have strewed it in the common ear,
	And so it is received. Now, pious sir,
	You will demand of me, why I do this.

Friar Peter	Gladly, my lord.

Duke	We have strict statutes and most biting laws,
	The needful bits and curbs to headstrong jades,
	Which for this fourteen 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
	For terror, not to use, in time the rod
	Becomes more mocked than feared; 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 Peter						It rested in your grace
	To unloose this tied-up justice when you pleased,
	And it in you more dreadful would have seemed
	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 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,
	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
	Like a true friar. More reasons for this action
	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
	If power change purpose, what our seemers be.
													[Exeunt.
