astisement. I for a
while will leave you, but stir not you, lord Angelo, till you have
well determined upon this slander." The duke then went away, leaving
Angelo well pleased to be deputed judge and umpire in his own cause.
But the duke was absent only while he threw off his royal robes and
put on his friar's habit; and in that disguise again he presented
himself before Angelo and Escalus: and the good old Escalus, who
thought Angelo had been falsely accused, said to the supposed friar,
"Come, sir, did you set these women on to slander lord Angelo?" He
replied, "Where is the duke? It is he should hear me speak." Escalus
said, "The duke is in us, and we will hear you. Speak justly." "Boldly
at least," retorted the friar; and then he blamed the duke for leaving
the cause of Isabel in the hands of him she had accused, and spoke so
freely of many corrupt practices he had observed, while, as he said,
he had been a looker-on in Vienna, that Escalus threatened him with
the torture for speaking words against the state, and for censuring
the conduct of the duke, and ordered him to be taken away to prison.
Then, to the amazement of all present, and to the utter confusion of
Angelo, the supposed friar threw off his disguise, and they saw it was
the duke himself.

The duke first addressed Isabel. He said to her, "Come hither, Isabel.
Your friar is now your prince, but with my habit I have not changed my
heart. I am still devoted to your service." "O give me pardon," said
Isabel, "that I, your vassal, have employed and troubled your unknown
sovereignty." He answered that he had most need of forgiveness from
her, for not having prevented the death of her brother--for not yet
would he tell her that Claudio was living; meaning first to make
a farther trial of her goodness. Angelo now knew the duke had
been a secret witness of his bad deeds, and he said, "O my dread
lord, I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, to think I can be
undiscernible, when I perceive your grace, like power divine, has
looked upon my actions. Then, good prince, no longer prolong my shame,
but let my trial be my own confession. Immediate sentence and death
is all the grace I beg." The duke replied, "Angelo, thy faults are
manifest. We do condemn thee to the very block where Claudio stooped
to death; and with like haste away with him; and for his possessions,
Mariana, we do enstate and widow you withal, to buy you a better
husband." "O my dear lord," said Maria