s sentenced,
and he must die."--"O just, but severe law," said Isabel: "I had a
brother then--Heaven keep your honour!" and she was about to depart. But
Lucio, who had accompanied her, said, "Give it not over so; return to
him again, entreat him, kneel down before him, hang upon his gown. You
are too cold; if you should need a pin, you could not with a more tame
tongue desire it." Then again Isabel on her knees implored for mercy.
"He is sentenced," said Angelo: "it is too late."--"Too late!" said
Isabel: "Why, no: I that do speak a word may call it back again. Believe
this, my lord, no ceremony that to great ones belongs, not the king's
crown, nor the deputed sword, the marshal's truncheon, nor the judge's
robe, becomes them with one half so good a grace as mercy does."--"Pray
you begone," said Angelo. But still Isabel entreated; and she said, "If
my brother had been as you, and you as he, you might have slipped like
him, but he, like you, would not have been so stern. I would to heaven I
had your power, and you 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 offence, 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
dishonourable 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. "Ay," said Isabel, "wit