First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Duke and Frier Thomas. | Enter Duke and Friar Thomas | | MM I.iii.1 | |
| Duk. | DUKE | | | |
| No: holy Father, throw away that thought, | No, holy father, throw away that thought; | | MM I.iii.1 | |
| Beleeue not that the dribling dart of Loue | Believe not that the dribbling dart of love | dart (n.) arrow; or: light spear | MM I.iii.2 | |
| Can pierce a compleat bosome: why, I desire thee | Can pierce a complete bosom. Why I desire thee | complete, compleat (adj.)fully equipped, with everything present | MM I.iii.3 | |
| To giue me secret harbour, hath a purpose | To give me secret harbour hath a purpose | purpose (n.)intention, aim, plan | MM I.iii.4 | |
| More graue, and wrinkled, then the aimes, and ends | More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends | end (n.)purpose, aim, design | MM I.iii.5 | |
| | grave (adj.)respected, revered, wise | | |
| | aim (n.)target, object, goal | | |
| Of burning youth. | Of burning youth. | | MM I.iii.6.1 | |
| Fri. | FRIAR THOMAS | | | |
| May your Grace speake of it? | May your grace speak of it? | | MM I.iii.6.2 | |
| Duk. | DUKE | | | |
| My holy Sir, none better knowes then you | My holy sir, none better knows than you | | MM I.iii.7 | |
| How I haue euer lou'd the life remoued | How I have ever loved the life removed | removed (adj.)remote, secluded, further away | MM I.iii.8 | |
| And held in idle price, to haunt assemblies | And held in idle price to haunt assemblies | | MM I.iii.9 | |
| Where youth, and cost, witlesse brauery keepes. | Where youth and cost a witless bravery keeps. | witless (adj.)stupid, foolish, crazy | MM I.iii.10 | |
| | keep (v.)keep up, maintain, carry on | | |
| | cost (n.)outlay, expense, expenditure | | |
| | bravery (n.)splendour, fine display, ostentation | | |
| I haue deliuerd to Lord Angelo | I have delivered to Lord Angelo, | deliver (v.)hand over, convey, commit to the keeping [of someone] | MM I.iii.11 | |
| (A man of stricture and firme abstinence) | A man of stricture and firm abstinence, | stricture (n.)self-constraint, rigour; or: strictness, severity | MM I.iii.12 | |
| My absolute power, and place here in Vienna, | My absolute power and place here in Vienna, | place (n.)position, post, office, rank | MM I.iii.13 | |
| And he supposes me trauaild to Poland, | And he supposes me travelled to Poland, | | MM I.iii.14 | |
| (For so I haue strewd it in the common eare) | For so I have strewed it in the common ear, | strew (v.)scatter, broadcast, spread about | MM I.iii.15 | |
| And so it is receiu'd: Now (pious Sir) | And so it is received. Now, pious sir, | | MM I.iii.16 | |
| You will demand of me, why I do this. | You will demand of me why I do this. | | MM I.iii.17 | |
| Fri. | FRIAR THOMAS | | | |
| Gladly, my Lord. | Gladly, my lord. | | MM I.iii.18 | |
| Duk. | DUKE | | | |
| We haue strict Statutes, and most biting Laws, | We have strict statutes and most biting laws, | | MM I.iii.19 | |
| (The needfull bits and curbes to headstrong weedes,) | The needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds, | | MM I.iii.20 | |
| Which for this foureteene yeares, we haue let slip, | Which for this fourteen years we have let slip; | | MM I.iii.21 | |
| Euen like an ore-growne Lyon in a Caue | Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave, | | MM I.iii.22 | |
| That goes not out to prey: Now, as fond Fathers, | That goes not out to prey. Now, as fond fathers, | fond (adj.)foolish, stupid, mad | MM I.iii.23 | |
| Hauing bound vp the threatning twigs of birch, | Having bound up the threatening twigs of birch, | | MM I.iii.24 | |
| Onely to sticke it in their childrens sight, | Only to stick it in their children's sight | | MM I.iii.25 | |
| For terror, not to vse: in time the rod | For terror, not to use, in time the rod | | MM I.iii.26 | |
| More mock'd, then fear'd: so our Decrees, | Becomes more mocked than feared, so our decrees, | | MM I.iii.27 | |
| Dead to infliction, to themselues are dead, | Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead, | infliction (n.)being inflicted, implementation, enforcement | MM I.iii.28 | |
| And libertie, plucks Iustice by the nose; | And liberty plucks justice by the nose; | | MM I.iii.29 | |
| The Baby beates the Nurse, and quite athwart | The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart | athwart (adv.)askew, awry, out of the normal course | MM I.iii.30 | |
| Goes all decorum. | Goes all decorum. | | MM I.iii.31.1 | |
| Fri. | FRIAR THOMAS | | | |
| It rested in your Grace | It rested in your grace | | MM I.iii.31.2 | |
| To vnloose this tyde-vp Iustice, when you pleas'd: | To unloose this tied-up justice when you pleased, | | MM I.iii.32 | |
| And it in you more dreadfull would haue seem'd | And it in you more dreadful would have seemed | | MM I.iii.33 | |
| Then in Lord Angelo. | Than in Lord Angelo. | | MM I.iii.34.1 | |
| Duk. | DUKE | | | |
| I doe feare: too dreadfull: | I do fear, too dreadful. | | MM I.iii.34.2 | |
| Sith 'twas my fault, to giue the people scope, | Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope, | scope (n.)opportunity, liberty, free course of action | MM I.iii.35 | |
| 'Twould be my tirrany to strike and gall them, | 'Twould be my tyranny to strike and gall them | gall (v.)vex, annoy, irritate | MM I.iii.36 | |
| For what I bid them doe: For, we bid this be done | For what I bid them do: for we bid this be done | | MM I.iii.37 | |
| When euill deedes haue their permissiue passe, | When evil deeds have their permissive pass | | MM I.iii.38 | |
| And not the punishment: therefore indeede (my father) | And not the punishment. Therefore, indeed, my father, | | MM I.iii.39 | |
| I haue on Angelo impos'd the office, | I have on Angelo imposed the office, | office (n.)task, service, duty, responsibility | MM I.iii.40 | |
| Who may in th' ambush of my name, strike home, | Who may, in th' ambush of my name, strike home, | | MM I.iii.41 | |
| And yet, my nature neuer in the sight | And yet my nature never in the sight | | MM I.iii.42 | |
| To do in slander: And to behold his sway | To do it slander. And to behold his sway | sway (n.)controlling influence, guiding power, direction | MM I.iii.43 | |
| I will, as 'twere a brother of your Order, | I will, as 'twere a brother of your order, | | MM I.iii.44 | |
| Visit both Prince, and People: Therefore I pre'thee | Visit both prince and people. Therefore, I prithee, | | MM I.iii.45 | |
| Supply me with the habit, and instruct me | Supply me with the habit, and instruct | | MM I.iii.46 | |
| How I may formally in person beare | How I may formally in person bear me | bear (v.), past forms bore, bornebehave, look, conduct [oneself] | MM I.iii.47 | |
| Like a true Frier: Moe reasons for this action | Like a true friar. More reasons for this action | | MM I.iii.48 | |
| At our more leysure, shall I render you; | At our more leisure shall I render you; | | MM I.iii.49 | |
| Onely, this one: Lord Angelo is precise, | Only this one – Lord Angelo is precise, | precise (adj.)puritanical, strictly moral, scrupulously correct | MM I.iii.50 | |
| Stands at a guard with Enuie: scarce confesses | Stands at a guard with envy, scarce confesses | envy (n.)malice, ill-will, enmity | MM I.iii.51 | |
| | guard (n.)[fencing] defensive position, posture of defence | | |
| That his blood flowes: or that his appetite | That his blood flows, or that his appetite | | MM I.iii.52 | |
| Is more to bread then stone: hence shall we see | Is more to bread than stone. Hence shall we see, | | MM I.iii.53 | |
| If power change purpose: what our Seemers be. | If power change purpose, what our seemers be. | seemer (n.)make-believer, pretender, one who assumes a behaviour | MM I.iii.54 | |
| | purpose (n.)intention, aim, plan | | |
| Exit. | Exeunt | | MM I.iii.54 | |