MEASURE for MEASURE.

ACT I SCENE ·I.

The Duke's PALACE.

Enter Duke, Efcalus, and Lords.

DUKE.

SCALUS,

Efcal. My Lord.

Duke. Of Government the properties t'unfold,

Would seem in me t'affect speech and difcourse.

* Since I am not to know, that your own Science Exceeds, in that, the lifts of all advice

My strength can give you: then no more remains:

Put

1 The story is taken from Cinthio's Novels, December 8. November 5. Mr. Pope. 2 Since I am not to know, that your own Science Exceeds, in that, the lifts of all advice

My firength can give you: then no more remains :
Put that to your fufficiency, as your worth is able,

And let them work. ] To the integrity of this reading Mr. Theobald objects, and fays, What was Elcalus to put to his Sufficiency! why his fcience: But his fcience and fufficiency were

A a 2

but

Put that to your fufficiency, as your worth is able,
And let them work. The nature of our people,
Our city's inftitutions, 3 and the terms

Of common juftice, y'are as pregnant in,
As art and practice hath enriched any

That we remember. There is our Commiffion,
From which we would not have you warp. Call hither,
I fay, bid come before us Angelo:

What figure of us, think you, he will bear?

For you must know, we have with special roll
Elected him our Abfence to supply;

Lent him our Terror, dreft him with our Love;
And giv'n his Deputation all the organs

Of our own Power: fay, what think you of it?
Efcal. If any in Vienna be of worth

To undergo fuch ample grace and honour,
It is lord Angelo.

but one and the fame thing. On what then does the relative them depend? He will have it, therefore, that a line has been accidentally dropt, which he attempts to reftore by due diligence. Nodum in feirpo quærit. And all for want of knowing, that by Jufficiency is meant authority, the power delegated by the Duke to Efcalus. The plain meaning of the words being this; Put your skill in governing (fays the Duke) to the power which I give you to exercife it, and let them work together.

3

limits.

and the terms of common juftice,] i. e. bounds,

4. For you must know we have with special SOUL
Elected him our abfence to fupply;]

This nonsense must be corrected thus,

with Special ROLL

i. e. by a fpecial commiffion For it appears, from this fcene, that Efcalus had one commiffion, and Angelo another. The Duke had before delivered Escalus his commiffion. He now declares that defigned for Angelo: and he fays, afterwards, to both, To th' bopeful execution do I leave you

Of your commiffions.

Why Angelo's was called the special roll was, because he was in authority fuperior to Efcalus.

old Efcalus,

The firft in question, is thy fecondary.

SCENE

Duke. Look, where he comes.

Ang. Always obedient to your Grace's will, I come to know your pleasure.

Duke. Angelo,

There is a kind of character in thy life,
That to th' obferver doth thy history
Fully unfold: thy felf and thy belongings
Are not thine own fo proper, as to waste
Thy felf upon thy virtues; they on thee.
Heav'n doth with us, as we with torches do,
Not light them for themfelves: 3 for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd,
But to fine iffues: nor Nature never lends

The smallest scruple of her excellence,

But, like a thrifty Goddefs, fhe determines
Her felf the glory of a creditor,

6

Both thanks and ufe. But I do bend my speech
To one that can my part in him advertise;

7

5--for if our virtues, &c.]

Paulum fepulta diftat inertia

Celata virtus.

6- But I do bend my speech

Horat.

To one that can my part in him advertise; ] This is ob fcure. The meaning is, I direct my fpeech to one who is able to teach me how to govern: my part in him, fignifying my office, which I have delegated to him.

7- my part in him advertise;] i. e. who knows what appertains to the character of deputy or viceroy. Can advertise my part in him; that is, his reprefentation of my perfon. But all thefe quaintneffes of expreffion, the Oxford Editor feems fworn to extirpate; that is, to take away one of Shakespear's characte riflic marks; which, if not one of the comlieft, is yet one of the ftrongeft. So he alters this to

To one that can, in my part, me advertise. A better expreffion indeed, but, for all that, none of Shakespear's.

A a 3

Hold

Hold therefore, Angelo:

In our Remove, be thou at full our felf.
Mortality and Mercy in Vienna

Live in thy tongue and heart: old Efcalus,
Though firft in queftion, is thy Secondary.
Take thy Commiffion.

Ang. Now, good my lord,

Let there be fome more test made of my metal,
Before fo noble and fo great a figure

We have with a prepar'd and level'd choice
Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.
Our hafte from hence is of fo quick condition,
That it prefers it felf, and leaves unquestion'd
Matters of needful value. We fhall write to you,
As time and our concernings fhall importune,
How it goes with us; and do look to know
What doth befal you here. So, fare you well.
To th❜hopeful execution do I leave you
Of your Commiffions.

Ang. Yet give me leave, my lord,

That we may bring you fomething on the way.
Duke. My hafte may not admit it;
Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do
With any fcruple; your fcope is as mine own,
So to inforce, or qualify the Laws,

As to your foul feems good. Give me your
I'll privily away. I love the people;
But do not like to ftage me to their eyes:
Though it do well, I do not relish well
Their loud applaufe, and Ave's vehement :

8 Come, no more evasion:

hand

3

We have with a prepar'd and LEAVEN'D choice Proceeded to you;] leaven'd has no fenfe in this place: we fhould read LEVEL'D choice. The allufion is to archery, when a man has fixed upon his object, after taking good aim.

Nor

Nor do I think the man of fafe difcretion,
That does affect it. Once
Once more, fare you well.
Ang. The heav'ns give fafety to your purposes!
Efcal. Lead forth and bring you back in happiness!
Duke. I thank you, fare you well.
[Exit
Efcal. I fhall defire you, Sir, to give me leave
To have free speech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the bottom of my Place:

A pow'r I have, but of what ftrength and nature
I am not yet inftructed.

Ang. 'Tis fo with me: let us withdraw together,
And we may foon our fatisfaction have

Touching that point.

Efcal. I'll wait upon your Honour.

S

[Exeunt.

Enter Lucio, and two Gentlemen.

Lacio. Ito compofition with the King of Hungary, why, then all the Dukes fall upon the King.

F the Duke, with the other Dukes, come not

I Gent. Heav'n grant us its peace, but not the King of Hungary's!

2 Gent. Amen.

Lucio. Thou conclud'ft like the fanctimonious Pirate, that went to fea with the ten Commandments, but fcrap'd one out of the Table.

2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal.-
Lucio. Ay, that he raz'd.

I Gent. Why, 'twas a Commandment to command the captain and all the reft from their functions; they put forth to steal; there's not a foldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, does relifh the petition well that prays for Peace.

2 Gent. I never heard any foldier diflike it.