66

fab. Yet fhew fome pity.

Ang. I fhew it moft of all, when I fhew justice "For then I pity thofe, I do not know;

"Which a difmifs'd offence would after gaul; And do him right, that, anfwering one foul wrong, Lives not to act another. Be fatisfy'd;

Your brother dies to-morrow; be content.

Ifab. So you must be the first, that gives this fen

tence;

And he, that suffers: oh, 'tis excellent

To have a giant's ftrength; but it is tyrannous,
To ufe it like a giant.

Lucio. That's well faid.

Ifab. Could great men thunder

As Jove himself does, Jove would ne'er be quiet;
For every pelting, petty, officer

Would ufe his heav'n for thunder;

• Nothing but thunder: merciful heav'n!

Thou rather with thy fharp, and fulph'rous, bolt
Split'ft the unwedgeable and gnarled oak,

Than the foft myrtle: O, but man! proud man, • Dreft in a little brief authority,

• Moft ignorant of what he's most affur'd,

.

6

His glaffy effence, like an angry ape,

Plays fuch fantastick tricks before high heav'n,

6 As makes the angels weep; 7 who, with our spleens,

• Would all themselves laugh mortal.

Lucio.

6 As makes the angels weep; ] The notion of angels weeping

for the fins of men is rabbinical.

gelos inducunt Hebræorum magiftri:

Ob peccatum flentes an-
Grotius ad Lucam.

7 who, with our spleens, Would all themselves laugh mortal. Mr. Theobald fays the meaning of this is, that if they were endowed with our spleens and perishable organs, they would laugh themselves out of immortality: Which amounts to this, that if they were mortal they would not be immortal. Shakespear meant no fuch nonfenfe. By Spleens, he meant that peculiar turn of the human mind, that always violently inclines it to a fpiteful, unfeasonable mirth. Had VOL. I.

the

Lucio. Oh, to him, to him, Wench; he will relent; He's coming: I perceive't.

Prov. Pray heav'n, fhe win him!

8

Ifab. We cannot weigh our brother with yourself: Great men may jeft with Saints; 'tis wit in them; But, in the lefs, foul prophanation.

Lucio. Thou'rt right, girl; more o' that.

Ifab. That in the captain's but a cholerick word, Which in the foldier is flat blafphemy.

Lucio. Art avis'd o' that? more on't.
Ang. Why do you put these fayings upon me?
Ifab. Becaufe authority, tho' it err like others,
Hath yet a kind of medicine in itself,

That skins the vice o' th' top: go to your bofom;
Knock there, and ask your heart, what it doth know
That's like my brother's fault; if it confefs

A natural guiltiness, fuch as is his,

Let it not found a thought upon your tongue
Against my brother's life.

Ang. She fpeaks, and 'tis fuch sense,

? That my sense bleeds with it. Fare you well. Ifab. Gentle, my lord, turn back.

Ang. I will bethink me; come again to-morrow. Ifab. Hark, how I'll bribe you: good my lord, turn back.

the angels that, fays Shakespear, they would laugh themselves out of their immortality, by indulging a paffion which does not deferve that prerogative. The ancients thought, that immoderate laughter was caused by the bigness of the spleen.

8 We cannot weigh our brother with our felf:] Why could fhe not? She could not weigh her brother with the Duke indeed, their qualities being fo difproportioned as to aggravate her brother's crimes, and extenuate the Duke's. So that it is plain we fhould read

9 That my fenfe bleeds with it.] The firft Folio reads breeds, which tho' it have no meaning, yet Mr. Theobald adopts, and difcards a very fenfible word, to make room for it.

Ang.

Ang. How? bribe me?

Ifab. Ay, with fuch gifts, that heav'n fhall fhare with you.

Lucio. You had marr'd all elfe.

I

Ifab. Not with fond fhekles of the ' tefted gold, Or ftones, whofe rate are either rich, or poor, As fancy values them; but with true prayers, That fhall be up at heav'n, and enter there, Ere fun-rife: prayers from preferved fouls, From fafting maids, whofe minds are dedicate To nothing temporal.

2

Ang. Well, come to-morrow.

Lucio. Go to; 'tis well; away.

Ifab. Heav'n keep your Honour safe!
Ang. Amen:

For I am that way going to temptation,
Where prayers cross.

Ifab. At what hour to-morrow
Shall I attend your lordship?
Ang. At any time 'fore noon.

Ifab. Save your Honour!

[Exeunt Lucio and Ifabella.

VIII.

SCENE

Ang. From thee; even from thy virtue.

What's this? what's this? is this her fault, or mine? "The tempter, or the tempted, who fins moft?

"Not fhe; nor doth fhe tempt; but it is I,

c

That, lying by the violet in the fun,

"Do, as the carrion does, not as the flower,

66

I

Corrupt with virtuous feafon. Can it be,

ftamp.

2

-tefted gold,] i. e. attefted, or marked with the standard

preferved fouls,] i. e. preferved from the corruption of the world. The metaphor is taken from fruits preferved in fugar.

3 virtuous feafon.] i, e. kindly feafon. But the fubject here gives the figure a peculiar elegance.

Cc 2

"That

"That modesty may more betray our sense, "Than woman's lightnefs? having wafte ground enough,

"Shall we defire to raze the fanctuary,

"And pitch our evils there? oh, fie, fie, fie!
What doft thou? or what art thou, Angelo?
Doft thou defire her foully, for those things
That make her good? Oh, let her brother live :
Thieves for their robbery have authority,

When judges steal themselves. What? do I love her,
That I defire to hear her speak again,

And feast upon her eyes? what is❜t I dream on?
Oh, cunning enemy, that, to catch a Saint,
With Saints doft bait thy hook! most dangerous
"Is that temptation, that doth goad us on
"To fin in loving virtue: ne'er could the ftrumpet,
With all her double vigour, art and nature,
Once ftir my temper; but this virtuous maid
Subdues me quite: Ever 'till this very Now,
When men were fond, I fmil'd, and wonder'd how.

SCENE IX.

Changes to a Prifon.

[Exit.

Enter Duke babited like a Friar, and Provoft.

Duke. H. Prov. I am the Provost; what's your

AIL to you, Provoft! fo, I think, you are.

will, good Friar?

Duke. Bound by my charity, and my bleft Order, I come to vifit the afflicted fpirits

Here in the prison; do me the common right

To let me fee them, and to make me know

The nature of their crimes; that I may minister
To them accordingly.

Prov. I would do more than that, if more were

needful.

Enter

Enter Juliet.

;

Look, here comes one; a gentlewoman of mine,
+ Who falling in the flames of her own youth,
Hath blifter'd her report: fhe is with child
And he, that got it, fentenc'd: a young man
More fit to do another fuch offence,
Than die for this.

Duke. When must he die?

Prov. As I do think, to-morrow.

I have provided for you; stay a while, [To Juliet. And you fhall be conducted.

Duke. Repent you, fair one, of the fin you carry? Juliet. I do; and bear the shame most patiently. Duke. I'll teach you, how you shall arraign your confcience,

And try your penitence, if it be found,

Or hollowly put on.

Juliet. I'll gladly learn.

Duke. Love you the man that wrong'd you? Juliet. Yes, as I love the woman that wrong'd him. Duke. So then, it seems, your moft offenceful act Was mutually committed.

Juliet. Mutually.

Duke. Then was your fin of heavier kind than his. Juliet. I do confefs it, and repent it, father.

Duke. 'Tis meet fo, daughter; but repent you not, As that the fin hath brought you to this fhame? Which forrow's always tow'rds ourselves, not heav'n; Shewing, we'd not feek heaven, as we love it, But as we ftand in fear.

Juliet. I do repent me, as it is an evil; And take the shame with joy.

4 Who falling in the flaws of her own youth

Hath blifter'd her report:] Who doth not fee that the integrity of the metaphor requires we should read FLAME8 of her own youth.

Cc 3

Duke.