here to day? much upon this time, have I promis'd here to meet.

Mari. You have not been enquir'd after: I have fate here all day.

even now.

Enter Ifabel.

Duke. I do conftantly believe you: the time is come, I fhall crave your forbearance a little; may be, I will call upon you anon for fome advantage to your self.

Mari. I am always bound to you.

Duke. Very well met, and welcome:

What is the news from this good deputy?

[Exit.

Ifab. He hath a garden circummur'd with brick,
Whose western fide is with a vineyard backt ;
And to that vineyard is a planched gate,
That makes his opening with this bigger key:
This other doth command a little door,
Which from the vineyard to the garden leads;
There, on the heavy middle of the night,
Have I my promife made to call upon him.
Duke. But fhall you on your knowledge find this
way?

Ifab. I've ta'en a due and wary note upon't;
With whifp'ring and moft guilty diligence,
2 In action all of precept, he did fhew me
The way twice o'er.

Duke. Are there no other tokens

Between you 'greed, concerning her observance ?
Ifab. No: none, but only a repair i'th' dark;
And that I have poffeft him, my most stay

2 In action all of precept,

. fhewing the feveral turnings of the way with his hand; which action contained fo many precepts, being given for my direction.

Can

Can be but brief; for I have made him know,
I have a fervant comes with me along,
That stays upon me; whose perfuafion is,
I come about my brother,

Duke. 'Tis well born up.

I have not yet made known to Mariana

What, hoa! within! come forth!

A word of this.

I pray you, be acquainted with this maid;

She comes to do you good.

Ifab. I do defire the like.

Duke. Do you perfuade yourself that I refpect you? Mari. Good Friar, I know you do; and I have found it.

Duke. Take then this your companion by the hand, Who hath a story ready for your ear:

I shall attend your leisure; but make hafte;
The vaporous night approaches.

Mari. Wilt please you walk afide?

[Exeunt Mar. and Ifab. Duke. O place and greatness! millions of falfe

eyes

< Are stuck upon thee: volumes of report

:

30 place and greatness! &c.] It plainly appears that this fine fpeech belongs to that which concludes the preceding Scene, between the Duke and Lucio. For they are abfolutely foreign to the fubject of this, and are the natural reflections arifing from that. Befides, the very words, Run with THESE falfe and moft contrarious quefts, evidently refer to Lucio's fcandals juft preceding which the Oxford Editor, in his ufual way, has emended, by altering these to their. But that fome time might be given to the two women to confer together, the players, I fuppofe, took part of the speech, beginning at No might nor greatness, &c. and put it here, without troubling themselves about its pertinency. However, we are obliged to them for not giving us their own impertinency, as they have frequently done in other places. Ee 3

• Run

• Run with these falfe and moft contrarious quests Upon thy doings: thoufand 'fcapes of wit

Make thee the father of their idle dreams,

And rack thee in their fancies! welcome; how agreed ?.

Ifab. She'll take the enterprize upon her, father,

If you advise it.

Duke. 'Tis not my consent,

But my intreaty too.

Ifab. Little have you to say,

When you depart from him, but foft and low, "Remember now my brother.

Mari. Fear me not...

Duke. Nor, gentle daughter, fear you not at all: He is your husband on a pre-contract; To bring you thus together, 'tis no fin; Sith that the justice of your title to him

4 Doth flourish the deceit. Come, let us go; Our corn's to reap; 5 for yet our tilth's to fow.

[Exeunt.

4 Doth flourish the deceit.] A metaphor taken from embroidery, where a coarfe ground is filled up and covered with figures of rich materials and elegant workmanship.

5 for yet our TYTHE's to forw] As before, the blundering Editors had made a prince of the priefly Angelo, fo here they have made a priest of the prince. We fhould read TILTH, 2. e. our tillage is yet to make. The grain, from which we expect our harveft, is not yet put into the ground.

SCENE

Prov.

OME hither, firrah: can you cut off a

C man's head?

Clown. If the man be a batchelor, Sir, I can: but if he be a marry'd man, he is his wife's head, and I can never cut off a woman's head.

Prov. Come, Sir, leave me your fnatches, and yield me a direct answer. To morrow morning are to die Claudio and Bernardine: here is in our prifon a com-: mon executioner, who in his office lacks a helper; if you will take it on you to affift him, it fhall redeem you from your gyves: if not, you fhall have your full time of imprisonment, and your deliverance with an unpitied whipping; for you have been a notorious bawd.

Clown. Sir, I have been an unlawful bawd, time! out of mind, but yet I will be content to be a lawful hangman: I would be glad to receive fome inftruction from my fellow-partner.

Prov. What hoa, Abhorfon! where's Abborfon, there?

Enter Abhorfon.

Abbor. Do you call, Sir?

Prov. Sirrah, here's a fellow will help you to morrow in your execution; if you think it meet, compound with him by the year, and let him abide here with you; if not, use him for the prefent, and difinifs him. He cannot plead his eftimation with you, he hath been a bawd.

Abhor. A bawd, Sir? fie upon him, he will difcredit our mistery.

Prov. Go to, Sir, you weigh equally; a feather will turn the scale.

[Exit. Clown. Pray, Sir, by your good favour; (for, furely, Sir, a good favour you have, but that you have a hanging look ;) do you call, Sir, your occupation a miftery?

Abbor. Ay, Sir; a mistery.

Clown. Painting, Sir, I have heard say, is a mistery; and your whores, Sir, being members of my occupation, ufing painting, do prove my occupation a mistery: but what miftery there should be in hanging, if I fhould be hang'd, I cannot imagine. **** Clown. Sir, it is a miftery.

Abbor. Proof.

Clown. Every true man's apparel fits your thief. If it be too little for your thief, your true man thinks it big enough. If it be too big for your thief, your thief thinks it little enough; fo every true man's apparel fits your thief.

Re-enter

6 difcredit our mystery.] I think it just worth while to observe, that the word mystery, when used to fignify a trade or manual profeffion, fhould be fpelt with an i, and not a y; because it comes not from the Greek Musher, but from the French, Meftier. 7 what mystery there should be in hanging, if I should be hang'd, I cannot imagine.

Abhor. Sir, it is a myflery.

Clown. Proof.

Abhor. Every true man's apparel fits your thief.

Clown. If it be too little for your thief, your true man thinks it big enough: if it be too big for your thief, your thief thinks it little enough: fo every true man's apparel fits your thief] Thus it flood in all the editions till Mr. Theobald's, and was methinks not very difficult to be understood. The plain and humourous fense of the fpeech is this, Every true man's apparel which the thief robbs him of, fits the thief. Why? because if it be too little for the thief, the true man thinks it big enough: i. e. a purchase too good for him. So that this fits the thief in the opinion of the true man. But if it be too big for the thief, yet the