Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore. Your highness said even now, I made you a duke; good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold.

Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her. Thy slanders I forgive, and therewithal

Remit thy other forfeits.

Take him to prison

And see our pleasure herein executed.

Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to

death, whipping, and hanging.

Duke. Slandering a prince deserves it.

520

[Exeunt Officers with Lucio.

She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.—
Joy to you, Mariana! Love her, Angelo;

I have confess'd her and I know her virtue.

Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness;
There's more behind that is more gratulate.
Thanks, provost, for thy care and secrecy ;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place. —
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's;
The offence pardons itself. - Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good,
Whereto if you 'll a willing ear incline,

What 's mine is yours and what is yours is mine.
So, bring us to our palace, where we 'll show

530

What's yet behind that 's meet you all should know. 540

[Exeunt.

NOTES

THE METRE OF THE PLAY. It should be understood at the outset that metre, or the mechanism of verse, is something altogether distinct from the music of verse. The one is matter of rule, the other of taste and feeling. Music is not an absolute necessity of verse; the metrical form is a necessity, being that which constitutes the verse.

The plays of Shakespeare (with the exception of rhymed passages, and of occasional songs and interludes) are all in unrhymed or blank verse; and the normal form of this blank verse is illustrated by the sixth line of the present play: "Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice."

This line, it will be seen, consists of ten syllables, with the even syllables (2d, 4th, 6th, Sth, and 10th) accented, the odd syllables (1st, 3d, etc.) being unaccented. Theoretically, it is made up of five feet of two syllables each, with the accent on the second syllable. Such a foot is called an iambus (plural, iambuses, or the Latin iambi), and the form of verse is called iambic.

This fundamental law of Shakespeare's verse is subject to certain modifications, the most important of which are as follows: