Is this the man that you did tell us of?

Lucio. 'Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman bald-pate;

Do you know me?

Duke. I remember you, Sir, by the found of your voice: I met you at the prifon in the abfence of the duke.

Lucin. Oh, did you fo? and do you remember what: you faid of the duke?

Duke. Moft notedly, Sir.

Lucio. Do you fo, Sir? and was the duke a fleshmonger, a fool, and a coward, (7) as you then reported: him to be?:

Duke. You muft, Sir, change perfons with me, ere you make that my report: you spoke fo of him, and: much more, much worse.

Lucio. Oh thou damnable fellow! did not I pluck thee by the nose, for thy fpeeches!

Duke. I proteft, I love the duke as I love myself. Ang. Hark! how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses.

Efcal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal; away with him to prifon :-where is the Provoft?-away with him to prifon; lay bolts enough upon him; let him: fpeak no more;-away with thofe giglets too, and with the other confederate companion.

[The Provost lays hands on the Duke. Duke. Stay, Sir, ftay a-while.

Ang. What! refifts he? help him, Lucio.

Lucio. Come, Sir; come, Sir; come, Sir; foh, Sir ;· why, you bald-pated lying rafcal: you must be hooded,. muft you; show your knave's vifage, with a pox to you; fhow your sheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour will't not off? (8)

(7)

[Pulls off the Friar's hood, and discovers the Duke.'

and a coward,] So again afterwards,

You, Sirrah, that know me for a fool, a coward,

One of all luxury.

Duke.

But Lucio had not, in the former converfation, mentioned cowardife among the faults of the Duke.-Such failures of memory are incident to writers more diligent than this poet.

(8) Show your sheep biting face and be hang'd an hour; will't not

Leff

Duke. Thou art the first knave, that e'er maď'st a duke..

Firft, Provost, let me bail these gentle three.

Sneak not away, Sir; [To Lucio] for the Friar and you Must have a word anon:-lay hold on him.

Lucio. This may prove worse than hanging.

Duke. What you have spoke, I pardon; fit you

down.

We'll borrow place of him.

Sir,

by your

[To Efcalus. leave:

[To Angelo.

Haft thou a word, or wit, or impudence,

That yet can do thee office? if thou haft,
Rely upon it 'till my tale be heard,

And hold no longer out.

Ang. O my dread lord,

I fhould be guiltier than my guiltinefs,
To think I can be undiscernable;

When I perceive your Grace, like pow'r divine,
Hath look'd upon my paffes. Then, good prince
No longer feffion hold upon my fhame ;
But let my trial be mine own confeffion :
Immediate fentence then, and fequent death,
Is all the grace I beg.

Duke. Come hither, Mariana :

Say; waft thou e'er contracted to this woman?
Ang. I was, my lord.

Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her inftantly.

Do you the office, Friar

Return him here again.

;

which confummate, Go with him, Provost..

[Exeunt Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provoft..

SCENE VI.

Efcal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his difhonour, Than at the ftrangeness of it.

Duke. Come hither, Isabel;

off?] This is intended to be the common language of vulgar indignation. Our phrafe on fuch occafions is fimply, how your sheep-. biting face and be hang'd. The words an hour have no particular ufe here, nor are authorised by cuftom. I fuppofe it was written thus, foow your fbeep-biting face and be hangedan' bow ? wilt not off. In the midland counties, upon any unexpected obftruction or refiftance, it is common to exclaim an' how?

Your

Your Friar is now your prince: as I was then
Advertising, and holy (9) to your business,
Not changing heart with habit, I am still
Attornied at your service.

Ifab. Oh, give me pardon,

That I, your vaffal, have employ'd and pain'd
Your unknown fovereignty.

Duke. You are pardon'd, Ifabel:

And now, dear maid, be you as free to us. (1)
Your brother's death, I know, fits at your heart :
And you may marvel, why I obfcur'd myself,
Labouring to fave his life; and would not rather
Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power,
Than let him be fo loft. Oh, moft kind maid,
It was the fwift celerity of his death,

Which, I did think, with flower foot came on,
That brain'd my purpose: (2) but, peace be with him!
That life is better life, paft fearing death,

Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort;
So, happy is your brother.

SCENE VII.

Enter Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost.

Ifab. I do, my lord.

Duke. For this new-marry'd man, approaching here, Whose falt imagination yet hath wrong'd

Your well defended honour, you must pardon him For Mariana's fake: but as he adjudg'd your brother, Being criminal, in double violation

Of facred chastity, and in promife-breach,

Thereon dependant, for your brother's life,
The very mercy of the law cries out

(9) Advertising- -and boly,] Attentive and faithful.

(1) be you as free to us. Be as generous to us, pardon us as we have pardoned you.

(2) That brain'd my purpose:] We now ufe in conversation a like phrafe. This it was that knocked my defign on the bead. Dr. Warburton reads,

bained my purpose.

Moft

Moft audible, ev'n from his proper tongue, (3)
An Angelo for Claudio; death for death.
Hafte ftill pays hafte, and leisure answers leifure.
Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.
Then, Angelo, thy faults are manifested

Which the thou would't deny, deny thee vantage. (4)
We do condemn thee to the very block,

Where' Claudio ftoop'd to death; and with like hafte.. Away with him.

Mari. Oh, my moft gracious lord,

I hope, you will not mock me with a husband?

Duke. It is your husband mock'd you with a husband.. Confenting to the safeguard of your honour,

For his poffeffions,

I thought your marriage fit; elfe imputation,
For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
And choak your good to come.
Altho' by confifcation they are ours,
We do enftate and widow you withal,.
To buy you a better husband.

Mari. Oh, my dear lord,

I crave no other, nor no better man.

part;

labour

Now, Sir, to you.
[To Lucio.

Sweet Ifabel, take

my

Lend me your knees, and all my life to come

I'll lend you all my life, to do you fervice.

Duke. Againft all fenfe you do importune her; (5)
Should the kneel down, in mercy of this fact,
Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,

(3) - even from his proper tongue,] Even from Angelo's own tongue. So above,

(4)

In the witness of bis proper car

To call him villain.

deny thee vantage.] Take from thee all opportunity, all expedient of denial. WARBURTON. (5) Against all fense you do importune her ;] The meaning required. is, againit all reafon and natural affection; Shakespeare, therefore, judiciously uses a single word that implies both; Senfe fignifying both reafon and affection.

And

And take her hence in horror.

Mari. Ifabel,

Sweet Ifabel, do yet but kneel by me ;

Hold up your hands, fay nothing; I'll speak all-
They fay, beft men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad: fo may my husband.
-Oh, Isabel! will you not lend a knee?
Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.

Ifab. Moft bounteous Sir,

[Kneeling

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,
As if my brother liv'd, I partly think,

A due fincerity govern'd his deeds,.

'Till he did look on me; (6) fince it is so,
Let him not die. My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he dy'd.
For Angelo,

His A&t did not o'ertake his bad intent;
And must be bury'd but as an intent,

That perifh'd by the way: thoughts are no subjects:
Intents, but meerly thoughts.

Mari. Meerly, my lord.

Duke. Your fuit's unprofitable; ftand up, I fay

(6) 'Till he did look on me ;] The Duke has juftly obferved that Ifabel is importuned against all fenfe to folicit for Angelo, yet here against all jense the folicits for him. Her argument is extraordi

That Angelo had committed all the crimes charged against him, as far as he could commit them, is evident. The only intent which bis act did not overtake, was the defilement of Ifabel. Of this Angelo was only intentionally guilty.

Angelo's crimes were fuch, as muft fufficiently juftify punishment, whether its end be to fecure the innocent from wrong, or to deter guilt by example; and I believe every reader feels fome indignation when he finds him fpared. From what extenuation of his crimes can Ifabel, who yet fuppofes her brother dead, form any plea in his favour. Since he was good 'till be looked on me, let him not die. I am. afraid our Varlet Poet intended to inculcate, that women think ill of nothing that raises the credit of their beauty, and are ready, however virtuous, to pardon any act which they think incited by their own charms.

I have