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Harp not on That; nor do not banish reafon 9
For inequality; but let your reason serve
To make the truth appear, where it feems hid;
Not hide the falfe, feems true. '

Duke. Many, they are not mad,
Have, fure, more lack of reafon.
What would you say?

Ifab. I am the fitter of one Claudio, Condemn'd upon the act of fornication To lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo: I, in probation of a filterhood,

Was fent to by my brother.

Was then the messenger,

One Lucio

Lucio. That's I, an't like your Grace:

I came to her from Claudio, and defir'd her

To try her gracious fortune with lord Angelo,
For her poor brother's pardon.

Ifab. That's he, indeed.

Duke. You were not bid to speak.

[To Lucio.

[peace.

Lucio. No, my good lord, nor wifh'd to hold my
Duke. I with you now then;

Pray you, take note of it: and when you have
A bufinefs for yourself, pray heav'n, you then
Be perfect.

Lucio. I warrant your Honour.

Duke. The warrant's for yourfelf; take heed to't.
Ifab. This gentleman told fomewhat of my tale.
Lucio. Right.

Duke. It may be right, but you are in the wrong To speak before your time. Proceed.

1

Ifab. I went.

To this pernicious caitiff Deputy.

Qute. That's fomewhat madly fpoken.
Ifab. Pardon it:

The phrafe is to the matter.

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verfary prejudice vou against me. And hide the falfe, feems true.] We should reac Net hide WARB.

Duke.

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Duke. Mended again: the matter; proceed.
Ifab. In brief; (to fet the needlefs Process by,
How I perfuaded, how I pray'd and kneel'd,
How he repell'd me, and how I reply'd;
For this was of much length) the vile conclufion
I now begin with grief and fhame to utter.
He would not, but by gift of my chafte body
To his concupifcent intemp'rate luft,

Release my brother; and after much debatement,
My fifterly Remorfe confutes mine Honour,

And I did yield to him: but the next morn betimes,
His purpofe furfeiting, he fends a Warrant
For my poor brother's head.

Duke. This is most likely!

Gal Bala. Oh, that it were as like, as it is true! * Duke. By heav'n, fond wretch, thou know'st not what thou speak'st,

Or elfe thou art fuborn'd against his honour
In hateful practice. First, his integrity

Stands without blemish. Next, it imports no reason,
That with fach vehemence he should purfue
Faults proper to himself: if he had fo offended,
He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself,
And not have cut him off. Some one hath fet you on;
Confefs the truth, and fay, by whofe advice
Thou cam'ft here to complain.

Ifab. And is this all?

Then, oh, you bleffed minifters above!

2 Oh, that it were as like, as it is true! Like is not here used for probable, but for feemly. She catches at the Duke's word, and turns it to another fenfe; of which there are a great many examples in Shakespeare, and the writers of that time. WARBURTON.

I do not fee why like may not ftand here for probable, or why the Lady fhould not wish that fince her tale is true it may ob

tain belief. If Dr. Warburton's explication be right, we should read, O! that it were as likely as 'tis true. Like, I have never found for feemly.

In bateful practice.] Practice was used by the old writers for any unlawful or infidicus ftratagem. So again, this must needs te practice; and again, let me have way to find this practice

out.

Keep

Keep me in patience; and with ripen'd time,
Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up

* In countenance. Heav'n fhield your Grace from woe, As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go.

Duke. I know, you'd fein to be gone. An officerTo prison with her.-Shall we thus permit A blasting and a fcandalous breath to fall On him fo near us? this needs must be practice. Who knew of your intent, and coming hither? Ifab. One that I wou'd were here, Friar Lodowick. Duke. A ghoftly father, belike: Who knows

that Lodowick?

Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a medling

Friar;

I do not like the man; had he been Lay, my lord,
For certain words he spake against your Grace
In your retirement, I had fwing'd him foundly.

Duke. Words against me? this is a good Friar, belike;

And to fet on this wretched woman here

Against our Substitute !let this Friar be found.
Lucio. But yefternight, my lord, fhe and that
Friar.

I faw them at the prifon :-a fawcy Friar,
A very scurvy fellow.

Peter. Bleffed be your royal Grace!

I have flood by, my lord, and I have heard
Your royal ear abus'd. Firft, hath this woman
Moft wrongfully accus'd your Substitute;
Who is as free from touch or foil with her,
As fhe from one ungot.

Duke. We did believe no lefs.

Know you that Friar Lodowick, which she speaks of? Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy; Not fcurvy, nor a temporary medler,

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As

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As he's reported by this gentleman;

And, on my Trust, a man that never yet
Did, as he vouches, mifreport your Grace.

Lucio. My lord, moft villainously; believe it. Peter. Well, he in time may come to clear himself; But at this inftant he is fick my lord,

Of a strange fever. On his meer request,
(Being come to knowledge that there was Complaint
Intended 'gainft lord Angelo) came I hither
To speak as from his mouth, what he doth know
It true, and falfe; and what he with his oath
By all Probation will make up full clear,

6

Whenever he's convented. First, for this woman; To juftify this worthy Nobleman,

So vulgarly and perfonally accus'd,

Her fhall you hear difproved to her eyes,

'Till the herself confefs it.

Luke. Good Friar, let's hear it,

In its

by a temporary medler.
ufual fente, as oppofed to perpe-
tual, it cannot be used here. It
may stand for temporal: the fenfe
will then be. I know him for a ho-
ly man, one that meddles not with
fecular affairs: It may mean
temporifing: I know him to be a
holy man, one who would not tem-
forie, or take the opportunity of
your abfence to defame you. Or
we may read, Not fcurvy, nor a
tamperer and medler; not one who
would have tampered with this
woman to make her a falfe evi-
dence against your Deputy.

• Whenever he's CONVEN'D.] The first folio reads, CONVENTED, and this is right: for to convene fignifies to affemble; but convent, to cite, or fummons. Yet, becaufe convented hurts the measure, the Oxford Editor sticks to con

vend, tho' it be nonfenfe, and fignifies, Whenever he is assembled together. But thus it will be, when the author is thinking of one thing, and his critic of another. The poet was attentive to his fenfe, and the Editor, quite throughout his performance, to nothing but the measure, which Shakespeare having entirely neglected, like all the dramatic writ ers of that age, he has fpruced him up with all the exactness of a modern measurer of Syllables. This being here taken notice of once for ail, fhall, for the future, be forgot, as if it had never been. WARBURTON.

7 So vulgarly.] Meaning either, fo grofly, with fuch indecency of invective, or by so mean and inadequate witnesses.

Do you not smile at this, lord Angela ?
O heav'n! the vanity of wretched fools!
Give us fome feats ;-come, coufin Angelo,
In this I will be partial: be you judge

8

Of your own Caufe. Is this the witness, Friar? Ifabella is carried off, guarded.

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First let her fhew her face; and, after, speak.
Mari. Pardon, my lord, I will not fhew my face,
Until my husband bid me.

Duke. What, are you marry'd?

Mari. No, My lord.

Duke. Are you a maid?

Mari. No, my lord.

Duke. A Widow then?

Mari. Neither, my lord.

Duke. Why, are you nothing then? neither maid, widow, or wife.

Lucio. My lord, fhe may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, or wife.

Duke. Silence that fellow: I would, he had fome cause to prattle for himself.

Lucio. Well, my lord.

Mari. My lord, I do confefs, I ne'er was marry'd; And, I confefs, befides, I am no maid;

8 In former editions:- come coufin Angelo, In this I'll be impartial: be you judge

Of your own caufe.] Surely, this Duke had odd Notions of Impartiality; to commit the Decifion of a Caufe to the Perfon accus'd. He talks much more rationally in the character of the Friar.

The Duke's unjust

Thus to retort your manifeft Ap

peal;

And put your trial in the villain's mouth,

Which here you come t'accufe.

I think, there needs no ftronger Authority to convince, that the Poet must have wrote as I have corrected:

In this I will be partial.

THEOBALD.
I've

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