Thereon dependent, for your brother's life,)
The very mercy of the law cries out
Most audible, even from his proper tongue,
An Angelo for Claudio, death for death.

Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure ;
Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.
Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifested;

Which though thou wouldst deny, denies thee vantage:
We do condemn thee to the very block

Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like haste ;— Away with him.

Mari. O, my most gracious lord,

I hope you will not mock me with a husband!

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

I thought your marriage fit; else imputation,
For that he knew you might reproach your life,
And choke your good to come for his possessions,
Although by confiscation they are ours,

We do instate and widow you withal,

To buy you a better husband.

Mari. O, my dear lord,

I crave no other, nor no better man..

Duke. Never crave him: we are definitive.

Mari. Gentle, my liege,

Duke. You do but lose your labour;

[Kneeling

Away with him to death.-Now, sir, to you. [To LUCIO. Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my part; Lend me your knees, and all my life to come

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

Duke. Against all sense you do impórtune her:
Should she kneel down, in mercy of this fact,
Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,
And take her hence in horror.

Mari. Isabel,

Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me ;

Hold up your hands, say nothing, I'll speak all.
They say, best men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad: so may my husband.
O, Isabel! will you not lend a knee?

Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.
Isab. Most bounteous sir,

[Kneeling.

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,
As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,
A due sincerity govern'd his deeds,
Till he did look on me ; since it is so,
Let him not die : My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he died:
For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;

And must be buried but as an intent

That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no subjects;
Intents but merely thoughts.

Mari. Merely, my lord.

Duke. Your suit's unprofitable; stand up, I

I have bethought me of another fault :-
Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded
At an unusual hour?

Prov. It was commanded so.

say.

Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed? Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private message. Duke. For which I do discharge you of your office : Give up your keys.

Prov. Pardon me, noble lord:

I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me, after more advice:
For testimony whereof, one in the prison,
That should by private order else have died,
I have reserv'd alive.

Duke. What's he?

Prov. His name is Barnardine.

[7] The Duke has justly observed, that Isabel is importuned against all sense to solicit for Angelo, yet here against all sense she solicits for him. Her argument is extraordinary:

A due sincerity govern'd his deeds

Till he did look on me: since it is so,

Let him not die.

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

Angelo's crimes were such as must sufficiently justify punishment, whether its end be to secure the innocent from wrong, or to deter guilt by example; and I believe every reader feels some indignation when he finds him spared. From what extenuation of his crime can Isabel, who yet supposes her brother dead, form any plea in his favour! Since he was good till he 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. JOHNSON.

It is evident that Isabel condescends to Mariana's importunate solicitation with great reluctance. Bad as her argument might be, it is the best that the guilt of Angelo would admit. The sacrifice that she makes of her revenge to her friendship scarcely merits to be considered in so harsh a light. RITSON.

Duke. I would, thou hadst done so by Claudio.Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him. [Ex. PROV. Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd, Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

Ang. I am sorry, that such sorrow I procure And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart, That I crave death more willingly than mercy; 'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it

Re-enter Provost, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO, and JULIET. Duke. Which is that Barnardine ?

Prov. This, my lord.

Duke. There was a friar told me of this man :-
Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul,

That apprehends no further than this world,
And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt condemn'd;
But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all;
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide
For better times to come :-Friar, advise him;
I leave him to. your hand.-What muffled fellow's that?
Prov. This is another prisoner, that I sav'd,

That should have died when Claudio lost his head;
As like almost to Claudio, as himself.

[Unmuffles CLAUdio. Duke. If he be like your brother, for his sake [To ISAB

Is he pardon'd; And, for your lovely sake,

Give me your hand, and say you will be mine,
He is my brother too: But fitter time for that.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's safe;
Methinks, I see a quick'ning in his eye :--
Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well:

Look, that you love your wife; her worth, worth yours.-
I find an apt remission in myself:

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon ;~

You, sirrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward, [To Luc. One all of luxury, an ass, a madman ;

Wherein have I so deserved of you,

That you extol me thus ?

Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick if you will hang me for it, you may; but I had rather it would please you I might be whipp'd.

:

Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.-
Proclaim it, Provost, round about the city;
If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow,
(As I have heard him swear himself, there's one
Whom he begot with child,) let her appear,
And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd,
Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.

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. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.—

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 your's, and what is your's is mine :-
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show
What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know.

[Exeunt

COMEDY OF ERRORS.

OBSERVATIONS.

COMEDY OF ERRORS.] Shakespeare might have taken the general plan of this comedy from a translation of the Menæchmi of Plautus, by W. W. i. e. (according to Wood) William Warner, in 1595, whose version of the acrostical argument is as follows:

"Two twinne borne sonnes a Sicill marchant had, "Menechmus one, and Sosicles the other;

"The first his father lost, a little lad;

"The grandsire namde the latter like his brother:
"This (growne a man) long travell took to seeke
"His brother, and to Epidamnum came,

"Where th' other dwelt inricht, and him so like,
"That citizens there take him for the same:
"Father, wife, neighbours, each mistaking either,
"Much pleasant error, ere they meet togither."

Perhaps the last of these lines suggested to Shakespeare the title for his piece.

See this translation of the Menæchmi, among six old Plays on which Shakespeare founded, &c. published by S. Leacroft, Charing Cross.

At the beginning of an address Ad Lectorem, prefixed to the errata of Decker's Satiromastix, &c. 1602, is the following passage, which apparently alludes to the title of the comedy before us:

"In steed of the trumpets sounding thrice before the play begin, it shall not be amisse (for him that will read) first to beholde this short Comedy of Errors, and where the greatest enter, to give them instead of a hisse, a gentle correction." STEEVENS.

I suspect this and all other plays where much rhyme is used, and especially long hobbling verses, to have been among Shakespeare's more early productions.

BLACKSTONE.