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would eat mutton 21 on Fridays. He's now past it; yet, and I say to thee, he would mouth with a beggar, though she smelt 22 brown bread and garlick: say, that I said so. Farewell. [Exit. Duke. No might nor greatness in mortality Can censure 'scape; back-wounding calumny The whitest virtue strikes: What king so strong, Can tie the gall up in the slanderous tongue? But who comes here?

Enter ESCALUS, Provost, Bawd, and Officers. Escal. Go, away with her to prison.

Bawd. Good my lord, be good to me; your honour is accounted a merciful man: good my lord. Escal. Double and treble admonition, and still forfeit 23. in the same kind? This would make mercy swear, and play the tyrant.

Prov. A bawd of eleven years continuance, may it please your honour.

Bawd. My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me: mistress Kate Keep-down was with child by him in the duke's time, he promised her marriage; his child is a year and a quarter old, come Philip and Jacob: I have kept it myself; and see how e goes about to abuse me.

Escal. That fellow is a fellow of much licence:let him be called before us.-Away with her to prison: Go to; no more words. [Exeunt Bawd and Officers.] Provost, my brother Angelo will not be alter'd, Claudio must die to-morrow: let him be furnished with divines, and have all charitable preparation: if my brother wrought by my pity, it should not be so with him.

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Prov. So please you, this friar hath been with him, and advised him for the entertainment of death.

21 A wench was called a laced mutton. In Doctor Faustus, 1604, Lechery says, "I am one that loves an inch of raw mutton better than an ell of stock-fish. See vol. i. p. 98, note 8.

22 Smelt, for smelt of.

23 Forfeit, transgress, offend, from forfaire. Fr.

Escal. Good even, good father.

Duke. Bliss and goodness on you!
Escal. Of whence are you?l

Duke. Not of this country, though my chance is now

To use it for my time: I am a brother
Of gracious order, late come from the see,
In special business from his holiness.

Escal. What news abroad i the world?

Duke. None, but that there is so great a fever on goodness, that the dissolution of it must cure it: novelty is only in request; and it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of course, as it is virtuous to be constant in any undertaking. There is scarce truth enough alive, to make societies secure; but security enough, to make fellowships accurs'd 24: much upon this riddle runs the wisdom of the world. This news is old enough, yet it is every day's news. I pray you, sir, of what disposition was the duke? Escal. One, that, above all other strifes, contended especially to know himself.

Duke. What pleasure was he given to?

Escal. Rather rejoicing to see another merry, than merry at any thing which professed to make him rejoice: a gentleman of all temperance. But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove prosperous; and let me desire to know how you find Claudio prepared. I am made to understand, that you have lent him visitation.

Duke. He professes to have received no sinister measure from his judge, but most willingly humbles himself to the determination of justice: yet had he framed to himself, by the instruction of his frailty, many deceiving promises of life; which I, by my

24 The allusion is to those legal securities into which fellowship leads men to enter for each other. For this quibble Shakspeare has high authority, 'He that hateth suretiship is sure.' Prov. xi. 15.

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good leisure, have discredited to him, and now is he resolved 25 to die.

Escal. You have paid the heavens your function, and the prisoner the very debt of your calling. I have labour'd for the poor gentleman, to the extremest shore of my modesty; but my brother justice have I found so severe, that he hath forced me to tell him, he is indeed-justice 26.

Duke. If his own life answer the straitness of his proceeding, it shall become him well; wherein, if he chance to fail, he hath sentenced himself. Escal. I am going to visit the prisoner: Fare you well.

Duke. Peace be with you!

[Exeunt ESCALUS and Provost. He, who the sword of heaven will bear, Should be as holy as severe; Pattern in himself to know, Grace to stand, and virtue go 27; More nor less to others paying, Than by self-offences weighing. Shame to him, whose cruel striking Kills for faults of his own liking! Twice treble shame on Angelo, To weed my vice 28, and let his grow! O, what may man within him hide, Though angel on the outward side! How may likeness, made in crimes, Mocking 29, practice on the times,

25 i. c. satisfied; probably because conviction leads to decision or resolution.

26 Summum jus,
s. summa injuria.

27 This passage is very obscure, nor can it be cleared without a more licentious paraphrase than the reader may be willing to allow. 'He that bears the sword of heaven should be not less holy than severe; should be able to discover in himself a pattern of such grace as can avoid temptation, and such virtue as may go abroad into the world without danger of seduction.'

28 The duke's vice may be explained by what he says himself, Act i. Sc. 4.

twas my fault to give the people scope. Angelo's vice requires no explanation. "How may likeness, made in crimes, Mocking, practice on the times."

29

To draw with idle spiders' strings.
Most pond'rous and substantial things!
Craft against vice I must apply:
With Angelo to-night shall lie
His old betrothed, but despised;
So disguise shall, by the disguis'd,
Pay with falsehood false exacting,
And perform an old contracting.

[Exit.

ACT IV.

SCENE 1. A Room in Mariana's House.

MARIANA discovered sitting; a Boy singing.

SONG 1.

Take, oh take those lips away,
That so sweetly were forsworn;
And those eyes, the break of day,
Lights that do mislead the morn:

The old copies read making. The emendation is Mr. Malone's. The sense of this obscure passage appears to be:-'How may persons assuming the likeness or semblance of virtue, while they are in fact guilty of the grossest crimes, impose with this counterfeit sanctity upon the world, in order to draw to themselves by the flimsiest pretensions the most solid advantages; such as pleasure, honour, reputation, &c. Mocke and make in old MSS. are easily confounded, and the words have frequently been thus misprinted in the old editions of these plays; in this very play we have before make instead of mock. [See p. 19, note 1.] Malone is generally sufficiently scrupulous in adhering to the old readings where it is possible to elucidate them. On the present occasion I think his emendation just and necessary. It is well supported by the frequent use the poet makes of the word mock. Thus in Macbeth:

"Away and mock the time with fairest show." Made in crimes, is trained in iniquity and perfect in it. Likeness is seeming.

1 It does not appear certain to whom this beautiful little song rightly belongs. It is found with an additional stanza in Fletcher's Bloody Brother. Mr. Malone prints it as Shakspeare's, Mr. Boswell thinks Fletcher has the best claim to it, Mr. Weber that Shakspeare may have written the first stanza, and Fletcher the second. It may indeed be the property of some unknown or for

But my kisses bring again,

bring again,

Seals of love, but seal'd in vain,
seal'd in vain.

Mari. Break off thy song, and haste thee quick

away;

Here comes a man of comfort, whose advice
Hath often still'd my brawling discontent.

Enter Duke.

[Exit Boy.

I cry you mercy, sir; and well could wish
You had not found me here so musical:
Let me excuse me, and believe me so,-

My mirth it much displeas'd, but pleas'd my woe 2. Duke. 'Tis good: though music oft hath such a charm,

To make bad, good, and good provoke to harm. I pray you, tell me,, hath any body inquired for me here to-day? much upon this time have I promis'd here to meet.

Mari. You have not been inquired after: I have sat here all day.

Enter ISABELLA.

Duke. I do constantly believe you:-The time is come, even now. I shall crave your forbearance a little; may be, I will call upon you anon, for some advantage to yourself,

Mari. I am always bound to you.

Duke. Very well met, and welcome.

What is the news from this good deputy?

[Exit.

gotten author. Be this as it may, the reader will be pleased to have the second stanza.

'Hide, oh hide those hills of snow
Which thy frozen bosom bears,
On whose tops the pinks that glow
Are of those that April wears.

But first set my poor heart free,
Bound in those icy chains by thee."

Though the music soothed my sorrows, it had no tendency to

produce light merriment.

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