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Lay hold upon him; if he do resist,
Subdue him at his peril.

Oth. Hold your hands,

Both you of my inclining, and the rest.

Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it
Without a prompter. Where will you I go
To answer this your charge?

Bra. To prison, 'till fit time

Of law, and course of direct session

Call thee to answer.

Oth. What if I do obey?

How the duke be therewith satisfied,
may
Whose messengers are here about my side,
Upon some present business of the state,
To bring to me him?

Offi. True, most worthy signior.

The duke's in council; and your noble self,
I'm sure, is sent for.

Bra. How! the duke in council?

In this time of the night? bring him away;
Mine's not an idle cause. The duke himself,

Or

any of my brothers of the state,

Cannot but feel this wrong as 'twere their own;
For if such actions may have passage free,
Bond-slaves and pageants shall our statesmen be.
[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Senate-house. Duke and Senators, set at a Table, with Lights, and Attendants.

Duke. There is no composition in these news, (23) That gives them credit.

1 Sen. Indeed they're disproportioned; (24) My letters say, a hundred and seven gallies. Duke. And mine a hundred and forty. (25) 2 Sen. And mine two hundred: (26)

(23) The Duke represents the same prototype in the moon as the King's ghost in Hamlet, and Albany in King Lear, the former of which is drawn in figure 51.

(24) The first senator I take to be the same as the Captain who murders Cordelia in King Lear, (fig. 96.)

(25) The second senator I apprehend to have his face made up of the small shadows immediately on the left hand of the first senator, which small shadows constitute the hands of Hudibras, and are often assimilated to alphabetical letters, or arithmetical figures.

(26) What was mentioned in the conclusion of the last note seems to point out the prototype of the second senator; for those shadows, so constituting the outlines of his face, may without difficulty be conceived to form his number of galleys, viz. 200. And when the various instances in which the poet in the play of King Lear was seen to denote numbers in a like manner, are recollected, it is not improbable that he might intend to point to the Duke's number of 140, as situate in light marks about the region of his shoulder or a little before it; and the first senator's number of 107,

But though they jump not on a just account,
As in these cases, where the aim reports,
'Tis oft with difference :) yet do they all confirm
A Turkish fleet, (27) and bearing up to Cyprus,
Duke. Nay, it is possible enough to judg-
I do not so secure me in the error, (28)

But the main article I do approve

In fearful sense.

Sailors within.] (29) Wat hoa!

Enter Sailors.

Offi. A messenger from the gallies.
Duke. Now!-what's the business?

[ment;

[what hoa! what hoa!

by larger characters within the field of his person, of which the one is drawn in fig. 94. The characters of the senators are so inconsiderable that a drawing is not given. of the second, nor of the numbers, the prototypes of which, perhaps overstrainedly, have been pointed out.

(27) A Turkish fleet. As the ensigns of the Turks are marked with crescents, as of the moon, that circumstance may be alluded to, perhaps, by making the plot of the play to have regard, as it has in part, to Turkey.

(28) Error. As of a planet, and so of the moon (as so esteemed).

(29, The sailors may be those small human like heads, in shadow, situate over the head of Rodorigo (late Hudibras). As such, they may be properly considered as sailors, as they would be there situate at the stern of the ship, drawn in fig. 72, ante.

Sail. The Turkish preparation makes for Rhodes,
So was I bid report here to the state.
Duke. How say you by this change?
1 Sen. This cannot be,

By no assay of reason. 'Tis a pageant,
To keep us in false gaze; when we consider
The importancy of Cyprus to the Turk,
And let ourselves again but understand,

That as it more concerns the Turk than Rhodes,
So may he with more facile question bear it ;
For that it stands not in such warlike brace,
But altogether lacks th' abilities

That Rhodes is dressed in. If we make thought of this,

We must not think the Turk is so unskilful,
To leave that latest which concerns him first;
Neglecting an attempt of ease and gain,

To wake, and wage a danger profitless.

Duke. Nay, in all confidence, he's not for Rhodes. Offi. Here is more news.

Enter a Messenger.

Mes. The Ottomites (reverend and gracious,) Steering with due course towards the isle of Rhodes,

Have there enjoined them with an after-fleet

1 Sen. Ay, so I thought; how many, as you guess?

Mes. Of thirty sail; and now they do re-stem(30) Their backward course, bearing with frank ap

pearance

Their purposes toward Cyprus. Signior Montano, Your trusty and most valiant servitor,

(30) If the north side of the moon be uppermost, Montano will have his prototype, I apprehend, in the strong shadow near her left hand margin, as drawn in

Fig. 101.

The cloven foot, as introduced in fig. 37, has the shape of the figure 3, and being situate upon Montano's shoulder may, with a round spot of light also there situate, constitute his number of thirty sail of gallies.

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