Of the all-binding law; and that there were 2 ISAB. As much for my poor brother, as myfelf: That longing I have been fick for, ere I'd yield ANG. Then muft your brother die. ISAB. And 'twere the cheaper way: Better it were, a brother died at once, 3 Than that a fifter, by redeeming him, Should die for ever. ANG. Were not you then as cruel as the fentence That you have flander'd fo? 9 Of the all-binding law;] The old editions read: all-building law. JOHNSON. The emendation is Theobald's: STEEVENS. 2 or elfe let him fuffer;] The old copy reads, to let him," &c. STEEVENS. -"or elfe Sir Thomas Hanmer reads more grammatically "or elfe let him fuffer." But our author is frequently inaccurate in the conftruction of his fentences. I have therefore adhered to the old copy. You must be under the neceffity [to let, &c.] must be understood. So, in Holinfhed's Hiftory of Scotland, p. 150: " - afleep they were so fast, that a man might have removed the chamber over them, foouer than to have awaked them out of their drunken fleep." -- MALONE. The old copy reads fuppofed, not fuppos'd. The second to in the line might therefore be the compofitor's accidental repetition of the first. Being unneceffary to fenfe, and injurious to measure, I ́ have omitted it. The pages of Holinfhed will furnish examples of every blunder to which printed works are liable. STEEVENS. - a brother died at once,] Perhaps we should read: Better it were,' a brother died for once, &c. JOHNSON. 3 ISAB. Ignomy in ranfom, and free pardon, Are of two houfes: lawful mercy is Nothing akin to foul redemption. ANG. You feem'd of late to make the law a tyrant; And rather prov'd the fliding of your brother A merriment than a vice. ISAB. O, pardon me, my lord; it oft falls out, To have what we'd have, we fpeak not what we meant. I fomething do excufe the thing I hate, For his advantage that I dearly love. ANG. We are all frail. · Elfe let my brother die, If not a feodary, but only he, " 4 Ignomy in ranfom, ] So the word ignominy was formerly written. Thus, in Troilus and Creffila, A& V. fc. iii : "Hence, brother lacquey! ignomy and shame," &c. REED. Sir William D'Avenant's alteration of these lines may prove a reasonably good comment on them: 66 Ignoble ransom no proportion bears "To pardon freely given. MALONE. The second folio reads ignominy; but whichfoever reading we take, the line will be inharmonious, if not defective. 5 Nothing akin-] The old copy reads kin. emendation I am anfwerable. STEEVENS. STEEVENS. For this trivial were If not a feodary, but only he, &c.] This is fo obfcure, but the allufion fo fine, that it deferves to be explained. A feodary was one that in the times of vaffalage held lands of the chief lord, under the tenure of paying rent and service: which tenures called feuda amongst the Goths. Now, fays Angelo, " we are all frail; "Yes, replies Ifabella; if all mankind were feodaries, who owe what they are to this tenure of imbecility, and who fucceed each other by the fame tenure, as well as my brother, I would give him up. The comparing mankind, lying under the weight of original fin, to a feodary, who owes fuit and fervice to his lord, is, I think, not ill imagined. WARBURTON. Shakspeare has the fame allufion in Cymbeline: "Art thou a feodarie, for this act?" Again, in the prologue to Marfton's Sophonisba, 1606; For feventeen Kings were Carthage feoders.". not Owe, and fucceed by weakness." ANG. Nay, women are frail too. ISAB. Ay, as the glaffes where they view themselves; Which are as eafy broke as they make forms. Mr. M. Mafon cenfures me for not perceiving that feodary fignifies an accomplice. Of this I was fully aware, as it fupports the fenfe contended for by Warburton, and feemingly acquiefced in by Dr. Johnfon. Every vaffal was an accomplice with his lord; i. e. was fubject to be executor of the mifchief he did not contrive, and was obliged to follow in every bad caufe which his fuperior led. STEEVENS. I have fhewn in a note on Cymbeline, that feodary was used by Shakspeare in the fense of an affociate, and fuch undoubtedly is its fignification here. Dr. Warburton's note therefore is certainly wrong, and ought to be expunged. After having afcertained the true meaning of this word, I muft own, that the remaining part of the paffage before us is extremely difficult. I would, however, reftore the original reading thy, and the meaning fhould feem to be this: We are all frail, fays Angelo. Yes, replies Ifabella; if he has not one affociate in his crime, if no other perfon own and follow the fame criminal courses which you are now purfuing, let my brother fuffer death. I think it, however, extremely probable that fomething is omitted. It is obfervable, that the line "-- Owe, and fucceed thy weakness," does not, together with the fubfequent line." Nay, women are frail too, make a perfect verfe: from which it may be conjectured that the compofitor's eye glanced from the word fucceed to weakness in a fubfequent hemiftich, and that by this overfight the paffage is become unintelligible. MALONE./ 6. Owe,] To owe is, in this place, to own, to hold, to have poffeffion. JOHNSON. 7 -by weakness.] The old copy reads thy weakness. STEEVENS. The emendation was made by Mr. Rowe. I am by no means fatisfied with it. Thy is much more likely to have been printed by miftake for this, than the word which has been fubftituted. Yet this weakness and by weakness are equally to be understood. Sir W. D'Avenant omitted the paffage in his Law against Lovers, probably on account of its difficulty. MALONE. Which are as eafy broke as they make forms.] Would it not be better to read? take forms. JOHNSON 1 Women!-Help heaven! men their creation mar In profiting by them. 'Nay, call us ten times frail; For we are foft as our complexions are, And credulous to falfe prints. ANG. 2 I think it well: And from this teftimony of your own fex, (Since, I suppose, we are made to be no stronger Than faults may fhake our frames,) let me be bold; I do arreft your words; Be that you are, That is, a woman; if you be more, you're none; By all external warrants,) fhow it now, ISAB. I have no tongue but one: gentle my lord, Let me intreat you speak the former language. 3 3 9 In profiting by them.] In imitating them, in taking them for examples. JOHNSON. If men mar their own creation, by taking women for their example, they cannot be said to profit much by them. — Isabella iş deploring the condition of woman-kind, formed so frail and credulous, that men prove the deftruction of the whole fex, by taking advantage of their weakness, and ufing them for their own purpofés. She therefore calls upon 'Heaven to affift them. This, though obfcurely expreffed, appears to me to be the meaning of this paffage. M. MASON. Dr. Johnfon does not feem to have understood this paffage. Isabella certainly does not mean to fay that men mar their own creation by taking women for examples. Her meaning is, that men debafe their nature by taking advantage of fuch weak pitiful creatures.- Edinburgh Magazine, Nov. 1786. STEEVENS. 2 For we are foft as our complexions are, And credulous to falfe prints. ] i. c. take any impreffion. So, in Twelfth Night: "How eafy is it for the proper false « In women's waxen hearts to fet their forms! "Alas! our frailty is the cause, not we; WARBURTON. "For, fuch as we are made of, fuch we be. MALONE. 3 -Speak the former language.] Ifabella anfwers to his circumlocutory courtship, that he has but one tongue, she does not ANG. Plainly conceive, I love you. ISAB. My brother did love Juliet, and you tell me, That he fhall die for it. 3 ANG. He fhall not, Ifabel, if you give me love, ISAB. I know, your virtue hath a licence in't, Which feems a little fouler than it is, To pluck on others. ANG. Believe me, on mine honour, My words express my purpose. ISAB. Ha! little honour to be much believ'd, And most pernicious purpofe!-Seeming, feeming !5. I will proclaim thee, Angelo; look for't: Or, with an out-ftretch'd throat, I'll tell the world ANG. Who will believe thee, Ifabel? My unfoil'd name, the auftereness of my life, underftand this new phrafe, and defires him to talk his former language, that is, to talk as he talked before. JOHNSON. 3 I know your virtue hath a licence in't, ] Alluding to the licences given by minifters to their fpies, to go into all fuipeded companies, and join in the language of malcontents. WARBURTON. an air I fufpe& Warburton's interpretation to be more ingenious than juft. The obvious meaning is I know your virtue affumes of licentioufnefs which is not natural to you, on purpose to try me. Edinburgh Magazine, Nov. 1786. STEEVENS. 4 Which feems a little fouler, &c.] So, in Promos and Caffandra: Caf. Renowned lord, you use this speech (I hope) your thrall to trye, If otherwife, my brother's life fo deare I will not bye:' If you miftruft, to fearch my harte, would God you Seeming, feeming!] Hypocrify, hypocrify; counterfeit virtue. JOHNSON. ง |