PERSONS REPRESENTED. VINCENTIO, duke of Vienna. ANGELO, lord deputy in the duke's absence. ESCALUS, an ancient lord, joined with Angelo in the deputation. CLAUDIO, a young gentleman. LUCIO, a fantastic. Two other like Gentlemen. *VARRIUS, a gentleman, servant to the duke. Provost. Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, Officers, and other Atten dants. SCENE-Vienna. * Varrius might be omitted, for he is only once spoken to, and says nothing. JOHNSON. MEASURE FOR MEASURE. ACT I. SCENE I-An apartment in the Duke's palace. Enter Duke, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants. ESCALUS, Escal. My lord. Duke. Dnke. Of government the properties to unfold, My strength can give you: Then no more remains For common justice, you are as pregnant in, That we remember: There is our commission, From which we would not have you warp.-Call hither, For you must know, we have with special soul Lent him our terror, drest him with our love; To undergo such ample grace and honour, Enter ANGELO. Duke. Look, where he comes. Ang. Always obedient to your grace's will, I come to know your pleasure. Duke. Angelo, There is a kind of character in thy life, That, to the observer, doth thy history Fully unfold: Thyself and thy belongings Are not thine own so proper, as to waste Thyself upon thy virtues, them on thee. Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do ; Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, But to fine issues: nor nature never lends The smallest scruple of her excellence, But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines Herself the glory of a creditor, Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech To one that can my part in him advértise; In our remove, be thou at full ourself; Live in thy tongue and heart: Old Escalus, Ang. Now, good my lord, Let there be some more test made of my metal, Be stamp'd upon it. Duke. No more evasion : We have with a leaven'd2 and prepared choice Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, That we may bring you something on the way. Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do With any scruple: your scope is as mine own; As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand; [1] To great consequences; for high purposes. JOHNSON. [2] When bread is leavened it is left to ferment; a leavened choice is therefore a choice not hasty, but considerate, not declared as soon as it fell into the imagination, but suffered to work long in the mind. JOHNSON. But do not like to stage me to their eyes: [Exit. Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave A power I have; but of what strength and nature Ang. 'Tis so with me: Let us withdraw together, Touching that point. Escal. I'll wait upon your honour. A Street. SCENE II. [Exeunt. Enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen. Lucio. If the duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the king of Hungary, why, then all the dukes fall upon the king. 1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the king of Hungary's! 2 Gent. Amen. Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal?. Lucio. Ay, that he razed. 1 Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to steal: There's not a soldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for, I think, thou never wast where grace was said. 2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least. 1 Gent. What? in metre ?2 [3] In the primers, there are metrical graces, such as, I suppose, were used. in Shakspeare's time. JOHNSON. Lucio. In any proportion, or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ay! why not? Grace is grace, despight of all controversy. As for example; Thou thyself art a wicked villain, despight of all grace. 1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of sheers between us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet: Thou art the list. 1 Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou art a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. 1 Gent. I think, I have done myself wrong; have I not? 2 Gent. Yes, that thou hast; whether thou art tainted, or free. Lucio. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes! I have purchased as many diseases under her roof, as comes to 2 Gent. To what, I pray? 1 Gent. Judge. 2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a year. 1 Gent. Ay, and more. Lucio. A French crown more. 1 Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me : but thou art full of error; I am sound. Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound, as things that are hollow thy bones are hollow; impiety hath made a feast of thee. 1 Gent. How now? profound sciatica ? Enter Bawd. Which of your hips has the most Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prison, was worth five thousand of you all. 1 Gent. Who's that, I pr'ythee? Bawd. Marry, sir, that's Claudio, signior Claudio. [4] Satirically insinuating that the controversies about grace were so intricate and endless, that the disputants unsettled every thing but this, that grace was grace: which, however, in spite of controversy, still remained certain. WARBURTON. |