Be sometime honour'd for his burning throne :—
Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak.

Escal. The duke's in us; and we will hear you speak : Look, you speak justly.

?

Duke. Boldly, at least :-But, O, poor souls,
Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox?
Good-night to your redress. Is the duke gone
Then is your cause gone too. The duke's unjust,
Thus to retort your manifest appeal;
And put your trial in the villain's mouth,
Which here you come to accuse.

Lucio. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of.
Escal. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar !
Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women
To accuse this worthy man ; but, in foul mouth,
And in the witness of his proper ear,

To call him villain?

And then to glance from him to the duke himself;
To tax him with injustice?-Take him hence ;

To the rack with him :-We'll touze you joint by joint,
But we will know this purpose:-What! unjust?
Duke. Be not so hot; the duke

Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he
Dare rack his own; his subject am I not,

Nor here provincial: My business in this state
Made me a looker-on here in Vienna,

Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble,
Till it o'er-run the stew: laws, for all faults;

But faults so countenanc'd, that the strong statutes
Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop,
As much in mock as mark. 6

Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to prison. Ang. What can you vouch against him, signior Lucio? Is this the man that you did tell us of?

Lucio. 'Tis he, my lord.-Come hither, goodman bald-pate: Do you know me?

[6] Barber's shops were, at all times, the resort of idle people :
"Tonstrina erat quadam hic solebamus fere
"Plerumque eam upperiri"-

which Donatus calls apta sedes otiosis. Formerly with us, the better sort of people went to the barber's shop to be trimmed; who then practised the under parts of surgery: so that he had occasion for numerous instruments, which lay there ready for use; and the idle people, with whom his shop was generally crowded, would be perpetually handling and misusing them. To reme. dy which, I suppose there was placed up against the wall a table of forfeitures, adapted to every offence of this kind; which, it is not likely, would long preserve its authority. WARBURTON.

Duke. I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison, in the absence of the duke. Lucio. O, did you so? And do you remember what you said of the duke?

Duke. Most notedly, sir.

Lucio. Do you so, sir? And was the duke a flesh-monger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? Duke. You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, spoke so of him; and much more, much worse.

Lucio. O thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose, for thy speeches?

Duke. Iprotest, I love the duke, as I love myself.

Ang. Hark! how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses.

Escal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal:-Away with him to prison :-Where is the provost ?-Away with him to prison; lay bolts enough upon him let him speak no more:-Away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate companion.

[The Provost lays hands on the Duke. Duke. Stay, sir; stay a while.

Ang. What resists he? Help him, Lucio.

Lucio. Come, sir; come, sir; come, sir; foh, sir: Why, you bald-pated, lying rascal! you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's visage, with a pox to you! show your sheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour! Will't not off?

[Pulls off the Friar's hood, and discovers the Duke. Duke. Thou art the first knave that e'er made a duke. -First, Provost, let me bail these gentle three :Sneak not away, sir; [To LuCIO] for the friar and you Must have a word anon :-lay hold on him.

Lucio. This may prove worse than hanging.

Duke. What you have spoke, I pardon; sit you down. [To ESCALUS.

We'll borrow place of him:-Sir, by your leave: [To ANG.
Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence,
That yet can do thee office? If thou hast,

Rely upon it till my tale be heard,

And hold no longer out.

Ang. O my dread lord,

I should be guiltier than my guiltiness,
To think I can be undiscernible,

When I perceive, your grace, like power divine,
Hath look'd upon my passes: Then, good prince,
No longer session hold upon my shame,

But let my trial be mine own confession;
Immediate sentence then, and sequent death,
Is all the grace I beg.

Duke. Come hither, Mariana :—

Say, wast thou e'er contracted to this woman?
Ang. I was, my lord.

Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.— Do you the office, friar; which consummate,

Return him here again :-Go with him, Provost.

[Exe. ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provost. Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour, Than at the strangeness of it.

Duke. Come hither, Isabel :

Your friar is now your prince: As I was then
Advértising, and holy to your business,

Not changing heart with habit, I am still
Attorney'd at your service.

Isab. O, give me pardon,

That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd
Your unknown sovereignty.

Duke. You are pardon'd, Isabel :

And now, dear maid, be you as free to us.

Your brother's death, I know, sits at your heart ;
And you may marvel, why I obscur'd myself,
Labouring to save his life; and would not rather
Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power,
Than let him be so lost: O, most kind maid,
It was the swift celerity of his death,
Which I did think with slower foot came on,

That brain'd my purpose: But, peace be with him!
That life is better life, past fearing death,

Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort,
So happy is your brother.

Re-enter ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provost.
Isab. I do, my lord.

Duke. For this new-married man, approaching here, Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd

Your well-defended honour, you must pardon

For Mariana's sake: but as he adjudg'd your brother, (Being criminal, in double violation

Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach,

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,

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,

[Kneeling.

76

As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,
A due sincerity govern'd his deeds,
Till he did look on me ;7 since it is so,

Let him not die : My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he dy'd :

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 say.

I have bethought me of another fault :

Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded
At an unusual hour?

Prov. It was commanded so.

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?

[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. gument is extraordinary:

A due sincerity govern'd his deeds

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

Let him not die.

Her ar

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, wheth er 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. that women think ill of nothing that raises the credit of their beauty, and I am afraid our varlet poet intended to inculcate, 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. the guilt of Angelo would admit. The sacrifice that she makes of her revenge Bad as her argument might be, it is the best that to her friendship scarcely merits to be considered in so harsh a light.

RITSON.