duct of this difficult scene is a marvel of skill, and proves his insight into womanly nature to be little short of miraculous."

145. I know your virtue, etc. "I know your virtue assumes an air of licentiousness which is not natural to you, on purpose to try me (Edin. Rev. Nov. 1786); or "in order to draw me on to confess the like" (Clarke).

150. Seeming, seeming! Hypocrisy, hypocrisy; counterfeit virtue' (Johnson).

153. Aloud. Pope carried the word to the next line, and some editors

omit it.

156. My vouch against you. My assertion to the contrary, my denial of your charge.

159. Smell of calumny. Steevens sees here "a metaphor from a lamp or candle extinguished in its own grease!"

160. Race. "Natural disposition" (Schmidt); as in Temp. i. 2. 358: "thy vile race,

Though thou didst learn, had that in 't which good natures
Could not abide to be with."

Heath misinterprets the passage thus: "And now I give my senses the rein in the race they are now actually running."

162. Prolixious blushes. "What Milton [P. L. iv. 311] has called 'sweet, reluctant, amorous delay"" (Steevens).

165. Die the death. Elsewhere used of a judicial sentence. See M. N. D. p. 126, and cf. Matt. xv. 4.

168. Affection. Impulse, feeling.

172. Perilous. Theo. reads "most perilous." Seymour conjectures "these perilous," and Walker "pernicious."

178. Prompture. Prompting, incitement; used by S. only here. For blood, cf. ii. I. 12 above.

179. Mind of honour. Honourable mind. Steevens compares "mind of love"= loving mind, in M. of V. ii. 8. 42.

ACT III.

SCENE I-5. Be absolute for death. Make up your mind fully for death.

10. That dost, etc. The reading of the folios, changed by Hanmer to "That do." Even if that refers to influences, the irregularity would be not unlike many others in S.; but possibly Porson was right in making breath the antecedent. W. says that to "make the breath hourly afflict its habitation" is "an absurd result." An asthmatic might not admit this, but all that the duke means is that life itself may become a burden from being at the mercy of the skyey influences. Indeed, is not this the meaning with either construction? In the one case the breath is an affliction because servile to the skyey influences; in the other, it is servile to these influences that afflict it.

W. suggests that we should read influence both here and in W. T. i. 2. 426, as the rhythm seems to require; "for influence was then a word without a plural, and was used, especially when applied to the heavenly bodies (to which service it was then almost set apart) in its radical sense of in-flowing, and then in the singular form, even when all those bodies are spoken of." Cf. Milton, P. L. viii. 512, x. 663, Comus, 330, 335, etc. Bacon, however, has the plural in Essay 9: 66 the evil Influences of the Starrs." See also Job, xxxviii. 31.

Keep'st. Dwellest; as in i. 3. 10 above. Cf. Ham. p. 199.

11. Death's fool. In the ancient "dumb-shows" Death and the Fool were common characters. The latter is made to employ all his tricks in trying to escape from the former, but finally runs into his clutches.

15. Are nurs'd by baseness. "Whatever grandeur can display or luxury enjoy is procured by baseness, by offices of which the mind shrinks from the contemplation. All the delicacies of the table may be traced back to the shambles and the dunghill, all magnificence of building was hewn from the quarry, and all the pomp of ornament dug from among the damps and darkness of the mine" (Johnson). Cf. A. ana C. i. 1. 35 and v. 2. 7.

17. Worm. Serpent; as in A. and C. v. 2. 243, 256, etc. For the old notion that the serpent wounds with its forked tongue, cf. M. N. D. iii. 2. 72: "An adder did it; for with aoupier tongue Than thine, thou serpent, never adder stung."

K. thinks that the worm of the grave is meant in the present passage. 18. Provok'st. Dost invoke, or seek. Cf. Lear, iv. 4. 13: "that to provoke in him" (referring to sleep).

19. Death, which is no more. Johnson remarks: "I cannot without indignation find S. saying that death is only sleep, lengthening out his exhortation by a sentence which in the friar is impious, in the reasoner is foolish, and in the poet trite and vulgar." But, as Malone replies, the poet means only "that the passage from this life to another is easy as sleep; a position in which there is surely neither folly nor impiety.'

20. Exist'st. The folio has "exists," for which see on ii. 2. 116 above. 24. Effects. Expressions. Johnson wanted to read "affects" (="affections, passions of mind "). It is not necessary, however, to refer complexion to the mind, as he and some other critics do; it may mean the face as expressive of the shifting emotions within. Cf. W. T. i. 2. 381: "Your chang'd complexions are to me a mirror," etc.

3. 81.

29. Sire. The reading of the 4th folio; the earlier folios have "fire." 31. Serpige. A cutaneous eruption; mentioned again in T. and C. ii. Here the 1st folio has "sapego," the other folios " sarpego." 34. Dreaming on both. "This is exquisitely imagined. When we are young, we busy ourselves in forming schemes for succeeding time, and miss the gratifications that are before us; when we are old, we amuse the languor of age with the recollection of youthful pleasures or performances: so that our life, of which no part is filled with the business of the present time, resembles our dreams after dinner, when the events of the morning are mingled with the designs of the evening" (Johnson).

153

For blessed Johnson conjectured "blasted," and the Coll. MS. has "boasted."

35. Becomes as aged, etc. This has been suspected, not without reason, and sundry attempts at emendation have been made: "becomes an indigent" (Hanmer); "becomes assuaged" (Warb.); "becomes engaged" (the conjecture of St.); "becomes enaged" (that of W.); "becomes abased" (that of the Camb. editors), etc. Clarke explains the old text thus: "becomes as if it were aged, carkingly coveting those things that belong to old people-such as riches, experience, etc." J. H. paraphrases it thus: "Thy youth devotes all its freshness, vigour, etc., to make provision for old age; as if old age were present in youth and then craving sustenance."

36. Eld. Cf. M. W. iv. 4. 36: "The superstitious, idle-headed eld." In T. and C. ii. 2. 104, the modern reading is "Virgins and boys, mid-age and wrinkled eld;" but the folios have "old" and the quarto "elders." 40. Moe thousand deaths. A thousand more deaths. For moe, cf. A. Y. L. p. 176.

46. Sir. Mason thinks this "too courtly" for the friar, who elsewhere addresses Claudio and Isabella as son and daughter, and conjectures that we should read "son."

52. Bring me, etc. The 1st folio reads "Bring them to hear me speak," and the later folios "Bring them to speak." The emendation was suggested by Steevens.

66

58. Lieger. A resident ambassador. Cf. Cymb. p. 174. The editors generally follow the folio in spelling the word "leiger." Capell has 'ledger." Steevens quotes Leicester's Commonwealth: “a special man of that hasty king, who was his ledger, or agent, in London." Wb. gives lieger and leger.

59. Appointment. Equipment, preparation. Cf. Ham. p. 253.

67. Ay, just. Cf. v. 1. 200 below. See also Much Ado, ii. 1. 29, v. I.

164, etc.

68. Vastidity. Vastness, immensity; used by S. only here. The folios have "Through" for Though; corrected by Pope.

69. To a determin'd scope. "A confinement of your mind to one painful idea-to ignominy of which the remembrance can neither be suppressed nor escaped" (Johnson).

74. Entertain. Desire to maintain. 78. And the poor beetle, etc. "That is, fear is the principal sensation in death, which has no pain; and the giant, when he dies, feels no greater pain than the beetle " (Douce).

79. Sufferance. Suffering; as in 2 Hen. IV. v. 4. 28, Cor. i. 1. 22, Lear, iii. 6. 113, etc.

81. Think you I can, etc. The meaning is not clear, though the editors generally pass the question without comment. We are inclined to think that Schmidt is right in making from flowery tenderness="from a tender woman, whose action is no stronger than a flower' (Sonn. 65. 4).” Clarke understands that "Claudio asks his sister whether she thinks he can derive courage from a figurative illustration-that of the 'poor beetle.'" H. is doubtful about the meaning, but thinks it may be "Do you

154

think me so effeminate in soul as to be capable of an unmanly resolution? or, such a milksop as to quail and collapse at the prospect of death?" Heath would make the sentence imperative, and="Do me the justice to think that I am able to draw a resolution even from this tenderness of youth, which is commonly found to be less easily reconciled to so sudden and harsh a fate;" but we cannot imagine Claudio applying the expres sion flowery tenderness to himself. It seems to be used with a touch of contempt for the weak girl who thinks that he needs to be nerved up to resolution in the face of death, and that she can inspire him with it.

87. Conserve. Preserve. The only other instance of the word in S. is in Oth. iii. 4. 75: "Conserv'd of maidens' hearts;" where, by the way, Schmidt would read "with the skilful Conserves," etc.

90. Follies doth emmew. "Forces follies to lie in cover, without dar ing to show themselves" (Johnson). Steevens compares 3 Hen. VI. i. I. 45: "Neither the king nor he that loves him best, The proudest he that holds up Lancaster, Dares stir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells."

66

Cf. R. of L. 511: "With trembling fear, as fowl hear falcon's bells." Emmew is mew (see M. N. D. p. 126) or mew up (Rich. III. p. 181). A writer in the Edin. Rev. Oct. 1872, proposes "" enew (a term in aquatic falconry, meaning to drive the fowl back to the water as a refuge from the hawk), and H. adopts that reading. J. H. says that "a hawk was said to emmew a bird when hovering over and wheeling round it, preparatory to seizure." If he has good authority for this use of the word, no emendation is called for.

93. Priestly. The 1st folio has "prenzie," both here and in 96 below; and attempts have been made to explain that word: by comparison with the Scottish primsie (= demure, precise), by connecting it with the old Fr. prin (demure), etc. It has not, however, been proved to be English, and is pretty clearly a misprint for priestly (Hanmer's emendation) or some other word. The 2d folio has "princely," K. "precise" (the conjecture of Tieck), and St. "rev'rend." "Saintly," "pensive," "primsie," etc., have also been proposed. W. and H. adopt priestly.

96. Guards. Literally = facings, or trimmings (see Much Ado, p. 124), and hence applied to outward appearances. Cf. the use of the verb in M. of V. ii. 2. 164: "Give him a livery

More guarded than his fellows'," etc.

99. He would give 't thee, etc. He would allow thee, in consequence of this offence of mine, to go on offending in this way forever. For still =ever, cf. iv. 2. 129, v. 1. 406, 467 below. Gr. 69. Hanmer changes from to "for."

107. Has he affections, etc. "Is he actuated by passions that impel him to transgress the law, at the very moment that he is enforcing it against others?" (Malone) To bite the law by the nose is rather to treat it with contempt.

110. The deadly seven. These were pride, envy, wrath, sloth, covet ousness, gluttony, and lechery (Douce).

114. Perdurably fin'd. Everlastingly punished. We find perdurable in

Hen. V. iv. 5. 7 and Oth. i. 3. 343. For fin'd, cf. the use of the noun in ii. 2. 40 above.

120. Delighted. Accustomed to delight; as Warb. and Johnson explained it. Cf. Gr. 375. "Dilated," "delinquent," "benighted," “delated," etc., have been proposed.

122. Region. Changed by Rowe (followed by many editors) to "regions;" but, as Dr. Ingleby contends, region is here "used as an abstract, and in the radical sense," and="restricted place, or confinement." He adds that Carlyle appears so to have understood it; for in his Heroes and Hero-Worship he paraphrases it as "imprisonment of thick-ribbed ice." So just below thought (for which Theo. reads "thoughts") is abstract and the object of imagine. Incertain=unsettled. Dr. Ingleby paraphrases the latter part of the passage thus: or to be in an infinitely worse case than those who body forth-or render objective—their own lawless and distracted mind."

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124. And blown, etc. Cf. Oth. v. 2. 279: "Blow me about in winds! Roast me in sulphur!"

133. What sin you do, etc. The following note is from V.: "One of the most dramatic passages in the present play (says Hazlitt, in his Characters of Shakespeare's Plays), is the interview between Claudio and his sister, when she comes to inform him of the conditions on which Angelo will spare his life. What adds to the dramatic beauty of the scene, and the effect of Claudio's passionate attachment to life, is that it immediately follows the duke's lecture to him, in the character of the friar, recommending an absolute indifference to it.' The attempt of Claudio to prove to his sister that the loss of her chastity, upon such an occasion, will be a virtue, is finely characteristic of the profound knowledge Shakespeare possessed of the intricate complexities of the human heart. Shakespeare was, in one sense, the least moral of all writers, (says Hazlitt); for morality (commonly so called) is made up of antipathies; and his talent consisted in sympathy with human nature, in all its shapes, degrees, depressions, and elevations. The object of the pedantic moralist is to find out the bad in every thing: his was to show that "there is some soul of goodness in things evil.” With reference to the representation of such scenes on the stage, Schlegel observes: 'It is certainly to be wished that decency should be observed on all public occasions, and consequently also on the stage; but even in this it is possible to go too far. That censorious spirit, which scents out impurity in every sally of a bold and vivacious description, is at best but an ambiguous criterion of purity of morals; and there is frequently concealed under this hypocrisy the consciousness of an impure imagination. The determination to tolerate nothing which has the least reference to the sensual relation between the two sexes may be carried to a pitch extremely oppressive to a dramatic poet, and injurious to the boldness and freedom of his composition. If considerations of such a nature were to be attended to, many of the happiest parts of the plays of Shakepeare-for example, in Measure for Measure and All's Well that Ends Well-which are handled with a due regard to decency, must be set aside for their impropriety.""