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 bury'd but as an intent,

That perifh'd by the way: thoughts are no subjects:

Intents, but merely thoughts.

Mari. Meerly, my lord.

Duke. Your fuit's unprofitable;

stand up, I fay

I have bethought me of another fault.

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

Prov. It was commanded fo.

Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed? Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private mef

fage.

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 teftimony whereof, one in the prison,
That should by private order elfe have dy'd,

abel is importuned against all fense
to folicit for Angelo, yet here
against all fense the folicits for
bim. Her argument is extraor-
dinary.

A due fincerity govern'd his deeds, 'Till be did look on me; fince it

is fo,

Let him not die.

That Angelo had committed all the crimes charged gainst him, as far as he could commit them, is evident. The only intent which bis act did not overtake, was the defilement of Isabel. Of this Angelo was only intentionally guilty. Angelo's crimes were fuch, as must sufficiently justify punish

6

ment, whether its end be to fecure the innocent from wrong, or to deter guilt by example; and I be. lieve every reader fee's fome 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 be was good'till be looked on me, let him not die. I am afraid our Varlet Poet intended to inculcate, that women think ill of nothing that raises the credit of their beauty, and are ready, however virtuous, to pardon any act which they think incited by their own charms.

I have I have referv'd alive.

Duke. What's he?

Prov. His name is Bernardine.

Duke. I would, thou had'st done so by Claudio

Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.

[Exit Provost.

Efcal. I'm forry one fo learned and fo wife As you, lord Angelo, hath still appear'd, Should flip fo grofsly both in heat of blood, And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

Ang. I'm forry, that fuch forrow I procure; And fo deep fticks it in my penitent heart, That I crave death more willingly than mercy: Tis my deserving, and I do intreat it.

Enter Provost, Barnardine, Claudio, and Julietta.

Duke. Which is that Barnardine?

Prov. 'Tis this, my lord.

Duke. There was a Friar told me of this man.

Sirrah, thou'rt faid to have a stubborn foul,
That apprehends no further than this world;
And squar'it thy life accordingly: thou'rt condemn'd;
But for those earthly faults, 7 I quit them all:
I pray thee, take this mercy to provide
For better times to come. Friar advise him;

I leave him to your hand. What muffled fellow's that?
Prov. This is another prifoner, that I fav'd,
Who should have dy'd when Claudio loft his head;
As like almost to Cloudio, as himself.

Duke. If he be like your brother, for his fake

Is he pardon'd; and for your lovely fake,

[To Ifab.

(Give me your hand, and say, you will be mine)

7-for those earthly faults.]

arecognisable by temporal power,

Thy faults, to far as they are I forgive.

punishable on earth, so far as they

He

He is my brother too; but fitter time for that.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's safe ; *
Methinks, I fee a quickning in his eye.
Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well: *

Look, that you love your wife; her worth, worth

yours. 9

I find an apt remission in myself,

1

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon.
You, firrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward,

One of all luxury, an ass, a mad-man;
Wherein have I deserved so of you,

That you extol me thus ?

2

[To Lucio.

Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick; if you will hang me for it, you may: but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipt. Duke. Whipt first, Sir, and hang'd after. Proclaim it, Provost, round about the city; If any woman's wrongd by this lew'd fellow, As I have heard him swear himself, there's one Whom he begot with child; let her appear, And he shall marry her. The nuptial finish'd, Let him be whipt and hang'd.

Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to

a whore. Your highness said even now, I made you
a duke; good my lord, do not recompence me, in
making me a cuckold.

Duke. Upon mine honour thou shalt marry her.
Thy slanders I forgive, and therewithal
Remit thy other forfeits. 3-Take him to prifon:
And fee our pleasure herein executed.

Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping and hanging.

Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.
She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.
Joy to you, Mariana-love her, Angelo;
I have confefs'd her, and I know her virtue.

Thanks, good friend Efcalus, for thy much goodness:
There's more behind, that is more gratulate.
Thanks, Provost, for thy care and secrefy;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place :
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragezine for Claudio's;
The offence pardons itself. Dear Ifabel,
I have a motion much imports your good,
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,
What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine:
So bring us to our palace, where we'll show

What's yet behind, that's meet You all should know.

3

- thy other forfeits) Thy other punishments.

[Exeunt.

Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home.

1

tually executed, and the governour fends his head in a bravado to the fifter, after he had de bauched her on promife of marriage. A circumftance of too. much horror and villainy for the stage. And, in the next place, the fifter afterwards is, to folder up her difgrace, married to the governour, and begs his life of the Emperour, though he had unjustly been the death of her brother. Both which absurdities the Poet has avoided by the Epifode of Mariana, a creature purely of his own invention. The Duke's remaining incognito at home to supervise the conduct of his deputy, is also entirely our Authour's fiction.

The story was attempted for the scene before our authour was fourteen years old, by one George Whetstone, in Two Comical Difcourses, as they are called, containing the right excellent and famous hiftory of Promos and Caffandra. Printed with the black letter 1578. The Authour going that vear with Sir Humphry Gilbert to Norimbega, left them with his friends to publish.

THEOBALD.

The novel of Cynthio Giraldi, from which Shakespear is fuppofed to have borrowed this fable, may be read in Shakespear illustrated, elegantly translated, with remarks which wil affift the enquirer to difcover how much abfurdity Shakespear has admitted or avoided.

which

I cannot but suspect that fome other had new modelled the novel of Cynthio, or written a story in some particulars re. sembled it, and that Cinthio was not the authour whom Shakespear immediately followed. The amperour in Cinthio is named Maximine, the Duke, in Shakespear's enumeration of the perfons of the drama, is called Vincentio. This appears a very flight remark; but fince the Duke has no name in the play, nor is ever mentioned but by his title, why should he be called Vincentio among the Persons, but becaufe the name was copied from the story, and placed fuperfluoufly at the head of the lift by the mere habit of transcription? It is therefore likely that there was then a story of Vincentio Dake of Vienna, different from that of Maximine Emperor of the Romans.

Of this play the light or comick part is very natural and pleasing, but the grave scenes, if a few passages be excepted, have more labour than elegance. The plot is rather intricate than artful. The time of the action is indefinite; some time, we know not how much, must have elarfed between the recess of the Dukt and the imprisonment of Claudio; for he mult have learned the ftory of Mariana in his difguile, or he delegated his power to a man already known to be corrupted. The unities of action and place are fufficiently preferved.

THE