A due sincerity govern'd his deeds Till he did look on me: since it is so, Let him not die. 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. this Angelo was only intentionally guilty. of Angelo's crimes were such, as must sufficiently justify punishment, whether 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, from any plea in his favour? Since he was good till he looked on me, let him not die. I am afraid our varlet poet, intended to inculcate, that women think ill of no hing that raises the credit of their beauty, and are ready, however virtuous, to pardon any act which they think incited by their own charms. JOHNSON It is evident that Isabella condescends to Mariana's importunate solicitation, which great reluct auce Bad as her argument might be, it is the best that the guilt of Angelo would admit. The sacrifice that she makes of her revenge to her friendship, scarcely merits to be considered in so harsh a light. RITSON. P. 180, 32.33. And must be buried but as an intent That perish'd by the way:] i. e. like the traveller, who dies on his journey, is obscurely interred, and thought of no more: Illum expirantem Obliti ignoto camporum in pulvere linquunt. 3:3121 $ '' * P. 181, 1, 16. after more advice: i. e. after more mature consideration. STEEVENS. P. 182, 1. 11. But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all;] Thy faults, so far as they are punishable on earth, so far as they are cognisable by temporal power, I forgive. JOHNSON. P. 182, R. 26. 27. It is somewhat strange that Isabel is not made to express either gratitude, wonder, or joy, at the sight of her brother. JOHNSON. P. 189, 1. 28. you. JOHNSON. Quits you, recompenses, requites P. 182 1.29. her work, worth yours. -] Sir T. Hanmer reads, Her worth works yours. This reading is adopted by Dr. Warburton, but for what reason? How does her worth work Angelo's worth? it has only contributed to work his pardon. The words are, as they are too frequently, an affected gingle; but the sense is plain. Her worth, worth yours; that is her value is equal tò your value, the match is not unworthy of you. JOHNSON. P. 182, 1. 32. And yet here's one in place I · cannot pardon; —] The Duke only means to frighten Lucio, whose final sentence is to marry other womans whom he had wronged, on which all his other punishments are remitted. STEEVENS. ́P. 182, fast 1. Luxury means incontinence. STEEVENS. To P. 183, 1. 4. according to the trick:] my custom, my habitual practice. JOHNSON. Lucio does not say my trick, but the trick; nor does The mean to excuse himself by saying that he spoke according to his usual practice, for that would be be an aggravation to his guilt, but according to the trick and practice of the times. It was probably then the practice, as it is at this day for the dissipated and profligate, to ridicule and slan der persons in high station, or of superior virtue. M. MASON. According to the trick, is, according to the fashion of thoughtless youth. MALONE. thy other forfeits :] Thy other P. 185, 1. 21. punishments. JOHNSON. To forfeit anciently signified to commit a car nal offence. STEEVENS. P. 183, 1. 30. and fol. I have always thought that there is great confusion in this concluding speech. If my criticism would not be censured as too licentious, I should regulate it thus: Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness, Thanks, Provost, for thy care and secrecy; That is more gratulate. Dear Isabel, P. 185, 1. zz. - that is more gratulate. ➡} i. e. to be more rejoiced in; meaning, I suppose, that there is another world, where he will find yet greater reason to rejoice in consequence of his upright ministry. Escalus is represented as an ancient nobleman, who, in conjunction with Angelo, had reached the highest office of the state. He therefore could not be sufficiently re warded here; but is necessarily referred to a fu ture and more exalted recompense. STEEVENS. VOL. IL 25 I cannot approve of Steeven's explanation of this passage, which is very far-fetched indeed. The Duke gives Escalus thanks for his much goodness, but tells him that he had some other reward in store for him, more acceptable than thanks; which agrees with what he said before, in the beginning of this act: "We hear ,,Such goodness of your justice, that our soul ,,Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks, „Fore-running more requital" M. MASONJ Heywood also in his Apology for Actors, 16125 uses to gratulate, in the sense of to reward. MALONE! Mr. M. MASON's explanation may be right; but he forgets that the speech he brings in support of it, was delivered before the denouement of the scene, and was, at that moment, as much adressed to Angelo as to Escalus; and for Angelo the Duke had certainly no reward or honours, in store. Besides, I cannot but regard the word requital as an interpolation, because it destroys the measure, without improvement of the sense. ,,Forerunning more," therefore, would only signify- preceding further thanks. STEEVENS. P. 184, last 1. I cannot help taking notice with how much judgement Shakspeare has given turns to this story from what he found it in Cynthio Giraldi's novel. In the first place, the brother is there actually exécuted, and the governor sends his head in a bravado to the sister, after he had debauched her on promise of marriage a circuntstance of too much horror and villainy for the stage. And, in the next place, the sister afterwards is, to solder up her disgrace, 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 episode of Mariana, a creature pu rely of his own invention. The Duke's remaining incognito at home to supervise the conduct of his deputy, is also entirely our author's fiction. This story was attempted for the scene before our author was fourteen years old, by one George Whetstone, in Two Comical Discourses, as they are called, containing the right excellent and fa mous history of Promos and Cassandra, printed with the black letter, 1578. The author going that year with Sir Humphrey Gilbert to Norim bega, left them with his friends to publish. THEOBALD. The novel of Cynthio Giraldi, from which Shakspeare is supposed to have borrowed this fable, may be read in Shakspeare illustrated, elegantly translated, with remarks which wil assist the enquirer to discover how much absurd ity Shakspeare has admitted or avoided. I cannot but suspect that some other had newmodeled the novel of Cynthio, or written a story which in some particulars resembled it, and that Cynthio was not the author whom Shakspeare immediately followed. The Emperor in Cynthio is named Maximine; the Duke, in Shakspeare's enumeration of the persons of the drama, is called Vincentio. This appears a very slight remark; but since 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 »56 but because the name was copied from the story, and placed superfluously at the head of the list by the mere habit of transcription? It is therefore likely that there was then a story of Vincentio |