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I fhould not think it strange; for 'tis a phyfick,.
That's bitter to fweet end.

MARI. I would, friar Peter-
ISAB.

O, peace; the friar is come.

Enter Friar PETER. "

F. PETER. Come, I have found you out a stand
moit fit,

Where you may have fuch vantage on the duke,
He fhall not pafs you: Twice have the trumpets

founded;

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The generous and graveft citizens.

Have hent the gates, and very

near upon

The duke is ent'ring; therefore hence, away.

[Exeunt.

4 Enter Friar Peter.] This play has two friars, either of whom might fingly have ferved. I fhould therefore imagine, that Friar Thomas, in the first act, might be changed, without any harm, to Friar Peter; for why should the Duke unneceffarily truft two in an affair which required only one? The name of Friar Thomas is never mentioned in the dialogue, and therefore feems arbitrarily placed at the head of the fcene. JOHNSON.

Cicero.

The generous, &c.] i. e. the most noble, &c. Generous is here ufed in its Latin fenfe. "Virgo generofa et nobilis." Shakspeare ufes it again in Othello:

.

the generous islanders

By you invited

STEEVENS.

6 Have hent the gates,] Have feized or taken poffeffion of the gates. JOHNSON.

So, in Sir A. Gorges' tranflation of the 4th book of Lucan:

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did prevent

"His foes, ere they the hills had hent.

Again, in T. Heywood's Rape of Lucrece, 1630:

"Lament thee, Roman land,

"The king is from thee hent."

Again, in the black-letter Romance of Syr Eglamoure of Artogs,

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ACT V.

SCENE I.

A publick Place near the City Gate.

MARIANA (veil'd) ISABELLA, and PETER, at a diftance. Enter at oppofite doors, DUKE, VARRIUS, Lords; ANGELO, ESCALUS, Lucio, Provost, Officers, and Citizens.

DUKE. My very worthy coufin, fairly met: — Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to fee you. ANG. and ESCAL. Happy return be to your royal

grace!

DUKE. Many and hearty thankings to you both. We have made inquiry of you; and we hear Such goodness of your juftice, that our foul Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks, Fore-running more requital.

ANG.

You make my bonds ftill greater. DUKE. O, your desert speaks loud; and 1 fhould wrong it,

To lock it in the wards of covert bofom,
When it deferves with characters of brafs
A forted refidence, 'gainst the tooth of time,
And razure of oblivion: Give me your hand,
And let the fubjects fee, to make them know

Again, in the ancient metrical Romance of Syr Guy of Warwick, b. 1. no date :

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"And fome by the bridle him hent."

Spenfer often uses the word hend for to jeize or take, and overhend

for to overtake. STEEVENS.

Hent, henten, hende, (says Junius, in his Etymologicon,) eft, capere, affequi, prehendere, arripere, ab A. S. hendan.

Chancero

MALONE.

That outward courtefies would fain proclaim
Favours that keep within.-Come, Efcalus;
You must walk by us on our other hand;-
And good fupporters are you.

PETER and ISABELLA come forward.

F. PETER. Now is your time; fpeak loud, and kneel before him.

ISAB. Juftice, O royal Duke! Vail your regard Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have faid, a maid! O worthy prince, difhonour not your eye By throwing it on any other object,

Till you have heard me in my true complaint,
And given me justice, justice, justice, justice!
DUKE. Relate your wrongs: In what? By whom?
Be brief:

Here is lord Angelo fhall give you justice;
Reveal yourself to him.

ISAB.

O, worthy duke,

You bid me feek redemption of the devil; Hear me yourself; for that which I must speak Muft either punish me, not being believ'd,

Or wring redress from you: hear me, O, hear me,

7

here.

Vail your regard-] That is, withdraw your thoughts from higher things, let your notice defcend upon a wronged woman. To vail is to lower. JOHNSON.

This is one of the few expreffions which might have been borrowed from the old play of Promos and Caffandra, 1578:

vail thou thine ears."

So, in Stanyhurft's tranflation of the 4th Book of Virgil's Eneid: Phrygio liceat fervire marito.

"Let Dido vail her heart to bed-fellow Trojan. '

Thus alfo, in Hamlet:

"Do not for ever, with thy vailed lids,

STEEVENS.

Seek for thy noble father in the duft." HENLEY.

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