PERSONS REPRESENTED. Vincentio, Duke of Vienna. Angelo, lord deputy in the duke's abfence. Efcalus, an ancient lord, joined with Angelo in the Two other like gentlemen. * Varrius, a gentleman, fervant to the duke. Provoft. Peter, A justice. Elbow, a fimple conftable. Froth, a foolish gentleman. Clown, fervant to Mrs. Over-done, Abhorfon, an executioner. Barnardine, a diffolute prifoner. Ifabella, fifter ta Claudio. Mariana, betrothed to Angelo. Juliet, beloved by Claudio. Miftrefs Over-done, a bard, Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, Officers, and other Attendants. SCENE, Vienna. * Varrius might be omitted, for he is only once spoken to, and says nothing. JOHNSON. ACT I. SCENE I. An Apartment in the Duke's Palace. Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants Duke. Efcalus, Efcal. My lord. Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, T5 2 This may mean, I am compelled to acknowledge. STEEVENS. lifts Bounds, limits. JOHNSON. 3 Our 4 To the integrity of this reading Mr. Theobald objects, and fays, What was Efcalus to put to bis fufficiency? why, bis fcience: But his feience and fufficiency were but one and the fame thing. On what then does the relative them depend? He will have it, therefore, that a line has been accidentally dropp'd, which he attempts to restore thus: But that to your fufficiency you add Due diligence, as your worth is able, &c. Nodum in feirpo quærit. And all for want of knowing, that by fufficiency is meant authority, the power delegated by the duke to Efcalus. The plaine meaning of the word being this: Put your skill in governing (says the Duke), to the power which I give you to exercise it, and let them work together WARBURTON Sir Thomas Hanmer having caught from Mr. Theobald. a hint that a line was loft, endeavours to supply it thus: Then no more remains, But that to your fufficiency you join A will to ferve us, as your worth is able. He has, by this bold conjecture, undoubtedly obtained a meaning; but, perhaps, not even in his own opinion, the meaning of Shakspeare.. That the paffage is more or lefs corrupt, I believe every reader will agree with the editors. I am not convinced that a line is loft, as Mr. Theo bal Our city's inftitutions, and the terms 5 For bald conjectures, nor that the change of but to put, which Dr. Warbur ton has admitted after fome other editor [Rowe], will amend the fault. There was probably fome original obfcurity in the expreffion, which gave occafion to mistake in repetition or tranfcription. I therefore fufpect that the author wrote thus: Then no more remains, But that to your fufficiencies your worth is abled, Then nothing remains more than to tell you, that your virtue is now invefted As The uncommon redundancy, as well as obfcurity, of this verfe may be confidered as evidence of its corruption. Take away the two firft words, and the fenfe joins well enough with what went before. Then (fays the Duke) no more remains to say: Your fufficiency as your worth is able, And let them work. i e. Your skill in government is, in ability to ferve me, equal to the integrity of your beart, and let them co-operate in your future miniftry. The verfification requires that either fomething fhould be added, or fomething retrenched. The latter is the easier, as well as the fafer task. I join in the belief, however, that a line is loft; and whoever is acquainted with the inaccuracy of the folio, (for of this play there is no other old edition,) will find my opinion juftified. STEEVENS. Some words feem to be loft here, the sense of which, perhaps, may be thus fupplied: then no more remains, But that to your fufficiency you put A zeal as willing as your worth is able, And let them work. TYRWHITT. I agree with Warburton in thinking that by fufficiency the duke means authority, or power; and, if that be admitted, a very flight alteration indeed will reftore this paffage-the changing the word is into be. It will then run thus, and be clearly intelligible: That is, you are thoroughly acquainted with your duty, fo that nothing more is neceffary to be done, but to invest you with power equal to your abilities. M. MASON. Then no more remains. Sufficiency But that our sufficiency, as your worth, is able; And let them work. Is all I have to say is that your capacity &inte an equal to the task & you must oxercice For common juftice, you are as pregnant in, That we remember: There is our commiffion, From which we would not have you warp.-Call hither, [Exit an Attendant, Lent him our terror, dreft him with our love; To undergo fuch ample grace and honour, Duke. Enter ANGELO. Look, where he comes. Ang. Always obedient to your grace's will, I come to know your pleasure. Duke. Angelo, There is a kind of character in thy life, T 6 That, Sufficiency is fkill in government; ability to execute his office. And let them work, a figurative expreffion; Let them ferment. MALONE. 5 Terms mean the technical language of the courts. An old book called Les Termes de la Ley, (written in Henry the Eighth's time) was in Shakspeare's days, and is now, the accidence of young ftudents in the law. BLACKSTONE. The later editions all give it, without authority, the terms. Of justice, and Dr. Warburton makes terms fignify bounds or limits. I rather think the Duke meant to fay, that Efcalus was pregnant, that is ready and knowing in all the forms of the law, and, among other things, in the terms or times fit apart for its adminiftration. JOHNSON. 7 By the words with special foul elected him, I believe, the poet meant no more than that he was the immediate choice of his heart. STEEVENS. Steevens has hit upon the true explanation of the paffage; and might have found a further confirmation of it in Troilus and Creffida, where, fpeaking of himself, Troilus fays, 66 ne'er did young man fancy "With fo eternal, and fo fix'd a foul." Te do a thing with all one's foul, is a common expreffion. M. MASON, 2 That, to the observer, doth thy history As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, The fmalleft fcruple of her excellence, But, like a thrifty goddefs, fhe determines Herself the glory of a creditor, Both thanks and ufe.5 But I do bend my speech Το 8 Either this introduction has more folemnity than meaning, or it has a meaning which I cannot difcover. What is there peculiar in this, that a man's life informs the obferver of his biftory? Might it be supposed that Shakspeare wrote this? There is a kind of character in thy look. Hiftory may be taken in a more diffuse and licentious meaning, for future occurrences, or the part of life yet to come. If this fenfe be received, the paffage is clear and proper. JOHNSON. Shakspeare muft, I believe, be anfwerable for the unnecessary pomp of this introduction. He has the fame thought in Henry IV. P. II. which affords fome comment on this paffage before us: "There is a history in all men's lives, "With a near aim, of the main chance of things On confidering this paffage, I am induced to think that the words charafter and biftory have been misplaced, and that it was originally written thus: There is a kind of biftory in thy life, That to the obferver doth thy character This tranfpofition feems to be justified by the paffage quoted by Steevens from the Second Part of Henry IV. M. MASON. 9 i. e. endowments. MALONE. 2 i. e. are not fo much thy own property. STEEVENS. 3 To great confequences; for high purposes. JOHNSON. 4 Two negatives, not employed to make an affirmative, are common in our author. STEEVENS. 5 i. e. She (Nature) requires and allots to berfelf the fame advantages that creditors ufually enjoy,-thanks for the endowments the has bestowed, and |