Duke. My very worthy cousin, fairly met :- Duke. Many and hearty thankings to you both. Ang. To lock it in the wards of covert bosom, PETER and ISABELLA come forward. F. Peter. Now is your time; speak loud, and Isab. Justice, O royal duke! Vail your regard, Till you have heard me in my true complaint, Here is Lord Angelo shall give you justice! Isab. Or wring redress from you; hear me, O, hear me, here. In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms, Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm: Duke. By mine honesty, If she be mad (as I believe no other,) O, gracious duke, Duke. you say Isab. I am the sister of one Claudio, Lucio. That's I, an't like your grace: Nor wish'd to hold my peace. That's he, indeed. No, my good lord; I wish you now then; Pray you, take note of it: and when you have Lucio. I warrant your honour. Duke. The warrant's for yourself; take heed to it. Duke. It may be right; but you are in the wrong I went To this pernicious caitiff deputy. The phrase is to the matter. Pardon it: Duke. Mended again: the matter;-Proceed. Nay, ten times strange. To his concupiscible intemperate lust, Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo, That which but seems unlike: 'tis not impossible To rail is to lower, to let fall, to cast down. 2 i. e. habiliments of office. 3 Characts are distinctive marks or characters. A statute of Edward VI. directs the seals of office of every bishop to have certain characts under the king's arms for the knowledge of the diocess.' 4 The meaning appears to be 'do not suppose me mad because I speak inconsistently or unequally. I must say with Mr. Steevens that I do not profess to understand these words.' Mr. Phelps proposes to read And hid, the false seems true.' i. e. The truth being hid, not discovered or made known, what is false seems true.' Release my brother; and, after much debatement, Duke. Confess the truth, and say by whose advice Isab. And is this all? Then, oh, you blessed ministers above, In countenance!'-Heaven shield your grace from As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go! Duke. I know, you'd fain be gone:-An officer! Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling friar; Duke. Words against me? This a good friar be- And to set on this wretched woman here F. Peter. Blessed be your royal grace! We did believe no less. Duke. Lucio. My lord, most villanously; believe it. But at this instant he is sick, my lord, Good friar, let's hear it. Do you not smile at this, lord Angelo!- Of 1 i. e. false appearance. 2 It is hard to know what is meant by a temporary meddler, perhaps it was intended to signify one who introduced himself as often as he could find opportunity into other men's concerns.' 3 Mere here means absolute. 5 i. c. publicly. 6 Impartial was used sometimes in the sense of par. tial; and that appears to be the sense here. In the language of the time, im was frequently used as an intensive or augmentative particle. Unpartial was sometimes used in the modern sense of impartial. Yet Shakspeare uses the word in its properseuse in Richard II. Act i. Sc. 2. 7 Abuse stands in this place for deception or puzzle. So in Macbeth: -My strange and self abuse,' means this strange deception of myself. 8 Garden houses were formerly much in fashion, and often used as places of clandestine meeting and intrigue. They were chiefly such buildings as we should now call summer houses, standing in a walled or enclosed garden in the suburbs of London. See Stubb's Anatonie of Abuses, p. 57. 4to. 1597, or Reed's Old Plays, Vol. V. p. 84. 9 Her fortune which was promised proportionate to mine fell short of the composition, i. e. contract or bar gain. As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue, As words could make up vows: and, my good lord, Let me in safety raise me from my knees; Or else for ever be confixed here, A marble monument! Ang. Duke. Though they would swear down each particular saint, Were testimonies against his worth and credit, Lucio. Mum. Escal. Come, sir: Did you set these women on to slander lord Angelo? they have confess'd you did. Dule. 'Tis false. Escal. How! know you where you are? Duke. Respect to your great place! and let thé devil Be sometimes honour'd for his burning throne :Where is the duke? 'tis he should hear me speak. Escal. The duke's in us; and he will hear you speak; Look, you speak justly. Duke. Boldly, at least:-But, O, poor souls, Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox? Good night to your redress. Is the duke gone? Then is your cause gone too. The duke's unjust, Thus to retorts your manifest appeal, And put your trial in the villain's mouth, Which here you come to accuse. Lucio. This is the rascal: this is he I spoke of. Escal. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar! Is't not enough, thou hast suborn'd these women To accuse this worthy man; but, in foul mouth, And in the witness of his proper car, To call him villain? And then to glance from him to the duke himself; To tax him with injustice ?--Take him hence; F. Peter. Would he were here, my lord; for he, To the rack with him:-We'll touze you joint by indeed, Hath set the women on to this complaint: Your provost knows the place where he abides, And he may fetch him. Duke. Go, do it instantly. [Exit Provost. And you, my noble and well-warranted cousin, Escal. My lord, we'll do it thoroughly.-[Exit Dake.] Signior Lucio, did not you say, you knew that friar Lodowick to be a dishonest person? Lucio. Cucullus non facit monachum: honest in nothing, but in his clothes; and one that hath spoke most villanous speeches of the duke. Escal. We shall entreat you to abide here till he come, and enforce them against him: we shall find this friar a notable fellow. Lacio. As any in Vienna, on my word. Escal. Call that same Isabel here once again; [To an Attendant.] I would speak with her: Pray you, my lord, give me leave to question; you shall see how I'll handle her. Lucio. Not better than he, by her own report. Estal. Say you? Lacio. Marry, sir, I think, if you handled her privately, she would sooner confess; perchance, publicly, she'll be ashamed. Re-enter Officers, with ISABELLA, the Duke, in the Friar's habit, and Provost. Escal. I will go darkly to work with her. Lavio. That's the way; for women are light1 at mileight. Escal. Come on, mistress: [To ISABELLA.] Lere's a gentlewoman denies all that you have said. Lacio. My lord, here comes the rascal I spoke of; here with the provost. Escal. In very good time :-speak not you to him, t we call upon you. joint, But we will know this purpose:-What! unjust? Dare no more stretch this finger of mine, than he Escal. Slander to the state! Away with him to prison. Ang. What can you vouch against him, signior Lucio? Is this the man that you did tell us of? Lucio. "Tis he, my lord. Come hither, goodman bald-pate: Do you know me? Duke. I remember, you, sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison in the absence of the duke. Lucio. O, did you so? And do you remember what you said of the duke? Duke. Most notedly, sir. Lucio. Do you so, sir? And was the duke a flesh-monger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be? Duke. You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed spoke so of him; and much more, much worse. Lucio. O thou damnable fellow! Did not I pluck thee by the nose, for thy speeches? Duke. I protest, I love the duke, as I love myself. Ang. Hark! how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses. Escal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal:Away with him to prison :-Where is the provost? 6His subject am I not; nor here provincial. Provincial is pertaining to a province; most usually taken Informal signifies out of their senses. So in the for the circuit of an ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The Comedy of Errors, Act. v. Sc. 1. To make of him a formal man again.' The speaker had just before said that she would keep Antipholis of Syracuse, who is behaving like a madGao, till she had brought him to his right wits again. 2 Stamped or seated, as tried and approved. 31 e. out, to the end. 4 This is one of the words on which Shakspeare delights to quibble. Thus Portia, in the Merchant of Venice, Let me give light, but let me not be light. 5 To retort is to refer back. chief or head of any religious order in such a province was called the provincial, to whom alone the members of that order were accountable. 7 Barbers' shops were anciently places of great resort for passing away time in an idle manner. By way of enforcing some kind of regularity, and perhaps, at least as much to promote drinking, certain laws were usually hung up, the transgression of which was to be punished by specific forfeits; which were as much in mock as mark, because the barber had no authority of himself to enforce them, and also because they were of a ludicrous nature. -Away with him to prison; lay bolts enough upon him:-Let him speak no more :-Away with those giglots' too, and with the other confederate companion. [The Provost lays hands on the Duke. Duke. Stay, sir; stay a while. Ang. What! resists he? Help him, Lucio. Lucio. Come, sir; come, sir; come, sir; foh, sir; Why, you bald-pated, lying rascal! you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's visage, with a pox to you! show your sheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour!2 Wilt not off? [Pulls off the Friar's hood, and discovers the Duke. Duke. Thou art the first knave that e'er made a duke. First, Provost, let me bail these gentle three: Sneak not away, sir; [To Lucio.] for the friar and you you Must have a word anon:-lay hold on him. Lucio. This may prove worse than hanging. Duke. What have spoke, I pardon; sit you down.[To ESCALUS. We'll borrow place of him:-Sir, by your leave: [To ANGELO. Hast thou or word, or wit, or impudence, That yet can do thee office ? If thou hast, Rely upon it till my tale be heard, And hold no longer out. Ang. my dread lord, I should be guiltier than my guiltiness, Duke. Come hither, Mariana ;Say, wast thou e'er contracted to this woman? Ang. I was, my lord. Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly. Do you the office, friar; which consummate, Return him here again :-Go with him, Provost. [Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, Peter, and Provost. Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour, Than at the strangeness of it. Duke. Come hither, Isabel: Your friar is now your prince: As I was then Advertising, and holy to your business, Not changing heart with habit, I am still Attorney'd at your service. Isab. O, give me pardon, That I, your vassal, have employed and pain'd Your unknown sovereignty. Duke. You are pardon'd, Isabel: And now, dear maid, be you as free to us. Your brother's death, I know, sits at your heart; And you may marvel, why I obscur'd myself, Labouring to save his life; and would not rather Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power," Than let him so be lost: O, most kind maid, It was the swift celerity of his death, Which I did think with slower foot came on, That brain'd my purpose: But, peace be with 2 Dr. Johnson goes seriously to work to prove that he did not understand this piece of vulgar humour; and Healey thinks the collistrigium, or original pillory, was alluded to! What Piper ho! be hang'd awhile, is a line in an old madrigal. And in Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair, we have him! That life is better life, past fearing death, Leave the bottle behind you, and be curst awhile. In short, they are petty and familiar maledictions, rightly explained, a plague or a mischief on you.' 3 i. e. do thee service. 4 Passes, probably put for trespasses; or it may mean courses, from passes, Fr. 5 Advertising and holy, attentive and faithful. Re-enter ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Isab. We do condemn thee to the very block Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like haste; Away with him. Mari. O, my most gracious lord, Consenting to the safeguard of your honour, O, my dear lord, [Kneeling, You do but lose your labour; Away with him to death.-Now, sir, [To Lucio.] 7 Rash remonstrance; that is, a premature display of it, perhaps we should read demonstrance, our the word may be formed from remonstrer, French-le show again. s That brain'd my purpose. We still use in conversation a like phrase that knocked my design on the head.' 9 Promise-breach. It should be promise, breach 18 superfluous. 10 i. e. Angelo's own tongue. 11 Measure still for measure. This appears to have been a current expression for retributive justice. Equi valent to like for like. So, in the 3d part of Henry VI 'Measure for measure must be answered.' 12 i. e. to deny which will avail thee nothing.' 13 i. e. against reason and affection As if my brother liv'd: I partly think, Let him not die: My brother had but justice, His act did not o'ertake his bad intent; That perish'd by the way:' thoughts are no subjects; Merely, my lord. Prou. It was commanded so. One all of luxury, an ass, a madman; That you extol me thus? 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 whipp'd. Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.- 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 recompense me Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed? Duke. For which I do discharge you of your Give up your keys. Prov. Pardon me, noble lord: I thought it was a fault, but knew it not; Duke. What's he? Prov. His name is Barnardine. Duke. I would thou had'st done so by Claudio. Exit Provost. Ang. I am sorry, that such sorrow I procure: Duke. Which is that Barnardine? demn'd; Thou'rt con But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all; [Unmufles CLAUDIO. Duke. If he be like your brother, [TO ISABELLA.] for his sake Is he pardon'd; And, for your lovely sake, I find an apt remission in myself: And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon ;You, sirrah, [To Lucio.] that knew me for a fool, a coward, Duke. Upon mine honour thou shalt marry her. Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging. Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.- I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.- ness: : There's more behind, that is more gratulate." [The novel of Giraldi Cinthio, from which Shakspeare is supposed to have borrowed this fable, may be read in Shakspeare Illustrated, elegantly translated, with remarks, which will assist the inquirer to discover how much absurdity Shakspeare has admitted or avoided. I cannot but suspect that some other had new-modelled the novel of Cinthio, or written a story which in some particulars resembled it, and that Cinthio was not the author whom Shakspeare immediately followed. The Emperor in Cinthio 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, 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, Duke 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 elapsed between the recess of the Duke and the imprisonment of Claudio; for he must have learned the story of Mariana in his disguise, or he delegated his power to a man already known to be corrupted. The unities of action and place are sufficiently preserved.] Johnson 8 Remit thy other forfeits.' Dr. Johnson says, for feits mean punishments, but is it not more likely to li. e. like the traveller, who dies on his journey, is signify misdoings, transgressions, from the French obscurely interred, and thought of no more: 'Illum expirantem Obliti ignoto camporum in pulvere linquunt.' 21.e. better consideration. K. Henry V. Act ii. Sc. 2. 3 i. e. so far as they are punishable on earth. 4 Requites. 5 Her worth worth yours; that is, her value is equal to yours, the match is not unworthy of you.' 6 Incontinence 7 Thoughtless practice. forfait? Steevens's Note affords instances of the word in this sense. 9 i. e. more to be rejoiced in. As Steevens rightly ex plained it. The Duke probably had learnt the story of Mariana in some of his former retirements, having ever loved the life removed.' And he had a suspicion that Angelo was but a seemer, and therefore stays to watch him. Blackstone |