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 fpecial warrant for the deed? Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private message. 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;
Yet did repent me, after more advice:
For teftimony whereof, one in the prison,
That should by private order elfe have dy'd,
I have referv'd alive.

Duke. What's he?

Prov. His name is Barnardine.

office.

Duke. I would, thou had'st done fo 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, have ftill 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 sticks it in my penitent heart, That I crave death more willingly than mercy : 'Tis my deferving, and I do intreat it.

Enter Provoft, 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 ftubborn foul,

That apprehends no further than this world;

And fquar'ft thy life accordingly thou'rt condemn'd; But for thofe earthly faults, (7) I quit them all :

(7)

- for thofe earthly faults,] Thy faults, fo far as they are punishable on earth, fo far as they are cognifable by temporal power, forgive.

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 fhould have dy'd when Claudio loft his head
As like almost to Claudio, as himself.

;

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

*

Is he pardon'd; and for your lovely fake,
(Give me your hand, and fay, you will be mine)
He is my brother too; but fitter time for that.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's fafe;
Methinks, I fee a quickning in his eye.
Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well: (8)
Look, that you love your wife; her worth, worth
yours. (9)

I find an apt remiffion in myself,

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon. (1)
You, firrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward,[To Lucio.
One of all luxury, an afs, a mad-man;

Wherein have I deferved fo of you,

That you extol me thus ?

Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I fpoke it but according to the trick; (2) if you will hang me for it, you may: but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipt. Duke. Whipt firft, Sir, and hang'd after.

*It is somewhat strange, that Isabel is not made to express either gratitude, wonder or joy at the fight of her brother.

(8) • your evil quits you well:] Quits you, recompenfes, requites

•her worth, worth yours.] Sir T. Hanmer reads,

Her worth works yours.

This reading is adopted by Dr. Warburton, but for what reason? How does her avorth work Angelo's worth, it has only contributed to work his pardon. The words are, as they are too frequently, an, affected jingle, but the fenfe is plain. Her worth, worth yours; that is, her value is equal to your value, the match is not unworthy of

you.

(1) here's one in place I cannot pardon.] After the pardon of two murderers Lucio might be treated by the good Duke with lefs harfhnefs; but perhaps the Poet intended to fhow, what is too often feen, that men easily forgive wrongs which are not committed againft the mfelves.

(2) - according to the trick ;] To my custom,

tice.

my

habitual prac

Proclaim

Proclaim it, Provest, round about the city;
If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow,
As I have heard him fwear himself, there's one
Whom he begot with child; let her appear,
And he fhall marry her. The nuptial finish'd,
Let him be whipt and hang'd.

Lucio. I befeech your highness, do not marry me to a whore. Your highness faid 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 flanders I forgive, and therewithal

Remit thy other forfeits. (3)-Take him to prison:
And see our pleasure herein executed.

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

Duke. Sland'ring a prince deferves it.

She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you reftore.
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: (4)
There's more behind, that is more gratulate.
Thanks, Provoft; for thy care and fecrefie;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place:
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's ;
The offence pardons itself. Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good,
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,

tby other forfeits. Thy other punishments.

(4) Thanks, good friend Efcalus, for thy much goodness:] I have always thought that there is great confufion in this concluding fpeech. If my criticism would not be cenfured as too licentious, fhould regulate it thus:

Thanks, good friend Efcalus, for thy much goodness.
Thanks, Provost, for thy care and secrecy;
Wefball employ thee in a worthier place.
Forgive bim, Angelo, that brought you bome
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's.
Ang. Th' offence pardons itself.
Duke. There's more behind

That is more gratulate. Dear Isabel,
I have a motion, &c.

What's

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.
[Exeunt. (5)

A

(5) I cannot help taking notice with how much judgment Shakespeare has given turns to this ftory from what he found it in Cinthio Giraldo's novel. In the first place, the brother is there actually executed, and the governour fends his head in a bravado to the fifter, after he had debauched her on promife of marriage. circumftance of too much horror and villainy for the ftage. And, ia 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 abfurdities the Poet has avoided by the Episode of Mariana, a creature purely of his own invention. The Duke's remaining incognito at home to fupervife the conduct of his deputy, alfo entirely our Authour's fiction.

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

THEOBALD.

The novel of Cinthio Giraldi, from which ShakeSpeare is fuppofed to have borrowed this fable, may be read in Shakespeare illuftrated, elegantly tranflated, with remarks which will aflift the enquires to difcover how much abfurdity Shakespeare has admitted or avoid

ed.

I cannot but fufpect that fome other had new modelled the novel of Cynthia, or written a story which in fome particulars resembled it, and that Cinthio was not the authour whom Shakespeare immediately followed. The Emperour in Cinthio is named Maximine, the Duke, in Shakespeare'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 Perfons, but because the name was copied from the ftory, and placed fuperftuously at the head of the lift by the mere habit of

tran

tranfcription? It is therefore likely that there was then a ftory of Vincentio Duke of Vienna, different from that of Maximine Emperour of the Romans.

Of this play the light or comick part is very natural and pleafing, but the grave scenes, if a few paffages be excepted, have more labour than elegance. The plot is rather intricate than artful. The time of the action is indefinite; fome time, we know not how much, must have elapfed between the recefs of the Duke and the imprisonment of Claudio; for he must have learned the ftory of Mariana in his difguife, or he delegated his power to a man already known to be corrupted. The unities of action and place are fufficiently preserved.