Becomes as aged, and doth beg the alms Of palfied Eld; and when thou'rt old and rich, Lye hid more thousand deaths; (3) yet death we fear, Claud. I humbly thank you. To fue to live, I find, I seek to die; And, feeking death, find life; let it come on. Enter Ifabella. Ifab. What, ho? peace here, grace and good company! on palfied eld; muft beg alms from the coffers of hoary avarice; and being very niggardly fupplied becomes as aged, looks, like an old man, on happiness, which is beyond his reach. And when be is old and rich, when he has wealth enough for the purchase of all that formerly excited his defires, he has no longer the powers of enjoyment. bas neither heat, affection, limb, nor beauty To make his riches pleasant. I have explained this paffage according to the prefent reading, which may ftand without much inconvenience; yet am willing to perfuade my reader, because I have almost persuaded myself, that our author wrote, for all thy blafted youth Becomes as aged (2) beat, affection, limb, nor beauty] But how does beauty make riches pleafant? We fhould read BOUNTY, which compleats the fenfe, and is this; Thou haft neither the pleasure of enjoying riches thy felf, for thou wanteft vigour nor of feeing it enjoyed by others, for thou wantelt bounty. Where the making the want of bounty as infeparable from old age as the want of health, is extremely fatyrical tho' not altogether just. WARBURTON. I am inclined to believe that neither man nor woman will have much difficulty to tell how beauty makes riches pleafant. Surely this emendation, though it is elegant and ingenious, is not fuch as that an opportunity of inferting it should be purchafed by declaring ignorance of what every one knows, by confeffing infenfibility of what every one feels. (3) -more thousand deaths ;] For this Sir T. Hanmer reads, a thousand deaths: the meaning is not only a thousand dearbs, but a thousand deaths besides what have been mentioned. Prov. Who's there come in the wifh deserves a welcome. Duke. Dear Sir, ere long I'll visit you again. Claud. Most holy Sir, I thank you. Ifab. My bufinefs is a word, or two, with Claudio. Prov. And very welcome. Look, Signior, here's your fifter. Duke. Provolt, a word with y -you. Prov. As many as you please. Duke. Bring them to speak where I may be con ceal'd, Yet hear them. [Exeunt Duke and Provoft. II. SCENE Claud. Now, fifter, what's the comfort? Ifab. Why, as all comforts are; most good in Deed: (4) Lord Angelo, having affairs to heav'n, Intends you for his fwift ambaffador; Where you shall be an everlafting leiger. (5) Therefore your best appointment make with speed; To-morrow you fet on. Claud. Is there no remedy? Ifab. None, but fuch remedy, as, to fave a head, To cleave a heart in twain. Claud. But is there any? Tab. Yes, brother, you may live : Claud. Perpetual durance ? (4) — as all comforts are; most good in deed:] If this reading be right, Isabella muft mean that the brings fomething better than words of comfort, fhe brings an affurance of deeds. This is harsh and constrained, but I know not what better to offer. Sir The. Honmer reads, in speed. (5) an everlasting leiger. Therefore your best appointment] Leiger is the fame with refident. Appointment; preparation; act of fitting, or ftate of being fitted for any thing. So in old books, we have a Knight well appointed; that is, well armed and mounted; or fitted at all points. C 3 Ifab. Ifab. Ay, juft; perpetual durance; a restraint, Tho' all the world's vaftidity you had, To a determined scope. (6) Claud. But in what nature? Ifab. In fuch a one, as you, confenting to't, Would bark your honour from that trunk you bear, And leave you naked. Claud. Let me know the point. Ifab. Ob, I do fear thee, Claudio; and I quake, Than a perpetual Honour. Dar'ft thou die? Claud. Why give you me this fhame? And hug it in mine arms. Ifab. There fpake my brother; there my father's grave Did utter forth a voice. Yes, thou muft die: Thou art too noble to conferve a life In bafe appliances. This outward-fainted Deputy, Nips youth i'th' head; and follies doth emmew, (8) (6) - a restraint, His To a determined fcope.] A confinement of your mind to one painful idea; to ignominy of which the remembrance can be neit her fuppreffed nor escaped. (7) The poor Beetle, &c] The Reasoning is, that death is no more than every being must juffer, though the dread of it is peculiar to man; or perhaps, that we are inconfiftent with ourfelves when we much dread that which we carelefly inflict on other creatures, that feel the pain as acutely as we. م (8) -follies doth emmer, As faulcon doth the fowl;] Forces follies to lie in cover without daring to fhew themselves. Qu. faulconer. Dr. GRAY. His filth within being caft, (9) he would appear, Claud. (1) The Princely Angelo? Ifab. Oh, 'tis the cunning livery of hell, In Princely guards. Doft thou think, Claudio, Thou might'ft be freed?" Claud. Oh, heavens ! it cannot be. Ifab. Yes, he would give't thee for this rank offence, So to offend him ftill. This night's the time That I should do what I abhor, to name, Or else thou dy't to-morrow. Ifab. Oh, were it but my life, I'd throw it down for your As frankly as a pin. deliverance Claud. Thanks, deareft Isabel. Ifab. Be ready, Claudio, for your death to-morrow, (9) His filth within being caft,] To caft a pond, is to empty it of mud. Mr. Upton reads, His pond within being caft he would appear (1) The PRINCELY Angelo ? PRINCELY guards.] The ftupid Editors miftaking guards for fatellites, (whereas it here fignifies lace) altered PRIESTLY, in both places, to PRINCELY. Whereas Shakespeare wrote it PRIESTLY, às appears from the words themselves, 'tis the cunning livery of hell, The damned body to invest and cover In the first place we fee that guards here fignifies lace, as referring to livery, and as having no fenfe in the fignification of fatellites. Now priefly guards means fanity, which is the fenfe required. But princely guards means nothing but rich lace, which is a fenfe the paffage will not bear. Angelo, indeed, as Depury, might be called the princely Angelo: but not in this place, where the immediately preceding words of, This outward-fainted Deputy, demand the reading I have here restored. WARBURTON. The firft Folio has, in both places, prenzie, from which the other folios made princely, and every editor may make what he can. * For, Hanmer. In other editions, from. C4 Claud Claud. Yes. Has he affections in him, Ifab. Which is the leaft? Claud. If it were damnable, (3) he being fo wife, Tab. What fays my brother? Claud. Ay, but to die, and go we know not where ; To lye in cold obftruction and to rot ; This fenfible warm motion to becoine (2) When he would force it ? Put it in force. WARBURTON. (3) If it were damnable, &c.] Shakespeare fhows his knowledge of human nature in the conduct of Claudio. When Isabella firft tells him of Angelo's proposal, he antwers with hone indignation, agreeably to his lettie pnciples, the sbaht not do't. But the love of life being permitted to operate, foon furnishes him with fophiftical arguments, he believes it cannot be very dangerous to the foul, fince Angelo, who is fo wife. will venture it. (4) delighted pri] . e. the fpirit accustomed here to cale and delights. This was properly urged as an aggravation to the tharpness of the torments fpoken of. The Oxford Editor not apprehending this, alters it to dilated. As if, because the spirit in the body is faid to be imprisoned, it was crowded together likewife; and fo, by death, not only fet free, but expanded too; which, if true, would make it the leis fenfible of pain. WARBURTON. This reading may perhaps ftand, but many attempts have been made to correct it The noft plaufible is that which fubftitutes the benighte 1 fpirit, alluding to the darkness always supposed in the place of future punishment. Perhaps we may read the delinquent (pirit, a word eafily changed to delighted by a bad copier, or unskilful reader. lawless and uncertain thoughts] Conjecture fent out to wander without any certain direction, and ranging through all poffibilities of pain. Imagine |