Implore her, in my voice, that fhe make friends
To the ftrict deputy; bid herfelf affay him;
I have great hope in that: for in her youth
There is a prone and fpeechlefs dialect,

Such as moves men; befide, fhe hath profperous art,
When she will play with reafon and difcourfe,
And well she can perfuade.

Lucio. I pray, the may: as well for the encouragement of the like, which elfe would stand under grievous impofition'; as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be forry fhould be thus foolishly loft at a game of tick-tack 2. I'll to her.

Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio.
Lucio. Within two hours,-

Claud. Come, officer, away.

SCENE

A Monaftery.

[Exeunt.

VI.

Enter Duke, and Friar Thomas.

Duke. No; holy father; throw away that thought; Believe not that the dribbling dart of love

9

•prone and speechlefs dialet,] Prone, I believe, is ufed here for prompt, fignificant, expreffive (though fpeechlefs), as in our author's Rape of Lucrece it means ardent, bead-ftrong, rushing forward to its object: O that prone luft fhould ftain fo pure a bed!" MALONE. Prone, perhaps, may stand for bumble, as a prone pofture is a pofture of fupplication. So, in the Opportunity, by Shirley, 1640:

"You have proftrate language."

The fame thought occurs in the Winter's Tale: "The filence often of pure innocence

<< Perfuades, when speaking fails."

Sir W. D'Avenant, in his alteration of the play, changes prone to feet. I mention fome of his variations, to thew that what appear difficulties to us were difficulties to him, who living nearer the time of Shakspeare, might be fuppofed to have understood his language more intimately. STEEVENS.

1-under grievous impofition;] I once thought it should be inquifition; but the prefent reading is probably right. The crime would be under grievous penalties impofed. JOHNSON.

2 loft at a game of tick-tack.] Tick-tack is a game at tables. "Jouer au tric-trac" is used in French, in a wanton fenfe. MALONE. VOL. II.

Can

Can pierce a cómplete bofom: why I defire thee
To give me fecret harbour, hath a purpose

More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends
Of burning youth.

Fri. T. May your grace speak of it?

Duke. My holy fir, none better knows than you
How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd*;
And held in idle price to haunt affemblies,
Where youth, and coft, and witlefs bravery' keeps..
I have deliver'd to lord Angelo

(A man of ftricture, and firm abftinence)
My abfolute power and place here in Vienna,
And he fuppofes me travell'd to Poland;
For fo I have ftrew'd it in the common ear,
And fo it is receiv'd: Now, pious fir,
You will demand of me, why I do this?
Fri. T. Gladly, my lord.

Duke. We have ftrict ftatutes, and moft biting laws, (The needful bits and curbs to head-ftrong steeds,) Which for these fourteen years we have let fleep 7;

3 Believe not that the dribbling dart of love

Even

Can pierce a complete bofom :] Think not that a breast completely armed can be pierced by the dart of love, that comes fluttering without force. JOHNSON.

4the life remov'd;] i. e. a life of retirement, a life removed from the bustle of the world. STEEVENS.

So, in Hamlet: "It wafts you to a more removed ground."MALONE. 5- and witless bravery-] Bravery in old language often means, Splen-dour of drefs. And was fupplied by the fecond folio. MALONE. 6 Aman of stricture,] Stricture for fritnefs. JOHNSON. 7 We have strict ftatutes, and most biting laws,

(The needful bits and curbs to bead-ftrong steeds,)

Which for thefe fourteen years we have let fleep ;] The old copy reads-head-ftrong weeds, and let flip. Both the emendations were made by Mr. Theobald. The latter may derive fupport (as he has obferved) from a fubfequent line in this play:

"The law hath not been dead, though it hath fept."

So, alfo, from a paffage in Hamlet:

How ftand I then,

If flip be the true reading, (which, however, I do not believe,) the fenfe

may

Even like an o'er-grown lion in a cave,

That goes not out to prey: Now, as fond fathers
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to stick it in their children's fight,
For terror, not to ufe; in time the rod

Becomes more mock'd, than fear'd: fo our decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themfelves are dead;

And liberty plucks juftice by the nofe;

The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri. T. It refted in your grace

To unloofe this tied-up juftice, when you pleas'd:
And it in you more dreadful would have feem'd,
'Than in lord Angelo.

Duke. I do fear, too dreadful :

Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope,
'Twould be my tyranny to ftrike, and gall them,
For what I bid them do: For we bid this be done,
When evil deeds have their permiffive pafs,

And not the punishment. Therefore, indeed, my father,
I have on Angelo impos'd the office;

Who may, in the ambush of my name, ftrike home,
And yet my nature never in the fight,

To do it flander': And to behold his fway,

may be, which for thefe fourteen years we have fuffered to pass unnoticed, unobserved; for fo the fame phrafe is ufed in Twelfth Night: Let him let this matter flip, and I'll give him my horse, grey Capulet." Mr. Theobald altered fourteen to nineteen, to make the Duke's account correfpond with a fpeech of Claudio's in a former fcene, but without neceffity; for our author is often incorrect in the computation of time. MALONE.

Theobald's correction is mifplaced. If any correction is really neceffary, it should have been made where Claudio, in a foregoing line, fays nineteen years. I am difpofed to take the Duke's words. WHALLEY.

8 Becomes more mock'd, than fear'd:] Becomes was added by Mr. Pope to restore fenfe to the paffage, fome fuch word having been left out. STEEVENS.

9 Sith] i. e. fince. STEEVENS.

1 To do it flander :] The original copy reads To do in flander. The emendation was Sir Thomas Hanmer's. In the preceding line the first folio appears to have-fight; which feems to be countenanced by the words ambush and ftrike. Sight was introduced by Mr. Pope.

MALONE.

I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,

Vifit both prince and people: therefore, I pr'ythee,
Supply me with the habit, and instruct me
How I may formally in person bear me

2

Like a true friar. More reasons for this action,
At our more leifure fhall I render you ;
Only, this one :-Lord Angelo is precife;
Stands at a guard 3 with envy; scarce confeffes
That his blood flows, or that his appetite
Is more to bread than ftone: Hence shall we see,
If power change purpose, what our feemers be.

Enter ISABELLA and FRANCISCA.

Ifab. And have you nuns no farther privileges ?
Fran. Are not these large enough?

Ifab. Yes, truly: I fpeak not as defiring more;
But rather wishing a more strict restraint
Upon the fifter-hood, the votarifts of faint Clare.
Lucio. [within] Ho! Peace be in this place!
Ifab. Who's that which calls?

Fran. It is a man's voice: Gentle Isabella,
Turn you the key, and know his business of him ;

You may,

I

unfworn :

may not; you are yet When you have vow'd, you must not speak with men, But in the presence of the prioress:

Then, if you speak, you must not fhew your face;

Or, if shew your face, you muft not speak.

you

He calls again; I pray you, anfwer him. [Exit FRAN. Ijab. Peace and profperity! Who is't that calls?

Hanmer's emendation is fupported by a paffage in Henry IV. P. I: "Do me no flander, Douglafs, I dare fight." STEEVENS."

2-

in perfon bear me] Me, which feems to have been accidentally omitted in the old copy, was inferted by Mr. Steevens. MALONE. So, in the Tempest:

fome good inftruction give,

"How I may bear me here." STEEVENS.

3 Stands at a guard] Stands on terms of defiance. JOHNSON.

Ente

Enter LUCIO.

Lucia. Hail, virgin, if you be; as thofe cheek-rofes Proclaim you are no lefs! Can you fo ftead me, As bring me to the fight of Ifabella,

A novice of this place, and the fair fifter

To her unhappy brother Claudio?

Ifab. Why her unhappy brother? let me afk; The rather, for I now muft make you know

I am that Ifabella, and his fifter.

Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you: Not to be weary with you, he's in prifon.

Ifab. Woe me! For what?

Lucio. For that, which, if myfelf might be his judge, He fhould receive his punishment in thanks: He hath got his friend with child.

Ifab. Sir, mock me not:-your flory 5.

Lucio. 'Tis true:-I would not .-Though 'tis my familiar fin

With

4 For that, which, if myself might be bis judge,] Perhaps these words were tranfpofed at the prefs. The fenfe feems to require-That, for which, &c. MALONE.

5 Sir, make me not your flory.] Thus the old copy. I have no doubt that we ought to read (as I have printed,) Sir, mock me not :-your ftory. So, in Macbeth:

"Thou com'ft to use thy tongue :-thy story quickly."

In King Lear we have- Pray, do not mock me."

I befeech you, Sir, (fays label) do not play upon my fears; referve this idle talk for fome other occafion;-proceed at once to your tale. Lucio's fubfequent words, ["'Tis true," i. e. you are right; I thank you for reminding me ;] which, as the text has been hitherto printed, had no meaning, are then pertinent and clear. Mr. Pope was fo fenfible of the impoffibility of reconciling them to what preceded in the old copy, that he fairly omitted them.

What Ifabella fays afterwards, fully fupports this emendation:

"You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me."

I have obferved that almoft every paffage in our author, in which there is either a broken speech, or a fudden tranfition without a connecting particle, has been corrupted by the careleffness of either the tran4criber or compofitor. See a note on Love's Labour's Loft, Act II. Sc.i: "A man of fovereign, peerless, he's esteem'd."

And another on Coriolanus, Act I. Scene iv :

"You fhames of Rome! you herd ofBoils and plagues
"Plaifter you o'er!" MALONE.

• I would not.] i, e. Be aflured, I would not mock you. So after

C 3

wards :