For my authority bears a credent bulk;"
That no particular fcandal once can touch,

But it confounds the breather. He fhould have liv'd,
Save that his riotous youth, with dangerous fenfe,
Might, in the times to come, have ta'en revenge,
For fo receiving a difhonour'd life,

With ransom of fuch fhame. 'Would yet he had liv'd!

Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not."

[Exit. To dare has two fignifications; to terrify, as in The Maid's Tragedy,

-thofe mad mifchiefs

"Would dare a woman."

and to challenge, as in K. Herny IV. Part. I.

"Unless a brother should a brother dare
"To gentle exercife, &c."

It is poffible, that dare may fignify to call forth or incite.

8 my authority bears a credent balk; Which no particular flander, &c.]

STEEVENS.

Credent is creditable, inforcing credit, not queflionable. The old English writers often confound the active and paffive adjectives. So Shakespeare, and Milton after him, use inexpressive from inexpreffible.

Particular is private, a French fenfe. No fcandal from any private mouth can reach a man in my authority. JOHNSON.

9

-we would, and we would not.] Here undoubtedly the act should end, and was ended by the poet; for here is properly a ceffation of action, and a night intervenes, and the place is changed, between the paffages of this fcene, and thofe of the next. The next a&t beginning with the following fcene, proceeds without any interruption of time or change of place. JOHNSON.

SCENE

SCENE V.

Changes to the Fields without the Town.

Enter Duke in bis own habit, and Friar Peter.

I

Duke. These letters at fit time deliver me.

[Giving letters.
The Provost knows our purpose and our plot.
The matter being afoot, keep your instruction,
And hold you ever to our special drift;

Tho' fometimes you do blench from this to that,
As caufe doth minifter. Go, call at Flavius' house,
And tell him, where I ftay: give the like notice
Unto Valentius, Rowland, and to Craffus,
And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate;
But fend me Flavius firft.

Peter. It fhall be speeded well.

Enter Varrius.

[Exit Friar.

Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou haft made good

hafte :

Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends Will greet us here anon, my gentle Varrius. [Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

Enter Ifabella and Mariana.

Ifab. To fpeak fo indirectly, I am loth:
I would say the truth; but to accuse him fo,
That is your part: yet I'm advis'd to do it,

Thefe letters- -] Peter never delivers the letters, but tells his story without any credentials. The poet forgot the plot which he had formed. JOHNSON.

He fays, to vail full purpose.*

Mari. Be rul'd by him.

Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that, if peradventure He speak againft me on the adverfe fide,

I fhould not think it ftrange; for 'tis a phyfick,
That's bitter to fweet end.

Mari. I would, friar Peter

Ifah. Oh, peace; the friar is come.

Enter Peter.3

Peter. Come, I have found you out a stand most fit,

Where you may have fuch vantage on the duke, He fhall not pafs you. Twice have the trumpets founded:

He fays, to vail full purpose.] Thus the old copies. I don't know, what idea our editors formed to themfelves of vailing full purpofe; but, I'm perfuaded, the poet meant, as I have reftored, viz. to a purpose that will stand us in ftead, that will profit us.

THEOBALD.

He fays, to vail full purpofe.] Mr. Theobald alters it to,

He fays, t' availful purpose;

because he has no idea of the common reading. A good reafon! Yet the common reading is right. Full is ufed for beneficial; and the meaning is, He fays, it is to hide a beneficial purpose, that must not yet be revealed. WARBURTON.

To vail full purpose, may, with very little force on the words, mean, to hide the whole extent of our defign, and therefore the reading may stand ; yet I cannot but think Mr. Theobald's alteration either lucky or ingenious. To interpret words with fuch laxity, as to make full the fame with beneficial, is to put an end, at once, to all neceflity of emendation, for any word may then ftand in the place of another. JOHNSON.

3 Enter Peter.] This play has two Friars, either of whom might fingly have ferved. I fhould therefore imagine, that Friar Thomas, in the first act, might be changed, without any harm, to Friar Peter; for why fhould the Duke unneceffarily truft two in an affair which required only one. The name of Friar Thomas is never mentioned in the dialogue, and therefore fecis arbitrarily placed at the head of the fcene. JOHNSON.

The

The generous and graveft citizens

Have hent the gates,+ and very near upon
The duke is entring; therefore hence, away.

[Exeunt.

ACT V. SCENE I.

A publick Place near the City.

Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Efcalus, Lucio, and Citizens, at feveral doors.

M

DUKE.

Y very worthy coufin, fairly met :

Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to fee

you.

Ang. and Efcal. Happy return be to your royal grace!

Duke. Many and hearty thanks be to you both. We have made enquiry of you; and we hear Such goodness of your juftice, that our foul Cannot but yield you forth to publick thanks, Fore-running more requital.

Ang. You make my bonds ftill greater.

Duke. Oh, your defert fpeaks loud; and I should wrong it,

To lock it in the wards of covert bosom,
When it deferves with characters of brass
A forted refidence, 'gainst the tooth of time
And razure of oblivion. Give me your hand,
And let the fubjects fee, to make them know

Have bent the gates,-] Have taken poffeffion of the gates.

JOHNSON.

That outward courtefies would fain proclaim
Favours that keep within. Come, Efcalus;
You must walk by us on our other hand :-
And good fupporters are you. [As the Duke is going out,
Enter Peter and Ifabella.

Peter. Now is your time: speak loud, and kneel before him.

Ifab. Justice, O royal Duke! vail your regard
Upon a wrong'd, I would fain have faid, a maid!
Oh, worthy prince, dishonour not your eye
By throwing it on any other object,

Till you have heard me in my true complaint,
And given me justice, juftice, justice, justice!

Duke. Relate your wrongs; In what, by whom? be brief:

Here is lord Angelo fhall give you justice;
Reveal yourself to him.

Ifab. Oh, worthy duke,

You bid me feek redemption of the devil:

Hear me yourself; for that which I must speak
Muft either punish me, not being believ'd,

Or wring redress from you: hear me, oh, hear me,

here.

Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm: She hath been a fuitor to me for her brother, Cut off by courfe of juftice.

5vail your regard] That is, withdraw your thoughts from higher things, let your notice defcend upon a wronged woman. To vil, is to lower. JOHNSON.

This is one of the few expreffions which might have been borrowed from the old play of Promos and Caffandra, 1598,

—vail thou thine ears."

So in Stanyhurst's translation of the 4th Book of Virgil's Æneid, Phrygio liceat fervire marito.

Let Dido vail her heart to bed-fellow Trojan."