Ifab. By course of justice! Ang. And she will speak most bitterly, and strange. Duke. Nay, it is ten times strange. Duke. Away with her: Poor foul, Ifab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st That I am touch'd with madness. Make not impoffible That, which but seems unlike: 'tis not impoffible, In all his dreffings, characts, titles, forms, -truth is truth To the end of reckoning.] That is, truth has no gradations; nothing which admits of encrease can be fo much what it is, as truth is truth. There may be a frange thing, and a thing more ftrange, but if a propofition be true, there can be none more true. JOHNSON. 7 -as fhy, as grave, as juft, as abfolute,] As fby; as referved, as abftracted: as juft; as nice, as exact: as abfolute; as complete in all the round of duty. JOHNSON. 8 In all his dreffings, &c.] In all his femblance of virtue, in all his habiliments of office. JOHNSON. -characts,- -] i. e. characters. See Dugdale, Orig. Jurid. p. 81. That he ufe ne hide, no charme, ne carede." T. T. Be Be an arch villain: believe it, royal prince, Duke. By mine honesty, If fhe be mad, (as I believe no other) Ifab. Gracious duke, Harp not on that; nor do not banish reason' Duke. Many that are not mad, Have, fure, more lack of reafon.-What would you fay? Ifab. I am the fifter of one Claudio, I, in probation of a fifterhood, Was fent to by my brother. Was then the meffenger, One Lucio Lucio. That's I, an't like your grace: I came to her from Claudio, and defir'd her Ifab. That's he, indeed. Duke. You were not bid to fpeak. [To Lucio. Lucio. No, my good lord, nor wish'd to hold my peace. Duke. I wish you now then; Pray you, take note of it: and when you have For inequality -] Let not the high quality of my adverfary prejudice you against me. And hide the falfe, feems true.] We should read, Not bide WARBURTON. JOHNSON. A A business for yourself, pray heaven, you then Lucio. I warrant your honour. Duke. The warrant's for yourfelf; take heed to it. Duke. It may be right; but you are in the wrong To speak before your time--Proceed. Ifab. I went To this pernicious caitiff deputy. Duke. That's fomewhat madly fpoken.' The phrafe is to the matter. Duke. Mended again: the matter;-Proceed. Release my brother; and, after much debatement, And I did yield to him: But the next morn betimes, His purpose furfeiting, he fends a warrant For my poor brother's head. Duke. This is most likely! How he refell'd me, -] To refel is to refute. Refellere et coarguere mendacium. Cicero pro Ligario. Ben Jonfon uses the word: "Friends, not to refil you, "Or any way quell you.' The modern editors changed the word to repel. Again, in The fe tond Part of Robert Earl of Huntington, 1601. "Therefore go on, young Bruce, proceed, refell To bis concupifcible, &c.] Such is the old reading. The modern editors unauthoritatively fubftitute concupifcent. STEEVENS. 1 Ifab. Oh, that it were as like, as it is true!+ Or elfe thou art fuborn'd against his honour In hateful practice. Firft, his integrity Stands without blemish :-Next, it imports no reason, Ifab. And is this all? Then, oh, you bleffed minifters above, 5 In countenance ! Heaven fhield your grace from woe, As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go! Duke. I know, you'd fain be gone :-An officer- 4 Oh, that it were as like, as it is true!] Like is not here used for probable, but for feemly. She catches at the Duke's word, and turns it to another fenfe; of which there are a great many examples in Shakespeare, and the writers of that time. WARBURTON. I do not fee why like may not ftand here for probable, or why the lady fhould not with, that fince her tale is true, it may obtain belief. If Dr. Warburton's explication be right, we fhould read, O! that it were as likely, as 'tis true! Like I have never found for feemly. JOHNSON. In bateful practice. -] Practice was used by the old writers for any unlawful or infidious ftratagem, So again, and again, 2 This must needs be practice; Let me have way to find this practice out. 5 In countenance!—] i. e. in partial favour. WARBURTON. JOHNSON. On On him fo near us? This muft needs be a practice. Who knew of your intent, and coming hither? Ifab. One that I would were here, friar Lodowick. Duke. A ghoftly father, belike: -who knows that Lodowick? Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a medling friar I do not like the man: had he been lay, my lord, For certain words he spake against your grace In your retirement, I had fwing'd him foundly. Duke. Words against me? this' a good friar belike! And to fet on this wretched woman here Against our fubftitute !-Let this friar be found. Lucio. But yefternight, my lord, fhe and that friar. I faw them at the prifon :-a fawcy friar, Peter. Bleffed be your royal grace! I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard Duke. We did believe no less. Know you that friar Lodowick, which she speaks of? Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy; Not fcurvy, nor a temporary medler," it cannot be used here. 6 -nor a temporary medler,] It is hard to know what is meant by a temporary medler. In its ufual fenfe, as opposed to perpetual, It may ftand for temporal: the fenfe will then be, I know him for a holy man, one that meddles not with fecular affairs. It may mean tempor fing: I know him to be a holy man, one who would not temporife, or take the opportunity of your absence. to defame you. Or we may read, Not fcurvy, nor a tamperer and medler: not one who would have tampered with this woman to make her a falfe evidence againft your deputy. JOHNSON. As |