Ifab. By course of justice!

Ang. And she will speak most bitterly, and strange.
Ifab. Moft ftrange, but yet moft truly, will I fpeak.
That Angelo's forfworn; is it not strange?
That Angelo's a murtherer; is't not strange?
That Angelo is an adulterous thief,
An hypocrite, a virgin violater;
Is it not strange, and strange?

Duke. Nay, it is ten times strange.
Ifab. It is not truer he is Angelo,
Than this is all as true as it is ftrange:
Nay, it is ten times true; for truth is truth'
To the end of reckoning.

Duke. Away with her: Poor foul,
She speaks this in the infirmity of sense.

Ifab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st
There is another comfort than this world,
That thou neglect me not, with that opinion

That I am touch'd with madness. Make not impoffible

That, which but seems unlike: 'tis not impoffible,
But one, the wicked'ft caitiff on the ground,
May seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute,
As Angelo; even fo may Angelo,

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,
If he be lefs, he's nothing; but he's more,
Had I more name for badnefs.

Duke. By mine honesty,

If fhe be mad, (as I believe no other)
Her madness hath the oddeft frame of fenfe ;
Such a dependency of thing on thing,
As e'er I heard in madness.

Ifab. Gracious duke,

Harp not on that; nor do not banish reason'
For inequality: but let your reafon serve
To make the truth appear, where it feems hid;
Not hide the falfe, feems true."

Duke. Many that are not mad,

Have, fure, more lack of reafon.-What would you fay?

Ifab. I am the fifter of one Claudio,
Condemn'd upon the act of fornication
To lofe his head; condemn'd by Angelo:

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
To try her gracious fortune with lord Angelo,
For her poor brother's pardon.

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
Be perfect.

Lucio. I warrant your honour.

Duke. The warrant's for yourfelf; take heed to it.
Ifab. This gentleman told fomewhat of my tale.
Lucio. Right.

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.'
Ifab. Pardon it;

The phrafe is to the matter.

Duke. Mended again: the matter;-Proceed.
Ifab. In brief;-to fet the needlefs process by,
How I perfuaded, how I pray'd and kneel'd,
How he refell'd me,' and how I reply'd;
(For this was of much length) the vile conclufion
I now begin with grief and fhame to utter:
He would not, but by gift of my chafte body
To his concupifcible* intemperate luft,

Release my brother; and, after much debatement,
My fifterly remorfe confutes my honour,

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
"The allegation.' STEEVENS.

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!+
Duke. By heaven, fond wretch, thou know'st not
what thou speak'st;

Or elfe thou art fuborn'd against his honour

In hateful practice.

Firft, his integrity

Stands without blemish :-Next, it imports no reason,
That with fuch vehemence he should pursue
Faults proper to him.felf: if he had fo offended,
He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself,
And not have cut him off. Some one hath fet you on;
Confefs the truth, and fay, by whofe advice
Thou cam'ft here to complain.

Ifab. And is this all?

Then, oh, you bleffed minifters above,
Keep me in patience; and, with ripen'd time,
Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up

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-
To prison with her :--Shall we thus permit
A blasting and a fcandalous breath to fall

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,
A very fcurvy fellow.

Peter. Bleffed be your royal grace!

I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard
Your royal ear abus'd. First, hath this woman
Moft wrongfully accus'd your fubftitute;
Who is as free from touch or foil with her,
As fhe from one ungot.

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