Duke. Come hither, Mariana :—

Say, waft thou e'er contracted to this woman?
Ang. I was, my lord,

Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her inftantly.

Do you the office, friar: which confummate,
Return him here again :-go with him, provoft.

[Exeunt Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provost, Efcal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his difho

nour,

Than at the strangeness of it.

Duke, Come hither, Ifabel;

Your friar is now your prince: As I was then
Advertising, and holy to your business,
Not changing heart with habit, I am ftill
Attorney'd at your service.

Ifab. Oh, give me pardon,

That I, your vaffal, have employ'd and pain'd
Your unknown fovereignty.

Duke. You are pardon'd, Ifabel:

And now, dear maid, be you as free to us.'
Your brother's death, I know, fits at your heart;
And you may marvel, why I obfcur'd myself,
Labouring to fave his life; and would not rather
Make rafh remonftrance of my hidden power,
Than let him be so loft. Oh, most kind maid,
It was the fwift celerity of his death,

Which, I did think, with flower foot came on,
That brain'd my purpose: but, peace be with him!

2

• Advertising and holy.] Attentive and faithful.

JOHNSON.

-be you as free to us.] Be as generous to us, pardon

us as we have pardoned you. JOHNSON.

2 That brain'd my purpose:] We now ufe in conver fation a like phrafe. This it was that knocked my design on the head, Dr. Warburton reads,

-baned my purpose.

JOHNSON.

That

That life is better life, paft fearing death,

Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort; So, happy is your brother.

Re-enter Angelo, Mariana, Peter, and Provoft. Ifab. I do, my lord.

Duke. For this new-marry'd man, approaching here, Whose falt imagination yet hath wrong'd

Your well-defended honour, you must pardon him For Mariana's fake: But as he adjudg'd your brother, (Being criminal, in double violation

3

Of facred chastity, and in promise-breach,
Thereon dependant, for your brother's life)
The very mercy of the law cries out
Moft audible, even from his proper tongue,
An Angelo for Claudio, death for death.
Hafte ftill pays hafte, and leisure answers leifure;
Like doth quit like, and Measure ftill for Measure.
Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifefted;
Which tho' thou would'ft deny, deny thee 'vantage :4
We do condemn thee to the very block,

Where Claudio ftoop'd to death; and with like haste-
Away with him.

Mari. Oh, my moft gracious lord,

I hope, you will not mock me with a husband!
Duke. It is your husband mock'd you with a huf
band:

Confenting to the fafeguard of your honour,
I thought your marriage fit; elfe imputation,

3

-even from bis proper tongue,] Even from Angelo's own tongue. So above.

nity, all expedient of denial. WARBURTON.

-deny thee vantage:] Take from thee all opportu

For

For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
And choak your good to come.
For his poffeffions,
Altho' by confifcation they are ours,
We do enftate and widow you withal,
To buy you a better husband.

Mari. Oh, my dear lord,

I crave no other, nor no better man.
Duke. Never crave him; we are definitive.
Mari. Gentle, my liege-

[Kneeling,

Duke. You do but lofe your labour;-Away with him to death.-Now, fir, to you.

[To Lucio. Mari. Oh, my good lord!-fweet Isabel, take my

part;

Lend me your knees, and all my life to come
I'll lend you all my life, to do you fervice.

Duke. Against all fenfe you do importune her:
Should the kneel down, in mercy of this fact,
Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,
And take her hence in horror.

Mari. Isabel,

Sweet Ifabel, do yet but kneel by me;

Hold up your hands, fay nothing, I'll fpeak all-
They fay, beft men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad, fo may my husband.
-Oh, Ifabel! will you not lend a knee?
Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.

Ifab. Moft bounteous fir,

[Kneeling,

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,

As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,

A due fincerity govern'd his deeds,

Against all fenfe you do importune her.] The meaning required is, against all reafon and natural affection; Shakefpeare, therefore, judiciously ufes a fingle word that implies both; fenfe fignifying both reafon and affection. JOHNSON.

6

'Till he did look on me; fince it is fo,

Let him not die. My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he dy'd.

For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;

And must be bury'd but as an intent,

That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no fubjects;

Intents, but merely thoughts.

Mari. Merely, my lord.

Duke. Your fuit's unprofitable;

ftand up, I fay

I have bethought me of another fault.

Provoft, how came it, Claudio was beheaded
At an unusual hour?

Prov. It was commanded fo.

Duke. Had you a fpecial warrant for the deed? Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private mesfage.

Duke. For which I do discharge you of your office: Give up your keys.

• 'Till he did look on me.] The duke has justly obferved that Ifabel is importuned against all fenfe to against all fenfe the folicits for him.

nary.

folicit for Angelo, yet here Her argument is extraordi

A due fincerity govern'd his deeds,
'Till he did look on me ; fince it is for

Let him not die.

That Angelo had committed all the crimes charged against him, as far as he could commit them, is evident. The only intent which bis att did not overtake, was the defilement of Ifabel. Of this Angelo was only intentionally guilty.

Angelo's crimes were fuch, as muft fufficiently juftify punishment, whether its end be to fecure the innocent from wrong, or to deter guilt by example; and I believe every reader feels fome indignation when he finds him fpared. From what extenuation of his crime, can Ifabel, who yetfuppofes her brother dead, form any plea in his favour. Since he was good 'till be looked on me, let bim not die. I am afraid our varlet poet intended to inculcate, that women think ill of nothing that raifes the credit of their beauty, and are ready, however virtuous, to pardon ány act which they think incited by their own charms. JOHNSON.

Prov. Pardon me, noble lord:

I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me, after more advice:
For teftimony whereof, one in the prison,
That should by private order elfe have dy'd,
I have referv'd alive.

Duke. What's he?

Prov. His name is Barnardine.

Duke. I would, thou had'st done fo by Claudio.Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.

[Exit Provoft.
Efcal. I am forry one fo learned and fo wife
As you, lord Angelo, have ftill appear'd,
Should flip fo grofly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

Ang. I am forry, that fuch forrow I procure :
And fo deep sticks it in my penitent heart,
That I crave death more willingly than mercy;
"Tis my deferving, and I do intreat it.

Re-enter Provoft, Barnardine, Claudio, and Julietta.
Duke. Which is that Barnardine?

Prov. This, my lord.

Duke. There was a friar told me of this man :Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn foul, That apprehends no further than this world, And fquar'ft thy life according: Thou'rt condemn'd; But, for thofe earthly faults, I quit them all; I pray thee, take this mercy to provide

For better times to come.- -Friar, advise him;

I leave him to your hand.-What muffled fellow's that?

Prov. This is another prifoner, that I fav'd,

7 for thofe caribly faults,] Thy faults, fo far as they are punishable on earth, fo far as they are cognifable by temporal power, I forgive. JOHNSON.

Who