Ifab. Alas! alas! Claud. Sweet fifter, let me live: What fin you do to fave a brother's life, Ifab Oh, you beast! Oh, faithlefs coward! oh, difhoneft wretch! Is't not a kind of inceft,' to take life From thine own fifter's fhame? What fhould I think? Heaven grant, my mother play'd my father fair! Ne'er iffu'd from his blood. Take my defiance: No word to fave thee. Claud. Nay, hear me, Isabel. : enormities. Indeed this doctrine was before now introduced into poetick fiction, as you may fee in a poem, "where the lover declareth his pains to exceed far the pains of hell," among the many mifcellaneous ones fubjoined to the works of Surrey of which you will foon have a beautiful edition from the able hand of my friend Mr. Percy. Nay, a very learned and inquisitive brother-antiquary hath obferved to me, on the authority of Blefkenius, that this was the ancient opinion of the inhabitants of Iceland, who were certainly very little read either in the poet or the philofopher. FARMER. 2 Is't not a kind of inceft,] In lfabella's declamation there is fomething harth, and fomething forced and far-fetched. But her indignation cannot be thought violent, when we confider her not only as a virgin, but as a nun. JOHNSON. 3--a warped flip of wilderness] Wilderness is here used for wildness, the state of being diforderly. The word, in this fenfe, is now obsolete, tho' employed by Milton. "The paths, and bowers, doubt not, but our joint hands Thy Thy fin's not accidental, but a trade : + To them, enter Duke and Provost. Duke. Vouchsafe a word, young fifter, but one word. Ifab. What is your will? Duke. Might you difpenfe with your leifure, I would by and by have fome fpeech with you: the fatisfaction 1 would require, is likewife your own be nefit. Ijab. I have no fuperfluous leifure; my ftay muft be stolen out of other affairs; but I will attend you a while. Duke. [To Claudio afide.] Son, I have over heard what hath paft between you and your fifter. Angelo had never the purpose to corrupt her; only he hath made an affay of her virtue, to practife his judgment with the difpofition of natures. She, having the truth of honour in her, hath made him that gracious denial, which he is moft glad to receive: I am confeffor to Angelo, and I know this to be true; therefore prepare yourself to death. Do not fatisfy your refolution with hopes that are fallible: to-morrow you must die; go to your knees, and make ready. Claud. 4-but a trade :] A cuftom; a practice; an established habit. So we fay of a man much addicted to any thing, he makes a trade of it. JOHNSON. 5 Do not fatisfy your refolution with hopes that are fallible :] A condemned man, whom h's confeffor had brought to bear death with decency and refolution, began anew to entertain hopes of life. This occafioned the advice in the words above. But how did thefe hopes Satisfie his refolution? or what harm was there, if they did? We muit certainly read, Do not falfiñe your refolution with hopes that are fallible. And then it becomes a reasonable ad Claud. Let me ask my fifter pardon. I am so out of love with life, that I will fue to be rid of it. [Exit Claud. Duke. Hold you there: Farewel. Provoft, a'word with you. Prov. What's your will, father? Duke. That now you are come, you will be gone : Leave me a while with the maid: my mind promises with my habit, no lofs fhall touch her by my com pany. Prov. In good time. [Exit Prov. Duke. The hand, that hath made you fair, hath made you good: the goodness, that is cheap in beauty, makes beauty brief in goodnefs; but grace, being the foul of your complexion, fhall keep the body of it ever fair. The affault, that Angelo hath made on you, fortune hath convey'd to my understanding; and, but that frailty hath examples for his falling, I fhould wonder at Angelo. How will you do to content this fubftitute, and to fave your brother? Ifab. I am now going to refolve him. I had rather my brother die by the law, than my fon fhould be unlawfully born. But, oh, how much is the good duke deceived in Angelo? if ever he returns, and I can fpeak to him, I will open my lips in vain, or discover his government. Luke. That fhall not be much amifs: yet, as the admonition. For hopes of life, by drawing him back into the world, would naturally elude or weaken the virtue of that refolution which was raifed only on motives of religion. And this his confeffor had reafon to warn him of The term falfifie is taken from fencing, and fignifies the pretending to aim a ftroke in order to draw the adverfary off his guard. So Fairfax, Now frikes be out, and now be falfiñeth. WARBURTON. The fenfe is this. Do not reft with fatisfaction on hopes that are fallible. STEEVENS. Hold you there :] Continue in that refolation. JOHNSON. matter matter now ftands, he will avoid Ifab. Let me hear you speak further. I have fpirit to do any thing, that appears not foul in the truth of my spirit. Duke. Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful. Have you not heard fpeak of Mariana, the fifter of Frederick, the great foldier, who mifcarried at fea? Ifab. I have heard of the lady, and good words went with her name. Duke. Her should this Angelo have marry'd; was affianc'd to her by oath, and the nuptial appointed: between which time of the contract, and limit of the folemnity, her brother Frederick was wreck'd at fea, having in that perish'd veffel the dowry of his fifter. But mark, how heavily this befel to the poor gentlewoman: there fhe loft a noble and renowned brother, in his love toward her ever moft kind and natural with him the portion and finew of her fortune, her marriage-dowry; with both, her combinate hufband, this well-feeming Angelo? Ifab. Can this be fo? Did Angelo fo leave her? ; Duke. Left her in her tears, and dry'd not one of them with his comfort; fwallow'd his vows whole, pretending, in her, difcoveries of difhonour: in few, bestow'd her on her own lamentation which yet the wears for his fake; and he, a marble to her tears, is washed with them, but relents not. Ifab. What a merit were it in death, to take this poor poor maid from the world! What corruption in this life, that it will let this man live! But how out of this can fhe avail? Duke. It is a rupture that you may easily heal: and the cure of it not only faves your brother, but keeps you from difhonour in doing it. Ifab. Shew me how, good father. Duke. This fore-nam'd maid hath yet in her the continuance of her first affection; his unjust unkindnefs, (that in all reafon fhould have quenched her love) hath, like an impediment in the current, made it more violent and unruly. Go you to Angelo, anfwer his requiring with a plaufible obedience; agree with his demands to the point; only refer yourself to this advantage:' first, that your stay with him may not be long; that the time may have all fhadow and filence in it; and the place anfwer to convenience. This being granted in courfe, now follows all. fhall advife this wronged maid to ftead up your appointment, go in your place; if the encounter acknowledge itself hereafter, it may compel him to her recompence: and here by this is your brother faved, your honour untainted, the poor Mariana advantaged, and the corrupt deputy fcaled. The maid will I frame, and make fit for his attempt. If you think well to carry this as you may, the doubleness We only refer yourself to this advantage:] This is fcarcely to be reconciled to any established mode of fpeech. We may read, only referve yourself to, or only referve to yourself this advantage. JOHNSON. 2 the corrupt deputy fealed.] To fcale the deputy may be, to reach bim, notwithstanding the elevation of his place; or it may be, to ftrip bim and difcover his nakedness, though armed and concealed by the investments of authority. JOHNSON. An army To feale, as may be learn'd from a note to Coriolanus, act i. fc. 1. may mean, to diforder, to difconcert, to put to flight. routed is called by Holinfhed, an army fcaled. The word fome times fignifies to diffuje or difperfe; at others, as I fuppofe in the prefent inftance, to put into confufi.n. STEEVENS. of |