Page. Upon my life, then, you took the wrong. Slen. What need you tell me that? I think so, when I took a boy for a girl. If I had been married to him, for all he was in woman's apparel, I would not have had him.

Page. Why, this is your own folly. Did not I tell you how you should know my daughter by her garments ?

Slen. I went to her in white, and cried "mum," and she cried "budget," as Anne and I had appointed; and yet it was not Anne, but a postmaster's boy.

Mrs. Page. Good George, be not angry: I knew of your purpose; turned my daughter into green; and, indeed, she is now with the doctor at the deanery, and there married.

Mrs. Page. Why went you not with Master Doctor, maid?

Fent. You do amaze 25 her: hear the truth of it. You would have married her most shamefully, Where there was no proportion held in love. The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, Are now so sure, that nothing can dissolve us. The offence is holy that she hath committed; And this deceit loses the name of craft, Of disobedience, or unduteous title; Since therein she doth evitate and shun A thousand irreligious cursèd hours, Which forced marriage would have brought upon her.

Ford. Stand not amaz'd: here is no remedy.In love, the heavens themselves do guide the state;

Money buys lands, and wives are sold by fate.

Fal. I am glad, though you have ta'en a special stand to strike at me, that your arrow hath glanced.

Page. Well, what remedy ?-Fenton, Heaven give thee joy!

What cannot be eschew'd must be embrac'd. Fal. When night-dogs run, all sorts of deer are chas'd.27

Mrs. Page. Well, I will muse no farther.--
Master Fenton,

Heaven give you many, many merry days!
Good husband, let us every one go home,
And laugh this sport o'er by a country fire!
Sir John and all.

Ford.

Let it be so.-Sir John, To Master Brook you yet shall hold your word; For he to-night shall lie with Mistress Ford.

[Exeunt.

whence they might even take part in it, by aiming at the game driven by the keepers near to them.

27. When night-dogs run, all sorts of deer are chas'd. Falstaff here takes a final chuckle over those who have defeated his pursuit of the dear merry wives, by showing them that their dear daughter has been caught by the man who was not their choice, but hers.

SCENE I.-An apartment in the DUKE's Palace.
Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants.
Duke. Escalus,-
Escal. My lord?

Duke. Of government the properties to unfold,
Would seem in me t' affect speech and discourse;
Since I am put to know that your own science
Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice
My strength can give you; then no more remains,
But that to your sufficiency, as your worth is able,
And let them work. The nature of our people,
Our city's institutions, and the terms

For common justice, you're as pregnant in
As art and practice hath enriched any
That we remember. There is our commission,
[Giving it.

From which we would not have you warp.—Call hither,

I say, bid come before us Angelo. [Exit Attendant.

1. "MEASURE FOR MEASURE" was first printed in the 1623 Folio; and there is record that it was played before the Court on St. Stephen's night (Dec. 26), 1604, which proves it to have been written before that date. The source of the plot is supposed to have been found in a play called "Promos and Cassandra" 1578, by George Whetstone; who took the story from an Italian novel of Giraldi Cinthio. Unfortunately, the chief incidents have formed the basis of more than one romance of real life; and Shakespeare, with his knowledge of human nature, has adopted them for his purpose of dramatic moral teaching, by making them the groundwork of this noble and profoundly preceptive play. Out of strong and even repulsive materials, he has contrived to produce a lesson that may be taken to heart by all men: from the prince who rules, the minister who dispenses justice, the young fellow launched upon his destined career, the young girl entering upon the duties and trials of existence, the gaoler with culprits beneath his charge and supervision, down to the ill-chosen constable whose inefficiency helps to foster the growth of vice and foulness among the uncleansed dregs of the people.

2 I am put to know. I have cause to know.

3 Lists. Limits, bounds.

4 Then no more remains, &c. This passage is obscurely expressed, from its excess of condensation; and there have been

various attempts to alter it, some editors having substituted words, some having omitted them, and some having suspected omissions in the Folio version. If taken as an instance of Shakespeare's way of making a relative pronoun refer to an implied particular, the passage, as it stands, seems to bear this interpretation: 'Then no more remains [there is nothing more required] but that [meaning the "strength" mentioned in the previous line, the governing power embodied in the "commission" he gives him] to your sufficiency [sufficing authority], as your worth is able [your excellence rendering you competent], and let them work' [let them operate in combination]. 5. Terms. Blackstone says that "terms "mean the technical language of the law courts; and he mentions that an old book, called "Les Termes de la Ley" (written in Henry VIII.'s time), was in Shakespeare's days, and is now, the accidence of young students in the law. If, as is probable, this was one of our poet's reference-books, it goes far to account for his intimate acquaintance with legal forms and expressions.

6. Pregnant. Here used for skilled, proficient.

7. Character in thy life. "Character," or written mark, is here used figuratively for legible indication; and "life," for external conduct or behaviour.

8. Not thine own so proper. Not so exclusively and peculiarly thine own property.

Thyself upon thy virtues, them on thee.
Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,
Not light them for ourselves; for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd

But to fine issues; nor Nature never lends 10
The smallest scruple of her excellence,
But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines
Herself the glory of a creditor,—

Both thanks and use." But I do bend my speech

To one that can my part in him advértise; 12
Hold, therefore, Angelo:-

[Tendering his commission.

In our remove 13 be thou at full ourself;
Mortality and mercy in Vienna

Live in thy tongue and heart.
Though first in question, is thy secondary:—

Take thy commission.

Old Escalus,

[Gives it.

Ang. The heavens give safety to your purposes! Escal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happiness!

Duke. I thank you. Fare you well. [Exit. Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave To have free speech with you; and it concerns me To look into the bottom of my place :

A power I have, but of what strength and nature I am not yet instructed.

Ang. 'Tis so with me. Let us withdraw together,

And we may soon our satisfaction have
Touching that point.

Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the Ten Commandments, but scraped one out of the table.

Sec. Gent. "Thou shalt not steal ?"
Lucio. Ay, that he razed.

First Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions they put forth to steal. There's not a soldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace.19

Sec. Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where grace was said.

Sec. Gent. No? a dozen times at least.

First Gent. What, in metre?

Lucio. In any proportion or in any language. First Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ah! why not? Grace is grace, despite of all controversy: as, for example,-thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace.

heart.

'The power of sentencing to death is hereby given to thy word; the right to reprieve, to thy good feeling.'

15. A leaven'd and prepared choice. Shakespeare uses the word "leaven'd" in a figurative sense, to express a due admixture of motive and consideration in the "choice" made.

16. Bring you something on the way. A phrase of the time for accompany or escort.

17. Scope. Here used for extent of power.

18. Aves. An expressive noun coined by Shakespeare from Ave, Latin, Hail! to signify acclamations, popular laudations. 19. Prays for peace. An ancient form of grace before meals contained an aspiration for peace.