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That makes these odds all even.

Claud. I humbly thank you.

To fue to live, I find, I feek to die;

And, feeking death, find life: Let it come on.
Enter Ifabella.

Ifab. What, ho! Peace here, grace and good company !

Prov. Who's there? Come in the wifh deferves a welcome.

Duke. Dear fir, ere long I'll vifit you again.
Claud. Moft holy fir, I thank you.

Ifab. My bufinefs is a word or two, with Claudio. Prov. And very welcome. Look, fignior, here's your fifter.

Duke. Provost, a word with you.
Prov. As many as you please.

Duke. Bring them to speak where I may be conceal'd,

Yet hear them.4

[Exeunt Duke and Provost.

Claud. Now, fifter, what's the comfort?

Ifab. Why, as all comforts are; most good in
Deed:5

Lord Angelo, having affairs to heaven,
Intends you for his swift ambaffador;

a thousand deaths :

Where

The meaning is not only a thousand deaths, but a thousand deaths befides what have been mentioned. JOHNSON.

4 Bring them to fpeak where I may be concealed,

Yet bear them.]

Thus the modern editions. The old copy, published by the players, gives the paffage thus,

Bring them to hear me speak, where I may be conceal'd.

STEEVENS.

5 as all comforts are; moft good in deed :] If this reading be right, Ifabella muft mean that the brings fomething better than words of comfort, the brings an affurance of deeds. This is harsh F 2

and

Where you shall be an everlasting leiger."
Therefore your best appointment? make with speed;
To-morrow you set on.

Claud. Is there no remedy?

Ifab. None, but fuch remedy, as, to fave a head, To cleave a heart in twain.

Claud. But is there any?

Ifab. Yes, brother, you may live:
There is a devilish mercy in the judge,

If you'll implore it, that will free your life,
But fetter you till death.

Claud. Perpetual durance?

Ifab. Ay, juft, perpetual durance; a restraint, Tho' all the world's vaftidity you had,

To a determin'd fcope.$

8.

Claud. But in what nature?

Ifab. In fuch a one, as you, confenting to't, Would bark your honour from that trunk you bear, And leave you naked.

Claud. Let me know the point.

Ifab. Oh, I do fear thee, Claudio: and I quake,

and constrained, but I know not what better to offer. Sir Thomas Hanmer reads,

-in fpeed.

JOHNSON.

-an everlasting leiger,

Therefore your best appointment

-]

Leiger is the fame with refident. Appointment; preparation; act of fitting, or state of being fitted for any thing. So in old books, we have a knight well appointed; that is, well armed and mounted or fitted at all points. JOHNSON.

7 -your beft appointment-] The word appointment, on this occafion comprehends confeffion, communion, and abfolution. The King in Hamlet, who was cut off prematurely, and without fuch preparation, is faid to be disappointed. STEEVENS.

8 ——a reftraint

To a determin'd scope.]

A confinement of your mind to one painful idea; to ignominy, of which the remembrance can neither be fuppreffed nor escaped.

JOHNSON.

Left

Left thou a feverous life fhould'ft entertain,
And fix or feven winters, more respect
Than a perpetual honour. Dar'st thou die?
The fenfe of death is most in apprehenfion;
And the poor beetle, that we tread upon,
In corporal sufferance finds a pang as great,
As when a giant dies.

Claud. Why give you me this shame ?
Think you I can a refolution fetch
From flowery tenderness? If I must die,
I will encounter darkness as a bride,

And hug it in mine arms.

Ifab. There fpake my brother; there my father's

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Yes, thou muft die:

Thou art too noble to conferve a life

In base appliances. This outward-fainted deputy,
Whofe fettled vifage and deliberate word
Nips youth i' the head, and follies doth emmew,'
As faulcon doth the fowl; is yet a devil;
His filth within being caft,' he would appear
A pond as deep as hell,

• The poor beetle, &c.] The reasoning is, that death is no more than every being muft fuffer, though the dread of it is peculiar to man; or perhaps, that we are inconfiftent with ourselves, when we fo much dread that which we carelefly inflict on other creatures, that feel the pain as acutely as we. JOHNSON.

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-follies doth emmew,] Forces follies to lie in cover without daring to fhow themfelves. JOHNSON.

2 As fauleon doth the foal;-] In whofe prefence the follies of youth are afraid to fhew themselves, as the fowl is afraid to flutter while the falcon hovers over it. STERVENS.

3 His filth within being caft,—] To caft a pond is to empty it of mud.

Mr. Upton reads,

His pond within being caft, he would appear

A filth as deep as bell. JOHNSON.

F 3

Claud

Claud. The princely Angelo?

Ifab. Oh, 'tis the cunning livery of hell,
The damned'ft body to inveft and cover
In princely guards! Doft thou think, Claudio,
If I would yield him my virginity,

Thou might'st be freed?

Claud. Oh, heavens! it cannot be.

Ifab. Yes, he would give it thee for this rank of fence,

So to offend him ftill. This night's the time
That I fhould do what I abhor to name,
Or else thou dy't to morrow.

4 The princely Angelo ? -princely guards !—]

The stupid editors, mistaking guards for fatellites, (whereas it here fignifies lace) altered prieftly, in both places, to princely. Whereas Shakespeare wrote it prieftly, as appears from the words themfelves,

'tis the cunning livery of hell,

The damned' body to inveft and cover
With priestly guards.

In the first place we fee that guards here fignifies lace, as referring to livery, and as having no fenfe in the fignification of fatellites. Now priestly guards means fa&tity, which is the fenfe required, But princely guards means nothing but rich lace, which is a fenfe the paffage will not bear. Angelo, indeed, as deputy, might be called the princely Angelo: but not in this place, where the immediately preceding words of,

This outward-fainted deputy,

demand the reading I have here reftored. WARBURTON.

The first folio has, in both places, prenzie, from which the other folios made princely, and every editor may make what he can. JOHNSON.

Princely guards mean no more than the ornaments of royalty, which Angelo is fuppofed to affume during the abfence of the duke. The ftupidity of the firft editors is fometimes not more injurious to Shakespeare, than the ingenuity of thofe who fucceeded them. STEEVENS.

5-for this rank offence,] For, Hanmer. In other editions, from. JOHNSON.

Claud.

Claud. Thou shalt not do't.

Ifab. Oh, were it but my life,

I'd throw it down for your deliverance

As frankly as a pin.

Claud. Thanks, deareft Ifabel.

lfab. Be ready, Claudio, for your death to-morrow. Claud. Yes. Has he affections in him,

-

That thus can make him bite the law by the nofe? When he would force it," fure it is no fin;

Or of the deadly feven it is the least.

Ifab. Which is the leaft?

Claud. If it were damnable," he being fo wife, Why would he for the momentary trick

Be perdurably fin'd?-Oh Isabel!

Ifab. What fays my brother?

Claud. Death is a fearful thing.

Ifab. And fhamed life a hateful.

Claud. Ay, but to die, and go we know not where; To lye in cold obftruction, and to rot;

This fenfible warm motion to become

A kneaded clod; and the delighted spirit'

• When he would force it,- Put it in force. WARBURTON.

7

To

"If it were damnable, &c.] Shakespeare fhows his knowledge of human nature in the conduct of Claudio. When Ifabella firft tells him of Angelo's propofal, he anfwers, with honest indignation, agreeably to his fettled principles,

Thou shalt not do't.

But the love of life being permitted to operate, foon furnishes him with fophiftical arguments, he believes it cannot be very dangerous to the foul, fince Angelo, who is so wife, will venture it. JOHNSON.

-delighted fpirit] i. e. the fpirit'accustomed here to eafe and delights. This was properly urged as an aggravation to the sharpness of the torments spoken of. The Oxford editor not apprehending this, alters it to dilated. As if, because the spirit in the body is faid to be imprisoned, it was crowded together likewife; and fo by death not only fet free, but expanded too; which, if true, would make it the less fenfible of pain. WARBURTON.

This reading may perhaps ftand, but many attempts have been

F 4

made

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