indeed, I can do you little harm: you'll forfwear this again. Lucio. I'll be hang'd first: thou art deceiv'd in me, friar. But no more of this. Canft thou tell, if Claudio die to-morrow, or no? Duke. Why should he die, fir? Lucio. Why? for filling a bottle with a tun-dish. I would, the duke, we talk of, were return'd again : this ungenitur'd agent will unpeople the province with continency. Sparrows must not build in his houfe-eaves, because they are letcherous. The duke yet would have dark deeds darkly answer'd; he would never bring them to light: Would he were return'd! Marry, this Claudio is condemn'd for untruffing. Farewell, good friar; I pr'ythee, pray for me. The duke, I say to thee again, would eat mutton on Fridays, He's now past it; yet (and I fay't to thee) he would mouth with a beggar, tho' fhe fmelt of brown bread and garlick: fay, that I faid fo. Farewell. [Exit. Duke. No might nor greatnefs in mortality Enter Efcalus, Provoft, Bawd, and Officers. Efcal. Go, away with her to prifon. Bawd. Good my lord, be good to me; your honour is accounted a merciful man: good my lord. Efcal. Double and treble admonition, and ftill for 4 eat mutton on Fridays.] A wench was called a laced mutton. THEOBALD, 5 He is now paft it,] Sir Thomas Hanmer, He is not past it yet. This emendation was received in the former edition, but feems not neceffary. It were to be wished, that we all explained more, and amended lefs. JOHNSON. G 4 feit feit in the fame kind? this would make mercy fwear and play the tyrant. Prov. A bawd of eleven years continuance, may it please your honour. Bavd. My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me: miftrefs Kate Keep-down was with child by him in the duke's time; he promis'd her marriage; his child is a year and quarter old, come Philip and Jacob: I have kept it myfelf, and fee, how he goes about to abuse me, Efcal. That fellow is a fellow of much licence: let him be call'd before us.-Away with her to prifon : Go to; no more words. [Exeunt with the Bawd.] Provost, my brother Angelo will not be alter'd; Claudio muft die to-morrow: let him be furnish'd with divines, and have all charitable preparation. If my brother wrought by my pity, it should not be fo with him. Prov. So please you, this friar has been with him, and advis'd him for the entertainment of death. Efcal. Good even, good father. Duke. Blifs and goodnefs on you! Efcal. Of whence are you? Duke. Not of this country, tho' my chance is now To use it for my time. I am a brother Of gracious order, lately come from the fee Efcal. What news abroad i' the world? Duke. None, but that there is fo great a fever on mercy fwear,] We should read /werve, i. e. deviate from her The common reading gives us the idea of a ranting whore. WARBURTON. nature. There is furely no need of emendation. We fay at prefent, Such a thing is enough to make a parfon fwear, i. e. deviate from a proper refpect to decency, and the fanctity of his character. STEEVENS. good goodness, that the diffolution of it must cure it. Novelty is only in requeft; and it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of course, as it is virtuous to be conftant in any undertaking. There is fcarce truth enough alive, to make focieties fecure; but fecurity enough, to make fellowships accurs'd. Much upon this riddle runs the wifdom of the world. This news is old enough, yet it is every day's news. fir, of what difpofition was the duke? I pray you, Efcal. One, that, above all other ftrifes, contended especially to know himself. Duke. What pleasure was he given to? Efcal. Rather rejoicing to fee another merry, than merry at any thing which profefs'd to make him rejoice: A gentleman of all temperance. But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove profperous; and let me defire to know, how you find Claudio prepar'd? I am made to understand, that you have lent him vifitation. Duke. He profeffes to have received no finifter measure from his judge, but moft willingly humbles himself to the determination of juftice: yet had he fram'd to himself, by the instruction of his frailty, many deceiving promifes of life; which I, by my good leifure, have difcredited to him, and now is he refolved to die. Efcal. You have paid the heavens your function, and the prifoner the very debt of your calling. I have labour'd for the poor gentleman, to the extremest fhore of my modefty; but my brother justice have I found fo fevere, that he hath forc'd me to tell him, he is indeed Juftice. Duke. If his own life anfwer the ftraitnefs of his proceeding, it shall become him well; wherein if he chance to fail, he hath fentenc'd himself. Efcal. I am going to vifit the prifoner: Fare you well. [Exit. Duke, Duke. Peace be with you! He, who the fword of heaven will bear, • Pattern in himfef to know, Grace to ftand, and virtue go;] Draw Thefe lines I cannot understand, but believe that they should be read thus: Patterning himself to know, In grace to ftand, in virtue go; To pattern is to work after a pattern, and, perhaps, in Shakefpeare's licentious diction, fimply to work. The fenfe is, be that bears the fword of heaven should be boly as well as fevere; one that afier good examples labours to know himself, to live with innocence, and to act with virtue. JOHNSON. This paffage is very obscure, nor can be cleared without a more licentious paraphrase than any reader may be willing to allow. He that bears the sword of heaven should be not less holy than severe : fhould be able to discover in himself a pattern of fuch grace as can avoid temptation, together with juch virtue as dares venture abroad into the world without danger of Jeduction. STEEVENS. 'How may likenefs made in crimes, Making practice on the times, To draw with idle spiders' firings Moft pond'rous and jubstantial things !] : Thus all the editions read corruptly and fo have made an ob fcure paffage in itself, quite unintelligible. Shakespeare wrote it thus, How may that likeness, made in crimes, Draw The Draw with idle spiders' ftrings Moft pond'rous and fubftantial things! 2 [Exit. The fenfe is this, How much wickedness may a man hide within, tho' he appear an angel without. How may that likeness made in crime, i. e. by hypocrify; [a pretty paradoxical expreffion, an angel made in crimes] by impofing upon the world [thus emphatically expreffed, making practice on the times] draw with its falfe and feeble pretences [finely called Spiders' ftrings] the most pondrous and fubftantial matters of the world, as riches, honour, power, reputation, &c. WARBURTON. The Revifal reads thus, How may fuch likeness trade in crimes, To draw with idle fpiders' firings meaning by pond'rous and fubftantial things, pleasure and wealth. How may that likeness made in crimes, Making practice of the times, Moft pond'rous and fubftantial things? STEEVENS. i. e. How may the making it a practice of letting great rogues break through the laws with impunity, and hanging up little ones for the fame crimes; draw away in time with idle spiders ftrings, (For no better do the cords of the law become, according to the old faying. Leges fimiles aranearum telis, to which the allufion is) juftice and equity, the most ponderous and fubftantial bases, and pillars of government. When juftice on offenders is not done, law, government, and commerce are overthrown. SMITH. So difguife fhall, by the difguis'd,] So disguise fhall by means of a perfon difguifed, return an injurious demand with a counterfeit perJon. JOHNSON. ACT |