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Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

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As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd,
But to fine issues; 6 nor nature never lends "
The smallest scruple of her excellence,
But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines
Herself the glory of a creditor,

Both thanks and use. 8

But I do bend my speech

To one that can my part in him advertise: "

Hold, therefore, Angelo: 10

In our remove, be thou at full ourself;

Mortality and Mercy in Vienna

Live in thy tongue and heart: " Old Escalus,
Though first in question, is thy secondary:
Take thy commission.

Ang.

Now, good my lord,

Let there be some more test made of my metal,
Before so noble and so great a figure

Be stamp'd upon it.

Duke.

No more evasion:

We have with a leaven'd 12 and prepared choice Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours. Our haste from hence is of so quick condition,

• That is, to noble ends, to high purposes.

H.

7 Two negatives, not making an affirmative, are common in Shakespeare's writings. So in Julius Cæsar: "Nor to no Roman else."

8 Use in the mercantile sense of interest.

H.

9 That is, one that can himself set forth what pertains to him as my substitute.

H.

10 Tyrwhitt thinks the Duke here checks himself,- Hold, therefore and that Angelo begins a new sentence. But hold seems addressed to Ange'o; the sense being,—« Hold, therefore, our power;" referring to the commission which the Duke has in his hand.

H.

11 That is, I delegate to thy tongue the power of pronouncing sentence of death, and to thy heart the privilege of exercising mercy.

12 A choice mature, concocted, fermented; that is, not hasty but considerate.

That it prefers itself, and leaves unquestion'd
Matters of needful value. We shall write to you,
As time and our concernings shall impórtune,
How it goes with us; and do look to know

What doth befall you here.
To the hopeful execution do
Of your commissions.

Ang.

So, fare

you

I leave you

well:

Yet, give leave, my lord,

That we may bring you something on the way.
Duke. My haste may not admit it;

Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do

With any scruple: your scope

13 is as mine own,

So to enforce or qualify the laws,

As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand.

I'll privily away: I love the people,

But do not like to stage me to their eyes:

Though it do well, I do not relish well
Their loud applause, and aves 14 vehement;
Nor do I think the man of safe discretion
That does affect it. Once more, fare you well.
Ang. The heavens give safety to your purposes!
Lead forth, and bring you back in hap-
piness!

Escal.

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

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SCENE II. A Street.

Enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen.

Lucio. If the Duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the king of Hungary, why, then all the dukes fall upon the king.

1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the king of Hungary's!

2 Gent. Amen.

Lucio. Thou conclud'st like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the Ten Commandments, but scrap'd one out of the table.

2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal?

Lucio. Ay, that he raz’d.

1 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.

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

2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least.

1 Gent. What! in metre?

Lucio. In any proportion,' or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion.

Lucio. Ay; why not? Grace is grace, despite of all controversy: as, for example, thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace.

1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of shears between us.2

That is, measure.

2 An old proverb, meaning,- We were both cut off, or out of, the same piece.

H

Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet: Thou art the list.

1 Gent. And thou the velvet thou art good velvet; thou art a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet.3 Do I speak feelingly now?

Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee.

1 Gent. I think I have done myself wrong, have I not?

2 Gent. Yes, that thou hast, whether thou art tainted or free.

Lucio. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes! I have purchas'd as many diseases under her roof as come to

2 Gent. To what, I pray?

Lucio. Judge.

2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a-year

1 Gent. Ay, and more.

Lucio. A French crown more.

1 Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me: but thou art full of error; I am sound.

Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound as things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow; impiety has made a feast of thee.

A quibble upon piled and pilled. Velvet was esteemed acccrding to the richness of the pile; three-pil'd was the richest. But Pil'd also means bald. The jest alludes to the loss of hair in the French disease. Lucio, finding the Gentleman understands the distemper so well, and mentions it so feelingly, promises to remember to drink his health, but to forget to drink after him. In old times the cup of an infected person was thought to be contagious.

A quibble upon dollar and dolour. It occurs again in The Tempest, Act ii. sc. 1.

H.

Enter Bawd.

1 Gent. How now? Which of your hips has the most profound sciatica?

Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prison, was worth five thousand of you all.

1 Gent. Who's that, I pray thee ?

Bawd. Marry, sir, that's Claudio; signior Claudio.

1 Gent. Claudio to prison! 'tis not so.

Bawd. Nay, but I know 'tis so: I saw him arrested; saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head's to be chopp'd off.

Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so: Art thou sure of this?

Bawd. I am too sure of it; and it is for getting madam Julietta with child.

Lucio. Believe me, this may be: be promis'd to meet me two hours since; and he was ever precise in promise-keeping.

2 Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose.

1 Gent. But, most of all, agreeing with the proclamation.

Lucio. Away: let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt LUCIO and Gentlemen. Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk. How now? what's the news with you?

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The sweat; the consequences of the curative process then used for a certain disease.

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