From which we would not have you warp.-Call hither, I say, bid come before us Angelo.

[Exit an Attendant.
What figure of us think you he will bear?
For, you must know, we have with special soul
Elected him our absence to supply,

Lent him our terror, drest him with our love,
And given his deputation all the organs
Of our own power. What think you of it?
Escal. If any in Vienna be of worth

To undergo such ample grace and honour,
It is lord Angelo.

Duke.

Enter ANGELO.

Look, where he comes.

Ang. Always obedient to your grace's will,
I come to know your pleasure.

Duke.
Angelo,
There is a kind of character in thy life,
That, to th' observer, doth thy history
Fully unfold. Thyself and thy belongings
Are not thine own so proper, as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtues, them on thee*.
Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do,

Not light them for themselves; 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

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 advertise":

THEM on thee.] The old copy reads- "they on thee."

5 to fine issues ;] for high purposes.

Both thanks and USE.] Use of old signified interest of money.

7 To one that can my part in him advertise ;] i. e. to one, says Malone, who

is already informed as to the duties of my office.

Hold, therefore, Angelo :

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 and prepared choice
Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.
Our haste from hence is of so quick condition,
That it prefers itself, and leaves unquestion'd
Matters of needful value. We shall write to you,
As time and our concernings shall importune,
How it goes with us; and do look to know
What doth befall you here. So, fare you well:
To the hopeful execution do I leave you
Of your commissions.

Ang.

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 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 vehement,
Nor do I think the man of safe discretion,

Hold, therefore, Angelo:] In all probability, tendering Angelo his commission, as the Duke had previously given a similar document to Escalus. Having stated its import, he places it in the hands of Angelo at the concluding words of the speech, "Take thy commission."

That does affect it. Once more,

Once more, fare you well.

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

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 concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table.

2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal?

Lucio. Ay, that he razed.

1 Gent. Why? "Twas a commandment to command

1 Gent. Why?] It may be doubted whether what follows this interrogatory do not belong to Lucio, rather than to the gentleman who is thus made to ask a question and answer it himself. Ritson plausibly suggests that the observation afterwards, "In any proportion, or in any language," belongs to the 2 Gent., and not to Lucio.

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 sheers between us'.

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 2. 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.

1 Well, there went but a pair of sheers between us.] A proverbial expression to show that they were both cut off the same piece. It is of common occurrence in our old dramatists.

- as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet.] The point of this retort depends upon the similarity of sound between pil'd, in reference to the pile of velvet, and pill'd, in reference to a person losing his hair.

Lucio. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes 3!

1 Gent. I have purchased 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 4

1 Gent. Ay, and more.

Lucio. A French crown more.

2 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.

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. 2 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 to be chopped 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.

3 Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes !] The old copies give the whole of this speech to Lucio, but the latter part of it probably belongs to 1 Gent. Pope, and Malone following him, took it altogether from Lucio, but there is no reason for depriving him of the observation respecting the approach of the Bawd, who enters just afterwards, though the folios mark it here.

4 To three thousand dollars a-year.] A quibble upon dollar and dolour. We meet with it again in "The Tempest," A. II., sc. 1.