Or say,

'tis not your seal, nor your invention:

You can say none of this: Well, grant it then,

And tell me, in the modesty of honour,

Why you have given me such clear lights of favour;
Bade me come smiling, and cross-garter'd to you,
To put on yellow stockings, and to frown
Upon sir Toby, and the lighter people:
And, acting this in an obedient hope,
Why have you suffer'd me to be imprison'd,
Kept in a dark house, visited by the priest,
And made the most notorious geck,5 and gull,
That e'er invention play'd on? tell me why.
Olivia. Alas, Malvolio, this is not my writing,
Though I confess much like the character:
But out of question, 'tis Maria's hand.
And now I do bethink me, it was she

First told me, thou wast mad; then cam'st in smiling,
And in such forms which here were presuppos'd
Upon thee in the letter. Pr'ythee, be content:
This practice hath most shrewdly pass'd upon thee;
But when we know the grounds and authors of it,
Thou shalt be both the plaintiff and the judge

Of thine own cause.

Fabian.

Good madam, hear me speak;
And let no quarrel, nor no brawl to come,
Taint the condition of this present hour,

Which I have wonder'd at. In hope it shall not,
Most freely I confess, myself, and Toby,
Set this device against Malvolio here,
Upon some stubborn and uncourteous parts
We had conceived against him: Maria writ
The letter, at sir Toby's great importance;
In recompense whereof, he hath married her.
How with a sportful malice it was follow'd,
May rather pluck on laughter than revenge;
If that the injuries be justly weigh'd,
That have on both sides past.

Olivia. Alas, poor fool! how have they baffled thee! 6 Importunity.

5 Fool.

Clown. Why, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrown upon them. I was one, sir, in this interlude; one Sir Topas, sir; but that's all one:- -By the Lord, fool, I am not mad;- But do you remember? Madam, why laugh you at such a barren rascal? an you smile not, he's gagg'd: And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.

Malvolio. I'll be revenged on the whole pack of you. [Exit.

Olivia. He hath been most notoriously abus'd.
Duke. Pursue him, and entreat him to a peace:
He hath not told us of the captain yet;
When that is known and golden time convents,'
A solemn combination shall be made

Of our dear souls-Mean time, sweet sister,
We will not part from hence.-Cesario, come,
For so you shall be, while you are a man:
But, when in other habits you are seen,
Orsino's mistress, and his fancy's queen.

SONG.

Clown. When that I was and a little tiny boy,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,

A foolish thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I come to man's estate,

[Exeunt.

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
'Gainst knave and thief men shut their gate,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came, alas! to wive,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
By swaggering could I never thrive,
For the rain it raineth every day.
A great while ago the world begun,

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
But that's all one, our play is done,

And we'll strive to please you every day. [Exit.

7 Shall serve.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

VOL. L

L

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

VINCENTIO, Duke of Vienna.

ANGELO, Lord Deputy in the Duke's absence.

ESCALUS, an ancient Lord, joined with Angelo in the Deputation. CLAUDIO, a young Gentleman.

LUCIO, a Fantastic.

Two other like Gentlemen.

VARRIUS, a Gentleman, Servant to the Duke.

Lords, Gentleman, Guards, Officers, and other Attendants.

SCENE-Vienna.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

PREFACE TO MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

THIS comedy contains scenes which are truly worthy of the first of dramatic poets. Isabella pleading with Angelo in behalf of mercy to her brother, and afterwards insisting that his life must not be purchased by the sacrifice of her chastity, is an object of such interest, as to make the reader desirous of overlooking the many great defects which are to be found in other parts of this play. The story is little suited to a comedy. The wickedness of Angelo is so atrocious, that I recollect only one instance of a similar kind being recorded in history;* and that is considered by many persons as of doubtful authority. His crimes, indeed, are not completed, but he supposes them to be so; and his guilt is as great as it would have been, if the person of Isabella had been violated, and the head of Ragozine had been Claudio's. This monster of iniquity appears before the Duke, defending his cause with unblushing boldness; and after the detection of his crimes, he can scarcely be said to receive any punishment. A hope is even expressed that he will prove a good husband, but for no good reason-namely, because he has been a little bad. Angelo abandoned his contracted wife for the most despicable of all reasons, the loss of her fortune. He added to his guilt not only insensibility to her affliction, but the detestable aggravation of injuring her reputation by an unfounded slander; ascribing his desertion of Mariana to levity in her conduct, of which she never was guilty.

* Kirk.