Pro.

"Such zeale he beares, unto the common weale,
"(How fo he byds, the ignoraunt to fave)

"As he commaundes, the lewde doo rigor feele, &c, &c. &c.

"Both fwoorde and keies, unto my princes ufe,
"I do receyve, and gladlie take my chardge.
"It refteth now, for to reforme abuse,

"We poynt a tyme of counfell more at lardge,
"To treate of which, a whyle we wyll depart.

Al. Speake.

"To worke your wyll, we yeeide a willing hart.

Exeunt."

The reader will find the argument of G. Whetstone's Promos and Caffandra, at the end of this play. It is too bulky to be inferted here. See likewife the piece itfelf among Six old Plays on which Shakspeare founded, &c. published by S. Leacroft, Charing-crois. STEEVENS.

Measure for Meafure was, I believe, written in 1603. See An Attempt to afcertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays, Vol. 1.

MALONE.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Vincentio, Duke of Vienna.

Angelo, lord deputy in the duke's abfence.

Efcalus, an ancient lord, joined with Angelo in the
deputation.
Claudio, a young gentleman.

Lucio, a fantaftick.

Tavo other like gentlemen.

*

Varrius, a gentleman, fervant to the duke.

Provoft.
Thomas,
Peter,
A justice.

Elbow, a fimple conftable.
Froth, a foolish gentleman.

Clown, Jervant to Mrs. Over-done.

Abhorfon, an executioner.

Barnardine, a diffolute prifoner.

Ifabella, fifter to Claudio.

Mariana, betrothed to Angelo.

Juliet, beloved by Claudio.
Francifca, a nun.

Miftrefs Over-done, a bawd.

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

SCENE, Vienna.

*Varrius might be omitted, for he is only once spoken to, and says nothing. JOHNSON,

MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

ACT I. SCENE I.

An Apartment in the Duke's Palace.

Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants.

Duke. Efcalus,

Efcal. My lord.

Duke. Of government the properties to unfold,
Would feem in me to affect speech and discourse;
Since I am put to know, that your own science,
Exceeds, in that, the lists 3 of all advice
My ftrength can give you: Then no more remains,
But that to your fufficiency, as your worth is able,
And let them work. The nature of our people,

Ꭲ ;
5

2 This may mean, I am compelled to acknowledge. STEEVENS. –

Our

4 To the integrity of this reading Mr. Theobald objects, and fays, What was Efcalus to put to bis fufficiency? why, bis fcience: But bis fcience and fufficiency were but one and the fame thing. On what then does the relative them depend? He will have it, therefore, that a line has been accidentally dropp'd, which he attempts to restore thus:

But that to your fufficiency you add

Due diligence, as your worth is able, &c.. Nodum in feirpo quærit. And all for want of knowing, that by fufficiency is meant authority, the power delegated by the duke to Efcalus. The plain meaning of the word being this: Put your skill in governing (fays the Duke) to the power which I give you to exercise it, and let them work together.

WARBURTON.

Sir Thomas Hanmer having caught from Mr. Theobald a hint that a line was loft, endeavours to fupply it thus:

Then no more remains,

But that to your fufficiency you join

A will to ferve us, as your worth is able.

He has, by this bold conjecture, undoubtedly obtained a meaning, but, perhaps, not even in his own opinion, the meaning of Shakspeare.

That the paffage is more or lefs corrupt, I believe every reader will agree with the editors. I am not convinced that a line is loft, as Mr. Theo

bald

Our city's inftitutions, and the terms 5

For

bald conjectures, nor that the change of but to put, which Dr. Warburton has admitted after fome other editor [Rowe], will amend the fault There was probably fome original obfcurity in the expreffion, which gave occafion to mistake in repetition or tranfcription. I therefore fufpect that the author wrote thus:

Then no more remains,

But that to your fufficiencies your worth is abled,
And let them work.

Then nothing remains more than to tell you, that your virtue is now invested
with power equal to your knowledge and wisdom. Let therefore your know-
ledge and your virtue now work together. It may eafily be conceived how
Sufficiencies was, by an inarticulate fpeaker, or inattentive hearer, con-
founded with fufficiency as, and how abled, a word very unufual, was
changed into atie. For abled, however, an authority is not wanting.
Lear ufes it in the fame fenfe, or nearly the fame with the Duke.
for fufficiencies, D. Hamilton in his dying fpeech, prays that Charles II.
may exceed both the virtues ard fufficiencies of bis father. JOHNSON.

As

The uncommon redundancy, as well as obfcurity, of this verfe may be confidered as evidence of its corruption. Take away the two firft words, and the fenfe joins well enough with what went before. Then (fays the Duke) no more remains to say:

Your fufficiency as your worth is able,

And let them work.

i. e. Your skill in government is, in ability to ferve me, equal to the integrity of your beart, and let them co-operate in your future miniftry.

The verfification requires that either fomething fhould be added, or fomething retrenched. The latter is the eafier, as well as the fafer task. I join in the belief, however, that a line is loft; and whoever is acquainted with the inaccuracy of the folio, (for of this play there is no other old edition,) will find my opinion juftified. STEEVENS.

Some words feem to be loft here, the sense of which, perhaps, may be thus fupplied:

then no more remains,

But that to your fufficiency you put

A zeal as willing as your worth is able,

And let them work.

TYRWHITT.

I agree with Warburton in thinking that by fufficiency the duke means authority, or power; and, if that be admitted, a very flight alteration indeed will reftore this paffage-the changing the word is into be. It will then run thus, and be clearly intelligible:

That is, you are thoroughly acquainted with your duty, fo that nothing more is neceffary to be done, but to invest you with power equal to your abilities. M. MASON.

Sufficiency

For common juftice, you are as pregnant in,"
As art and practice hath enriched any

That we remember: There is our commiffion,

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

[Exit an Attendant. What figure of us think you he will bear? For you muft know, we have with special foul Elected him our abfence to fupply; 7

you

Lent him our terror, drest him with our love;
And given his deputation all the organs
Of our own power: What think of it?
Efcal. If any in Vienna be of worth
To undergo fuch 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,

T 6

That,

Sufficiency is fkill in government; ability to execute his office. And let them work, a figurative expreffion; Let them ferment. MALONE.

5 Terms mean the technical language of the courts. An old book called Les Termes de la Ley, (written in Henry the Eighth's time) was in Shakspeare's days, and is now, the accidence of young students in the law. BLACKSTONE.

• The later editions all give it, without authority,

the terms Of justice,

and Dr. Warburton makes terms fignify bounds or limits. Frather think the Duke meant to fay, that Escalus was pregnant, that is ready and knowing in all the forms of the law, and, among other things, in the terms or times fet apart for its adminiftration. JOHNSON.

7 By the words with special foul elected bim, I believe, the poet meant no more than that he was the immediate chice of bis beart. STEEVENS. Steevens has hit upon the true explanation of the passage; and might have found a further confirmation of it in Troilus and Creffida, where, fpeaking of himself, Troilus fays,

ne'er did young man fancy "With fo eternal, and fo fix'd a foul.”

To do a thing with all one's foul, is a common expreffion. M. MASON,