Sneak not away, fir; [To Lucio.] for the friar and you
Must have a word anon :-lay hold of him.

Lucio. This may prove worse than hanging.
Duke. What you have spoke, I pardon; fit you down.

[To ESCALUS.

We'll borrow place of him:-Sir, by your leave;

Haft thou or word, or wit, or impudence,
That yet can do thee office? If thou hast,
Rely upon it till my tale be heard,

And hold no longer out.

Ang.

O my dread lord, I fhould be guiltier than my guiltinefs,

To think I can be undifcernable,

[To ANGELO

When I perceive, your grace, like power divine,
Hath look'd upon my paffes: 3 Then good prince,
No longer feffion hold upon my fhame,

But let my trial be mine own confeffion;
Immediate fentence then, and fequent death,
Is all the grace I beg.

Duke.

Come hither, Mariana :Say, waft thou e'er contracted to this woman? Ang. I was, my lord.

Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.— Do you the office, friar; which confummate, 4

Return him here again :-Go with him, Provoft.

[Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provost. Efcal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour, Than at the ftrangeness of it.

Duke.
Come hither, Ifabel:
Your friar is now your prince: As I was then
Advértifing, and holy 5 to your business,
Not changing heart with habit, I am still
Attorney'd at your service.

2 i. e. do thee fervice. STEEVENS."

3 i. e. what has paft in my administration. "Not fo; (fays the Edin burgh Magazine, Nov. 1786.) Paffes means here artful devices, deceitful contrivances. Tours de paffe-paffe, in French, are tricks of jugglery.”

4 i. e. which being confummated. MALONE. $ Attentive and faithful. JOHNSON.

STEEVENS

Ifab.

O, give me pardon,

That I, your vaffal, have employ'd and pain'd
Your unknown fovereignty.

Duke.

You are pardon'd, Ifabel :

And now, dear maid, be you as free to us."
Your brother's death, I know, fits at your heart;
And you may marvel, why I obfcur'd myself,
Labouring to fave his life; and would not rather
Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power,7
Than let him fo be lost: O, most kind maid,
It was the fwift celerity of his death,

Which I did think with flower foot came on,
That brain'd my purpose:8 But, peace be with him!
That life is better life, paft fearing death,

Than that which lives to fear: make it

So happy is your brother.

your comfort,

Re-enter ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provo,

I do, my lord.

Duke. For this new-married man, approaching here, Whofe falt imagination yet hath wrong'd

Your well-defended honour, you must pardon

For Mariana's fake: but as he adjudg'd your brother,
(Being criminal, in double violation

Of facred chastity, and of promise-breach,9
Thereon dependant, for your brother's life,)
The very mercy of the law cries out

Moft audible, even from his proper tongue,1

6 Be as generous to us; pardon us as we have pardoned you.

7 That is, a premature difcovery of it. M. MASON.

An

JOHNSON.

8 We now ufe in conversation a like phrafe: This it was that knocked my defign on the bead. Dr. Warburton reads:

-baned my purpose. JOHNSON.

9 Our author ought to have written-" in double violation of facred chastity, and of promife," instead of-promife-breach. Sir T. Hanmer reads and in promife-breach; but change is certainly here improper, Shakspeare having many fimilar inaccuracies. Double indeed may refer to Angelo's conduct to Mariana and Ifabel; yet ftill fome difficulty will remain: for then he will be faid to be criminal [instead of guilty] promife-breach." MALONE.

2 Even from Angelo's own tongue. JOHNSON.

An Angelo for Claudio, death for death.

Hafte ftill pays hafte, and leisure answers leifure;
Like doth quit like, and Measure ftill for Meafure.
Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifested;

Which though thou would'ft deny, denies thee vantage ;3
We do condemn thee to the very block

Where Claudio ftoop'd to death, and with like haste;—
Away with him.

Mari.
O, my moft gracious lord,
I hope you will not mock me with a husband!
Duke. It is your husband mock'd you with a hufband;
Confenting to the fafeguard of your honour,
I thought your marriage fit; elfe imputation,
For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
And choke your good to come: for his poffeffions,
Although by confifcation they are ours,4

We do inftate and widow you withal,

To buy you a better husband.

Mari.

O, my dear lord,

[Kneeling.

I crave no other, nor no better man.
Duke. Never crave him; we are definitive.
Mari, Gentle, my liege,-

Duke.
You do but lofe your labour;
Away with him to death.-Now, fir, [To Lucio.] to you.
Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my part;
Lend me your knees, and all my life to come
I'll lend you, all my life to do you fervice.

Duke. Against all sense you do impórtune her; 5

3 Takes from thee all opportunity, all expedient of denial.

Should

WARBURTON.

The denial of which will avail thee nothing. MALONE. 4 This reading was furnished by the editor of the fecond folio. The original copy has confutation, which may be right :-by his being confuted, or proved guilty of the fact which be had denied. This, however, being rather harsh, I have followed all the modern editors in adopting the emendation that has been made. MALONE.

I cannot think it even poffible that confutation fhould be the true reading. But the value of the fecond folio, it feems, muft on all occafions be difputed. STEEVENS.

5 The meaning required is, against all reafon and natural affection; Shakspeare, therefore, judicioufly ufes a fingle word that implies both; fenfe fignifying both reason and affection. JOHNSON.

Should the kneel down, in mercy of this fact,
Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,
And take her hence in horror.

Sweet Ifabel, do yet but kneel by me ;

Hold up your hands, fay nothing, I'll speak all.
They fay, beft men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad: fo may my husband.
O, Ifabel! will you not lend a knee?
Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.
Ifab.

Most bounteous fir,

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,
As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,
A due fincerity govern'd his deeds,

Till he did look on me;6 fince it is fo,
Let him not die: My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he died:
For Angelo,

[Kneeling.

His

6 The Duke has justly obferved, that Ifabel is importuned against all fenfe to folicit for Angelo, yet here against all fenfe the folicits for him. Her argument is extraordinary: '

A due fincerity govern'd his deeds

Till be did look on me : fince it is fo,

Let bim not die.

That Angelo had committed all the crimes charged against him, as far as he could commit them, is evident. The only intent which bis a&t did not overtake, was the defilement of Ifabel. Of this Angelo was only intentionally guilty.

Angelo's crimes were fuch, as muft fufficiently juftify punishment, whether its end be to fecure the innocent from wrong, or to deter guilt by example; and I believe every reader feels fome indignation when he finds him fpared. From what extenuation of his crime, can Ifabel, who yet fuppofes her brother dead, form any plea in his favour? Since he was good till be looked on me, let him not die. I am afraid our varlet poet intended to inculcate, that women think ill of nothing that raises the credit of their beauty, and are ready, however virtuous, to pardon any act which they think incited by their own charms. JOHNSON.

It is evident that Ifabella condefcends to Mariana's importunate folicitation, with great reluctance. Bad as her argument might be, it is the beft that the guilt of Angelo would admit. The facrifice that the makes of her revenge to her friendship, fcarcely merits to be confidered in fo harth a light. RITSON.

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;

And must be buried but as an intent

That perish'd by the way :" thoughts are no fubjects;
Intents but merely thoughts.

Mari.

Merely, my lord.
Duke. Your fuit's unprofitable; ftand up, I fay.-
I have bethought me of another fault :-
Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded
At an unusual hour?

It was commanded fo.

Prov.
Duke. Had you a fpecial warrant for the deed?
Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private message.
Duke. For which I do discharge you of your
Give up your keys.

Prov.
Pardon me, noble lord:
I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me after more advice: 8
For teftimony whereof, one in the prifon,
That fhould by private order else have died,
I have referv'd alive.

Duke.
Prov.

What's he?

office:

His name is Barnardine.
Duke. I would thou had'ft done fo by Claudio.-
Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.

[Exit Provoft.

Efcal. I am forry, one fo learned and fo wife
As you, lord Angelo, have ftill appear'd,
Should flip fo grossly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgement afterward.

Ang. I am forry, that fuch forrow I procure:
And fo deep fticks it in my penitent heart,
That I crave death more willingly than mercy;
"Tis my deferving, and I do entreat it.

7 i. e. like the traveller, who dies on his journey, is obfcurely interred,
and thought of no more:

Illum expirantem

Obliti ignoto camporum in pulvere linquunt. STEEVENS. i. e. after more mature confideration. STEEVENS.

Re-enter

requires

& Thrargument word here is consonant with the cept of the English law which an open or overt act & pretend not to tükr t of the mind. We Cognizance of a meer ai. 416-79. WT.