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would have dark deeds darkly anfwer'd; he would never bring them to light; would he were return'd! Marry, this Claudio is condemned for untruffing. Farewell, good Friar; I pr'ythee, pray for me. The Duke, I fay to thee again, would eat mutton on Fridays. 4 He's not paft it yet. And I fay to thee, he would mouth with a beggar, tho' fhe smelt of brown bread and garlick: fay, that I faid fo, farewel. [Exit.

5.

Duke. No might nor greatness in mortality
Can cenfure 'fcape: back wounding calumny
The whiteft virtue ftrikes. What king so strong,
Can tie the gall up in the fland'ring tongue ?
But who comes here?

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Enter Efcalus, Provoft, Bawd, and Officers.

Efcal.. Go, away with her to prison.

Bawd. Good my lord, be good to me; your Honour is accounted a merciful man: good my lord.

Efcal. Double and treble admonition, and ftill forfeit in the fame kind: this would make mercy fwear, and play the tyrant.

Prov. A bawd of eleven years continuance, may it please your Honour.

Bawd. My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me miftrefs Kate Keep-down was with child by him in the Duke's time; he promis'd her marriage; his child is a year and a quarter old, come Philip and Jacob: I have kept it my felf; and fee, how he goes about to abuse me.

mercy SWEAR.] We fhould read SWERVE, i. e. deviate from her nature. The common reading gives us the idea of a ranting whore. WARBURTON.

6 eat mutton on Fridays.] A wench was called a laced mutton THEOBALD. He is not paft it.] Sir Tho. ner Editions, he

Hanmer.
is now past it, yet.

Efcal.

Efcal. This fellow is a fellow of much licence; let him be call'd before us. Away with her to prifon: go to; no more words. [Exeunt with the Bawd.] Provost, my brother Angelo will not be alter'd; Claudio muft die to-morrow: let him be furnish'd with divines, and have all charitable preparation. If my brother wrought by my pity, it should not be fo with him.

Prov. So please you, this Friar has been with him, and advis'd him for the entertainment of death. Efcal. Good even, good father.

Duke. Blifs and goodnefs on you!
Efcal. Of whence are you?

Duke. Not of this country, tho' my chance is now To use it for my time. I am a brother

Of gracious order, late come from the See*
In fpecial business from his holiness.

Efcal. What news abroad, i' th' world?

Duke. None, but that there is fo great a fever on goodness, that the diffolution of it muft cure it. Novelty is only in requeft; and it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of courfe, as it is virtuous to be conftant in any undertaking. There is fcarce truth enough alive, to make focieties fecure; but fecurity enough, to make fellowships accurft. Much upon this riddle runs the wisdom of the world; this news is old enough, yet it is every day's news. I pray you, Sir, of what difpofition was the Duke?

Efcal. One, that, above all other strifes, Contended fpecially to know himself.

Duke. What pleasure was he giv'n to?

Efcal. Rather rejoicing to fee another merry, than merry at any thing which profeft to make him rejoice. A gentleman of all temperance. But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove profperous; and let me defire to know, how you find Claudio prepar'd I am made to understand, that you have lent him vifitation.

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Duke. He profeffes to have received no finifter meafure from his judge, but most willingly humbles himself to the determination of justice; yet had he fram'd to himself, by the inftruction of his frailty, many deceiving promises of life; which I by my good leifure have difcredited to him, and now he is refolved to die. Efcal. You have paid the heav'ns your function, and the prifoner the very debt of your calling. I have labour'd for the poor gentleman, to the extremeft shore of my modefty; but my brother Juftice have I found fo fevere, that he hath forc'd me to tell him, he is indeed justice.

Duke. If his own life anfwer the ftraitness of his proceeding, it shall become him well; wherein, if he chance to fail, he hath fentenc'd himself.

Efcal. I am going to vifit the prifoner; fare you well.

[Exit.

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Duke. Peace be with you!

He, who the fword of heav'n will bear,

Should be as holy as fevere:

Pattern in himself to know, 7

Grace to stand, and virtue

go 3 More nor less to others paying,

Than by self offences weighing.
Shame to him, whofe cruel striking!
Kills for faults of his own liki .
Twice treble fhame on Angelo,
To weed my vice, and let his grow!

7 Pattern in himself to know, Grace to ftand, and virtue go.] Thefe lines I cannot understand, but believe that they should be read thus:

Patterning himself to know,

In Grace to ftand, in Virtue go. To pattern is to work after a pat

tern, and, perhaps.in Shakespeare's licentious diction, fimply to wo k. The fenfe is, he that bears the

word of heaven should be holy as well as fevere, one that after good examples labours to know and to act with virtue, himself, to live with innocence,

Oh,

2

Oh, what may man within him hide,

Tho' angel on the outward fide!

How may that likeness, made in crimes,
Making practice on the times,
Draw with idle spiders' ftrings
Most pond'rous and fubftantial things!
Craft againft vice I must apply.
With Angelo to-night fhall lye
His old betrothed, but defpis'd;
So disguise fhall be th' difguis'd
Pay with falfhood, false exacting,
And perform an old contracting.

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8

[Exit.

out. How may that likeness made in crimes, i. e. by Hypocrify; [a pretty paradoxical expreffion, an angel made in crimes] by impofing upon the world [thus emphatically expreffed, making practice on the times] draw with its falle and feeble pretences [finely called Spider's ftrings] the most pondrous and fubflantial matters of the world, as Riches, Honour, Power, Reputation. &c.

WARBURTON. 9 So difguife fhall by th' dif

guis'd.] So difguise fhall by means of a perfon difguifed return an injurious demand with a counterfeit perfon.

ACT

A C T IV. SCENE I.

T

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AKE, ob, take, those lips away, '
That fo fweetly were forfworn;
And thofe eyes, the break of day,
Lights that do mif-lead the morn;
But my kiffes bring again,

Seals of love, but feal'd in vain.

Enter Duke.

Mari. Break off thy fong, and hafte thee quick

away:

Here comes a man of comfort, whofe advice
Hath often still'd my brawling discontent.-
I cry you mercy, Sir, and well could wish,
You had not found me here fo mufical;
Let me excufe me, and believe me so,
My mirth is much difpleas'd, but pleas'd my woe.

Take, oh, take, &c.] This is part of a little fong of ShakeSpear's own writing, confitting of two Stanza's, and fo extremely fweet, that the reader won't be displeased to have the other.

Hide, ah, hide those bills of
Snow

Which thy frozen bofom bears,
On whoje tops, the pinks that
& row,

A of thee that April wears.
VOL. 1.

2

Duke.

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