For Angelo, 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 subjects, Mari. Merely, my lord. Duke. Your suit's unprofitable: stand up, I say. I have bethought me of another fault.- Prov. [They rise. It was commanded so. Prov. Pardon me, noble lord: I thought it was a fault, but knew it not, Duke. Prov. What's he? His name is Barnardine. Duke. I would thou hadst done so by Claudio. Go, fetch him hither: let me look upon him. [Exit Provost. Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd, Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood, Ang. I am sorry that such sorrow I procure; And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart, That I crave death more willingly than mercy: 'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it. Re-enter Provost, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO muffled, and JULIET. Duke. Which is that Barnardine? Prov. This, my lord. Duke. There was a friar told me of this man.Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul, That apprehends no farther than this world, And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt condemned; VOL. I. A a But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all, I leave him to your hand.-What muffled fellow's that? That should have died when Claudio lost his head, As like almost to Claudio as himself. [Unmuffles CLAUDIO. Duke. If he be like your brother, [To ISABELLA.] for his sake [CLAUDIO and ISAB. embrace. Is he pardon'd; and for your lovely sake, Give me your hand and say you will be mine, He is my brother too. But fitter time for that'. Methinks, I see a quick'ning in his eye.- Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth your's.— And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon.— You, sirrah, [To Lucio.] that knew me for a fool, a coward, Wherein have I so well deserv'd of you', Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick. If you will hang me for it, you may; but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipp'd. Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.— Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a 9 But fitter time for that.] Johnson observes that "it is somewhat strange that Isabel is not made to express either gratitude, wonder, or joy at the sight of her brother." It would have been strange, if she had not been so lost in her gratitude, wonder, and joy, as to be unable to express the state of her mind in words: she probably rushed into Claudio's arms, and fell upon his neck in silent delight and astonishment. "Claudio and Isabella embrace" is the MS. stage-direction in the corr. fo. 1632, and we have willingly inserted it. 1 Wherein have I so WELL deserv'd of you,] The Duke, of course, speaks ironically: "well" is from the corr. fo. 1632, and it not only completes the line, but adds much force to the interrogatory: it is almost self-evident that it had escaped in printing. whore! Your highness said even now I made you a duke: good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold. Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her. Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal Remit thy other forfeits.-Take him to prison, And see our pleasure herein executed. Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging. Duke. Slandering a prince deserves it. She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.- I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.- What's mine is your's, and what is your's is mine.-- What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know'. 2 - THAT'S meet you all should know.] The first folio has "that meet," &c., and it was corrected in the second folio. Not so with a slight error of the same kind on the preceding page, where "If any woman's wrong'd" is printed in both the old copies " If any woman wrong'd." 3 Curtain drawn.] These words are in MS. at the conclusion of the play in the corr. fo. 1632. In general we are told that all the characters exeunt, but there is no such direction in any of the old copies of "Measure for Measure." There were curtains in our old theatres, that drew apart and disclosed the actors to the audience: here we must suppose that these curtains were drawn together, and that thus the piece concluded. We are not aware of any similar instance. |