By which he should revive: and even fo

ว

The general, fubject to a well-wish'd king,

'Quit their own part, and in obfequious fondness Crowd to his prefence, where their untaught love Must needs appear offence.

Enter Ifabella.

How now, fair maid ?

Ifab. I am come to know your pleasure.

Ang. That you might know it, would much better please me,

[Going.

Than to demand what 'tis. Your brother cannot live.
Ifab. Even fo?-Heaven keep your honour!
Ang. Yet may he live a while; and, it may be,
As long as you, or I: Yet he must die.

Ifab. Under your sentence?

Ang., Yea.

Ifab. When, I beseech you? that in his reprieve,
Longer, or shorter, he may be fo fitted,
That his foul ficken not.

Ang. Ha! Fie, thefe filthy vices! It were as good
To pardon him, that hath from nature stolen
A man already made, as to remit

Their fawcy fweetnefs, that do coin heaven's image
In stamps that are forbid: 'tis all as easy

Falfely to take away a life true made,

d

As to put metal in restrained means,

a The general fubject]—the subjects in general, or the common people. "the play pleafed not the million; 'twas caviare to the general.”

C

HAMLET, A& II, S. 2.

Quit their own part,]-Leave their proper abodes.

Ham.

farcy feetnefs,]-licentious indulgence of the appetite. reftrained means,]-prohibited mints, or moulds. The sense of the whole paffage feems to be this-" "Tis as eafy wickedly to deprive man, born in wedlock, of his life, as to violate a maid, and thereby produce an illegitimate offspring: murder therefore being as readily committed as fornication, the latter can lay no fairer claim to pardon."

To

To make a false one,

Ifab. 'Tis fet down so in heaven, but not in earth.
Ang. Say you fo? then I fhall poze you quickly.
Which had you rather, That the most just law
Now took your brother's life; or, to redeem him,
Give up your body to fuch fweet uncleanness,
As fhe that he hath ftain'd?

Ifab. Sir, believe this,

I had rather give my body than my foul.

Ang. I talk not of your foul; Our compell'd fins Stand more for number than for accompt.

Ifab. How fay you?

Ang. Nay, I'll not warrant that; for I can speak
Against the thing I fay. Anfwer to this,―
I, now the voice of the recorded law,
Pronounce a sentence on your brother's life:
Might there not be a charity in fin,

To fave this brother's life?

Ifab. Please you to do't,

I'll take it as a peril to my foul,

It is no fin at all, but charity.

Ang. Pleas'd you to do't, at peril of your foul, Were equal poize of fin and charity.

Ifab. That I do beg his life, if it be fin,

Heaven, let me bear it! you granting of my fuit,

If that be fin, I'll make it my morn prayer

f

To have it added to the faults of mine,

And nothing of your, answer.

Ang. Nay, but hear me :

Your sense pursues not mine: either you are ignorant; Or feem fo, craftily; and that's not good.

e in earth, but not in heaven.

f of mine, and nothing of your, anfwer.]-which I, not you, shall anfwer for.

. VOL. I.

X

Jab.

Ifab. Let me be ignorant, and in nothing good, But graciously to know I am no better.

g

Ang. Thus wifdom wishes to appear most bright,
When it doth tax itfelf: as thefe black masks
Proclaim an "enshield beauty ten times louder
Than beauty could displayed.—But mark me;
To be received plain, I'll speak more grofs:
Your brother is to die.

Ifab. So.

appears

Ang. And his offence is fo, as it Accountant to the law upon that 'pain. Ifab. True.

Ang. Admit no other way to fave his life,

k

(As I fubfcribe not that, nor any other,

But in the 'lofs of queftion) that you, his fifter,
Finding yourself defir'd of fuch a perfon,
Whofe credit with the judge, or own great place,
Could fetch your brother from the manacles
Of the all-binding law; and that there were
No earthly mean to fave him, but that either

You must lay down the treasures of your body
To this fuppofed, or elfe let him fuffer;

What would you do?

Ifab. As much for my poor brother, as myself:
That is, Were I under the terms of death,
The impreflion of keen whips I'd wear as rubies,
And strip myself to death, as to a bed

That longing I have been fick for, ere I'd yield
My body up to shame.

thefe black mafks]—such as Ijabella held in her hand, or the female part of the audience wore.

henfield]-enfhielded, covered as with a fhield.

i pain.]-penalty.

* fubfcribe not]-allow, agree not to.

lofs of question-in the way of idle fuppofition-tofs of question

for argument's fake.

fuppofed,]-perfon.

Ang.

Ang. Then muft your brother die.

Ifab. And 'twere the cheaper way: Better it were, a brother dy'd " at once, Than that a fifter, by redeeming him, Should die for ever.

Ang. Were not you then as cruel as the fentence That you have flander'd fo?

Ifab. Ignominy in ransom, and free pardon, Are of two houfes: lawful mercy

Is nothing kin to foul redemption.

Ang. You feem'd of late to make the law a tyrant, And rather prov'd the fliding of your brother

A merriment than a vice.

Ifab. O pardon me, my lord; it oft falls out,
To have what we would have, we fpeak not what we mean:
I fomething do excufe the thing I hate,

For his advantage that I dearly love.
Ang. We are all frail.

Ifab. Elfe let my brother die,

If not a feodary, but only he,
Owe, and fucceed by weakness.

Ang. Nay, women are frail too.

Ijab. Ay, as the glaffes where they view themselves; Which are as easy broke as they make forms. Women!-Help heaven! men their creation mar In profiting by them. Nay, call us ten times frail;

n for.

a feodary,]-a vaffal of corruption, holding his exiftence, as other mortals do, by the fame frail tenure with his ancestors-If he have no confederate; if none of his fraternity be frail, and have availed themlelves of a fimilar imbecillity in our fex.

P take.

"Senfelefs bauble!

"Art thou a feodary for this act ?”

CYMBELINE, A& III, S. 2. Pif

men their creation mar in profiting by them.]-stoop from the dignity of their fex, or debafe themselves, when they meanly take advantage of female weakness.

X 2

For

For we are as foft as our complexions are,
And 'credulous to falfe prints.

Ang. I think it well:

And from this testimony of your own fex,

(Since, I fuppofe, we are made to be no ftronger,
Than faults may shake our frames) let me be bold,—
I do arreft your words; Be that you are,

That is, a woman; if you be more, you're none;
If you be one (as you are well exprefs'd

By all external warrants) fhew it now,
By putting on the deftin❜d livery.

Ifab. I have no tongue but one: gentle my lord,
Let me intreat you, ' fpeak the former language.
Ang. Plainly conceive, I love you.

Ifab. My brother did love Juliet ;

And tell you

me,

that he fhall die for it.

Ang. He fhall not, Ifabel, if you give me love.

t

Ifab. I know, your virtue hath a licence in't, Which feems a little fouler than it is,

u

To pluck on others.

Ang. Believe me, on mine honour,

My words express my purpose.

Ifab. Ha! little honour to be much believed, And most pernicious purpose!

W

Seeming, feeming !

I will proclaim thee, Angelo; look for't:

Sign me a prefent pardon for my brother,

Or, with an out-ftretch'd throat, I'll tell the world
Aloud, what man thou art.

Ang. Who will believe thee, Ifabel?

My unfoil'd name, the auftereness of my life,

credulous to false prints.]-fufceptible of falfe impreffions.
Speak the former language.]—persist in your refusal.

u

a licence]-fuch as is granted to spies. pluck on]-draw on. Seeming, Seeming!]-Hypocrify, counterfeit fanctity.

My