Your partner, as I hear, muft die to-morrow, And I am going with inftruction to him. So, grace go with you! benedicite. [Exit. Juliet. Muft die to-morrow! oh, injurious love, That refpites me a life, whofe very comfort Is ftill a dying horror! Prov. 'Tis pity of him. Ang. W SCENE Changes to the Palace. Enter Angelo. HEN I would pray and think, I think To fev'ral fubjects: heav'n hath my empty words, And in my heart the strong and fwelling evil 3 There reft] Keep yourself in this temper. 4 ob, injurious love.] Her execution was refpited on account of her pregnancy, the effects of her love: therefore the calls it injurious: not that it brought her to fhame, but that it hindered her freeing herself from it. Is not this all very natural yet the Oxford Editor changes it to injurious law. 5 Whilft my intention.] Nothing can be either plainer or 6 exacter than this expreffion. But the old blundering Folio having it, invention, this was enough for Mr Theobald to prefer authority to fenfe. WARBURTON. 6 Grown FEAR'D and tedious;} We thould read SɛAR'D: i. e. nid. So Shakespear ufes, in the jear, to fignify old age. WARBURTON. I think fear'd may stand; what we go to with reluctance may be faid to be fear'd. Wherein Wherein (let no man hear me) I take pride, 7 Wrench awe from fools, and tie the wifer fouls To thy falfe feeming?] Here Shakespear judiciously diftinguish es the different operations of high place upon different minds. Fools are frighted, and wife men are allured. Thofe who cannot judge but by the eye, are eafily awed by fplendour, those who confider men as well as conditions, are easily perfuaded to love the appearance of virtue dignified with power. 8 Let's write good angel on the devil's born; 'Tis not the devil's creft.] i. e. Let the most wicked thing have but a virtuous pretence, and it fhall pafs for innocent. This was his conclufion from his preceding words. ob form! How often doft thou with thy cafe, thy habit, Wrench awe from fools, and tie the avifer fouls To thy false feeming ?— But the Oxford Editor makes him conclude juft counter to his 8 own premifes; by altering it to, Is't not the devil's creft. So that, according to this alteration, the reasoning ftands thus. Falfe feeming wrenches awe from fools, and deceives the wife. Therefore, Let us but write good angel on the devil's born; (i. e. give him the appearance of an angel ;) and what then? Is't not the devil's creft? (i.e. he fhall be efteemed a devil.) WARB. I am till inclined to the opinion of the Oxford Editor. Angelo, reflecting on the difference between his feeming character, and his real difpofition, obferves that he could change his gravity for a plume. He then digreffes into an apostrophe, O Dignity, how doft thou impose upon the world! then returning to himfelf, Blood, fays he, thou art but blood, however conceal'd with appearances and decorations. Title and character do not alter nature, which is ftill corrupt, however dignified. Let's write good angel on the devil's horn; Is't not?-or rather—'Tis yet — the devil's creft. Serv. One Ifabel, a fifter, defires access to you. Ang. Teach her the way. [Solus.] Oh heav'ns! Why does my blood thus muster to my heart, Making both That unable for itself, And difpoffeffing all Of neceffary fitnefs? my other parts So play the foolish throngs with one that fwoons; By which he fhould revive and even fo How now, fair maid? Ijab. I am come to know your pleasure. Ang. That you might know it, would much better please me, Than to demand, what 'tis. Your brother cannot live Ifab. Ev'n fo?-Heav'n keep your Honour ! [Going. Ang. Yet may he live a while; and, it may be, As long as you or I; yet he muft die. Ifab. Under your fentence? Ang. Yea. Ifab. When? I beseech you; that in his reprieve, Longer or fhorter, he may be fo fitted, That his foul ficken not. 9 The genral fubjects to a wellwifh'd King So the later Editions: but the cld copies read, the General fubject to a wellwifhd King. The general fubject ieems a harsh expreffion, but general fubjects has no fenfe at all; VOL. I. and general was in our Authour's Ang. Ang. Ha? fie, thefe filthy vices! 'twere as good Their fawcy fweetnefs, that do coin heav'n's image As to put metal in restrained means, 3 Ifab. 'Tis fet down fo in heav'n, but not in earth. 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 compt. Ijab. 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; To fave this brother's life? Ang. Pleas'd you to do't at peril of your foul," Ifab. That I do beg his life, if it be fin, Ang. Nay, but hear me : 4 Your fenfe pursues not mine; either, you're ignorant ; Or seem so, craftily; and that's not good. Ifab. Let me be ignorant, and in nothing good, Ang. Thus wifdom wishes to appear most bright, Your brother is to die. Ifab. So. Ang. And his offence is fo, as it appears Ang. Admit no other way to fave his life, 4 Pleas'd you to dot on peril, &c.] The reafoning is thus: An gelo afks, whether there might not be a charity in fin to fave this brother. Ijabella antwers, that if Angelo will fave him, fhe would take her foul that it were charity not fin. Angelo replies, that it Ifabella would fave him at the hazard of her foul, it would be not indeed no fin, but a fin to avhich the charity would be equivalent And nothing of your anfwer] I think it should be read, X 2 that you his fifter, And nothing of yours answer. You and whatever is yours be exempt from penalty. 6 Accountant to the law upon that pain.] Pain is here for penalty, punishment. 7 But in the lofs of quefiton.] The lofs of question I do not well understand, and should rather read, But in the tofs of question. In the agitation, in the difcuffion of the question. To tosan argument is a coinmon phrafe. Finding |