Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,
And take her hence in horror.

Isabel,

Mari.
Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me;
Hold up your hands; say nothing; I'll speak all.
They say, best men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad: so may my husband.
O, Isabel! will you not lend a knee?
Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.
Isab.

Most bounteous sir, [Kneeling.

Look, if it please you, on this man condemned,
As if my brother lived: I partly think,

A due sincerity governed his deeds,
Till he did look on me: since it is so,

Let him not die: My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he died:
For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;

And must be buried but as an intent

That perished by the way: thoughts are no subjects, Intents but merely thoughts.

Mari.

Merely, my lord.

Duke. Your suit's unprofitable; stand up, I say. I have bethought me of another fault:

Provost, how came it

At an unusual hour?

Claudio was beheaded

It was commanded so.

Prov.
Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed?
Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private message.
Duke. For which I do discharge you of your office.
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:
For testimony whereof, one in the prison
That should by private order else have died,
I have reserved alive.

Prov. His name is Barnardine.

Duke. I would thou had'st 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 appeared,
Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of tempered judgment afterward.

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, 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 further than this world,

And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt condemned;
But, for those earthly1 faults, I quit them all;
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide
For better times to come :-friar, advise him;

leave him to your hand. What muffled fellow's that?
Prov. This is another prisoner, that I saved,
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

Is he pardoned; 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.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's safe;
Methinks I see a quickening in his eye :-
Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well:

2

1 i. e. so far as they are punishable on earth.
2 Requites.

Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth

yours.1

I find an apt remission in myself:

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon ;---
You, sirrah, [To LUCIO.] that knew me for a fool, a
coward,

One all of luxury,2 an ass, a madman ;
Wherein have I so deserved of you,
That you extol me thus?

3

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 whipped. Duke. Whipped first, sir, and hanged after.Proclaim it, provost, round about the city; If any woman's wronged by this lewd fellow, (As I have heard him swear himself, there's one Whom he begot with child,) let her appear, And he shall marry her: the nuptial finished, Let him be whipped and hanged.

Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a 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 honor, 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 wronged, look you restore.
Joy to you, Mariana !—Love her, Angelo;

I have confessed her, and I know her virtue.
Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness.
There's more behind, that is more gratulate."

1 "Her worth worth yours;" that is, "her value is equal to yours; the match is not unworthy of you."

2 Incontinence.

3 Thoughtless practice.

4 i. e. more to be rejoiced in.

Thanks, provost, for thy care and secrecy;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place:--
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's;
The offence pardons itself.-Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good;
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,

What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.--
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show
What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know.
[Exeunt.

422

THE novel of Giraldi Cinthio, from which Shakspeare is supposed to have borrowed this fable, may be read in Shakspeare Illustrated, elegantly translated, with remarks, which will assist the inquirer to discover how much absurdity Shakspeare has admitted or avoided.

I cannot but suspect that some other had new-modelled the novel of Cinthio, or written a story which in some particulars resembled it, and that Cinthio was not the author whom Shakspeare immediately followed. The emperor in Cinthio is named Maximine: the duke in Shakspeare's enumeration of the persons of the drama, is called Vincentio. This ap pears a very slight remark; but since the duke has no name in the play, nor is ever mentioned but by his title, why should he be called Vincentio among the persons, but because the name was copied from the story, and placed superfluously at the head of the list by the mere habit of transcription? It is therefore likely that there was then a story of Vincentio, Duke of Vienna, different from that of Maximine, Emperor of the Romans.

Of this play, the light or comic part is very natural and pleasing, but the grave scenes, if a few passages be excepted, have more labor than elegance. The plot is rather intricate than artful. The time of the action is indefinite: some time, we know not how much, must have elapsed between the recess of the duke and the imprisonment of Claudio; for he must have learned the story of Mariana in his disguise, or he delegated his power to a man already known to be corrupted.* The unities of action and place are sufficiently preserved.

JOHNSON.

* The duke probably had learned the story of Mariana in some of his former retirements, "having ever loved the life removed." And he had a suspicion that Angelo was but a seemer, and therefore stays to watch him. BLACKSTONE.