Put that to your fufficiency, as your worth is able, As art and practice hath enriched any That we remember. There is our Commiffion, From which we would not have you warp. Call hither, I fay, bid come before us Angelo: What figure of us, think you, he will bear? For you must know, we have with special roll Lent him our Terror, dreft him with our Love; Of our own Power: fay, what think you of it? To undergo fuch ample grace and honour, but one and the fame thing. On what then does the relative them depend? He will have it, therefore, that a line has been accidentally dropt, which he attempts to restore by due diligence. Nodum in fcirpo quærit. And all for want of knowing, that by Jufficiency is meant authority, the power delegated by the Duke to Efcalus. The plain meaning of the word being this; Put your skill in governing (fays the Duke) to the power which I give you to exercise it, and let them work together. 3 limits. and the terms of common juice,] . . bounds, 4 For you must know we have with Special SOUL Elected bim our abfence to fupply:] This nonfenfe must be corrected thus, with special ROLL i.e. by a fpecial commiffion. For it appears, from this fcene, that Efcalus had one commiffion, and Angelo another. The Duke had before delivered Efcalus his commiflion. He now declares that defigned for Angelo: and he fays, afterwards, to both, To th' hopeful execution do I leave you Of your commiffions. Why Angelo's was called the special roll was, because he was in authority fuperior to Efcalus. old Efcalus, Tho' firft in queftion, is thy fecondary. SCENE SCENE Enter Angelo. Duke. Look, where he comes. II. Ang. Always obedient to your Grace's will, I come to know your pleasure. Duke. Angelo, There is a kind of character in thy life, As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, The smallest scruple of her excellence, But, like a thrifty Goddefs, fhe determines Her felf the glory of a creditor, Both thanks and ufe. But I do bend my fpeech 5 --for if our virtues, &c.] 6 Paulum fepulta diftat inertia Celata virtus. But I do bend my Speech Horat. To one that can my part in him advertise; ] This is obfcure. The meaning is, I direct my fpeech to one who is able to teach me how to govern: my part in him, fignifying my office, which I have delegated to him. 7 my part in him advertise; ] i. e. who knows what appertains to the character of deputy or viceroy. Can advertife my part in him; that is, his reprefentation of my perfon. But all thefe quaintneffes of expreffion, the Oxford Editor feems fworn to extirpate; that is, to take away one of Shakespear's characteriftic marks; which, if not one of the comlieft, is yet one of the strongest. So he alters this to To one that can, in my part, me advertife. A better expreffion indeed, but, for all that, none of Shakespear's. Hold therefore, Angelo: In our Remove, be thou at full our felf. Live in thy tongue and heart: old Efcalus, Ang. Now, good my lord, Let there be fome more teft made of my metal, Be ftampt upon it. Duke. Come, no more evafion : We have with a prepar'd and level'd choice Ang. Yet give me leave, my lord, That we may bring you fomething on the way. Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do As to your foul feems good. Give me your hand; 8 Come, no more evasion: We have with a prepar'd and LEAVEN'D choice Proceeded to you;] leaven'd has no fenfe in this place: we hould read LEVEL'D choice. The allufion is to archery, when a man has fixed upon his object, after taking good aim. Nor Nor do I think the man of fafe difcretion, That does affect it. Once more, fare Ang. The heav'ns give fafety to your purposes! [Exit. A pow'r I have, but of what strength and nature Ang. 'Tis fo with me: let us withdraw together, : Efcal. I'll wait upon your Honour. [Exeunt. III. Enter Lucio, and two Gentlemen. Lucio. to compofition with the King of Hungary, F the Duke, with the other Dukes, come not why, then all the Dukes fall upon the King. i Gent. Heav'n grant us its peace, but not the King of Hungary's! 2 Gent. Amen. Lucio. Thou conclud'ft like the fanctimonious Pi rate, that went to fea with the ten Commandments, but fcrap'd one out of the Table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal.Lucio. Ay, that he raz'd. I Gent. Why, 'twas a Commandment to command the captain and all the reft from their functions; they put forth to fteal; there's not a foldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, does relifh the petition well that prays for Peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any foldier diflike it. Lucio. I believe thee: for, I think, thou never waft where grace was faid. 2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least. I Gent. What, in meeter? Lucio. In any proportion, or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ay, why not? grace is grace, despight of all controverfie; as for example, thou thy felf art a wicked villain, defpight of all grace. 1 Gent. Well; there went but a pair of fheers be tween us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lifts and the velvet. Thou art the lift. 1 Gent. And thou the velvet; thou art good velvet; thou'rt a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a lift of an English kerfey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think, thou doft; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy fpeech: I will, out of thine own confeffion, learn to begin thy health; but, whilft I live, forget to drink after thee. 1 Gent. I think, I have done my felf wrong, have I not? 2 Gent. Yes, that thou haft; whether thou art tainted, or free. Lucio. Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation comes. 9 In any proportion, &c.] Here the Oxford Editor gives us a dialogue of his own, inftead of this: and, as one would expect, neither fo clear nor fo lively. And all for want of knowing the meaning of the word proportion, which fignifies measure: and refers to the queftion, What, in meeter? 1 defpight of all controverfie; ] Satirically infinuating that the controverfies about grace were fo intricate and endless, that the difputants unfettled every thing but this, that grace was grace; which, however, in spite of controverfy, ftill remained certain. 1 Gent. |