He calls again ; I pray you, answer him. (Exit Franc, Isab. Peace and prosperity ! who is’t that calls ?

Enter Lucio.
Lucio. Hail, virgin, (if you be) as those cheek-roses
Proclaim you are no less ; can you so stead me,
As bring me to the sight of Isabella,
A novice of this place, and the fair filter
To her unhappy brother Claudio ?

Ifab. Why her unhappy brother? let me ask
The rather, for I now must make you know
I am that Isabella, and his sister.

[you; Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets Not to be weary with you, he's in prison.

Isab. Wo me! for what?

Lucia. For that, which, if myself might be his judge, He should receive his punishment in thanks ; He hach got his friend with child.

Isab. Sir, make me not your story. [liar sin

Lucio. 'Tis true:- I would not (tho'9 'tis my famiWith maids to seem the lapwing, and to jest, Tongue far from heart) play with all virgins fo. I hold you as a thing en-sky'd, and sainted ;

beauty to be so great, that the Religious had laid down rules and regulations to prevent its inordinate influence, which lessens our surprise at Angelo's weakness.

9- - 'is my familiar fin

With maids to seem the lapwing, - ) The Oxford Editor's note, on this passage, is in these words. The lapwings Ay with feeming frighe and anxiety far from their nefts, to deceive those who seek their young. And do not all other birds do the same! But what has this to do with the infidelity of a general lover, to whom this bird is compared. It is another quality of the lapwing, that is here alluded to, viz. its perpetually Aying so low and so near the passenger, that he thinks he has it, and then is suddenly gone again. This made it a proverbial expression to fignify a lover's falfhood : and it seems to be a very old one ; for Chaucer, in his Plowman's Tale, says And lapwings shar well conish lie. Vol. I. Bb

By

By your renouncement, an immortal Spirit ;
And to be talk'd with in sincerity,
As with a Saint.

Isab. You do blaspheme the good, in mocking me.

Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, 'tis thus :
Your brother and his lover having embrac'd,
As those that feed grow full, as blossoming time
· That from the feedness the bare fallow brings
To teeming 2 foyson ; fo her plenteous womb
Exprefseth his full tilth and husbandry. [Fuliet?

Irab, Some one with child by him? my cousin
Lucio. Is she your cousin ?

Isab. Adoptedly, as school-maids change their names, By vain, tho apt, affection,

Lucio. She it is.
Isab. O, let him marry her!

Lucio. This is the point.
The Duke is very strangely gone from hence ;
Bore many gentlemen, myself being one,
In hand and hope of action ; but we learn,
By those that 'know the very nerves of state,
His givings out were of an infinite distance
From his true-meant design. Upon his place
And with full line of his authority,
Governs lord Angelo ; a man whose blood,
Is very snow-broth; one who never feels
The wanton stings and motions of the sense ;
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, study and fast.
He, (to give fear to use and liberty,
Which have long time run by the hideous law,
As mice by lyons ; ) hath pickt out an act,
Under whose heavy sense your brother's life

• That from the feedness -] An old word for seed-time.

So the lawyers translate femen hyemale & quadragefimale, by winter feedness, and lent seedness, 2 foyfon ; ] Harveft,

Mr. Pope.

Falls

Falls into forfeit ; he arrests him on it ;
And follows close the rigour of the statute,
To make him an example; all hope's gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer
To soften Angelo; and that's my pith of business
'Twixt you and your poor brother.

Sfab. Doth he so
Seek for his life? .

Lucio, H'as censur’d him already;
And, as I hear, the Provost hath a warrant
For's execution.

Isab. Alas! what poor
Ability's in me, to do him good ?

Lucio. Afsay the power you have.
Isab. My power? Alas! I doubt.

Lucio. Our doubts are traitors;
And make us lose the good, we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when maidens fue,
Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,
As they themselves would owe them.

Isab. I'll see what I can do.
Lucio. But, speedily.

Ifab. I will about it strait;
No longer staying, but to give the mother
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you ;
Commend me to my brother : foon at night
I'll send him certain word of my success. .

Lucio, I take my leave of you.
Isab, Good Sir, adieu.

[Exeunt,

ACT II. SCENE I

The PAL AC E.

Enter Angelo, Escalus, a Justice, and Attendants.

ANGELO.
D E must not make a scare-crow of the law,

Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,

And let it keep one shape, 'till custom make it Their pearch, and not their terror,

Escal. Ay, but yet
Let us be keen, and rather cut a little,
· Than fall, and bruise to death. Alas! this gentleman,
Whom I would save, had a most noble father ;
Let but your Honour know,
Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue,

That, in the working of your own affections,
Had time coher'd with place, or place with wishing,
Or that the resolute acting of your blood
Could have attain'd th' effect of your own purpose;
Whether you had not sometime in your life
Err'd in this point, which now you censure him,
And pull’d the law upon you.

Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,

The jury, passing on the prisoner's life, May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two, Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to

justice, That justice seizes on. What know the laws, That thieves do pass on thieves? 'tis very pregnant, The jewel that we find, we stoop and take't,

i Than F ALL, and bruise to death.] I should rather read FELL, 1. e. ftrike down. So in Timon of Athens, All, save thee, "I FELL with curfes.

Because

Because we see it ; but what we do not see,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not so extenuate his offence,
For I have had such faults; but rather tell me,
When I that censure him, do so offend,

Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
| And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.

Enter Provost.
Escal. Be't, as your wisdom will.
Ang: Where is the Provost ?
Prov. Here, if it like your Honour.

Ang. See, that Claudio
Be executed by nine to morrow morning.
Bring him his confeffor, let him be prepar'd;
For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage.

[Exit Prov.
Escal. Well, heav'n forgive him ! and forgive us all !
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall :
Some run through brakes of vice, and answer none;
And some condemned for a fault alone.

S C E N E II. Enter Elbow, Froth, Clown, and Officers. Elb. Come, bring them away; if these be good people in a common-weal, that do nothing but use their. abuses in common houses, I know no law ; bring them away.

Ang. How now, Sir, what's your name? and what's the matter?

Elb. If it please your Honour, I am the poor Duke's constable, and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon juftice, Sir, and do bring in here before your good Honour two notorious benefactors.

Ang. Benefactors? well ; what benefactors are they? are they not malefactors ?

EIB.

Bb 3