Lucio. Oh, to him, to him, Wench; he will relent; He's coming: I perceive't.

Prov. Pray heav'n, fhe win him!

8

Ifab. We cannot weigh our brother with yourself: Great men may jeft with Saints; 'tis wit in them; But, in the lefs, foul prophanation.

Lucio. Thou'rt right, girl; more o' that.

Ifab. That in the captain's but a cholerick word, Which in the foldier is flat blafphemy.

Lucio. Art avis'd o' that? more on't.

Ang. Why do you put these fayings upon me? Ifab. Becaufe authority, tho' it err like others, Hath yet a kind of medicine in itself,

That skins the vice o' th' top: go to your bofom; Knock there, and ask your heart, what it doth know That's like my brother's fault; if it confess

A natural guiltiness, such as is his,

Let it not found a thought upon your tongue
Against my brother's life.

Ang. She fpeaks, and 'tis fuch fenfe,

? That my fenfe bleeds with it. Fare you well. Ifab. Gentle, my lord, turn back.

Ang. I will bethink me; come again to-morrow. Ifab. Hark, how I'll bribe you: good my lord, turn back.

the angels that, fays Shakespear, they would laugh themselves out of their immortality, by indulging a paffion which does not deferve that prerogative. The ancients thought, that immoderate laughter was caused by the bigness of the spleen.

8 We cannot weigh our brother with our felf:] Why could The not? She could not weigh her brother with the Duke indeed, their qualities being fo difproportioned as to aggravate her brother's crimes, and extenuate the Duke's. So that it is plain we fhould read

with your felf.

9 That my fenfe bleeds with it.] The firft Folio reads breeds. which tho' it have no meaning, yet Mr. Theobald adopts, and difcards a very fenfible word, to make room for it.

Ang

Ang. How? bribe me?

Ifab. Ay, with fuch gifts, that heav'n fhall fhare with you.

Lucio. You had marr'd all elfe.

Ifab. Not with fond fhekles of the tefted gold, Or ftones, whofe rate are either rich, or poor, As fancy values them; but with true prayers, That fhall be up at heav'n, and enter there, Ere fun-rife: prayers from 2 preferved fouls, From fafting maids, whofe minds are dedicate To nothing temporal.

Ang. Well; come to-morrow.

Lucio. Go to; 'tis well; away.

Ifab. Heav'n keep your Honour fafe!
Ang. Amen:

For I am that way going to temptation,
-Where prayers cross.

Ifab. At what hour to-morrow
Shall I attend your lordship?
Ang. At any time 'fore noon.

Ifab. Save your Honour!

[Exeunt Lucio and Isabella.

VIII.

SCENE

Ang. From thee; even from thy virtue.

What's this? what's this? is this her fault, or mine? "The tempter, or the tempted, who fins moft? "Not fhe; nor doth fhe tempt; but it is I,

"That, lying by the violet in the fun,

"Do, as the carrion does, not as the flower, Corrupt with 3 virtuous feafon. Can it be,

ftamp.

2

tefted gold,] i. e. attefted, or marked with the standard

preferved fouls,] i. e. preferved from the corruption of the world. The metaphor is taken from fruits preserved in fugar.

3 virtuous feafon] i, e. kindly feafon. But the fubje& here gives the figure a peculiar elegance.

Cc 2

"That

"That modefty may more betray our sense, "Than woman's lightnefs? having wafte ground enough,

"Shall we defire to raze the fanctuary,

"And pitch our evils there? oh, fie, fie, fie!
What doft thou? or what art thou, Angelo?
Doft thou defire her foully, for those things
That make her good? Oh, let her brother live :
Thieves for their robbery have authority,

When judges fteal themselves. What? do I love her,
That I defire to hear her speak again,

And feaft upon her eyes? what is't I dream on? Oh, cunning enemy, that, to catch a Saint, With Saints doft bait thy hook! most dangerous "Is that temptation, that doth goad us on "To fin in loving virtue: ne'er could the ftrumpet, With all her double vigour, art and nature, Once ftir my temper; but this virtuous maid Subdues me quite: Ever 'till this very Now, When men were fond, I fmil'd, and wonder'd how. [Exit.

S CE NE IX.

Changes to a Prifon.

Enter Duke habited like a Friar, and Provost.

Duke. H Prov. I am the Provost; what's your AIL to you, Provoft! fo, I think, you are.

will, good Friar?

Duke. Bound by my charity, and my blest Order, I come to visit the afflicted spirits

Here in the prifon; do me the common right

To let me fee them, and to make me know

The nature of their crimes; that I may minifter
To them accordingly.

Prov. I would do more than that, if more were

needful.

Enter

Enter Juliet.

Look, here comes one; a gentlewoman of mine,
+ Who falling in the flames of her own youth,
Hath blifter'd her report: fhe is with child;
And he, that got it, fentenc'd: a young man
More fit to do another fuch offence,
Than die for this.

Duke. When must he die?

Prov. As I do think, to-morrow.
I have provided for you; ftay a while,
And you fhall be conducted.

[To Juliet.

Duke. Repent you, fair one, of the fin you carry?
Juliet. I do; and bear the fhame moft patiently.
Duke. I'll teach you, how you fhall arraign your
confcience,

And try your penitence, if it be found,

Or hollowly put on.

Juliet. I'll gladly learn.

Duke. Love you the man that wrong'd you? Juliet. Yes, as I love the woman that wrong'd him. Duke. So then, it seems, your most offenceful act Was mutually committed.

Juliet. Mutually.

Duke. Then was your fin of heavier kind than his. Juliet. I do confefs it, and repent it, father.

Duke. 'Tis meet fo, daughter; but repent you not, As that the fin hath brought you to this fhame? Which forrow's always tow'rds ourselves, not heav'n; Shewing, we'd not feek heaven, as we love it, But as we ftand in fear.

Juliet. I do repent me, as it is an evil;

And take the fhame with joy.

4 Who falling in the flaws of her own youth

Hath blifter'd her report:] Who doth not fee that the integrity of the metaphor requires we fhould read FLAMES of ber own youth.

Cc 3

Duke.

Duke. There reft.

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! 5 oh, injurious love, That refpites me a life, whofe very comfort

Is ftill a dying horror!

Prov. 'Tis pity of him.

[Exeunt.

SCENE X.

Changes to the Palace.

Enter Angelo.

Ang. WHEN I would pray and think, I think

and pray

To fev'ral fubjects: heav'n hath my empty words,
6 Whilft my intention, hearing not my tongue,
Anchors on Ifabel. Heav'n's in my mouth,
As if I did but only chew its name;

And in my heart the ftrong and fwelling evil
Of my conception: the ftate, whereon I studied,
Is like a good thing, being often read,

7 Grown fear'd and tedious; yea, my gravity,
Wherein (let no man hear me) I take pride,
Could I with boot change for an idle plume
Which the air beats for vain. Oh place! oh form!

5 oh, injuricus 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 herfelf from it. Is not this all very natural? yet the Oxford Editor changes it to injurious law.

6 Whilft my intention, ] Nothing can be either plainer or exacter than this expreffion. But the old blundering Folio having it, invention, this was enough for Mr. Theobald to prefer autho rity to fenfe.

7 Grown FEAR'D and tedious;] We fhould read SEAR'D: i. e. old. So Shakespear uses, in the fear, to fignify old age.

How