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MARI.

Merely, my lord. DUKE. Your fuit's unprofitable; ftand up, I fay. I have bethought me of another fault:Provoft, how came it, Claudio was beheaded At an unusual hour?

PROV.

It was commanded fo.

DUKE. Had you a special warrant for the deed? PROV. No, my good lord; it was by private mef

fage.

DUKE. For which I do difcharge 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: 3
For teftimony whereof, one in the prison,
That should by private order else have died,
I have referv'd alive.

DUKE.
PROV.

What's he?

His name is Barnardine.

DUKE. I would thou had'ft done fo by Claudio. Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.

[Exit Provoft.
ESCAL. I am forry, one fo learned and fo wife
As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd,
Should flip fo grofsly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgement afterward.

ANG. I am forry, that fuch forrow I procure :
And fo deep flicks it in my penitent heart,
That I crave death more willingly than mercy;
'Tis my deferving, and I do entreat it.

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after more advice: ] i. e. after more mature confideration, Sa, in Titus Andronicus:

"The Greeks, upon advice, did bury Ajax." STEEvens.

Re-enter Provoft, 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 faid to have a fiubborn foul, That apprehends no further than this world, And fquar'ft thy life according. Thou'rt con

demn'd;

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But, for thofe earthly faults, I quit them all;
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide

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For better times to come: Friar, advife him;
I leave him to your hand. What muffled fellow's

that?

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PROV. This is another prifoner, that I fav'd, That fhould have died when Claudio loft his head: As like almoft to Claudio, as himself.

[Unmuffles CLAUDIÓ. DUKE. If he be like your brother, [To ISABELLA.] for his fake

Is he pardon'd; And, for your lovely sake,
Give me your hand, and lay you will be mine,
He is my brother too: But fitter time for that.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's fafe;
Methinks, I fee a quick'ning in his eye: 6
Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well: "

for thofe earthly faults, ] Thy faults, fo far as they are punishable on earth, fo far as they are cognifable by temporal power, I forgive. JOHNSON.

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perceives he's fafe; ] It is fomewhat flrange that Isabel is not made to exprefs either gratitude, wonder, or joy, at the fight of her brother. JOHNSON.

6

your evil quits you well:] Quits you', recompenfes, requites you. JOHNSON. VOL. VI.

P

Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth 8 yours.

I find an apt remiffion in myself:

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

2

One all of luxury, an afs, a madman;
Wherein have I fo deferved of you,

That you extol me thus?

LUCIO. 'Faith, my lord, I fpoke it but according to the trick: If you will hang me for it, you may,

7 Look, that you love your wife;] So, in Promos, &c.

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"Be loving to good Caffandra, thy wife. STEEVENS.

her worth, worth yours.] Sir T. Hanmer reads, Her worth works yours.

This reading is adopted by Dr. Warburton, but for what reason? How does her worth work Angelo's worth? it has only contributed to work his pardon. The words are, as they are too frequently, an affected gingle; but the fense is plain. Her worth, worth yours; that is, her value is equal to your value, the match is not unworthy of you. JOHNSON.

9 - here's one in place I cannot pardon;] The Duke only means to frighten Lucio, whose final fentence is to marry the woman whom he had wronged, on which all his other punishments are remitted. STEEVENS.

One all of luxury,] Luxury means incontinence. So, in King Lear:

3

"To't, luxury, pellmell, for I lack foldiers. '

STEEVENS.

my habitual

according to the trick:] To my cuftom, practice. JOHNSON. Lucio does not fay my trick, but the trick; nor does he mean to excufe himself by faying that he spoke according to his ufual pra&ice, for that would be an aggravation to his guilt, but according to the trick and practice of the times. It was probably then the practice, as it is at this day, for the diffipated and profligate, to ridicule and flander perfons in high ftation, or of fuperior virtue. M. MASON.

According to the trick, is, according to the fashion of thoughtless youth. So, in Love's Labour's Loft: yet I have a trick of

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but I had rather it would please you, I might be whip'd.

DUKE. Whip'd firft, fir, and hang`d after.
Proclaim it, provoft, round about the city;
If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow,
(As I have heard him fwear himself there's one
Whom he begot with child,) let her appear,
And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd,
Le him be whip'd and hang'd.

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 recompence me, in making me a cuckold.

DUKE. Upon mine honour, thou fhalt marry her. Thy flanders I forgive; and therewithal Remit thy other forfeits:

4

Take him to prison:

And see our pleasure herein executed.

LUCIO. Marrying a punk, my lord, is preffing to death, whipping, and hanging.

DUKE. Sland'ring a prince deferves it.

She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you reftore, Joy to you, Mariana! love her, Angelo;

I have confefs'd her, and I know her virtue,

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the old rage. Again, in a collection of epigrams, entitled Wit's Bedlam, printed about the year 1615:

"Carnus calls lechery a trick of youth;

"So he grows old; but this trick hurts his growth."

thy other forfeits:] Thy other punishments.

MALONE.

JOHNSON.

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to

To forfeit anciently fignified to commit a carnal offence. So, in The Hiftory of Helyas, Knight of the Swanne, b. 1. no date: affirme by an untrue knight, that the noble queen Beatrice had forfayted with a dogge. Again, in the 12th Pageant of the Coventry Collection of Myfteries, the Virgin Mary tells Jofeph: I dede nevyr forfete with man I wys.

MS. Cott. Vefp. D. viii. STEEVENS.

Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodnels: "

There's more behind, that is more gratulate. —-_-
Thanks, Provoft, for thy care, and fecrecy;
We fhall employ thee in a worthier place:
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home

Thanks, good friend Efcalus, for thy much goodness:] I have always thought that there is great confufion in this concluding fpeech. If my criticifm would not be cenfured as too licentious, I fhould regulate it thus:

Thanks, good friend Efcalus, for thy much goodness,
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.

Ang. The offence pardons itself.

Duke. There's more behind

That is more gratulate. Dear Ifabel,

I have a motion, &c. JOHNSON.

that is more gratulate. ] i. e. to be more rejoiced in; meaning, I fuppofe, that there is another world, where he will find yet greater reafon to rejoice in confequence of his upright miniftry. Efcalus is reprefented as an ancient nobleman, who, in conjunction with Angelo, had reached the higheft office of the flate. He therefore could not be fufficiently rewarded here; but is neceffarily referred to a future and more exalted recompenfe.

STEEVENS.

I cannot approve of Steeven's explanation of this paffage, which is very far-fetched indeed. The Duke gives Efcalus thanks for his much goodness, but tells him that he had fome other reward in ftore for him, more acceptable than thanks; which agrees with what he faid before, in the beginning of this a&t:

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we hear

"Such goodness of your juftice, that our foul
"Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks,

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Fore-running more requital. M. MASON.

Heywood alfo in his Apology for Alors, 1612, ufes to gratulate, in the fenfe of to reward. "I could not chufe but gratulate your honeft endeavours with this remembrance. MALONE.

Mr. M. Mafon's explanation may be right; but he forgets that the fpeech he brings in fupport of it, was delivered before the denouement of the fcene, and was, at that moment, as much addreffed to Angelo as to Efcalus; and for Angelo the Duke had

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