For you must know, we have with special foul 7
Elected him our abfence to fupply;

Lent him our terror, dreft him with our love
And given his deputation all the organs

Of our own power: fay, what think you of it?
Efcal. If any in Vienna be of worth

To undergo fuch ample grace and honour,
It is lord Angelo.

Enter Angelo.

Duke. Look, where he comes.

Ang. Always obedient to your grace's will, I come to know your pleasure.

7 For you must know, we have with special foul Elected him our abfence to fupply ;]

This nonfenfe must be corrected thus,

—with special roll

i. e. with a special commiffion. For it appears, from this fcene, that Efcalus had one commiffion, and Angelo another. The Duke had before delivered Efcalus his commillion. He now declares that defigned for Angelo; and he fays, afterwards, to both,

To the 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,

The first in question, is thy fecondary. WARBURTON. This editor is, I think, right in fuppofing a corruption, but lefs happy in his emendation. I read,

we have with special feal

Elected him our abfence to jupply.

A fpecial feal is a very natural metonymy for a special commission.

JOHNSON.

By the words with Special foul elected him, I believe, the poet meant no more than that he was the immediate choice of his heart. A fimilar expreffion occurs in Troilus and Creffida,

"with private foul

"Did in great Ilion thus tranflate him to me."

Again, more appofitely, in the Tempest,

" for feveral virtues

"Have I lik'd feveral women, never any

"With fo full foul, but fome defect," &c. STEEVENS.

B 4

Duke.

Duke. Angelo,

There is a kind of character in thy life,
That to the obferver doth thy history
Fully unfold. Thyfelf and thy belongings
Are not thine own fo proper, as to waste
Thyfelf upon thy virtues; them on thee.
Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do;
Not light them for themfelves: for if our virtues"
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd,

But to fine iffues: nor Nature never lends
The fmalleft fcruple of her excellence,
But, like a thrifty goddefs, fhe determines
Herfelf the glory of a creditor,

8 There is a kind of character in thy life,

That to the obferver, &c.]

Either this introduction has more folemnity than meaning, or it has a meaning which I cannot difcover. What is there peculiar in this, that a man's life informs the obferver of his bijlery? Might it be fuppofed that Shakespeare wrote this?

There is a kind of character in thy look.

Hfty may be taken in a more diffufe and licentious meaning, for future occurrences, or the part of life yet to come. If this fenfe be received, the paffage is clear and proper. JOHNSON.

Shakespeare muft, I believe, be anfwerable for the unneceffary folemnity of this introduction. He has the fame thought in Henry IV. p. 2. which is the best comment on this paffage.

"There is a history in all mens' lives,

"Figuring the nature of the times deceas'd:
"The which obferv'd, a man may prophecy
"With a near aim, of the main chance of things
"As yet not come to life, &c."

STEEVENS.

Hor. WARBURTON.

? to fine iffues:] To great confequences. For high

purpofes. JOHNSON.

Both

Both thanks and ufe. But I do bend my speech
To one that can my part in him advertise ;*
Hold therefore, Angelo: 3

In our remove, be thou at full ourself:
Mortality and mercy in Vienna

Live in thy tongue and heart: Old Escalus,
Though firft in question, is thy fecondary.
-Take thy commiffion.

Ang. Now, good my lord,

Let there be fome more test made of my metal,
Before fo noble and fo great a figure

Be stamp'd upon it.

Duke. Come, no more evafion:

We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice

-I do bend my speech,

To one that can my part in him advertise ;]

Pro

This is obfcure. The meaning is, I direct my speech to one who is able to teach me how to govern: my part in bim, fignifying my office, which I have delegated to him. My part in him advertise; i.e. who knows what appertains to the character of deputy or viceroy. Can advertise my part in him; that is, his representation of my perfon. But all thefe quaintneffes of expreffion, the Oxford editor feems fworn to extirpate; that is, to take away one of Shakespeare's characteristic marks]; which, if not one of the comelieft, is yet one of the ftrongeft. So he alters this to,

To one that can, in my part, me advertise.

A better expreffion indeed, but, for all that, none of Shakespeare's. WARBURTON.

I know not whether we may not better read,

One that can my part to him advertise,

One that can inform himself of that which it would be otherwise my part to tell him. JOHNSON.

Hold therefore, Angelo:] That is, continue to be Angelo; bold as thou art. JOHNSON.

*—first in question,] That is, firft called for; firft ap. pointed. JOHNSON.

We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice] Leaven'd has no fenfe in this place: we should read,

-levell'd choice.

The

Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.
Our hafte from hence is of fo quick condition,
That it prefers itself, and leaves unquestion'd
Matters of needful value. We fhall write to you,
As time and our concernings fhall importune,
How it goes with us; and do look to know
What doth befal you here. So, fare you well.
To the hopeful execution do I leave you
Of your commiffions.

Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord,

That we may bring you fomething on the way.
Duke. My hafte may not admit it;

Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do
With any fcruple: your scope is as mine own,
So to inforce, or qualify the laws,

As to your foul feems good. Give me your hand;
I'll privily away. I love the people,
But do not like to ftage me to their eyes:
Though it do well, I do not relish well
Their loud applaufe, and Ave's vehement;
Nor do I think the man of fafe difcretion,
That does affect it. One more, fare you well.
Ang. The heavens give fafety to your purposes!
Escal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happi-
nefs!

Duke. I thank you: Fare you well.

[Exit.

The allusion is to archery, when a man has fixed upon his object, after taking good aim. WARBURTON.

No emendation is neceffary. Leaven'd choice is one of Shakefpeare's harfh metaphors. His train of ideas feems to be this. have proceeded to you with choice mature, concocted, fermented, leavened. When bread is leavened it is left to ferment: a leavened choice is therefore a choice not hafty, but confiderate, not declared as foon as it fell into the imagination, but fuffered to work long in the mind. Thus explained, it fuits better with prepared than levelled. JOHNSON.

6-your fcope is as mine own.] That is, Your amplitude of power. JOHNSON.

Efcal.

Efcal. I fhall defire you, fir, to give me leave To have free speech with you; and it concerns me To look into the bottom of my place:

A power I have; but of what ftrength and nature I am not yet instructed.

Ang. 'Tis fo with me :-Let us withdraw together,

And we may foon our fatisfaction have

Touching that point.

Efcal. I'll wait upon your honour.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Enter Lucio, and two Gentlemen.

Lucio. If the Duke, with the other dukes, come not to compofition with the king of Hungary, why, then all the dukes fall upon the king.

1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the king of Hungary's!

2 Gent. Amen.

Lucio. Thou conclud'ft like the fanctimonious pirate, that went to fea with the Ten Commandments, but scrap'd one out of the table.

2 Gent. Thou shalt not fteal?Lucio. Ay, that he raz'd.

1 Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to fteal. There's not a foldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well, that prays for peace.

2 Gent. I never heard any foldier dislike it.

Lucio I believe thee; for, I think, thou never wast where grace was faid.

2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least.

I Gent,