Ang. Hark! how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses.

Efcal. Such a fellow is not to be talk'd withal :-Away with him to prifon :-Where is the Provost?-Away with him to prifon; lay bolts enough upon him: let him speak no more Away with thofe giglots too, and with the other confederate companion.

[The Provoft lays hands on the Duke.

Duke. Stay, fir; ftay a while.

Ang. What! refifts he? Help him, Lucio.

Lucio. Come, fir; come, fir; come, fir: foh, fir; Why, you bald-pated, lying rafcal! you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's vifage, with a pox to you! show your fheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour! Will't not off? Pulls off the friar's bood, and difcovers the Duke. Duke. Thou art the firft knave, that e'er made a duke. First, provoft, let me bail thefe gentle three: Sneak not away, fir; [to Lucio.] for the friar and you Must have a word anon :-lay hold on him.

Lucio. This may prove worse than hanging.

Duke. What you have spoke, I pardon; fit you down.→

[to Efcalus. We'll borrow place of him :-Sir, by your leave: [to Ang. Haft thou or word, or wit, or impudence,

That yet can do the office? If thou haft,

Rely upon it, till my tale be heard,
And hold no longer out.

9

Ang. O my dread lord,

- thofe giglots too,] A giglot is a wanton wench. STEEVENS. Show your Sheep-biting face, and be hang'd an hour!] Dr. Johnson's alteration [an how?] is wrong. In the Alchemift, we meet with a man that has been frangled an bour."-" What, Piper, ho! be bang'd a-while," is a line of an old madrigal. FARMER.

A fimilar expreffion is found in Ben Jonfon's Bartholomew Fair, 1614:"Leave the bottle behind you, and be curft a while." MALONE. The poet evidently refers to the ancient mode of punishing by the colliftrigium, or the original pillory, made like that part of the pillory at prefent which receives the neck, only it was placed horizontally, fo that the culprit hung fufpended in it by his chin, and the back of his head. A diftinct account of it may be found, if I mistake not, in Mr. Barrington's Obfervations on the Statutes. HENLEY.

I fhould

I should be guiltier than my guiltiness,

To think I can be undifcernable,

When I perceive, your grace, like power divine,
Hath look'd upon my paffes 2: Then, good prince,
No longer feffion hold upon my shame,

But let my trial be mine own confeffion ;

Immediate fentence then, and fequent death,

Is all the grace I beg.

Duke. Come hither, Mariana :—

Say, waft thou e'er contracted to this woman?
Ang. I was, my lord.

Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.— Do you the office, friar; which confummate 3, Return him here again :-Go with him, provoft.

[Exeunt ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provost. Efcal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour, Than at the strangeness of it.

Duke. Come hither, Ifabel:

Your friar is now your prince: as I was then
Advértifing, and holy to your business,

4

Not changing heart with habit, I am ftill
Attorney'd at your fervice.

Ifab. O, give me pardon,

That I, your vaffal, have employ'd and pain'd
Your unknown fovereignty.

Duke, You are pardon'd, Ifabel:

And now, dear maid, be you as free to us3.
Your brother's death, I know, fits at your heart;
And you may marvel, why I obfcur'd myself,
Labouring to fave his life; and would not rather
Make rath remonftrance of my hidden power,
Than let him fo be loft: O, most kind maid,
It was the fwift celerity of his death,

Which I did think with flower foot came on,

2

3

my paffes: i.. what has paft in my administration. STEEV. which confummate,] i. e. which being confummated. MALONE. 4 Advértifing, and boly-] Attentive and faithful. JOHNSON. 5 be you as free to us.] Be as generous to us; pardon us as we have pardoned you. JOHNSON.

That

That brain'd my purpose: But, peace be with him! That life is better life, paft fearing death,

Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort, So happy is your brother.

Re-enter ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provost. Ifab. I do, my lord.

Duke. For this new-married man, approaching here, Whofe falt imagination yet hath wrong'd

Your well-defended honour, you must pardon

For Mariana's fake: but as he adjudg'd your brother, (Being criminal, in double violation

Of facred chastity, and of promife-breach 7,
Thereon dependant, for your brother's life,)
The very mercy of the law cries out

Moft audible, even from his proper tongue,
An Angelo for Claudio, death for death.

Hafte ftill pays hafte, and leisure answers leisure;
Like doth quit like, and Meafure ftill for Meafure".
Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifefted;

Which though thou would't deny, denies thee vantage':
We do condemn thee to the very block

6 That brain'd my purpose:] We now ufe in converfation a like phrafe. This it was that knocked my defign on the head. JOHNSON.

7-and of promife-breach,] Our author ought to have written-"in double violation of facred chastity, and of promife," instead of promife-breach. Sir T. Harmer reads and in promife-breach; but change is certainly here improper, Shakspeare having many fimilar inaccuracies. Double indeed may refer to Angelo's conduct to Mariana and Ifabel; yet still fome difficulty will remain: for then he will be faid to be "criminal [instead of guilty] of promife-breach." MALONE.

8 -even from bis proper tongue,] Even from Angelo's orun tongue. So, above: in the witness of his proper car-" &c. JOHNSON. 9 So, in the Third Part of K. Henry VI:

"Measure for Measure must be answered." STEEVENS. Shakspeare might have remembered thefe lines in A Warning for faire Women, a tragedy, 1599 (but apparently written fome years before): The trial now remains, as thall conclude "Measure for Measure, and loft blood for blood." Which though thou would't deny, denies thee vantage:] The denial of which will avail thee nothing. So, in the Winter's Tale:

MALONE.

"Which to deny, concerns more than avails." MALONE.

Where

Where Claudio ftoop'd to death, and with like hafte ;—
Away with him.

Mari. O, my moft gracious lord,

I hope you will not mock me with a husband!

Duke. It is your husband mock'd you with a husband:
Confenting to the fafeguard of your honour,

I thought your marriage fit; elfe imputation,
For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
And choke your good to come: for his poffeffions,
Although by confifcation they are ours 2,
We do inftate and widow you withal,
To buy you a better husband.

Mari. O, my dear lord,

I crave no other, nor no better man.

Duke. Never crave him; we are definitive.

Mari. Gentle my liege,

Duke. You do but lofe your labour;

[kneeling.

Away with him to death.-Now, fir, [to Lucio.] to you.
Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Ifabel, take my part;
Lend me your knees, and all my life to come
I'll lend you, all my life to do you fervice.

Duke. Against all fenfe you do impórtune her:
Should the kneel down, in mercy of this fact,
Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,
And take her hence in horror.

Mari. Ifabel,

Sweet Ifabel, do yet but kneel by me;

Hold up your hands, fay nothing, I'll speak all.
They fay, beft men are moulded out of faults;

2 Although by confifcation they are ours,] This reading was furnished by the editor of the fecond folio. The original copy has confutation, which may be right by his being confuted, or proved guilty of the fact which he had denied. This however being rather harsh, I have followed all the modern editors in adopting the emendation that has been made. MALONE.

3 Against all fenfe you do importune ber :] The meaning required is, against all reafon and natural affection; Shakspeare, therefore, judicioutly uses a fingle word that implies both; fenfe fignifying both reason and affection. JOHNSON.

The fame expreffion occurs in the Tempeft, A&t II.

"You cram thefe words into my ears, against
"The ftomach of my fenfe." STEEVENS.

And,

And, for the moft, become much more the better
For being a little bad: fo may my husband.
O Ifabel! will you not lend a knee!

Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.
Ijab. Moft bounteous fir,

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,
As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,

A due fincerity govern'd his deeds,

Till he did look on me+; fince it is fo,
Let him not die: My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he died:
For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent 5;
And must be bury'd but as an intent,

[kneeling.

That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no fubjects;
Intents but merely thoughts.

Mari. Merely, my lord.

Duke. Your fuit's unprofitable; ftand up, I say.— I have bethought me of another fault :

Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded

At an unusual hour?

4 Till he did look on me;] The duke has justly observed that Isabel is importuned against all fenfe to folicit for Angelo, yet here against all fenfe the folicits for him. Her argument is extraordinary.

A due fincerity govern'd his deeds,
Till be did look on me; fince it is fo,

Let bim not die.

That Angelo had committed all the crimes charged against him, as far as he could commit them, is evident. The only intent which bis at did not overtake, was the defilement of Ifabel. Of this Angelo was only intentionally guilty.

Angelo's crimes were fuch, as must sufficiently justify punishment, whether its end be to fecure the innocent from wrong, or to deter guilt by example; and I believe every reader feels fome indignation when he finds him fpared. From what extenuation of his crime, can Ifabel, who yet fuppofes her brother dead, form any plea in his favour? Since be was good 'till be looked on me, let bim not die. I am afraid our variet poet intended to inculcate, that women think ill of nothing that raises the credit of their beauty, and are ready, however virtuous, to pardon any act which they think incited by their own charms. JOHNSON. 5 His act did not o'ertake his bad intent ;] So, in Macbeth: "The flighty purpofe never is o'ertook, "Unless the deed go with it." STEEVENS.