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Ang. Now, good my lord,

Let there be fome more teft made of my metal,
Before so noble and fo great a figure
Be ftampt upon it.

Duke. Come, no more evasion:

We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice'
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 ye well,
To th' 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 fcope 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

3 We have with a leaven'd

and prepared choice.] Leaven'd has no fenfe in this place: we should read LEVEL'D choice. The allufion is to arche. ry,

hen a man has fixed upon hi oject, after taking good aim. WARBURTON. No emendation is neceffary. Leaven d choice is one of ShakeHis Jpeare's hath metaphors.

train of ideas feem to be this. I have proceeded to you with choice

mature, concocted, fermented, leaven'd. When bread is lea wen'd, it is left to ferment: a leaver'd choice is therefore a choice not hafty, but confiderate, not declared as foon as it fell in to the imagination, but futtered to work long in the mind. Thus explained, it fuits better with pres pared than levelled.

4

-Your icope is as mine orun.] That is, your amplitude of power.

Nor do I think the man of safe discretion,
That does affect it. Once more, fare ye well.
Ang. The heav'ns give fafety to your purposes!
Efcal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happi-

nefs!

Duke. I thank you, fare ye well.

[Exit.
Efcal. I fhall defire you, Sir, to give me leave
To have free fpeech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the bottom of my
Place:

A pow'r I have, but of what itrength and nature
I am not yet inftructed.

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.

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[Exeunt.

Lucio.F the Duke, with the other Dukes, come not

Lucio. F IF

to compofition with the King of Hungary, why, then all the Dukes fall upon the King.

1 Gent. Heav'n grant us its peace, but not the King of Hungary's!

2 Gent. Amen.

Lucio. Thou conclud't like the fanctimonious Pirate, that went to fea with the ten Commandments, but fcrap'd one out of the Table.

2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal.

Lucio. Ay, that he raz❜d.

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1 Gent. Why, 'twas a Commandment to command the captain and all the reft from their functions; they put forth to steal. There's not a foldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relifh the petition well that prays for Peace.

2 Gent.

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.

1 Gent. What? * in meeter?

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Lucio. In any proportion, or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion.

6

Lucio. Ay, why not? grace is grace despite of all controverfy; as for example, thou thyfelf art a wicked villain, defpite of all grace.

Gen!. Well; there went but a pair of fheers between us."

Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lifts and the velvet. Thou art the lift.

1 Gent. And thou the velvet; thou art good velvet; thou art a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a lift of an English kersey, as be pil'd,

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Commentator is warped a little by the tract of his own profeffion, The queftion is whether the fecond Gentleman has ever heard grace. The firft Genileman limits the queiti n to Grace in meeter. Lucio enlarges it to Grace in any form or language. The first Gentleman, to go bey, nd him, says, or in any religion, which Lucio allows, becaule the nature of things is unalterable; Grace is as immutably Grace, as his merry antagonist is a wicked villain. Difference of religion cannot make a Grace not to be Grace, a Prayer not to be holy as nothing can make a villain not to be a villain. This jeems to be the meaning, fuch as

it is.

7 There went but a pair of Sheers between us.] We are both of the fame piece.

as

as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet.s feelingly now?

Do I speak

Lucio. I think thou doft; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy fpeech: I will, out of thine own confeffion, learn to begin thy health; but, whilft I live, forget to drink after thee.

I Gent. I think, I have done myself wrong, have I not?

2 Gent. Yes, that thou haft; whether thou art tainted, or free.

Lucio. Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation

comes.

1 Gent. I have purchased as many diseases under her roof, as come to

2 Gent. To what, I pray?

1 Gent. Judge.

2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a year. 9

1 Gent. Ay, and more.

Lucio. A French crown more. 1

1 Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thou art full of error; I am found.

Lucio. Nay, not as one would fay healthy; but fo found, as things that are hollow; thy bones are hollow; impiety hath made a feast of thee.

8 Piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet.] The jet about the pile of a French velvet alludes to the lofs of hair in the French difeafe, a very frequent topick of our Authour's jocularity. Lucio finding that the gentleman underftands the distemper fo weil, and meations it fo.feelingly, promifes. to remember to drink his health, but to forget to drink after him. It was the opinion of Shakespeare's time, that the cup of an infected perfon was contagious.

9 A quibble intended between dollars and dolours. HANMER.

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SCENE IV.

Enter Bawd.

1 Gent. How now, which of your hips has the most profound sciatica ?

Bard. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carry'd to prifon, was worth five thousand of you all. Gent. Who's that, I pr'ythee?

Bawd. Marry, Sir, that's Claudio; Signior Claudio. 1 Gent. Claudio to prifon? 'tis not fo.

Bawd. Nay, but I know, 'tis fo. I saw him arrefted; faw him carry'd away; and, which is more, within these three days his head is to be chopt off.

Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it fo. Art thou fure of this?

Bawd. I am too fure of it; and it is for getting madam Julietta with child.

Lucio. Believe me, this may be.

He promised to meet me two hours fince, and he was ever precise in promife-keeping.

2 Gent. Befides, you know, it draws fomething near to the speech we had to such a purpose.

1 Gent. But most of all agreeing with the proclama

tion.

Lucio. Away, let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt.

Manet Bawd.

Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the fweat, what with the gallows, and what with pover

2

What with the feat.] This may allude to the Sweating-ficknefs, of which the memory was very fresh in the time of Shake

fpeare: but more probably to the method of cure then used for the difeafes contracted in Brothels.

ty,

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