Claud. Let me know the point, Ifab. Oh, I do fear thee, Claudio; and I quake, Than a perpetual Honour. Dar'st thou die? Claud. Why give you me this shame? And hug it in mine arms. Ifab. There fpake my brother; there my father's grave Did utter forth a voice. Yes, thou must die : In base appliances. This outward-fainted Deputy, Nips youth i'th' head; and follies doth emmew, I Claud. The Princely Angelo? Ifab. Oh, 'tis the cunning livery of hell, 8 The The damned'ft body to invest and cover Thou might'ft be freed? Claud. Oh, heav'ns! it cannot be. Ifab. Yes, he would giv't thee * for this rank offence, So to offend him ftill. This night's the time That I fhould do what I abhor to name, Or else thou dy't to-morrow. Ifab. Oh, were it but my life, I'd throw it down for your As frankly as a pin. deliverance Claud. Thanks, dearest Ifabel. Ifab. Be ready, Claudio, for your death to morrow. That thus can make him bite the law by th' nose, Or of the deadly feven it is the least. Ifab. Which is the leaft? 3 Claud. If it were damnable, he being fo wife, Why would he for the momentary trick Be perdurably fin'd? oh Isabel! Ifab. What fays my brother? Ifab. The damned ft body to invest and preceding words of, This out Ifab. And fhamed life a hateful. Claud. Ay, but to die, and go we know not where; The weariest and most loathed worldly life, To what we fear of death. Ifab. Alas! alas! Claud. Sweet fifter, let me live; What fin you do to fave a brother's life, Nature difpenfes with the deed fo far, That it becomes a virtue. Ifab. Oh, you beast! of Claudio. When Isabella firft tells him of Angelo's propofal he anfwers with honeft indignation, agreeably to his fettled principles, thou shalt not do't. But the love of life being permitted to operate, scon furnishes him with fophiftical arguments, he believes it cannot be very dangerous to the foul, fince Angelo, who is fo wife, will venture it. 4-delighted fpirit.] i, e. the fpirit accustomed here to eafe and delights. This was properly urged as an aggravation to the fharpnefs of the torments spoken of. The Oxford Editor not apprehending this, alters it to dilated. As if, because the spirit in the body is faid to be imprisoned, it was crowded together likewife; and fo, by death, not only fet free, but expanded too; which, if true, would make it the less fenfible of pain. WARBURTON. This reading may perhaps ftand, but many attempts have been made to correct it. The most plaufible is that which fubftitutes the benighted fpirit, alluding to the darkness always fuppofed in the place of future punishment. Perhaps we may read the delinquent Spirit. a word easily changed to delighted by a bad copier, or unskiltul reader. lawless and uncertain thoughts.] Conjecture fent out to wander without any certain direction, and ranging through all poffibilities of pain. Oh, Oh, faithlefs coward! oh, difhoneft wretch ! From thine own fifter's fhame? what fhould I think? Ne'er iffu'd from his blood. Take my defiance, Claud. Nay, hear me, Isabel. Thy fin's not accidental, but a trade; SCENE III. To them, Enter Duke and Provost. Duke. Vouchfafe a word, young fifter; but one word. Ifab. What is your will? Duke. Might you difpenfe with your leifure, I would by and by have some speech with you; the fatisfaction I would require, is likewife your own benefit. Ifab. I have no fuperfluous leifure; my stay must be ftolen out of other affairs; but I will attend you a while. Duke. [To Claudio afide.] Son, I have over-heard what hath paft between you and your Sifter. Angelo had never the purpose to corrupt her; only he hath 5 Is't not a kind of inceft,-] In Ijabella's declamation there is fomething har fh, and fomething forced and far-fetched. But her indignation cannot be thought violent when we confider her not VOL. I. only as a virgin but as a nun. •-but a trade.] A cuftom; a practice; an established habit. So we fay of a man much addicted to any thing, he makes a trade of it. Y made made an affay of her virtue, to practise his judgment with the difpofition of natures. She, having the truth of honour in her, hath made him that gracious denial, which he is moft glad to receive: I am Confeffor to Angelo, and I know this to be true; therefore prepare yourself to death. Do not fatisfy your refolution with hopes that are fallible; to-morrow you must die; go to your knees, and make ready. 6 Claud. Let me afk my fifter pardon. I am so out of love with life, that I will fue to be rid of it. Duke. Hold you there; with you. farewel. Prov. What's your Will, father? [Exit Claud. Provost, a word Duke. That now you are come, you will be gone. Leave me a while with the maid: my mind promifes with my habit, no lois fhall touch her by my company. Prov. In good time. [Exit Prov. Duke. The hand, that hath made you fair, hath made you good; the goodness, that is cheap in beauty, makes beauty brief in goodnefs; but grace, being the foul of your complexion, fhall keep the body of it ever fair. The affault, that Angelo hath made on you, 6 Do not fatisfie your refolution with hopes that are fallible;] A condemned man, whom his confeffor had brought to bear death with decency and refolution, began anew to entertain hopes of life. This occafioned the advice in the words above. But how did thefe hopes fatisfie his refolution? or what harm was there, if they did? We muft certainly read, Do not FALSIFIE your refolution with hopes that are fallible. And then it becomes a reasonable admonition. For hopes to the world, would naturally elude or weaken the virtue of that refolution, which was raised only on motives of religion. And this his confeffor had reason to warn him of. The term falfifie is taken from fencing, and bignifies the pretending to aim a ftroke in order to draw the adverfary off his guard. So Fairfax. Now ftrikes be out, and now he FALSIFIETH. WARBURTON. 7 Hold you there.] Continue of life, by drawing him back in- in that refolution. |