SCENE I.-An Apartment in the Duke's Palace. ACT I. Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants. Duke. Escalus,Escal. My lord. Duke. Of government the propertics to unfold, Would seem in me to affect specch and dis course; Since I am put to know," that your own science But that, to your sufficiency as your worth, is able; Put to know-equivalent to I cannot avoid knowing. b Lists-limits. And let them work." The nature of our people, Our city's institutions, and the terms b a Here is one of the obscure passages for which this play is remarkable. The text is usually pointed thus:- But that to your sufliciency, as your worth is able, It is certainly difficult to extract a clear meaning from this. It is not our purpose to remove obscurities by additions or omissions in the text, and therefore we leave the passage as in the original, excepting a slight alteration in the punctuation. But we suggest a reading which appears more clearly to give the meaning that may be collected from the text as it stands. We would read "Then no more remains, But that to your sufficiency your worth is able, And let them work." Sufficiency is adequate power; worth is the virtue or strength (virtus), which, added to sufficiency, is able (equal to the duty). By the omission of as the sense is clearer, and the line is more metrical. b Terms.-Blackstone explains this to mean the technical For common justice, you are as pregnant in, I say, bid come before us Angelo. [Exit an Attendant. What figure of us think you he will bear? For you must know, we have with special soul Elected him our absence to supply; Lent him our terror, dress'd him with our love; And given his deputation all the organs language of the courts, and adds, " An old book called Les Termes de la Ley (written in Henry the Eighth's time) was in Shakspeare's day, and is now, the accidence of young students in the law." a The commentators have stumbled at this passage. Johnson says, "What is there peculiar in this, that a man's life informs the observer of his history?" Monck Mason would correct the passage as follows: "There is a kind of history in thy life, Surely character has here the original meaning of something engraved or inscribed-thy life is thy habits. Angelo was a man of decorum. The duke afterwards says, "Lord Angelo is precise." In modern editions them, as b They-So the original. corrected by Hanmer. But as Angelo might waste himself upon his virtues, they might waste themselves on him. c Use.-Interest of money. d Alterations have been made and proposed in this passage. Hanmer reads "To one that can, in my part me advertise." This is to destroy the sense. My part in him is, my part Before so noble and so great a figure Duke. Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, That we may bring you something on the way. Duke. My haste may not admit it; Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do own: So to enforce or qualify the laws As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand; I'll privily away: I love the people, poses! Escal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happiness. Duke. I thank you: Fare you well. [Exit. Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave To have free speech with you; and it concerns me To look into the bottom of my place : deputed to him, which he can advertise-direct his attention to, without my speech. a Hold.-Tyrwhitt supposes that the Duke here checks himself, Hold therefore; and that the word Angelo begins a new sentence. We have little doubt that the word hold is addressed to Angelo; and used technically in the sense of to have and to hold. Hold, therefore, our power, Angelo. b Douce thus explains this passage:-"I delegate to thy tongue the power of pronouncing sentence of death, and to thy heart the privilege of exercising mercy." eLeaven'd. As leaven slowly works to impart its quality to bread, so the considerations upon which the Duke made choice of Angelo have gradually fermented in his mind. Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. 1 Gent. Why, 't was a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to steal: There's not a soldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where grace was said. 2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least. 1 Gent. What ? in metre?1 Lucio. In any proportion, or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ay! why not? grace is grace, despite of all controversy: As for example: Thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. 1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of sheers between us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet: Thou art the list. 1 Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet ; thou art a three-piled piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. 1 Gent. How now? Which of your hips has the most profound sciatica? Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prison, was worth five thousand of you all. 2 Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Bawd. Marry, sir, that's Claudio, signior Claudio. 1 Gent. Claudio to prison! 't is not so. Bawd. Nay, but I know 't is so: I saw him arrested; saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head's to be chopped off. Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so: Art thou sure of this? Bawd. I am too sure of it: and it is for getting madam Julietta with child. Lucio. Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me two hours since; and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. 2 Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose. 1 Gent. But most of all, agreeing with the proclamation. Lucio. Away; let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt LUCIO and Gentlemen. Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk. How now? what's the news with you? Enter Clown. Glo. Yonder man is carried to prison. a It is justly considered that the 1 Gent. has a claim to the honours of this purchase. As surfeit is the father of much fast, Bawd. Well; what has he done ? Clo. A woman. Bawd. But what's his offence? Clo. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. Bawd. What, is there a maid with child by him? Clo. No; but there's a woman with maid by him: You have not heard of the proclamation, have you? Bawd. What proclamation, man ? Clo. All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be plucked down. Bawd. And what shall become of those in the city? Clo. They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too, but that a wise burgher put in for them. Bawd. But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be pulled down? Clo. To the ground, mistress. Bawd. Why, here's a change, indeed, in the commonwealth! What shall become of me? Clo. Come; fear not you: good counsellors lack no clients though you change your place, you need not change your trade; I'll be your tapster still. Courage; there will be pity taken. on you: you that have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you will be considered. Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapster? Let's withdraw. Clo. Here comes signior Claudio, led by the provost to prison: and there's madam Juliet. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The same. Enter Provost, Claudio, JULIET, and Officers; LUCIO and two Gentlemen. Claud. Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the world? Bear me to prison, where I am committed. Claud. Thus can the demi-god, Authority, Make us pay down for our offence by weight."The words of heaven ; b- -on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, so; yet still 't is just. Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio? whence comes this restraint? Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty: To pay down by weight is to pay the full price or penalty. b It has been proposed here to read the swords of heaven. The passage is, however, an allusion to St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, chap. ix. ver. 15. So every scope, by the immoderate use, Lucio. If I could speak so wisely under an arrest, I would send for certain of my creditors: And yet, to say the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom as the morality of imprisonment.-What's thy offence, Claudio ? b Claud. What but to speak of would offend Lucio. What! is 't murder? Lucio. Lechery? Pro. Away, sir; you must go. Claud. One word, good friend :—Lucio, a Is lechery so look'd after ? Claud. Thus stands it with me:-Upon a true I got possession of Julietta's bed; Claud. Unhappily, even so. And the new deputy now for the duke,- A horse whereon the governor doth ride, Or in his eminence that fills it up, I stagger in:-But this new governor |