My abfolute pow'r and place here in Vienna;
And he fuppofes me travell'd to Poland;
For fo I've ftrew'd it in the common ear,,
And fo it is receiv'd; now, pious Sir,
You will demand of me, why I do this?
Fri. Gladly, my Lord.

Duke. We have strict statutes and moft biting laws, (The needful bits and curbs for head-ftrong fteeds,) (6). Which for thefe nineteen years we have let fleep; (7) Even

A man of strict ure and firm abstinenc', i. e. a man of a fevere bal of life. Ure, 'tis certain, was a word used in CHAUCER's time for chance, deftiny, fortune; (when deriv'd from beur;) and alfo for habit, cuftom; (when contracted from the ufura of the Latines ;) whence we have form'd our compound adjective, enured, habituated to. Though I have not disturb'd the text, the conjecture was too ingenious to be pass'd over in filence. But as it is most frequent with our Author as well to coin words, as to form their terminations ad libitum; he may have adopted fricture here to fignify firictness; as afterwards, in this very Play, he has introduced prompture, the ufage of which word I no where else remember in our tongue; neither have we promptura or prompture, from the Latin or French, that I know of,

(6) The needful bits and curbs for beadftrong weeds :] There is no manner of analogy, or confonance, in the metaphors here: and, tho' the copies agree, I do not think, the Author would have talked of. bits and curbs for, weeds. On the other hand, nothing can be more proper, than to compare perfons of unbridled licentiousness to headftrong feeds: and, in this view, bridling the paffions has been a phrafe adopted by our best poets.

So, Horace, Lib. iv. Od. 15.
& Ordinem

Rectum evaganti frena licentiæ
Injecit, emovitque culpas,

Et veteres revocavit artes.

So, in his Epiftles, Lib. 1. Ep. 2.

animum rege, qui, nifi paret,

Imperat, bunc frenis, bunè tu compefce catena.

And fo the elegant Phædrus, Lib. 1. Fab. 2.

Procax libertas ciuitatem mifcuit,

Fernumque folvit priftinum licentiâ.

But inftances were endless both from the poets, and profe-writers. (7) Which for these fourteen years we have let flip.] For fourteen I have made no fcruple to replace nineteen. The reafon will be obvious

to the reader, who fhall look back to the 4th note upon this play. I have, I hope, upon as good authority, alter'd the odd phrafe of letting the laws flip: for, fuppofing the expreffion might be justified,

P 3

yet

Even like an o'er-grown lion in a cave,
That goes not out to prey: now, as fond fathers
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to stick it in their children's fight,
For terror, not to use; in time the rod
Becomes more mock'd, than fear'd: fo our decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead;
And liberty plucks justice by the nose;
The baby beats the nurfe, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri. It refted in your Grace

T'unloose this ty'd-up juftice, when you pleas'd:
And it in you more dreadful would have feem'd,
Than in Lord Angelo.

Duke. I do fear, too dreadful.

Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope,
"Twould be my tyranny to ftrike, and gall them,
For what I bid them do. For we bid this be done,
When evil deeds have their permiffive pafs,

And not the punishment. Therefore, indeed, my father,
I have on Angelo impos'd the office:

Who may in th' ambush of my name ftrike home,
And yet, my nature never in the fight

in flander: And to behold his fway,

So do in hande

I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,

Vifit both prince and people; therefore, pry'thee,
Supply me with the habit, and instruct me

yet how does it fort with the comparison, that follows, of a lion in his cave that went not out to prey? But letting the laws fleep, as I have reftored to the text, adds a particular propriety to the thing reprefented, and accords exactly too with the fimile. It is the metapher too, that our Author feems fond of ufing upon this occafion, in feveral other paffages of this Play.

The law hath not been dead, tho' it hath slept :
Tis now awake.

And fo, again,

but this new governour

Awakes me all th' enrolled penalties;
and for a name

Now puts the drowsy and neglected a
Freshly on me.

How

How I may formally in perfon bear,

Like a true Friar. More reasons for this action
At our more leisure shall I render you;
Only, this one: - Lord Angelo is precife;
Stands at a guard with envy; fcarce confeffes
That his blood flows, or that his appetite

Is more to bread than stone: hence fhail we fee,
If pow'r change purpose, what our feemers be.

SCENE, a Nunnery.

Enter Ifabella and Francifca.

Ifab.AND

ND have you nuns no farther privileges?
Nun. Are not thefe large enough?
Ifab. Yes, truly; I fpeak not, as defiring more;
But rather wifhing a more ftrict restraint

Upon the fifterhood, the votarifts of Saint Clare.
Lucio. [Within] Hoa! Peace be in this place!
Ifab. Who's that which calls?

Nun. It is a man's voice: gentle Ifabella,
Turn you the key, and know his business of him;
You may; I may not; you are yet unfworn:

When you have vow'd, you must not speak with men,

But in the prefence of the priorefs;

Then, if you speak, you must not fhew your face;
Or, if you fhew your face, you must not speak.
He calls again; I pray you, anfwer him. [Exit Franc.
Jab. Peace and profperity! who is't that calls?
Enter Lucio.

Lucio. Hail, virgin, (if you be) as thofe cheek-rofes Proclaim you are no lefs; can you so stead me,

As bring me to the fight of Isabella,

A novice of this place, and the fair fifter

To her unhappy brother Claudio?

Ifab. Why her unhappy brother? let me afk

The rather, for I now must make you know

I am that Isabella, and his fifter.

Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you; Not to be weary with you, he's in prifon.

P 4

Ifab. Woe me! for what?

Lucio. For that, which, if myfelf might be his judge, He should receive his punishment in thanks; He hath got his friend with child.

Ijab. Sir, make me not your story.

Lucio. "Tis true:-I would not (tho' 'tis my familiar fin With maids to feem the lapwing, and to jeft, Tongue far from heart) play with all virgins fo. I hold you as a thing en-fky'd, and fainted; By your renouncement, an immortal spirit; And to be talk'd with in fincerity,

As with a faint.

Ijab. You do blafpheme the good, in mocking me. Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewnefs, and truth, 'tis thus; Your brother and his lover having embrac'd, As thofe that feed grow full, as bloffoming time That from the feedness the bare fallow brings To teeming foyfon; fo her plenteous womb Expreffeth his full tilth and husbandry.

Ifab. Some one with child by him --my cousin Juliet ? Lucio. Is the your coufin?

Ifab. Adoptedly, as fchool-maids change their names, By vain, tho' apt, affection.

Lucio. She it is.

Ifab. O, let him marry her.
Lucio. This is the point.

The Duke is very ftrangely gone from hence,
Bore many gentlemen, myfelf being one,
In hand and hope of action; but we learn,
By those that know the very nerves of state,
His givings out were of an infinite distance
From his true-meant defign. Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,

Governs Lord Angelo; a man whose blood

Is

very fnow-broth ; one who never feels

The wanton ftrings and motions of the sense;
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, ftudy and fast.
He, (to give fear to use and liberty,

Which have long time run by the hideous law,

As

As mice by lions;) hath pickt out an act,
Under whofe heavy fenfe your brother's life
Falls into forfeit; he arrefts him on it;
And follows close the rigor of the statute,
To make him an example; all hopes gone,
Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer
To foften Angelo; and that's my pith of business
"Twixt you and your poor brother.

Ifab. Doth he fo

Seek for his life?

Lucio. H'as cenfur'd him already;
And, as hear, the Provost hath a warrant
For's execution.

Ifab. Alas! what poor

Ability's in me, to do him good?

Lucio. Affay the power you have.
Ifab. My power? Alas! I doubt..
Lucio. Our doubts are traitors;

And make us lofe the good, we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt. Go to Lord Angelo,
And let him learn to know, when maidens fue,
Men give like Gods; but when they weep and kneel,,
All their petitions are as truly theirs,

As they themselves would owe them.
Ifab. I'll fee what I can do.
Lucio. But, fpeedily.

Ifab. I will about it strait;

No longer staying, but to give the mother
Notice of my affair. I humbly thank you;
Commend me to my brother: foon at night
I'll fend him certain word of my fuccefs.
Lucio. I take my leave of you,
Ifab. Good Sir, adieu..

[Exeunte