Ang. Nay, women are frail too. Ifab. Ay, as the glaffes where they view themselves; Which are as eafy broke, as they make forms. Women! help heav'n; men their creation mar, In profiting by them: nay, call us ten times frail; For we are foft as our complexions are, And credulous to falfe prints. Ang. I think it well; And from this teftimony of your own fex, By all external warrants, fhew it now, By putting on the deftin'd livery. Ifab. I have no tongue but one; gentle my Lord, Ifab. My brother did love Juliet ; Ang. He fhall not, Ifabel, if you give me love. To pluck on others. Ang. Believe me, on mine honour, Ifab. Ha! little honour to be much believ'd. Or, with an out-ftrech'd throat, I'll tell the world Ang. Who will believe thee, Isabel? My unfoil'd name, th' auftereness of my life, Fit thy confent to my fharp appetite, Lay by all nicety, and prolixious blushes, But thy unkindness shall his death draw out Say what you can; my falfe o'erweighs your true. [Exit. Ijab. To whom should I complain? did I tell this, Bidding the law make curtsy to their will; To fuch abhorr'd pollution. Then, Ifabel, live, chafte; and, brother, die; I'll tell him yet of Angelo's request; And fit his mind to death, for his foul's reft. [Exit. SCENE, the Prison. Enter Duke, Claudio, and Provoft. O, then you hope of pardon from Lord Angelo? S% Claud. The miferable have no other medicine, But only hope I've hope to live, and am prepar'd to die. Duke. Be abfolute for death: or death, or life, Shall thereby be the sweeter. Reason thus with life; (14) That none but fools would reck; a breath thou art, That doft this habitation, where thou keep'ft, And yet runn'ft tow'rd him ftill. Thou art not noble ; Are nurs'd by baseness: thou'rt by no means valiant ; Reafon thus with life; If I do lofe thee, I do lofe a thing That nane but fools would keep. But this reading is not only contrary to all fenfe and reafon; but to the drift of this moral Difcourfe. The Duke, in his affum'd character of a Friar, is endeavouring to inftil into the condemn'd prisoner a refignation of mind to his fentence; but the fenfe of the lines, in this reading, is a direct perfuafive to fuicide! I make no doubt, but the Poet wrote, That none but fools would reck. i. e. care for, be anxious about, regret the lofs of. Mr. Warburton. And the word is very frequent with our Author. Two Gent. of Verona; Recking as little what betideth me, And Hamlet: Et alibi affim. As much I wish all good befortune you. Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, Of Of a poor worm. Thy beft of rest is fleep, And death unloadeth thee. Friend thou haft none; Do curfe the Gout, Serpigo, and the Rheum, For ending thee no fooner. Thou haft nor youth, nor age; (15) But as it were an after-dinner's fleep, Dreaming on both; for all thy blessed youth (15) -Thou haft nor youth, nor age; &c.] Mr. Warburton has given me a correction of, and paraphrafe on, this and the subfequent lines; which fhews fo fine a spirit, that, tho' I have not ventur'd to disturb the text, I must not deprive my Readers of it.-"The drift of this period, you fee, is to prove, that neither youth, "nor age, is really enjoyed: which, in poetical language is, We "have neither youth, nor age.' But how is this prov'd? That age is not enjoy'd, he makes appear by recapitulating the infirmities of it, which deprive old age of the fenfe of pleasure. "To prove youth is not enjoy'd, he ufes thefe words; for all thy bleed yourb becomes as aged, and doth beg the alms of palfied Eld. "Out of which, he that can deduce the proof, erit mihi magnus "Apollo." Undoubtedly, if we would know how the Author wrote, we must read. ་་ for, pall'd, thy blazed youth Becomes affuaged; and doth beg the alms "i. e. When thy youthful appetite becomes pall'd, as it will be, in "the enjoyment, the blaze of youth becomes affuaged, and thou "immediately contract'ft the infirmities of age; as particularly, "the palfy, and other nervous infirmities; the confequence of the "enjoyment of fenfual pleasure. This is to the purpose; and proves "youth is not enjoy'd, by thewing the fleeting duration of it.' Of palfy'd Eld; and when thou'rt old and rich, Lie hid more thousand deaths; yet death we fear, Claud. I humbly thank you. To fue to live, I find, I feek to die; And, seeking death, find life: let it come on. Enter Ifabella. Ifab. What, ho? peace here: grace and good company! Prov. Who's there? come in: the with deferves a welcome. Duke. Dear Sir, ere long I'll vifit you again. Ifab. My bufinefs is a word, or two, with Claudio. Prov. And very welcome. Look, Signior, here's your fifter. Duke. Provoft, a word with you. Prov. As many as you please. Duke. Bring them to speak where I may be conceal'd, Yet hear them. [Exeunt Duke and Provoft. Claud. Now, fifter, what's the comfort? Ifab. Why, as all comforts are; moit good in deed: Lord Angelo, having affairs to heav'n, Intends you for his fwift ambaffador; Where you shall be an everlasting leiger. Therefore your beft appointment make with speed, To-morrow you fet on. Claud. Is there no remedy? Ifab. None, but fuch remedy, as to fave a head, To cleave a heart in twain. Claud. But is there any ? Ifab. Yes, brother, you may live: 'There is a devilish mercy in the judge, If you'll implore it, that will free your life, But fetter you 'till death. Claud. Perpetual durance? Jab. Ay, juft; perpetual durance; a refraint, Tho' |