a beggar, tho' the smelt of brown bread and garlick: say, that I said so, farewel.

[Exit. Duke. No might nor greatness in mortality Can censure scape: back-wounding calumny The whiteft virtue strikes. What King so strong Can tie the gall up in the fland'rous tongue ? But who comes here?

Enter Escalus, Provost, and Bawd.

is a year

Escal. Go, away with her to prison.

Bawd. Good my Lord, be good to me; your honour is accounted a merciful man: good my Lord.

Escal. Double and treble admonition, and still forfeit in the same kind?. this would make mercy swear, and play the tyrant.

Prov. A bawd of eleven years continuance, may it please your honour.

Barvd. My Lord, this is one Lucio's information against me: mistress Kate-Keep-down was with child by him in the Duke's time; he promis'd her marriage; his child

and a quarter old, come Philip and Jacob: I have kept it myself; and see, how he goes about to abuse me.

Escal. That fellow is a fellow of much licence; let him be call'd before us. Away with her to prison: go to; no more words. [Exeunt with the Bawd.] Provoft, my brother Angelo will not be alter'd; Claudio muft die to-morrow: let him be furnished with divines, and have all charitable preparation. If my brother wrought by my pity, it should not be so with him.

Prov. So please you, this Friar hath been with him, and advis'd him for the entertainment of death.

Escal. Good even, good father.
Duke. Bliss and goodness on you !
Escal. Of whence are you?

Duke. Not of this country, tho' my chance is now to use it for my time: I am a brother Of gracious order, late come from the fee,

Ia

In special business from his holiness.

Escal. What news abroad i'th' world ?

Duke. None, but that there is so great a fever. on goodness, that the diffolution of it must cure it. Novelty is only in request; and it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of course, as it is virtuous to be conftant in any undertaking. There is scarce truth enough alive, to make societies fecure; but security enough, to make fellowships accurft. Much upon this riddle runs the wisdom of the world; this news is old enough, yet it is every day's news. I pray you, Sir, of what difpofition was the Duke?

Escal, One, that, above all other strifes, Contended specially to know himself.

Duke. What pleasure was he giv'n to ?

Escal. Rather rejoicing to see another merry, than merry at any thing which profest to make him rejoice. A gentlemanof all temperance. But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove prosperous; and let me desire to know, how you find Claudio prepar'd? I am made to understand, that you have lent him vifitation.

Duke. He professes to have received no finifter meafure from his judge, but most willingly humbles him'self to the determination of justice; yet had he fram’d to himself, by the instruction of his frailty, many deceiving promises of life; which I by my good leisure have difcredited to him, and now is he resolved to die.

Escal. You have paid the heav'ns your function, and the prisoner the very debt of your calling. I have labour'd for the poor gentleman, to the extremest shore of my modesty ; but my brother justice have I found so severe, that he hath forc'd me to tell him, he is indeed Justice. Duke. If his own life answer the straitness of his

proceeding, it shall become him well; wherein if he chance to fail, he hath sentenc'd himself. Escal. I am going to visit the prisoner; fare you well

3.

Exit. Duke.

Duke. Peace be with you!
He who the sword of heav'n will bear,
Should be as holy as fevere:
Pattern in himself to know,
Grace to stand, and virtue go;
More nor less to others paying,
Than by felf offences weighing.
Shame to him, whose cruel striking
Kills for faults of his own liking.
Twice treble shame on Angelo,
To weed my vice, and let his grow!
Oh, what may man within him hide,
Tho' Angel on the outward fide?
How may that likeness, made in crimes, (20)
Making practice on the times,
Draw with idle spiders ftrings
Most pond'rous and fubftantial things !
Craft against vice I must apply,
With Angelo to-night shall lye
His old betrothed, but despis'd;
So disguise thall by th' disguis'd
Pay with fa!fhood false exacting;
And perform an old contracting.

[Exit.

" How

(20) How may liker.efs made in crimes,

Making practise on the times,
To draw witb'idle Spider's frings

Mop pond'rous and fubftantial tbings?] This obscure and ungrammatical paflage Mr. Warburton has restor'd to its purity, only by adding one monosyllable, and throwing out another: as he has likewise made it intelligible by the following comment. “ much wickedness may a man hide witbin, tho' he appears like an « angel wirbout! How may ibat likeness, made in crimes, i. e. by " bypocrisy; [pretty paradoxical expression, of an angel made in “ crimes ] by impofing on the world, [thus emphatically express'd, “ making practise on the times) draw with its falfe and empty pretences “ (which Shakespeare finely calls, Spiders Arings;] the most ponde

rous and subtantial things of the world, as riches, honour, power, « reputation, &c."

ACT

ACT IV.
SCENE, a Grange.
Enter Mariana, and Boy finging.

SONG,

T , (21)

That so sweetly were forsworn ;
And those eyes, the break of day,

Lights that do mis-lead the morn;
But my kiffes bring again,
Seals of love, but seal'd in vain.

Enter Duke:
Mari. Break off thy fong, and haste thee quick away:
Here comes a man of comfort, whose advice
Hath often ftilld my brawling discontent.
I cry you mercy, Sir, and well could wish,
You had not found me here so musical:
Let me excuse me, and believe me so,
My mirth it much displeas'd, but pleas'd my woe.

Duke. 'Tis good; tho' music oft hath such a charma
To make bad, good; and good provoke to harm.

(21) Take, ob, lake those lips away,] This song, which, no doubt was a great favourite in its time, is inserted'in Beaumont and Fletcher's Bloody Brotber, with this additional stanza.

Hide, oh, hide those hills of snow,

Which thy frozen bosom bears;
On whose tops the pinks, that grow,

Are of those that Aprilwears.
But my poor heart firft set free,

Bound in those icy chains by thee.
With this addition likewise it is printed in the volume of Shake
Speare's poems. The reason of this second stanza being omitted
here, is obvious. Mariana has the song fung, applicable to her love
for Angelo, and his perjury to her: and the addition can only fort,
when address'd from a lover to his mistress,
VOL. I.

R

I pray

I pray you, tell me, hath any body enquir'd for me here to-day? much upon this time, have I promis'd here to meet.

Mari. You have not been enquir’d after: I have fate here all day.

Enter Isabel. Duke. I do constantly believe you: the time is come, even now. I shall crave your forbearance a little; may be, I will call upon you ànon for some advantage to yourself. Mari. I am always bound to you.

(Exit.
Duke. Very well met, and well come:
What is the news from this good Deputy ?

Isab. He hath a garden circummur'd with brick,
Whose western side is with a vineyard backt;
And to that vineyard is a planched gate,
That makes his opening with this bigger key:
This other doth command a little door,
Which from the vineyard to the garden leads ;
There, on the heavy middle of the night,
Have I my promise made to call upon him.

Duke. But shall you on your knowledge find this way?

Ifab. I've ta’n a due and wary note upon't;
With whisp’ring and most guilty diligence,
In action all of precept, he did show me
The way twice o’er.

Duke. Are there no other tokens
Between you 'greed, concerning her observance ?

Isab. No: none, but only a repair i'th' dark;
And that I have pofseft him, my most stay
Can be but brief; for I have made him know,
I:have a servant comes with me along,
That stays upon me; whose persuasion is,
I come about my brother.

Duke. ”Tis well born up.
I have not yet made known to Mariana
Aword of this. What, hoa! within! come forth!

Enter