Would all themselves laugh mortal. 3

Lucio. [afide.] Oh, to him, to him, Wench; he will relent;

He's coming: I perceive't.

Pro. [To Lucio.] Pray heav'n, fhe win him! Ifab. We cannot weigh our brother with yourself: 4 Great men may jeft with Saints; 'tis wit in them; But, in the lefs, foul profanation.

Lucio. [Afide.] Thou'rt right, girl; more o'that. Ifab. That in the captain's but a cholerick word, Which in the foldier is flat blafphemy.

Lucio. [Afide.] Art advis'd o'that? more on't. Ang. Why do you put these sayings, upon me? Ifab. Becaufe authority, tho' it err like others, Hath yet a kind of medicine in itself, That skins the vice o' th' top. Go to your bofom; Knock there, and ask your heart, what it doth know That's like my brother's fault; if it confefs A natural guiltinefs, fuch as is his, Let it not found a thought upon your tongue Against my brother's life.

3 who, with our fplens,

Would all themselves laugh morial.] Mr. Theobald fays the meaning of this is, that if they were endowed with our Spleens and perishable organs, they would laugh themselves out of immortality: Which amounts to this, that if they were mortal they would not be immortal. Shakespear meant no fuch nonfenfe. By Spleens, he meant that peculiar turn of the human mind, that always inclines it to a fpiteful, unfeafonable mirth. Had the angels that, fays Shakespear, they would laugh themselves out of their immorta lity, by indulging a paffion which does not deferve that prerogative. The ancients thought, that

24

immoderate laughter was caused
by the bigness of the spleen.
WARBURTON.
4 In former Editions:
We cannot weigh our Brother

with ourself. Why not? Tho' this fhould be the Reading of all the Copies, 'tis as plain as Light, it is not the Author's meaning. Ijatella would fay, there is fo great a Difproportion in Quality betwixt Lord Angelo and her Brother, that their Actions can bear no Comparison, or Equality, together: but her Brother's Crimes would be aggravated, Angelo's Frailties extenuated, from the Difference of their Degrees and State of Life. WARBURTON.

Ang,

Ang. [Afide.] She fpeaks, and 'tis fuch fenfe, That my fenfe breeds with it. 5 [To Ifab.] Fare you

well.

Ifab. Gentle, my lord, turn back.

Ang. I will bethink me. Come again to-morrow. Ifab. Hark, how I'll bribe you: good my lord, turn back.

Ang. How? bribe me?

Ifab. Ay, with fuch gifts, that heav'n fhall fhare with you.

Lucio. You had marr'd all elfe.

[Afide.

Ifab. Not with fond fhekels of the tefted gold,
Or ftones, whose rates are either rich, or poor,
As fancy values them; but with true prayers,
That shall be up at heav'n and enter there,
Ere fun-rife; prayers from preferved fouls,,
From fafting maids, whofe minds are dedicate
To nothing temporal.

Ang. Well; come to-morrow.

Lucio, Go to; 'tis well; [Afide to Ifabel.] away.
Ifab. Heav'n keep your Honour safe!
Ang. Amen:

For I am that way going to temptation,
Where prayers cross, &

5 That my fenfe breeds with it.] Thus all the folios. Some later Editor has changed breeds to bleeds, and Dr. Warburton blames poor Mr. Theobald for recalling the old word, which yet is certainly right. My fenfe breeds with her fenfe, that is, new thoughts are flirring in my mind, new conceptions are hatched in my imagination. So we fay to brood over thought.

6

tefted gold.] i. e. attefted, or marked with the

[Afide.

Ifab.

Ifab. At what hour to-morrow Shall I attend your lordship? Ang. At any time 'fore noon.

Ifabe Save your Honour! [Exe. Lucio and Ifabel,

SCENE

VIII.

Ang. From thee; even from thy virtue.

What's this? what's this? is this her fault, or mine?
The tempter, or the tempted, who fins moft?
Not fhe.Nor doth she tempt.—But it is I, 9
That, lying by the violet in the fun,
Do, as the carrion does, not as the flower,
Corrupt with virtuous feafon, Can it be,
That modefty may more betray our sense,
Than woman's lightnefs? having wafte ground
enough,

Shall we defire to raze the fanctuary,
And pitch our evils there? oh, fie, fie, fie!
What do thou? or what art thou, Angelo?

Doft thou defire her foully, for those things
That make her good? Oh, let her brother live:
Thieves for their robbery have authority,
When judges fteal themfelves. What? do I love her,
That I defire to hear her speak again,
And feast upon her eyes? what is't I dream on?
Oh, cunning enemy, that, to catch a Saint,
With Saints doft bait thy hook! Most dangerous
Is that temptation, that doft goad us on

To fin in loving virtue. Ne'er could the ftrumpet,
With all her double vigour, art and nature,
Once ftir my temper; but this virtuous maid
Subdues me quite. Ever 'till this very Now,
When men were fond, I fmil'd, and wonder'd how, '

[Exit.

SCENE IX.

Changes to a Prifon.

Enter Duke habited like a Friar, and Provoft.

Duke. TAIL to you, Provoft! fo, I think, you are. Prov. I am the Provoft; what's your will, good Friar?

H

Duke. Bound by my charity, and my bleft Order, I come to vifit the afflicted fpirits

Here in the prifon; do me the common right
To let me fee them, and to make me know

The nature of their crimes; that I may minister
To them accordingly.

Prov. I would do more than that, if more were

needful.

Ifmil'd, and wonder'd how.] As a day muft now intervene between this conference of Ifabella with Angelo, and the next,

the act might more properly end here, and here, in my opinion, it was ended by the poet.

Enter

Enter Juliet.

Look, here comes one; a gentlewoman of mine
Who falling in the flaws of her own youth, 2
Hath blifter'd her report: She is with child;
And he, that got it, fentenc'd; a young man
More fit to do another such offence,
Than die for this.

Duke. When must he die?

Prov. As I do think, to-morrow.
I have provided for you; stay a while,
And you fhall be conducted.

[To Juliet.

Duke. Repent you, fair one, of the fin you carry?
Juliet. I do; and bear the fhame most patiently.
Duke. I'll teach you, how you fhall arraign your
confcience,

And try your penitence, if it be found,
Or hollowly put on.

Juliet. I'll gladly learn.

Duke. Love you the man that wrong'd you?
Juliet. Yes, as I love the woman that wrong'd
him.

Duke. So then, it feems, your most offenceful act Was mutually committed.

Juliet. Mutually.

Duke. Then was your fin of heavier kind than his.
Juliet. I do confefs it, and repent it, father.

Duke. 'Tis meet fo, daughter; but repent you not,
As that the fin hath brought you to this fhame,
Which forrow's always tow'rds ourselves, not heav'n;
Shewing, we'd not feek heaven, as we love it,
But as we ftand in fear.

Juliet. I do repent me, as it is an evil;

2 Who falling in the flaws of her own youth,

Hath blifter'd her report:] Who doth not fee that the integrity of the metaphor requires

we should read FLAMES of her.
own youth. WARBURTON.
Who does not fee that upon
fuch principles there is no end
of correction.

And