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 fayings,upon me? Ifab. Because 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 guiltiness, such as is his, Let it not found a thought upon your tongue 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 immortality, by indulging a paffion which does not deferve that prerogative. The ancients thought, that immoderate laughter was caused 4 In former Editions: 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. fabella would fay, there is fo great a Difproportion in Quality betwixt Lord Angelo and her Brother, that their Actions can bear no Comparifon, 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. [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 such gifts, that heav'n fhall share 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. Ang. Amen: For I am that way going to temptation, [Afide. Ifab. ftandard ftamp. WARBURTON. Rather copelled, brought to the test, refined. 7 preferved fouls.] i. e. preferved from the corruption of the world. The metaphor is taken from fruits preferved in fugar. WARBURTON, 8 I am that way going to temptation, Where prayers cross.] Which way Angelo is going to temptation, we begin to perceive, but how prayers cross that way, or Ifab. At what hour to-morrow Shall I attend your lordship? Ang. At any time 'fore noon. Ifab Save your Honour! [Exe. Lucio and Isabel, Ang. From thee; even from thy virtue. Do, as the carrion does, not as the flower, Shall we defire to raze the fanctuary, And pitch our evils there? oh, fie, fie, fie! Doft thou defire her foully, for those things That make her good? Oh, let her brother live: When judges fteal themselves. What? do I love her, And feast upon her eyes? what is't I dream on? To fin in loving virtue. Ne'er could the ftrumpet, Changes to a Prifon. Enter Duke habited like a Friar, and Provoft. Duke. Prov. I am the Provost; what's your HA AIL to you, Provost! fo, I think, you are. will, good Friar? 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 Than die for this. Duke. When must he die? Prov. As I do think, to-morrow. [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 seems, 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 shame, 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 |