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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
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 immortality, by indulging a paffion which does not deferve that prerogative. The ancients thought, that

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. 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.
Ifab. Heav'n keep your Honour safe!

Ang. Amen:

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

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[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,

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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 fhe 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 lightness? having waste 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?

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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 themselves. 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.

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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
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 fuch offence,

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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 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

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