Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge; With ransom of fuch fhame. 'Would yet, he had liv'd! Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not. 2 [Exit. Changes to the Fields without the Town. Enter Duke in his own Habit, and Friar Peter. Duke.HESE letters at fit time deliver me. THE * The Provost knows our purpose and our plot. Tho' fometimes you do blench from this to that, And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate: Peter. It fhall be speeded well. Enter Varrius. [Exit Friar. Duke. I thank thee, Varrius; thou haft made good hafte : Come, we will walk. There's other of our friends my gentle Varrius. [Exeunt, 2 we would, and we would not.] Here undoubtedly the act should end, and was ended by the poet; for here is properly a ceffation of action, and a night intervenes, and the place is changed, between the paffages of this fcene and thofe of the next. The next act beginning with the following scene, proceeds without any interruption of time or change of place. *Peter never delivers the letters, but tells his story without any credentials. The poet forgot the plot which he had formed. SCENE Ifab. To speak fo indirectly, I am loth: (I'd say the truth; but to accufe him so, That is your part;) yet I'm advis'd to do it, He fays, to vail full purpose. 3 Mari. Be rul'd by him. Ifab. Befides, he tells me, that if peradventure I fhould not think it strange; for 'tis a phyfick, Mari. I would, Friar Peter Ifab. Oh, peace; the Friar is come. Enter Peter. 4 Peter. Come, I have found you out at a stand most fit, 3 He fays to vail full purpose.) Thus the old Copies, I don't know, what Idea our Editors form'd to themselves, of vailing full purpofe; but, I'm perfuaded, the Poet meant, as I have reftor'd; viz. to a Purpose that will stand us in ftead, that will profit us. THEOBALD. He fays, to vail full purpose.] Mr. Theobald alters it to, He Jays, i' availful purpoje; because he has no idea of the common reading. A good reason! Yet the common reading is right. Full is ufed for beneficial; and the meaning is, He fays, it is to hide a beneficial purpose, that must not yet be revealed. Where very little force on the words, mean to hide the whole extent of our defign, and therefore the reading may ftand; yet I cannot but think Mr. Theobald's alteration either lucky on ingenious. To interpret words with fuch laxity as to make full the fame with beneficial, is to put an end, at once, to all neceflity of emendation, for any word may then ftand in the place of another. 4 Enter Peter.] This play has two Friars, either of whom might fingly have ferved. I fhould therefore imagine that Friar Thomas, in the firt act, might be changed, without any harm, to Friar Peter; for why fhould the Duke unnecefiarily A a 4 WARBURTON. To vail full purpose, may, with truit Where you may have fuch vantage on the Duke, founded: The generous and graveft citizens Have hent the gates, 5 and very near upon The Duke is entring: therefore hence, away. [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I. A publick Place near the City. Enter Duke, Varrius, Lords, Angelo, Efcalus, M DUKE. Y very worthy coufin, fairly met; Our old and faithful friend, we're glad to fee you. Ang. and Efcal. Happy return be to your royal Grace! Duke. Many and hearty thanks be to you both: Ang. You make my bonds ftill greater. Duke. Oh, your defert fpeaks loud; and I fhould wrong it, To lock it in the wards of covert bofom, truf two in an affair which required only one. The name of Friar Thomas is never mentioned in the dialogue, and therefore feems arbitrarily placed at the taken poffeffion of the gates. That That outward courtefies would fain proclaim SCENE II. Enter Peter and Ifabella. Peter. Now is your time: fpeak loud, and kneel before him. Ifab. Juftice, O royal Duke! * vail your regard Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have faid, a maid. Oh, worthy Prince, difhonour not your eye By throwing it on any other object, 'Till you have heard me in my true complaint, Here is lord Angelo shall give you justice; Ifab. Oh, worthy Duke, You bid me feek redemption of the devil. Or wring redress from you: hear me, oh, hear me, here. Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm; She hath been a fuitor to me for her brother, Cut off by course of justice. Ifab. By Courfe of justice! Ang. And fhe will fpeak moft bitterly, and strange. Ifab. Moft ftrange, but yet moft truly, will I fpeak. That Angelo's forfworn, is it not strange? That Angelo's a murth'rer, is't not strange? Vail your regard.] That is, withdraw your thoughts from higher things; let your notice de fcend upon a wronged woman. To vail, is to lower. That That Angelo is an adult'rous thief, Duke. Nay, it is ten times ftrange. Duke. Away with her, poor foul, She speaks this in th' infirmity of fense. Ifab. O Prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ❜ft There is another comfort than this world, That thou neglect me not; with that opinion fible That, which but feems unlike; 'tis not impoffible, 8 In all his dreffings, caracts, titles, forms, Duke. By mine honesty, If the be mad, as I believe no other, 6 Ifab. Gracious Duke, -truth is truth 7 —as shy, as grave, as juft, as abfolute.] As fhy; as re. served, as abstracted as juft; as nice, as exact: as abjoiute as complete in all the round of duty. To th' end of reckning] That is, Truth has no gradations; nothing which admits of encreafe can be fo much what it is, as truth is truth. There may be a a ftrange thing, and a thing more 8 In all bis dreings, &c.] In frange, but if a propofition be all his femblance of virtue, in true there can be none more true. all his habiliments of office. Harp. |