Ang. Now, good my lord,

Let there be fome more teft made of my metal,
Before fo noble and fo great a figure
Be ftampt upon it.

Duke. Come, no more evafion :

We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice 3
Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.
Our hafte from hence is of fo quick condition,
That it prefers itfelf, and leaves unquestion'd
Matters of needful value. We fhall write to you,
As time and our concernings fhall importune,
How it goes with us; and do look to know
What doth befal you here. So, fare ye well.
To th' hopeful execution do I leave you
Of your Commiffions.

Ang. Yet give leave, my lord,

That we may bring you fomething on the way.
Duke. My hafte may not admit it.

Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do
With any fcruple; your fcope is as mine own,
So to inforce, or qualify the Laws,

As to your foul feems good. Give me your hand
I'll privily away. I love the people,
But do not like to ftage me to their eyes;
Though it do well, I do not relish well
Their loud applause, and Ave's vehement;

Nor do I think the man of fafe difcretion,
That does affect it. Once more, fare ye well.
Ang. The heav'ns give safety to your purposes!
Efcal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happi-

nefs!

Duke. I thank you, fare ye well.

[Exit,
Efcal. I fhall defire you, Sir, to give me leave
To have free fpeech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the bottom of my Place:

A pow'r I have, but of what itrength and nature
I am not yet instructed.

Ang. 'Tis fo with me. Let us withdraw together, And we may foon our fatisfaction have

Touching that point.

Efcal. I'll wait upon your Honour.

SCENE

The Street.

[Exeunt.

III.

Enter Lucio, and two gentlemen.

Lucio. TF the Duke, with the other Dukes, come not

I

to compofition with the King of Hungary, why, then all the Dukes fall upon the King.

i Gent. Heav'n grant us its peace, but not the King of Hungary's!

2 Gent. Amen.

Lucio. Thou conclud'ft like the fanctimonious Pirate, that went to fea with the ten Commandments, but fcrap'd one out of the Table.

2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal?.
Lucio. Ay, that he raz'd.

1 Gent. Why, 'twas a Commandment to command the captain and all the reft from their functions; they put forth to fteal. There's not a foldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for Peace.

2 Gent.

2 Gent. I never heard any foldier diflike it.

Lucio. I believe thee: for, I think, thou never wast where grace was faid.

2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least.

1 Gent. What?* in meeter?

Lucio. In any proportion, 5 or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion.

Lucio. Ay, why not? grace is grace, defpite of all controverfy; as for example, thou thyself art a wicked villain, defpight of all grace.

1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of fheers be

tween us. 7

Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lifts and the velvet. Thou art the lift.

1 Gent. And thou the velvet; thou art good velvet; thou art a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a lift of an English kerfey, as be pil'd,

Commentator is warped a little by the tract of his own profeffion. The queftion is whether the fecond Gentleman has ever heard grace. The firft Gentleman limits the question to Grace in meeter. Lucio enlarges it to Grace in any form or language. The firft Gentleman, to go beyond him, fays, or in any religion, which Lucio allows, becaufe the nature of things is unalterable; Grace is as immutably Grace, as his merry antagonist is a wicked villain. Diffe rence of religion cannot make a Grace not to be Grace, a Prayer not to be holy; as nothing can make a villain not to be a villain. This feems to be the meaning, fuch as it is.

7 There went but a pair of fheers between us.] We are both of the fame piece.

as

as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet. 3 feelingly now?

Do I speak

Lucio. I think thou doft; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy fpeech: I will, out of thine own confeffion, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee.

1 Gent. I think, I have done myself wrong, have I not?

2 Gent. Yes, that thou haft; whether thou art -tainted, or free.

Lucio. Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation

comes.

1 Gent. I have purchased as many diseases under her roof, as come to

2 Gent. To what I pray?

1 Gent. Judge.

2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a year. 9 1 Gent. Ay, and more.

Lucio. A French crown more.

1 Gent. Thou art always figuring difeafes in me; but thou art full of error; I am found.

Lucio. Nay, not as one would fay healthy; but so found, as things that are hollow; thy bones are hollow; impiety hath made a feaft of thee.

S Piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet.] The jeft about the pile of a French velvet, alludes to the lofs of hair in the French difeafe, a very frequent topick of our authour's jocula rity. Lucio finding that the gentleman understands the diflemper fo well, and mentions it fo feelingly, promifes, to remember to drink his health, but to forget to drink after him. It was the opinion of Shakespear's time, that the cup of an infected perion was contagious.

A quibble intended between dollars and dolours. HANMER.

The fame jeft occurred before in the Tempt.

1 A French Crown more] Lucio means here not the piece of money fo call'd, but that Venereal Scab which among the Surgeons is ftil'd Corona Veneris. To this, I think, our Author likewife makes Quince allude in Midsummer Night's Dream.

have no hair at all, and then you Some of your French Crowns will play bare faced.

For where thefe Eruptions are, the Skull is carious, and the Party becomes bald. THEOBALD, SCENE

SCENE IV.

Enter Bawd,

1 Gent. How now, which of your hips has the most profound fciatica ?

Bard. Well, well; there's one yonder arrefted, and carry'd to prison, was worth five thousand of you all. 1 Gent. Who's that, I pr'ythee?

Bawd. Marry, Sir, that's Claudio; Signior Claudio, 1 Gent. Claudio to prifon? 'tis not fo.

Bawd. Nay, but I know, 'tis fo. I faw him arrefted; faw him carry'd away; and, which is more, within these three days his head is to be chopt off.

Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it fo. Art thou fure of this?

Bawd. I am too fure of it; and it is for getting madam Julietta with child.

Lucio. Believe me, this may be. He promised to meet me two hours fince, and he was ever precise in promise-keeping.

2 Gent. Befides, you know, it draws fomething near to the fpeech we had to fuch a purpose.

1 Gent. But most of all agreeing with the proclama, tion.

Lucio. Away, let's go learn the truth of it, [Exe,

Manet Bawd.

Bawd. Thus, what with the war, what with the fweat, what with the gallows, and what with pover

2 What with the feat.] This may allude to the Sweating fick nefs, of which the memory was very fresh in the time of Shake

Spear: but more probably to the method of care then used for the diseases contracted in Brothels.