A due sincerity govern'd his deeds,

Till he did look on me; since it is so,

Let him not die. My brother had but justice,

In that he did the thing for which he died:

For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;

And must be buried but as an intent

That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no subjects;
Intents but merely thoughts.

Mari.

Merely, my lord.

Duke. Your suit's unprofitable; stand up, I say.-
I have bethought me of another fault.—

Provost, how came it Claudio was beheaded
At an unusual hour?

Prov.

It was commanded so.

Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed?
Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private message.
Duke. For which I do discharge you of your

Give up your keys.

Prov.

Pardon me, noble lord:

I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me, after more advice :
For testimony whereof, one in the prison,
That should by private order else have died,
I have reserv'd alive.

office :

Duke.

Prov.

What's he?

His name is Barnardine.

Duke. I would thou hadst done so by Claudio.Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.

[Exit Provost.

Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise
As you, Lord Angelo, have still appear'd,
Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

procure : 9

Ang. I am sorry, that such sorrow I
And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart,

That I crave death more willingly than mercy;

'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.

Re-enter Provost, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO muffled, and JULIET. Duke. Which is that Barnardine ?

Prov.

This, my lord.
Duke. There was a friar told me of this man.-
Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul,
That apprehends no further than this world,
And squar'st thy life according. Thou 'rt condemn'd ;
But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all;
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide
For better times to come.-Friar, advise him;

I leave him to your hand.-What muffled fellow's that?
Prov. This is another prisoner, that I sav'd,

That should have died when Claudio lost his head;

As like almost to Claudio as himself.

[Unmufles CLAUDIO.

Duke. If he be like your brother [To ISABELLA], for his sake

Is he pardon'd. And, for your lovely sake,

Give me your hand, and say you will be mine,

He is my brother too: but fitter time for that.
By this, Lord Angelo perceives he's safe;
Methinks, I see a quick'ning in his eye :-
Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well:

Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth yours.

I find an apt remission in myself.

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon ;

You, sirrah [To LUCIO], that knew me for a fool, a coward,

One all of luxury, an ass, a madman ;

Wherein have I so deserved of you,
That you extol me thus ?

Lucio. Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick. If you will hang me for it, you may, but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipped.

Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.—

Proclaim it, provost, round about the city;

If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow

(As I have heard him swear himself there's one), Let her appear,

And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd,

Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.

Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to 'such a one.' Your highness said even now, I made you a duke; good my lord, do not recompense me 'thus.'

Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her.

Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal

Remit thy other forfeits.-Take him to prison:

And see our pleasure herein executed.

Lucio. Marrying 'so,' my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging!

Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.—

[Exeunt officers with LUCIO. She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.Joy to you, Mariana !-Love her, Angelo ;

I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.-
Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:
There's more behind, that is more gratulate.10
Thanks, Provost, for thy care, and secrecy ;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place.—
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's ;
The offence pardons itself.-Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good;

Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,

What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine :-
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll shew
What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know.

[Exeunt

NOTES TO MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

ACT I.

1 Then no more remains,

But that to your sufficiency, as your worth is able,
And let them work.

At the very threshold of the play we have here a difficulty. Both in expression and in metrical harmony the above passage is defective. Mr Dyce says: 'I am strongly inclined to agree with Malone, who says, "I have not the smallest doubt that the compositor's eye glanced from the middle of the second of these lines to that under it in the manuscript, and that by this means two half lines have been omitted;" and he goes on to shew that the very same error may be found in Macbeth, ed. 1632; in Much Ado About Nothing, ed. 1623; and in Romeo and Juliet, ed. 1623.' The verbal corrections proposed would fill pages-that of Johnson being perhaps the worst:

'But that to your sufficiencies as your worth is abled.' Steevens suggested the omission of three words:

'Then no more remains :

Your sufficiency as your worth is able,

And let them work.'

But the sufficiency or authority of Escalus was not complete until he had received his commission, which was not then presented to him. It was given to him shortly afterwards-'There is our commission.' The sense would be cleared, but not the measure cured, as Collier remarks, by omitting the preposition to-reading

'But that your sufficiency, as your worth, is able.' Mr Staunton suggests a stage direction and alteration:

'Then no more remains,

But that [Tendering his commission] to your sufficiency,
And, as your worth is able, let them work.'

This, however, would derange the construction of the passage; besides that it was not likely the duke should tender his commission at this point, and five lines afterwards give it, saying, 'There is our commission.' 2 Use-usury, interest.

3' Heaven grant us its peace,' formed part of the ritual of thanksgiving in eating prescribed by authority of Queen Elizabeth. A similar prayer, as Mr Staunton shews, is found in an ancient collection of devotions, entitled Preces Privatæ.

4 The words of Heaven: For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.'-Romans ix. 15.

5 To ravin-to obtain food or plunder by violence; to devour eagerly. 6 And there receive her approbation. Enter on her probation as a nun. 7 Witless bravery-showy dress.

8 Duke. We have strict statutes, and most biting laws (The needful bits and curbs for headstrong steeds), Which for this fourteen years we have let sleep;

Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave, &c.

In the folio, this fine passage is disfigured by printer's errors: for steeds, we had 'weeds;' and for sleep, slip.' The term fourteen years should apparently be nineteen years,' as pointed out by Claudio's speech in the preceding scene. But this may have been an oversight on the part of the poet.

9 In time the rod

Becomes more mock'd than fear'd.

The word becomes, necessary to complete the line, was added by Pope. 10 How I may formally in person bear me

Like a true friar.

The word me, which had probably dropped out at the end of the line in the folio, was added by Steevens.

1 Scorn. In the folio, storie. Davenant (who constructed a play, Law against Lovers, out of Measure for Measure and Much Ado About Nothing), considered storie to be a misprint for scorn, and the alteration agrees with the context.

12 With maids to seem the lapwing, and to jest. The lapwing flutters and cries far from its nest. This is one of the many curiously correct and beautiful illustrations drawn by Shakespeare from natural history.

13 Fewness and truth, 'tis thus. In few but true words.

14 Foison-plenty, abundance.

15 Has censur'd him. Has judged and convicted him.