With character too gross is writ on Juliet.
Lucio. With child, perhaps?

Claud. Unhappily, even so.

And the new deputy now for the duke,—
Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness,
Or whether that the body public be

A horse whereon the governor doth ride,
Who, newly in the seat, that it may know
He can command, lets it straight feel the spur;
Whether the tyranny be in his place,

Or in his eminence that fills it up,

I stagger in ;-but this new governor
Awakes me all the enrolled penalties,

Which have, like unscour'd armour, hung by the wall
So long, that nineteen zodiacks have gone round,
And none of them been worn; and, for a name,
Now puts the drowsy and neglected act

Freshly on me :-'tis surely, for a name.

Lucio. I warrant, it is; and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders, that a milk-maid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the duke, and appeal to him '.

Claud. I have done so, but he's not to be found.

I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind service.

This day my sister should the cloister enter,
And there receive her approbation:
Acquaint her with the danger of my state;
Implore her, in my voice, that she make friends
To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him :
I have great hope in that; for in her youth

There is a prone and speechless dialect,

Such as moves men: beside, she hath prosperous art,
When she will play with reason and discourse,
And well she can persuade.

Lucio. I pray, she may: as well for the encourage

11

and appeal to him.] This speech seems to have been originally meant for verse, though not so printed in any edition.

ment of the like, which else would stand under grievous imposition, as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of ticktack. I'll to her.

Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio.

Lucio. Within two hours,

Claud.

Come, officer; away!

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

A Monastery.

Enter Duke, and Friar THOMAS.

Duke. No, holy father; throw away that thought: Believe not that the dribbling dart of love' Can pierce a complete bosom. Why I desire thee To give me secret harbour hath a purpose More grave and wrinkled, than the aims and ends Of burning youth.

Fri.

May your grace speak of it? Duke. My holy sir, none better knows than you How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd;

And held in idle price to haunt assemblies,

Where youth, and cost, and witless bravery keeps*.

2

a game of TICK-TACK.] Tick-tack (in French tric-trac, and sometimes spelt trick-track in English) was a game at tables.

3 Believe not that the DRIBBLING dart of love] Steevens quotes what he calls Sir Philip Sidney's "Arcadia," meaning his "Astrophel and Stella," respecting the word dribbling :—

"Not at first sight, nor with a dribbed shot
Love gave the wound."

But dribbed, as it stands in the ordinary impressions, is not the word wanted. Thomas Nash published a surreptitious edition of "Astrophel and Stella," in 1591, 4to, and there we have the very word employed by Shakespeare :—

"Not at the first sight, nor with a dribling shot
Love gave the wound," &c.

This is in the second sonnet, and not in the second stanza, as Steevens misterms it. In the later impressions, as in that of 1598, folio, dribling is altered to dribbed. Dribbed was a technical word in archery, and it is employed by Aschiam in his Toxophilus, 1545.

AND witless bravery keeps.] "And," from the folio, 1632. VOL. II.

C

I have deliver'd to lord Angelo

(A man of stricture, and firm abstinence)
My absolute power and place here in Vienna,
And he supposes me travell'd to Poland;
For so I have strew'd it in the common ear,
And so it is receiv'd. Now, pious sir,
You will demand of me, why I do this?
Fri. Gladly, my lord.

Duke. We have strict statutes, and most biting laws, (The needful bits and curbs to head-strong weeds 3,) Which for this fourteen years we have let sleep';

6

Even like an o'er-grown lion in a cave,

That goes not out to prey: now, as fond fathers,
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch
Only to stick it in their children's sight,
For terror, not to use, in time the rod

Becomes more mock'd, than fear'd; so our decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead,
And liberty plucks justice by the nose;
The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri.

It rested in your grace

To unloose this tied-up justice, when you pleas'd;
And it in you more dreadful would have seem'd,
Than in lord Angelo.

Duke.

I do fear, too dreadful :

Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope,
'Twould be my tyranny to strike and gall them

5 The needful bits and curbs to head-strong WEEDS,] Malone reads for instead of "to," and steeds instead of "weeds," following Theobald, who first made the unnecessary alteration from the text as it stands in all the folios. Weed is a term still commonly applied to an ill-conditioned horse.

6 FOURTEEN years] In the preceding scene Claudio has said "nineteen zodiacs."

7 We have let SLEEP;] In the folios slip is printed, in all probability, for "sleep" the simile which follows seems to correct the error; and in the next act Angelo says that the law" hath slept."

8 For TERROR,] The second folio, in opposition to the first, reads, "for error." In the next line Pope supplied a deficiency by inserting "becomes," which, if not the right word, can hardly be said to be a wrong one.

For what I bid them do: for we bid this be done,
When evil deeds have their permissive pass,

And not the punishment. Therefore, indeed, my father,
I have on Angelo impos'd the office,

Who may, in th' ambush of my name, strike home,
And yet my nature never in the fight,

To do in slander. And to behold his sway,

I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,

Visit both prince and people: therefore, I pr'ythee,
Supply me with the habit, and instruct me
How I may formally in person bear

Like a true friar. More reasons for this action,
At our more leisure shall I render you;
Only, this one :-Lord Angelo is precise;
Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confesses
That his blood flows, or that his appetite
Is more to bread than stone: hence shall we see,
If power change purpose, what our seemers be.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

A Nunnery.

Enter ISABELLA and FRANCISCA.

Isab. And have you nuns no farther privileges?
Fran. Are not these large enough?

Isab. Yes, truly: I speak not as desiring more,
But rather wishing a more strict restraint
Upon the sisterhood, the votarists of saint Clare.

And yet my nature never in the FIGHT,

To do in slander.] This is the old and true reading of all the folios, the meaning being, "And yet my nature never in the fight, or contest, with crime, to do what is necessary under an imputation, or slander, of too great severity." It has usually been altered, since Sir Thomas Hanmer's edition, thus :

"And yet my nature never in the sight,

To do it slander."

Lucio. [Within.] Ho! Peace be in this place!

Isab.

Who's that which calls?

Fran. It is a man's voice. Gentle Isabella,

Turn you the key, and know his business of him :
You may, I may not; you are yet unsworn.

When you have vow'd, you must not speak with men, But in the presence of the prioress:

Then, if you speak, you must not show your face;

Or, if you show your face, you must not speak.

He calls again: I pray you, answer him.

[Exit FRANCISCA. Isab. Peace and prosperity! Who is't that calls?

Enter LUCIO.

Lucio. Hail, virgin, if you be, as those cheek-roses
Proclaim you are no less, can you so stead me,
As bring me to the sight of Isabella,

A novice of this place, and the fair sister
To her unhappy brother Claudio?

Isab. Why her unhappy brother? let me ask,
The rather, for I now must make you know

I am that Isabella, and his sister.

Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets

you.

Not to be weary with you, he's in prison.

Isab. Woe me! for what?

Lucio. For that, which, if myself might be his judge, He should receive his punishment in thanks.

He hath got his friend with child.

Isab. Sir, make me not your story'.

Lucio. "Tis true. I would not, though 'tis my

familiar sin

With maids to seem the lapwing, and to jest,
Tongue far from heart, play with all virgins so:

1 Sir, make me not your story.] i. e. “Do not make me your story or jest,” to which Lucio very naturally answers," "Tis true." Malone altered the passage to “Sir, mock me not-your story," which renders Lucio's reply impertinent.