Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, Officers, and other Attendants. SCENE, Vienna. This list of characters (with the omission of "a Justice") is appended to the play in the folio of 1623. MEASURE FOR MEASURE. ACT I. SCENE I. An Apartment in the DUKE's Palace. Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants. Duke. Escalus! Escal. My lord. Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, My strength can give you: then, no more remains, For common justice, y' are as pregnant in That we remember. There is our commission, 1 Since I am PUT to know,] i. e. I am compelled to know. 2 - lists-] Bounds or limits. 3 - Then no more remains, BUT that to your SUFFICIENCY, as your worth is able, And let THEM work.] This passage is evidently corrupt, as is shown both by the metre and by the sense. The latter will be cleared by the omission of the preposition "to :"-" then no more remains [to be said], but that your sufficiency, as your worth is able, and let them work." This change however will only partially cure the defective measure; and even were we to omit "that," as well as "to," the line would not be perfect without reducing "sufficiency" to a trisyllable. It has been thought best, therefore, to leave the text as it stands in the first folio. "Sufficiency " is adequate authority. From which we would not have you warp.-Call hither, I say, bid come before us Angelo. [Exit an Attendant. Lent him our terror, drest him with our love, To undergo such ample grace and honour, Duke. Enter ANGELO. Look, where he comes. Ang. Always obedient to your grace's will, Duke. As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, But to fine issues; nor nature never lends The smallest scruple of her excellence, Herself the glory of a creditor, Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech To one that can my part in him advertise": 4 THEM on thee.] The old copy reads-" they on thee." 5 to fine issues ;] for high purposes. 6 Both thanks and USE.] Use of old signified interest of money. 7 To one that can my part in him advertise ;] i. e. to one, says Malone, who is already informed as to the duties of my office. Hold, therefore, Angelo : In our remove, be thou at full ourself; Live in thy tongue and heart. Old Escalus, Ang. Now, good my lord, Let there be some more test made of my metal, Be stamp'd upon it. Duke. No more evasion: We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, That we may bring you something on the way. Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do So to enforce, or qualify the laws As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand. I'll privily away: I love the people, But do not like to stage me to their eyes. Though it do well, I do not relish well 8 Hold, therefore, Angelo:] In all probability, tendering Angelo his commission, as the Duke had previously given a similar document to Escalus. Having stated its import, he places it in the hands of Angelo at the concluding words of the speech, "Take thy commission." That does affect it. Once more, fare you well. [Exit. Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave A power I have, but of what strength and nature Ang. 'Tis so with me. Let us withdraw together, Enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen. Lucio. If the duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the king of Hungary, why then, all the dukes fall upon the king. 1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the king of Hungary's! 2 Gent. Amen. Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. 1 Gent. Why? 'Twas a commandment to command 91 Gent. Why?] It may be doubted whether what follows this interrogatory do not belong to Lucio, rather than to the gentleman who is thus made to ask a question and answer it himself. Ritson plausibly suggests that the observation afterwards, "In any proportion, or in any language," belongs to the 2 Gent., and not to Lucio. |