The stealth of our moft mutual entertainment,
With character too grofs, is writ on Juliet.
Lucio. With child, perhaps?

Claud. Unhappily, even fo.

And the new Deputy now for the Duke,

(Whether it be the fault, and glimpse, of newness; Or whether that the body publick be

A horse whereon the Governor doth ride,
Who, newly in the feat, that it may know
He can command, lets it ftrait feel the fpur;
Whether the tyranny be in his Place,

Or in his eminence that fills it up,

I ftagger in:)- but this new Governor
Awakes me all th' enrolled penalties,

Which have, like unscour'd armour, hung by th' wall
So long, that nineteen Zodiacks have gone round, (4)
And none of them been worn; and, for a name,
Now puts the drowfie and neglected A&
Freshly on me; 'tis, furely, for a name.

Lucio. I warrant, it is; and thy head ftands fo tickle on thy fhoulders, that a milk-maid, if fhe be in love, may figh it off. Send after the Duke, and appeal to

him.

Claud. I have done fo, but he's not to be found.
I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind fervice:
This day my Sifter fhould the Cloifter enter,
And there receive her Approbation.

Acquaint her with the danger of my state,
Implore her, in my voice, that the make friends
To the ftrict Deputy; bid her self affay him;
I have great hope in that; for in her youth
There is a prone and fpeechless dialect,

Such as moves men! befide, the 'hath profp'rous art
When the will play with reason and discourse,
And well the can perfuade.

(4) So long, that nineteen Zodiacks have gone round,] The Duke, in the Scene immediately following, fays,

Which for thefe fourteen Years we have let flip,

The Author could not fo difagree with himself, in fo narrow a Compass. The Numbers must have been wrote in Figures, and fo miftaken: for which reason, 'tis neceffary to make the two Accounts correspond.

Lucio. I pray, the may; as well for the encouragement of the like, which elfe would ftand under grievous impofition; as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be forry fhould be thus foolishly loft at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her.

Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio.
Lucio. Within two hours,

Claud. Come, officer, away.

SCENE, A MONASTERY.

Enter Duke, and Friar Thomas.

[Exeunt.

Duke. No, holy father, throw away that thoughts
Believe not, that the dribbling dart of love

Can pierce a compleat bofom: why I defire thee
To give me fecret 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 Affemblies,
Where youth, and coft, and witless bravery keeps.
I have deliver'd to lord Angelo

(A man of stricture and firm abftinence) (5)

My

(5) A Man of Stricture.] Mr. Warburton obferves, that Striatura, from which this Word fhould feem to be form'd, fignified, among the Latines, the Spark which flies from red-hot Iron when ftruck; whence, in English, it has been metaphorically taken for a bright Stroke in an Author: nor has it, fays he, any other Signification. And he very reasonably queftions, whether it had That in Shakespeare's time. As fo remote a Signification could have no place in the Text here, he fufpects that two Words must have ignorantly been jumbled into one, and that our Author

wrote:

A Man of ftrict ure and firm Abftinence. i. e. a Man of a severe habit of Life. Ure, 'tis certain, was a Word used in CHAUCER'S Time for Chance, Destiny, Fortune; (when deriv'd from beur;) and alfo for Habit, Cuftom; (when contracted from the ufura of the Latines ;) whence we have form'd our compound Adjective, enured, habituated to. Tho' I have not difturb'd the Text, the Conjecture was too ingenious to be pass'd over in Silence. But as it is most frequent with our Au

thor

My abfolute Pow'r and Place here in Vienna;
And he supposes me travell'd to Poland;
For fo I've ftrew'd it in the common ear,
And fo it is receiv'd: now, pious Sir,
You will demand of me, why I do this?
Fri. Gladly, my lord.

Duke. We have ftrict Statutes and most biting Laws, (The needful bits and curbs for head-ftrong Steeds,) (6) Which for these nineteen years we have let fleep; (7)

Even

thor as well to coin Words, as to form their Terminations ad libitum ; he may have adopted Striature here to fignify Strianefs; as afterwards. in this very Play, he has introduced prompture, the Ufage of which Word I no where else remember in our Tongue; neither have we prompturd or prompture, from the Latin or French, that I know of.

(6) The needful Bits and Curbs for beadstrong Weeds:] There is no manner of Analogy, or Confonance, in the Metaphors here: and, tho' the Copies agree, I do not think, the Author would have talk'd of Bits and Curbs for Weeds. On the other hand, nothing can be more proper, than to compare Perfons of unbridled Licentiousness to headftrong Steeds: and, in this View, bridling the Paffions has been a Phrase adopted by our beft Poets.

So, Horace, Lib. iv. Od. 15.

& Ordinem

Re&um evaganti frena Licentia
Injecit, emovitque culpas,

Et veteres revocavit Artes.

So, in his Epiftles, Lib. 1. Ep. 2.

animum rege, qui, nifi paret,

Imperat, hunc frenis, bunc tu compefce catena: And fo the elegant Phædrus, Lib. 1. Fab. 2.

Procax libertas civitatem mifcuit,

Frenumque folvit priftinum licentiâ.

But Inftances were endless both from the Poets, and Profe-writers. (7) Which for these fourteen Years we have let flip,] For fourteen 1 have made no Scruple to replace nineteen. The Reason will be obvious to the Reader, who fhall look back to the 4th Note upon this Play. I have, I hope, upon as good Authority, alter'd the odd Phrafe of lesting the Laws flip: for, fuppofing the Expreffion might be juftified, yet how does it fort with the Comparison, that follows, of a Lion in his Cave that went not out to prey? But letting the Laws fleep, as I have reftor'd to the Text, adds a particular Propriety to the Thing reprefented, and accords exactly too with the Simile. It is the Metaphor too, that our Author feems fond of ufing upon this Occafion, in leve ral other Paffages of this Play.

The Law bath not been dead, tho' it hath dept:
Tis now awake.

VOL. I.

Y

And

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 fight,
For terror, not to ufe; in time the rod
Becomes more mock'd, than fear'd: fo our Decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead;
And Liberty plucks Juftice by the nose;
The baby beats the nurfe, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri. It refted in your Grace

T'unloofe this ty'd-up juftice, when you pleas'd:
And it in you more dreadful would have feem'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 ftrike, and gall them,
For what I bid them do. For we bid this be done,
When evil deeds have their permiffive pafs,

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

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

So do in flander: And to behold his fway,
I will, as 'twere a Brother of your Order,
Vifit both Prince and people; therefore, pr'ythee,
Supply me with the habit, and inftruct me
How I may formally in perfon bear,

Like a true Friar. More reasons for this action
At our more leisure shall I render you;
Only, this one:- Lord Angelo is precife;
Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confeffes
That his blood flows, or that his appetite

Is more to bread than ftone: hence fhall we fee,
If Pow'r change Purpose, what our Seemers be. [Exe.

SCENE, A NUNNERY.

Enter Ifabella and Francifca.

Ifab. A Nun. Are not thefe large enough?

ND have you Nuns no farther privileges?

Ifab. Yes, truly; I fpeak not, as defiring more;
But rather wishing a more ftrict restraint
Upon the fifter-hood, the votarifts of Saint Clare.
Lucio. [Within.] Hoa! Peace be in this place!
Ifab. Who's that, which calls?

Ňun. It is a man's voice: gentle Ifabella,
Turn you the key, and know his business of him;
You may; I may not; you are yet unfworn:

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

Then, if you speak, you must not fhew your face;
Or, if you fhew your face, you must not speak.
He calls again; I pray you, anfwer him. [Exit. Franc.
Ifab. Peace and profperity! who is't that calls?

Enter Lucio.

Lucio. Hail, virgin, (if you be) as those cheek-rofes
Proclaim you are no lefs; can you so ftead me,
As bring me to the fight of Ifabella,

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

Ifab. Why her unhappy brother? let me ask
The rather, for I now muft make you know
I am that Ifabella, and his fifter.

Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets

you;

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

Ifab. Wo me! for what?

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

He hath got his friend with child.

Ifab. Sir, make me not your ftory.

Lucio. Tis true:-I would not (tho' 'tis my familiar fin With maids to feem the lapwing, and to jeft,

Y 2

Tongue