stolen out of other affairs: but I will attend you a while. Duke. Son, I have over-heard what hath past between you and your fifter. Angelo had never the purpose to corrupt her; only he hath made an affay of her virtue, to practise his judgment with the difpofition of natures. She, having the truth of honour in her, hath made him that gracious denial, which he is moft glad to receive: I am Confeffor to Angelo, and I know this to be true; therefore prepare your felf to death. Do not fatisfie your refolution with hopes that are fallible; to morrow you muft die; go to your knees, and make ready. Claud. Let me ask my fifter pardon; I am fo out of love with life, that I will fue to be rid of it. [Ex. Claud. Duke. Hold you there; farewel. Provoft, a word with you. Prov. What's your will, father? Duke. That now you are come, you will be gone; leave me a while with the maid: my mind promifes with my habit, no lofs fhall touch her by my company. Prov. In good time. [Exit Prov. Duke. The hand, that hath made you fair, hath made you good; the goodness that is cheap in beauty, makes beauty brief in goodness; but grace, being the foul of your complection, fhall keep the body of it ever fair. The affault, that Angelo hath made to you, fortune hath convey'd to my understanding; and but that frailty hath examples for his falling, I fhould wonder at Angelo: how will you do to content this Substitute, and to fave your brother? Ifab, I am now going to refolve him: I had rather my brother die by the law, than my fon fhould be unlawfully born.. But, oh, how much is the good Duke deceiv'd in Angela? if ever he return, and I can fpeak to him, I will open my lips in vain, or difcover his Government. Duke. That fhall not be much amifs; yet as the matter now ftands, he will avoid your accufation; he made tryal of you only. Therefore faften your ear on on my advifings: to the love I have in doing good, a remedy presents it felf. I do make my felf believe, that you may most uprightly do a poor wronged lady a merited benefit; redeem your brother from the an gry law; do no ftain to your own gracious perfon; and much please the abfent Duke, if, peradventure, he shall ever return to have hearing of this bufinefs. Ifab. Let me hear you fpeak farther I have fpirit to do any thing, that appears not foul in the truth of my fpirit. Duke. Virtue is bold, and Goodnefs never fearful: have you not heard fpeak of Mariana, the fifter of Frederick, the great foldier who mifcarried at fea? Ifab. I have heard of the lady, and good words went with her name. Duke. Her fhould this Angelo have marry'd; was affianc'd to her by oath, and the nuptial appointed: between which time of the contract, and limit of the folemnity, her brother Frederick was wrackt at fea, having in that perifh'd veffel the dowry of his fifter. But mark, how heavily this befel to the poor gentle woman; there the loft a noble and renowned brother, in his love toward her ever moft kind and matural; with him the portion and finew of her fortune, her marriage-dowry; with both, her combinate husband, this well-feeming Angelo. Ifab. Can this be fo? did Angelo fo leave her? Duke. Left her in her tears, and dry'd not one of them with his comfort; fwallow'd his vows whole, pretending, in her, difcoveries of difhonour: in few, beftow'd her on her own lamentation, which fhe yet wears for his fake; and he, a marble to her tears, is washed with them, but relents not. . Ifab. What a merit were it in death to take this poor maid from the world! what corruption in this life, that it will let this man live! but how out of this can fhe avail? · Duke. It is a rupture that you may easily heal; and the cure of it not only faves your brother, but keeps you from difhonour in doing it. А а 2 Ifab. Shew me how, good father. Duke. This fore-nam'd maid hath yet in her the con tinuance of her firft affection; his unjuft unkindness, (that in all reafon fhould have quenched her love hath, like an impediment in the current, made it more violent and unruly. Go you to Angelo, anfwer his re quiring with a plaufible obedience; agree with his demands to the point; only refer yourself to this advantage: first, that your ftay with him may not be long; that the time may have all fhadow and filence in it; and the place answer to convenience. This be ing granted, in courfe now follows all we fhall advife this wronged maid to ftead up your appointment, go in your place; if the encounter acknowledge it felf hereafter, it may compel him to her recompence; and here by this is your brother faved, your Honour untainted, the poor Mariana advantaged, and the corrupt Deputy fcaled. The maid will I frame, and make fit for his attempt: if you think well to carry this as you may, the doubleness of the benefit defends the deceit from reproof. What think you of it? Ifab. The image of it gives me content already, and, I truft, it will grow to a moft profperous perfection. Duke. It lyes much in your holding up; haste you fpeedily to Angelo; if for this night he intreat you to his bed, give him promise of fatisfaction. I will preTently to St. Luke's; there at the moated Grange refides this dejected Mariana; at that place call upon me, and difpatch with Angelo, that it may be quickly. Ifab. I thank you for this comfort: fare you well, good father. [Exeunt feverally. SCENE changes to the Street. Re-enter Duke as a Friar; Elbow, Clown, and Officers. Elb. NAY, if there be no remedy for it, but that you will needs buy and fell men and women like beafts, wè fhall have all the world drink brown and white baftard. Duke. Duke. Oh, heav'ns! what ftuff is here? Clown. 'Twas never merry world fince of two ufuries the merriest was put down, and the worfer allow'd by order of law. A furr'd gown to keep him warm, and furr'd with fox and lamb-skins too, to fignifie, that craft, being richer than innocency, stands for the facing. Elb. Come your way, Sir: blefs you, good father Friar. Duke. And you, good brother father; what offence hath this man made you, Sir? Elb. Marry, Sir, he hath offended the law; and, Sir, we take him to be a Thief too, Sir; for we have found upon him, Sir, a ftrange pick-lock, which we have fent to the Deputy. Duke. Fie, Sirrah, a bawd, a wicked bawd! The evil that thou caufeft to be done, That is thy means to live. Doft thou but think, Clown. Indeed, it doth ftink in fome fort, Sir; but yet, Sir, I would prove (17) I drink, I eat away myself, and live.] Thus hitherto in all the Impreffions. This is one very excellent Inftance of the Sagacity of our Editors, and it were to be wifh'd heartily, they would have oblig'd us with their phyfical Solution, how a Man can eat away himself and live. The ingenious Mr. Bishop, when we read this Play together, gave me that most certain Emendation, which I have fubftituted in the Room of the former foolish Reading; by the Help whereof, we have this easy Senfe; that the Clown fed himself, and put Cloaths on his Back by exercifing the vile Trade of a Bawd. In Othello, Iago fpeaks much to the fame Purpose of Caffio's Strumpet. A Houfe-wife, that, by felling her Defires, Buyes herself Bread, and Cloath. And B. Jonfon, muchy nearer to the Words of the Paffage here corrected, in his Epigram upon Lieut. Shift. By that one Spell be lives, eats, drinks, arrays Himself, Duke. Nay, if the devil have giv'n thee proofs for fin, Thou wilt prove his. Take him to prifon, officer; Correction and inftruction must both work, Ere this rude beaft will profit. Elb. He muft before the Deputy, Sir; he has given him warning; the Deputy cannot abide a whore-mafter; if he be a whore-monger, and comes before him, he were as good go a mile on his errand. Duke. That we were all, as fome would seem to be, Free from all faults, as faults from seeming free! Enter Lucio. Elb. His neck will come to your wafte, a cord, Sir. Clown. I spy comfort: I cry, bail: here's a gentleman, and a friend of mine. Lucio. How now, noble Pompey? what, at the wheels of Cæfar? art thou led in triumph? what, is there none of Pigmalion's images newly made woman to be had now, for putting the hand in the pocket, and extracting it clutch'd? what reply? ha? what fay' thou to this tune, matter and method? is't not drown'd i'th' laft rain? ha? what say'st thou, trot? is the world as it was, man? which is the way? is it fad and few words? or how? the trick of it? Duke. Still thus and thus; ftill worfe? Lucio. How doth my dear morfel, thy mistress? procures fhe ftill? ha? Clown. Troth, Sir, fhe hath eaten up all her beef, and she is her felf in the tub. Lucio. Why, 'tis good; it is the right of it; it must be fo. Ever your fresh whore, and your powder'd bawd; an unfhunn'd confequence, it must be fo. Art going to prifon, Pompey? Clown. Yes, faith, Sir. Lucio. Why, 'tis not amifs, Pompey: farewel: go, fay, I fent thee thither. For debt, Pompey? or how? Elb. For being a bawd, for being a bawd, Lucio. Well, then imprifon him; if imprisonment be the due of a bawd, why, 'tis his Right. Bawd is he, doubtless, and of antiquity too; bawd born. Fare wel, |