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MEASURE

FOR

MEASURE.

VOL. I.

A a

Dramatis Perfonæ.

VINCENTIO, Duke of Vienna.
Angelo, Lord Deputy in the Duke's abfence.
An ancient Lord, join'd with Angelo in the
Deputation.

Efcalus,

Claudio, a young Gentleman.

Lucio, a Fantastick.

Two Gentlemen.

Varrius, a Gentleman, Servant to the Duke.

Provost.

Thomas,

Peter,}

A Justice.

two Friars.

Elbow, a fimple Conftable.

Froth, a foolish Gentleman.

Clown, Servant to Mrs. Over-done!

Abhorfon, an Executioner.

Barnardine, a diffolute Prisoner.

Ifabella, Sifter to Claudio.

Mariana, betrothed to Angelo.

Juliet, beloved of Claudio.

Francifca, a Nun.

Miftrefs Over-done, a Bawd.

Guards, Officers, and other Attendants.

SCENE, Vienna.

MEA

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DUKE.

SCALUS,
Efcal. My Lord.

Duke. Of Government the properties t'unfold,

Would feem in me t'affect fpeech and dif courfe.

2 Since I am not to know, that your own Science Exceeds, in that, the lifts of all advice

My ftrength can give you: then no more remains:

Put

The ftory is taken from Cinthio's Novels, December 8.
November 5.
Mr. Pope.
2 Since I am not to know, that your own Science
Exceeds, in that, the lifts of all advice

My ftrength can give you: then no more remains:
Put that to your fufficiency, as your worth is able,

And let them work. ] To the integrity of this reading Mr. Theobald objects, and fays, What was Efcalus to put to his Sufficiency! why his fcience: But his fcience and fufficiency were

A a 2

but

Put that to your fufficiency, as your worth is able,
And let them work. The nature of our people,
Our city's inftitutions, 3 and the terms

Of common juftice, y'are as pregnant in,
As art and practice hath enriched any

That we remember. There is our Commiffion,
From which we would not have you warp. Call hither,
I fay, bid come before us Angelo:

What figure of us, think you, he will bear?

4. For you must know, we have with special roll
Elected him our Abfence to fupply;

Lent him our Terror, dreft him with our Love;
And giv❜n his Deputation all the organs

Of our own Power: fay, what think you of it?
Efcal. If any in Vienna be of worth

To undergo fuch ample grace and honour,
It is lord Angelo.

but one and the fame thing. On what then does the relative them depend? He will have it, therefore, that a line has been accidentally dropt, which he attempts to reftore by due diligence. Nodum in fcirpo quærit. And all for want of knowing, that by Jufficiency is meant authority, the power delegated by the Duke to Efcalus. The plain meaning of the word being this; Put your skill in governing (fays the Duke) to the power which I give you to exercise it, and let them work together.

3 limits.

and the terms of common justice,] i. e. bounds,

4 For you must know we have with Special SOUL
Elected bim our abfence to fupply ;]

This nonfenfe must be corrected thus,

with Special ROLL

i. e. by a fpecial commiffion. For it appears, from this fcene, that Efcalus had one commiffion, and Angelo another. The Duke had before delivered Escalus his commiffion. He now declares that defigned for Angelo: and he fays, afterwards, to both, To th' hopeful execution do I leave you

Of your commiffions.

Why Angelo's was called the special roll was, because he was in authority fuperior to Efcalus.

old Efcalus,

Tho' firft in queftion, is thy fecondary.

SCENE

$ C CENE

Enter Angelo.

Duke. Look, where he comes.

II.

Ang. Always obedient to your Grace's will, I come to know your pleasure.

Duke. Angelo,

There is a kind of character in thy life,
That to th' obferver doth thy hiftory
Fully unfold: thy felf and thy belongings
Are not thine own fo proper, as to wafte
Thy felf upon thy virtues; they on thee.
Heav'n doth with us, as we with torches do,
Not light them for themselves:

for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, But to fine iffues: nor Nature never lends

The smallest fcruple of her excellence,

But, like a thrifty Goddess, fhe determines
Her felf the glory of a creditor,

Both thanks and ufe.

But I do bend my fpeech

To one that can 7 my part in him advertise;

5 --for if our virtues, &c.]

Paulum fepulta diftat inertia

Celata virtus.

6- But I do bend my Speech

Horat.

To one that can my part in him advertise; ] This is obfcure. The meaning is, I direct my fpeech to one who is able to teach me how to govern: my part in him, fignifying my office, which I have delegated to him.

7 my part in him advertise;] i. e. who knows what appertains to the character of deputy or viceroy. Can advertise my part in him; that is, his reprefentation of my perfon. But all these quaintneffes of expreffion, the Oxford Editor feems fworn to extirpate; that is, to take away one of Shakespear's characteriftic marks; which, if not one of the comlieft, is yet one of the ftrongest. So he alters this to

To one that can, in my part, me advertise. A better expreffion indeed, but, for all that, none of Shakespear's.

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