was the duke:1 and, I believe, I know the cause of his withdrawing. Duke. What, I pr'ythee, might be the cause? Lucio. No, pardon;-'tis a secret must be lock'd within the teeth and the lips: but this I can let you understand,—The greater file of the subject2 held the duke to be wise. Lucio. Wise? why, no question but he was. Lucio. A very superficial, ignorant, unweighing3 fellow. Duke. Either this is envy in you, folly, or mistaking; the very stream of his life, and the business he hath helmed, must, upon a warranted need, give him a better proclamation. Let him be but testimonied in his own bringings forth, and he shall appear to the envious, a scholar, a statesman, and a soldier: Therefore, you speak unskilfully; or, if your knowledge be more, it is much darken'd in your malice. Lucio. Sir, I know him, and I love him. Duke. Love talks with better knowledge, and knowledge with dearer love. Lucio. Come, sir, I know what I know. Duke. I can hardly believe that, since you know not what you speak. But if ever the duke return, (as our 9 an inward of bis:] Inward is intimate. So, in Daniel's Hymen's Triumph, 1623: "You two were wont to be most inward friends." Again, in Marston's Malcontent, 1604: "Come we must be inward, thou and I all one." 1 Steevens. A shy fellow was the duke:] The meaning of this term may be best explained by the following lines in the fifth Act: "The wicked'st caitiff on the ground, May seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute," &c. Malone. 2 The greater file of the subject -] The larger list, the greater number. Johnson. So, in Macbeth: 3 unweighing - i. e. inconsiderate. So, in The Merry Wives of Windsor: "What an unweighed behaviour hath this Flemish drunkard pick'd out of my conversation," &c. Steevens. · The business he hath helmed,] The difficulties he hath steer'd through. A metaphor from navigation. Steevens. prayers are he may) let me desire you to make your answer before him: If it be honest you have spoke, you have courage to maintain it: I am bound to call upon you; and, I pray you, your name? Lucio. Sir, my name is Lucio; well known to the duke. Duke. He shall know you better, sir, if I may live to report you. Lucio. I fear you not. Duke. O, you hope the duke will return no more; or you imagine me too unhurtful an opposite. But, indeed, I can do you little harm: you'll forswear this again. Lucio. I'll be hang'd first: thou art deceived in me, friar. But no more of this: Canst thou tell, if Claudio die to-morrow, or no? Duke. Why should he die, sir. Lucio. Why? for filing a bottle with a tun-dish. I would, the duke, we talk of, were return'd again: this ungenitur'd agent will unpeople the province with continency; sparrows must not build in his houseeaves, because they are lecherous. The duke yet would have dark deeds darkly answer'd: he would never bring them to light: would he were return'd! Marry, this Claudio is condemn'd for untrussing. Farewel, good friar; I pr'ythee, pray for me. The duke, I say to thee again, would eat mutton on Fridays. He's now past it; yet, and I say to thee, he 5 opposite.] i. e. opponent, adversary. So, in King Lear : thou wast not bound to answer. 66 "An unknown opposite." Steevens. 6 ungenitur'd agent-] This word seems to be formed from genitoirs, a word which occurs in Holland's Pliny, tom. ii, p. 321, 560, 589, and comes from the French genitoires, the genitals. Tollet. 7 ―eat mutton on Fridays.] A wench was called a laced mutton. Theobald. So, in Doctor Faustus, 1604, Lechery says: "I am one that loves an inch of raw mutton better than an ell of Friday stock-fish. Steevens. 8 He's now past it; yet,] Sir Thomas Hammer reads-He is not past it yet. This emendation was received in the former edition, but seems not necessary. It were to be wished, that we all explained more, and amended less. Johnson. would mouth with a beggar, though she smelt brown bread and garlick:9 say, that I said so. Farewel. [Exit. Duke. No might nor greatness in mortality Enter ESCALUS, Provost, Bawd, and Officers. Bawd. Good my lord, be good to me; your honour is accounted a merciful man: good my lord. Escal. Double and treble admonition, and still for feit1 in the same kind? This would make mercy swear, and play the tyrant.2 Prov. A bawd of eleven years continuance, may it please your honour. Bawd. My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me: mistress Kate Keep-down was with child If Johnson understood the passage as it stands, I wish he had explained it. To me, Hanmer's amendment appears absolutely necessary. M. Mason. I have inserted Mr. M. Mason's remark: and yet the old reading is, in my opinion, too intelligible to need explanation. Steevens. 9 though she smelt brown bread and garlick:] This was the phraseology of our author's time. In The Merry Wives of Windsor, Master Fenton is said to "smell April and May," not "to smell of," &c. Malone. 1 forfeit] i. e. transgress, offend; from the French forfaire. Steevens. 2 mercy swear, and play the tyrant.] We should read swerve, i. e. deviate from her nature. The common reading gives us the idea of a ranting whore. Warburton. There is surely no need of emendation. We say at present, Such a thing is enough to make a person swear, i. e. deviate from a proper respect to decency, and the sanctity of his character. The idea of swearing agrees very well with that of a tyrant in our ancient mysteries. Steevens. I do not much like mercy swear, the old reading; or mercy swerve, Dr. Warburton's correction. I believe it should be, this would make mercy severe. Farmer. We still say, to swear like an emperor; and from some old book, of which I unfortunately neglected to copy the title, I have noted to swear like a tyrant, To swear like a termagant is quoted elsewhere. Ritson. by him in the duke's time, he promised her marriage; his child is a year and a quarter old, come Philip and Jacob: I have kept it myself; and see how he goes about to abuse me. Escal. That fellow is a fellow of much license:let him be called before us.-Away with her to prison: Go to; no more words. [Exeunt Bawd and Officers.] Provost, my brother Angelo will not be alter'd, Claudio must die to-morrow: let him be furnished with divines, and have all charitable preparation: if my brother wrought by my pity, it should not be so with him. Prov. So please you, this friar hath been with him, and advised him for the entertainment of death. Escal. Good even, good father. Duke. Bliss and goodness on you! Escal. Of whence are you? Duke. Not of this country, though my chance is now To use it for my time: I am a brother Escal. What news abroad i' the world? Duke. None, but that there is so great a fever on goodness, that the dissolution of it must cure it: novelty is only in request; and it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of course, as it is virtuous to be constant in any undertaking. There is scarce truth enough alive, to make societies secure, but security enough, to make fellowships accurs'd: much upon this riddle -from the see,] The folio reads: The emendation, which is undoutedly right, was made by Mr. Theobald. In Hall's Chronicle, sea is often written for see. Malone. 4 There is scarce truth enough alive, to make societies secure ; but security enough, to make fellowships accurs'd:] The speaker here alludes to those legal securities into which " fellowship "leads men to enter for each other." So, in King Henry IV, Part II: "He would not take his bond and yours: he liked not the security." Falstaff in the same scene, plays, like the Duke on the same word: "I had as lief they should put ratsbane in my mouth, as offer to stop it with security look'd he should have sent me two and twenty yards of sattin, and he sends me security. Well, he may sleep in security," &c. Malone. runs the wisdom of the world. This news is old enough, yet it is every day's news. I pray you, sir, of what disposition was the duke? Escal. One, that, above all other strifes, contended especially to know himself. Duke. What pleasure was he given to? Escal. Rather rejoicing to see another merry, than merry at any thing which profess'd to make him rejoice: a gentleman of all temperance. But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove prosperous; and let me desire to know how you find Claudio prepared. I am made to understand, that you have lent him visitation. Duke. He professes to have received no sinister measure from his judge, but most willingly humbles himself to the determination of justice: yet had he framed to himself, by the instruction of his frailty, many deceiving promises of life; which I, by my good leisure, have discredited to him, and now is he resolved to die. Escal. you have paid the heavens your function, and the prisoner the very debt of your calling. I have labour'd for the poor gentleman, to the extremest shore of my modesty; but my brother justice have I found so severe, that he hath forced me to tell him, he is indeed-justice." Duke. If his own life answer the straitness of his proceeding, it shall become him well; wherein if he chance to fail, he hath sentenced himself. Escal. I am going to visit the prisoner: Fare you well. The sense is, "There scarcely exists sufficient honesty in the world to make social life secure; but there are occasions enough where a man may be drawn in to become surety, which will make him pay dearly for his friendships." In excuse of this quibble, Shakspeare may plead high authority.-"He that hateth suretiship is sure." Prov. xi, 15. Hol: White. 5 resolved] i. e. satisfied. So, in Middleton's More Dissemblers besides Woman, Act 1, sc. iii: "The blessing of perfection to your thoughts lady; be is indeed-justice.] Summum jus, summa injuria. Steevens. |