Duke. Go take her hence, and marry her instantly.Do you the office, friar; which consummate,6 Return him here again:-Go with him, Provost.

[Exeunt ANG. Mari. Peter, and Prov. Escal. My lord, I am more amaz'd at his dishonour, Than at the strangeness of it.

Duke.
Come hither, Isabel:
Your friar is now your prince: As I was then
Advértising, and holy" to your business,
Not changing heart with habit, I am still
Attorney'd at you service.

İsab.
O, give me pardon,
That I, your vassal, have employ'd and pain'd
Your unknown sovereignty.

Duke.

You are pardon'd, Isabel: And now, dear maid, be you as free to us.8 Your brother's death, I know, sits at your heart; And you may marvel, why I obscur'd myself, Labouring to save his life; and would not rather Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power, Than let him so be lost: O, most kind maid, It was the swift celerity of his death, Which I did think with slower foot came on, That brain'd my purpose:1 But, peace be with him! That life is better life, past fearing death,

Than that which lives to fear: make it your comfort, So happy is your brother.

Re-enter ANGELO, MARIANA, PETER, and Provost.

Isab.

I do, my lord.

Duke. For this new-married man, approaching here, Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd

6 which consummate,] i. e. which being consummated. Malone.

8

Advertising, and holy-] Attentive and faithful. Johnson.

be you as free to us.] Be as generous to us; pardon us as we have pardoned you. Johnson.

9 Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power,] That is, a premature discovery of it. M. Mason.

1 That brain'd my purpose:] We now use in conversation a like phrase: This it was that knocked my design on the head. Dr. Warburton reads:

-baned my purpose. Johnson.

Your well-defended honour, you must pardon
For Mariana's sake: but as he adjudg'd your brother,
(Being criminal, in double violation

Of sacred chastity, and of promise-breach,2
Thereon dependant, for your brother's life,)
The very mercy of the law cries out

Most audible, even from his proper tongue,3
An Angelo for Claudio, death for death.

Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;
Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.a
Then, Angelo, thy fault 's thus manifested;

Which though thou would'st deny, denies thee van

tage:5

We do condemn thee to the very block

Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like haste ;Away with him.

Mari.

O, my most gracious lord, I hope you will not mock me with a husband!

Duke. It is your husband mock'd you with a hus

2

band:

and of promise-breach,] Our author ought to have written "in double violation of sacred chastity, and of promise," instead of promise-breach. Sir T. Hanmer reads-and in promise-breach; but change is certainly here improper, Shakspeare having many similar inaccuracies. Double indeed may refer to Angelo's conduct to Mariana and Isabel; yet still some difficulty will remain for then he will be said to be " criminal [instead of guilty] of promise-breach." Malone.

3

even from his proper tongue,] Even from Angelo's own tongue. So, above:

"In the witness of his proper ear

"To call him villain." ""

Johnson.

Measure still for Measure.] So, in the Third Part of

K. Henry VI:

"Measure for Measure must be answered." Steevens. Shakspeare might have remembered these lines in A Warning for faire Women, a tragedy, 1599 (but apparently written some years before):

"The trial now remains, as shall conclude

"Measure for Measure, and lost blood for blood." Malone.

denies thee vantage:] Takes from thee all opportunity, all expedient of denial. Warburton.

Which though thou wouldst deny, denies thee vantage:] The denial of which will avail thee nothing. So, in The Winter's Tale: "Which to deny, concerns more than avails." Malone.

Consenting to the safeguard of your honour,
I thought your marriage fit; else imputation,
For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
And choke your good to come: for his possessions,
Although by confiscation they are ours,

We do instate and widow you withal,

To buy you a better husband.

Mari.

O, my dear lord,

I crave no other, nor no better man.
Duke. Never crave him; we are definitive.
Mari. Gentle, my liege, -

[Kneeling.

Duke. You do but lose your labour; Away with him to death.-Now, sir, [to LUCIO] to

you.

Mari. O, my good lord!-Sweet Isabel, take my part;

Lend me your knees, and all my life to come
I'll lend you, all my life to do you service.

Duke. Against all sense you do impórtune her:7
Should she kneel down, in mercy of this fact,
Her brother's ghost his paved bed would break,
And take her hence in horror.

Mari.
Isabel,
Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me;
Hold up your hands, say nothing, I'll speak all.
They say, best men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad: so may my husband.

6 Although by confiscation they are ours,] This reading was furnished by the editor of the second folio. The original copy has confutation, which may be right :-by his being confuted, or proved guilty of the fact which he had denied. This however being rather harsh, I have followed all the modern editors in adopting the emendation that has been made. Malone.

I cannot think it even possible that confutation should be the true reading. But the value of the second folio, it seems, must on all occasions be disputed. Steevens.

7 Against all sense you do impórtune ber] The meaning required is, against all reason and natural affection; Shakspeare, therefore, judiciously uses a single word that implies both; sense signifying both reason and affection. Johnson.

The same expression occurs in The Tempest, Act II:

"You cram these words into my ears, against
"The stomach of my sense." Steevens.

O, Isabel! will you not lend a knee?
Duke. He dies for Claudio's death.
Isab.

Most bounteous sir,

[Kneeling.

Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd,
As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,
A due sincerity govern'd his deeds,
Till he did look on me; since it is so,
Let him not die: My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he died:
For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent ;9
And must be buried but as an intent

That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no subjects;

8 Till he did look on me;] The Duke has justly observed, that Isabel is importuned against all sense to solicit for Angelo, yet here against all sense she solicits for him. Her argument is extraordinary:

That Angelo had committed all the crimes charged against him as far as he could commit them is evident. The only intent which bis act did not overtake, was the defilement of Isabel. Of this Angelo was only intentionally guilty.

Angelo's crimes were such, as must sufficiently justify punishment, whether its end be to secure the innocent from wrong, or to deter guilt by example; and I believe every reader feels some indignation when he finds him spared. From what extenuation of his crime, can Isabel, who yet supposes her brother dead, form any plea in his favour? Since he was good till he looked on me, let him not die. I am afraid our varlet poet intended to inculcate, that women think ill of nothing that raises the credit of their beauty, and are ready, however virtuous, to pardon any act which they think incited by their own charms. Johnson.

It is evident that Isabella condescends to Mariana's importunate solicitation with great reluctance. Bad as her argument might be, it is the best that the guilt of Angelo would admit. The sacrifice that she makes of her revenge to her friendship, scarcely merits to be considered in so harsh a light. Ritson. 9 His act did not o'ertake his bad intent ;] So, in Macbeth : "The flighty purpose never is o'ertook,

i

"Unless the deed go with it." Steevens.

buried but as an intent

That perish'd by the way :] i. e. like the traveller, who dies on his journey, is obscurely interred, and thought of no more : Illum expirantem

Obliti ignoto camporum in pulvere linguunt. Steevers.

Intents but merely thoughts.

Mari.

Merely, my lord.

Duke. Your suit's unprofitable; stand up, I say.I have bethought me of another fault :Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded At an unusual hour?

Prov.

It was commanded so.

Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed? Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private message. Duke. For which I do discharge you of your Give up your keys.

Prov.

Pardon me, noble lord;
I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me, after more advice:2
For testimony whereof, one in the prison,
That should by private order else have died,
I have reserv'd alive.

Duke.

Prov.

What's he?

office:

His name is Barnardine. Duke. I would thou hasd'st done so by Claudio.Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.

[Exit Prov.
Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise
As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd,
Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

Ang. I am sorry, that such sorrow I procure:
And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart,
That I crave death more willingly than mercy;
'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.

Re-enter Provost, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO, and

JULIET.

Duke. Which is that Barnardine?

Prov.

This, my lord.

Duke. There was a friar told me of this man:Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul,

That apprehends no further than this world,

And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt condemn'd;

2

ration.

after more advice:] i. e. after more mature conside

So, in Titus Andronicus:

"The Greeks, upon advice did bury Ajax." Steevens. `*