As Angelo; even fo may Angelo,

In all his dreffings, characts,' titles, forms,
Be an arch-villain: believe it, royal prince,
If he be lefs, he's nothing; but he's more,
Had I more name for badnefs.

DUKE.

By mine honesty,

If the be mad, (as I believe no other,)
Her madness hath the oddeft frame of fenfe,
Such a dependency of thing on thing,

As e'er I heard in madness.+

ISAB. O, gracious duke, Harp not on that; nor do not banish reason For inequality: but let your reason serve

2 In all bis dreffings, &c.] In all his femblance of virtue, in all his habiliments of office. JOHNSON.

3

characts,] i. e. characters. See Dugdale, Orig. Jurid. "That he use ne hide, no charme, ne carece."

So, in Gower, De Confeffione Amantis, B. I:
"With his carrecte would him enchaunt.”

Again, B. V. fol. 103:

"And read his carece in the wife.”

Again, B. VI. fol. 140:

Again:

"Through his careces and figures."

"And his carece as he was taught,

"He rad," &c. STEEVENS.

TYRWHITT.

Charact fignifies an infcription. The ftat. Edward VI. c. 2. directed the feals of office of every bishop to have "certain charafts under the king's arms, for the knowledge of the diocefe." Characters are the letters in which the infeription is written. Charatery is the materials of which characters are compofed.

"Fairies use flowers for their charactery."

Merry Wives of Windfor. BLACKSTONE. 4 As e'er I heard, &c.] I fuppofe Shakspeare wrote: As ne'er I heard in madness. MALONE.

do not banish reason

For inequality:] Let not the high quality of my adversary prejudice you against me. JOHNSON.

To make the truth appear, where it seems hid;
And hide the falfe, feems true."

DUKE.

Many that are not mad,

Have, fure, more lack of reafon.-What would you

fay?

ISAB. I am the fifter of one Claudio,
Condemn'd upon the act of fornication
To lose his head; condemn'd by Angelo:
I, in probation of a fisterhood,

Was fent to by my brother: One Lucio
As then the messenger ;-

LUCIO.

That's I, an't like your grace:

I came to her from Claudio, and defir'd her
To try her gracious fortune with lord Angelo,
For her poor brother's pardon.

I wish you now then;

Pray you, take note of it: and when you have

Inequality appears to me to mean, in this place, apparent inconfiftency; and to have no reference to the high rank of Angelo, as Johnfon fuppofes. M. MASON.

I imagine the meaning rather is-Do not suppose I am mad, because I speak paffionately and unequally. MALOne.

6 And hide the falfe, feems true.] And for ever hide, i. e. plunge into eternal darknefs, the falfe one, i. e. Angelo, who now seems honeft. Many other words would have expreffed our poet's meaning better than hide; but he seems to have chofen it merely for the fake of oppofition to the preceding line. Mr. Theobald unneceffarily reads Not hide the falfe, which has been followed by the fubfequent editors. MALONE.

I do not profefs to understand these words; nor can I perceive how the meaning fuggefted by Mr. Malone is to be deduced from them.

STEEVENS.

A business for yourself, pray heaven, you then
Be perfect.
LUCIO.

I warrant your honour.

DUKE. The warrant's for yourself; take heed to it. ISAB. This gentleman told fomewhat of my tale. LUCIO. Right.

DUKE. It may be right; but you are in the wrong To speak before your time.-Proceed.

ISAB.

I went

To this pernicious caitiff deputy.
DUKE. That's fomewhat madly spoken.

ISAB.

The phrafe is to the matter.

Pardon it;

DUKE. Mended again: the matter;-Proceed. ISAB. In brief,-to fet the needless process by, How I perfuaded, how I pray'd, and kneel'd, How he refell'd me,' and how I reply'd;

(For this was of much length,) the vile conclufion
I now begin with grief and fhame to utter:
He would not, but by gift of my chafte body
To his concupifcible intemperate luft,

Release my brother; and, after much debatement,
My fifterly remorfe confutes mine honour,

7 How he refell'd me,] To refel is to refute.

"Refellere et coarguere mendacium." Cicero pro Ligario. Ben Jonfon uses the word:

"Friends not to refel you,

"Or any way quell you.”

Again, in The Second Part of Robert Earl of Huntington, 1601: "Therefore go on, young Bruce, proceed, refell

"The allegation.'

The modern editors changed the word to repel. STEEVENS.

8 To his concupifcible, &c.] Such is the old reading. The modern editors unauthoritatively substitute concupifcent. STEEVENS. 9 My fifterly remorfe- i. e. pity. So, in King Richard III: And gentle, kind, effeminate remorfe." STEEVENS.

And I did yield to him: But the next morn betimes, His purpose surfeiting, he fends a warrant

For my poor brother's head.

DUKE.

This is most likely!

ISAB. O, that it were as like, as it is true!'

DUKE. By heaven, fond wretch, thou know'st not what thou speak'st;

Or elfe thou art fuborn'd against his honour,
In hateful practice: Firft, his integrity
Stands without blemish:-next, it imports no reason,
That with fuch vehemency he should purfue
Faults proper to himself: if he had fo offended,
He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself,

2 His purpofe furfeiting,] Thus the old copy. We might read forfeiting, but the former word is too much in the manner of Shakfpeare to be rejected. So, in Othello:

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my hopes not furfeited to death." STEEVENS.

3 O, that it were as like, as it is true!] Like is not here used for probable, but for feemly. She catches at the Duke's word, and turns it into another fenfe; of which there are a great many examples in Shakspeare, and the writers of that time. WARBURTON.

I do not fee why like may not ftand here for probable, or why the lady fhould not with, that fince her tale is true, it may obtain belief. If Dr. Warburton's explication be right, we should read: O! that it were as likely, as 'tis true!

Likely I have never found for feemly. JOHNSON.

Though I concur in Dr. Johnson's explanation, I cannot help obferving that likely is ufed by Shakspeare himself for feemly. So, in King Henry IV. Part II. Act III. fc. ii: "Sir John, they are your likelieft men." STEEVENS.

The meaning, I think, is: O that it had as much of the appearance, as it has of the reality, of truth! MALONE.

fond wretch,] Fond wretch is foolish wretch. So, in Coriolanus, A& IV. fc. i:

""Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes." STEEVENS. 5 In hateful practice:] Practice was used by the old writers for any unlawful or infidious ftratagem. So again:

"This must needs be practice.".

And again:

Let me have way to find this practice out." JOHNSON,

And not have cut him off: Some one hath fet you on; Confefs the truth, and fay by whofe advice

Thou cam'ft here to complain.

ISAB.

And is this all?

Then, oh, you bleffed minifters above,

Keep me in patience; and, with ripen'd time,
Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up

In countenance!"-Heaven fhield your grace from woe,

As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go!

DUKE. I know, you'd fain be gone:-An officer! To prifon with her :-Shall we thus permit A blasting and a fcandalous breath to fall On him fo near us? This needs must be a practice." -Who knew of your intent, and coming hither? ISA B. One that I would were here, friar Lodowick. DUKE. A ghoftly father, belike:-Who knows that Lodowick?

Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a medling
friar ;

I do not like the man: had he been lay, my lord,
For certain words he fpake against your grace
In your retirement, I had fwing'd him foundly.

DUKE. Words against me? This' a good friar, be-
like!

6 In countenance!] i. e. in partial favour. WARBURTON.

Countenance, in my opinion, does not mean partial favour, as Warburton fuppofes, but falfe appearance, hypocrify. Ifabella does not mean to accufe the Duke of partiality; but alludes to the fanctified demeanour of Angelo, which, as the fuppofes, prevented the Duke from believing her ftory. M. MASON.

7-practice.] Practice, in Shak fpeare, very often means Shameful artifice, unjuftifiable ftratagem. So, in King Lear: This is practice, Glofter."

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Again, in King John:

"It is the fhameful work of Hubert's hand,

"The practice and the purpofe of the king." STEEVENS,