And there receive her approbation 6:

Acquaint her with the danger of my state;
Implore her, in my voice, that she make friends
To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him;
I have great hope in that: for in her youth
There is a prone and speechless dialect 7,

Such as moves men; beside, she hath prosperous art
When she will play with reason and discourse,
And well she can persuade.

Lucio. I pray, she may: as well for the encouragement of the like, which else would stand under grievous imposition; as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of ticktack. I'll to her.

Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio.
Lucio. Within two hours,

Claud. Come, officer, away.

SCENE IV.

A Monastery.

Enter DUKE and Friar THOMAS.

[Exeunt.

Duke. No; holy father; throw away that thought;
Believe not that the dribbling darts of love
Can pierce a cómplete bosom: why I desire thee
To give me secret harbour, hath a purpose
More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends
Of burning youth.

Fri.
May your grace speak of it?
Duke. My holy sir, none better knows than you
How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd';

6

7

her approbation :] i. e. enter on her probation.

prone and speechless dialect,] Prone, perhaps, may stand for humble; as a prone posture is a posture of supplication.

8 Believe not that the dribbling dart,] A dribber, in archery, was a term of contempt.

9

the life remov'd ;] i. e. a life of retirement.

1

And held in idle price to haunt assemblies,.
Where youth, and cost, and witless bravery 1 keeps. 2
I have deliver'd to lord Angelo

(A man of stricture, and firm abstinence,)

My absolute power and place here in Vienna,
And he supposes me travell❜d to Poland;
For so I have strew'd it in the common ear,
And so it is receiv'd: Now, pious sir,

* You will demand of me, why I do this?
Fri. Gladly, my lord.

Duke. We have strict statutes, and most biting laws,
(The needful bits and curbs for headstrong steeds,)
Which for these fourteen years we have let sleep;
Even like an o'er-grown lion in a cave,

That goes not out to prey: Now, as fond fathers
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to stick it in their children's sight,
For terror, not to use; in time the rod

Becomes more mock'd, than fear'd: so our decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead;
And liberty plucks justice by the nose;

The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri.

It rested in your grace

To unloose this tied-up justice, when you pleas'd:
And it in you more dreadful would have seem'd,
Than in lord Angelo.

Duke.
I do fear, too dreadful:
Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope,
'Twould be my tyranny to strike, and gall them
For what I bid them do: For we bid this be done,
When evil deeds have their permissive pass,

And not the punishment. Therefore, indeed, my father,
I have on Angelo impos'd the office;

Who may, in the ambush of my name, strike home,

witless bravery-] Bravery, or showy dress.
keeps.] i. e. dwells, resides.

1

2

3 Sith i. e. since.

And yet my nature never in the sight,

To do it slander: And to behold his sway,

I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,

Visit both prince and people: therefore, I pr'ythee,
Supply me with the habit, and instruct me
How I may formally in person bear me

Like a true friar. More reasons for this action,
At our more leisure shall I render

you;
Only, this one:- Lord Angelo is precise;
Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confesses
That his blood flows, or that his appetite

Is more to bread than stone: Hence shall we see,
If power change purpose, what our seemers be. [Exeunt.

SCENE V.

A Nunnery.

Enter ISABELLA and FRANCISCA.

Isab. And have you nuns no further privileges?
Fran. Are not these large enough?

Isab. Yes, truly; I speak not as desiring more;
But rather wishing a more strict restraint

Upon the sister-hood, the votarists of saint Clare.
Lucio. Ho! Peace be in this place!
Isab.

[Within.

Who's that which calls? Fran. It is a man's voice: Gentle Isabella,

Turn you the key, and know his business of him; may, I may not; you are yet unsworn:

You

When you have vow'd, you must not speak with men,
But in the presence of the prioress:

Then, if you speak, you must not show your face;
Or, if you show your face, you must not speak.
He calls again; I pray you answer him.

[Exit FRANCISCA, Isab. Peace and prosperity! Who is't that calls?

4 Stands at a guard-] Stands on his defence,

Enter LUCIO.

Lucio. Hail, virgin, if you be; as those cheek-roses Proclaim you are no less! Can you so stead me,

As bring me to the sight of Isabella,

A novice of this place, and the fair sister

To her unhappy brother Claudio?

Isab. Why her unhappy brother? let me ask; The rather, for I now must make you know

I am that Isabella, and his sister.

Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets

you:

Not to be weary with you, he's in prison.

Isab. Woe me! For what?

Lucio. For that, which if myself might be his judge, He should receive his punishment in thanks:

He hath got his friend with child.

Isab. Sir, make me not your story."
Lucio.

I would not-though 'tis my familiar sin

It is true.

With maids to seem the lapwing, and to jest,
Tongue far from heart, — play with all virgins so:
I hold you as a thing ensky'd, and sainted :
By your renouncement, an immortal spirit;
And to be talk'd with in sincerity,

As with a saint.

5

Isab. You do blaspheme the good, in mocking me.

make me not your story.] Perhaps, Do not divert yourself with me, as you would with a story; but Mr. MALONE thinks we ought to read,-"Sir, mock me not:-your story. Luc. 'Tis true, &c."

6

'tis my familiar sin

With maids to seem the lapwing,] The modern editors have not taken in the whole similitude here: they have taken notice of the lightness of a spark's behaviour to his mistress, and compared it to the lapwing's hovering and fluttering as it flies. But the chief, of which no notice is taken, is, -and to jest." [See Ray's Proverbs.] "The lapwing cries, tongue far from heart;" i. e. most farthest from the nest.

Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, 'tis

thus:

Your brother and his lover have embrac'd:

As those that feed grow full; as blossoming time,
That from the seedness the bare fallow brings
To teeming foison7; even so her plenteous womb
Expresseth his full tilth and husbandry.

8

Isab. Some one with child by him?- My cousin Juliet?

Lucio. Is she your cousin?

Isab. Adoptedly; as school-maids change their names, By vain though apt affection.

Lucio.

She it is.

Isab. O, let him marry her!
Lucio.
This is the point.
The duke is very strangely gone from hence;
Bore many gentlemen, myself being one,
In hand, and hope of action9: but we do learn
By those that know the very nerves of state,
His givings out were of an infinite distance
From his true-meant design. Upon his place,
And with full line of his authority,

Governs lord Angelo: a man, whose blood

Is

very snow-broth; one who never feels

The wanton stings and motions of the sense;
But doth rebate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind, study and fast.
He (to give fear to use1 and liberty,
Which have, for long, run by the hideous law,

7 To teeming foison;] Foison is plenty.

8 Tilth-] Tilth is tillage.

9 Bore many gentlemen,

In hand, and hope of action:] To bear in hand is a common phrase for to keep in expectation and dependance; but we should read:

1

with hope of action. JOHNSON.

-] To intimidate use, that is, practices

to give fear to use— long countenanced by custom.