Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead ; The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart And just after, condemning his own neglect, in fuffering the people to take fuch scope, he carries his cenfure against himself fo far, as even to say that he had encouraged them to do fo: For we bid this be done, When evil deeds have their permiffive pass, And not the punishment, The fame reflection is carried on, in the fifth Scene of the Second Act; where fome one says, Lord Angelo is severe. To which Efcalus, his colleague in administration, replies, It is but needful; Mercy is not itself, that oft looks fo; Pardon is ftill the nurfe of fecond woe. But to recur back again to the first Act, which I quitted in pursuit of the above argument ftarted there; in the fixth Scene, where Claudio defires his friend to employ his fifter to folicit his pardon, he very judiciously urges that peculiar kind of perfuafiveness, which naturally dwells in youth and innocence: Acquaint her with the danger of my State; Implore her, in my voice, that the make friends Such as moves men! And again, in the laft Scene of this first Act, Lucio fays to Ifabella, Go to lord Angelo, And let him learn to know, when maidens fue, Men give like gods; but when they weep and kneel, All their petitions are as truly theirs, As they themselves would owe them. Doctor Johnson reads power, or prompt, either of which epithets would Certainly render this paffage more intelligible. I prefer the latter expression. In the fame Scene the nature and danger of irrefolution is well defcribed. Lucio. Our doubts are traitors; And make us lofe the good we oft might win, ACT II. SCENE I. The political arguments for juftice, with the humane motives for mercy, are finely contrasted here, between the two Deputies of the State: Angelo. We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to fear the birds of prey, And let it keep one fhape, 'till custom makes it Their perch, and not their terror. Efcalus. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall and bruife to death. Let but your Honour know, Whom I believe to be most ftrait in virtue, Could have attained the effect of your own purpose; Angelo. "Tis one thing to be tempted, Efcalus, The jury, paffing on the prifoner's life, May in the fworn twelve have a thief or two, Guiltier than him they try. What's open made to justice, 'That juftice feizes on. What know the laws, That thieves do pafs on thieves? 'Tis very pregnant, The jewel that we find, we ftoop and take it, Because we fee it; but what we do not fee, We tread upon, and never think of it. You may not fo extenuate his offence, For I have had fuch faults; but rather tell me, When I that cenfure him, do fo offend, Let mine own judgment pattern out my death, Efralus. Well, heaven forgive him! and forgive us all! Some run thro' brakes of ice, and anfwer none; SCENE SCENE VII. We find the fame fubjects continued here, with additional spirit and beauty. Ifabella to Angelo. I have a brother is condemned to die I do befeech you, let it be his fault, And not my brother. Angelo. Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it? To find the faults whose fine stands in the record, Ifabella. O juft, but fevere law! Muft he needs die? labella. Yes; I do think that you might pardon him; Ifabella. But can you, if you would? Angelo. Look, what I avill not *, that I cannot de. As mine is to him? Angelo. He's fentenced; 'tis too late. Ifabella. Too late? Why, no; I that do fpeak a word, Ijabella. I would to heaven I had your potency, Angelo. Your brother is a forfeit of the law, Ifabella. Alas! alas! Why, all the fouls that were †, were forfeit, once; *Ought not, I fhould think to be a more proper expreffion, here. Doctor Warburton has changed were, to are, becaufe, he says, the expreffion, the text, is falfe divinity. I tremble at venturing to differ from fo learned a ige in matters of theology; but are we not taught that the redemption had releafed D 4 And be that might the 'vantage beft have took, Angelo. Be you content, fair maid; It is the law, not I, condemns your brother. It should be thus with him. He dies to-morrow. Jabella. To-morrow! Oh, that's fudden ! Spare him, fpare him; He's not prepared for death. Even for our kitchens We kill the fowl of season; fhall we ferve heaven With lefs refpect than we do minifter To our grofs felves? Good, good my lord, bethink you: There's many have committed it. Angelo. The law hath not been dead, tho' it hath slept If the first man that did th' edict infringe, Ifabella. Yet fhew fome pity. Angelo. I fhew it most of all, when I fhew juftice; Which a difmiffed offence would after gall; And do him right, that, anfwering one foul wrong, Lives not to act an other. Be fatisfied; Your brother dies-to-morrow. Ifabella. Oh, 'tis excellent To have a giant's ftrength; but it is tyrannous Could great men thunder, As Jove himself does, Jove would ne'er be quiet; For every pelting petty officer Would ufe his heaven for thunder; Nothing but thunder-Merciful heaven! Thou rather with thy fharp and fulph'rous bolt Splitteft the unwedgeable and gnarled oak, Dreft in a little brief authority, Than the foft myrtle-O, but man, proud man, Moft ignorant of what he's most affured, leafed the forfeit? We were then brought within the pale, at leaft, of falvation, which the orthodoxy fays we were not before; and a fecond forfeit, I should therefore suppose to be the confequence of our own tranfgreffion, not that of our first parents. His glaffy effence, like an angry ape, Plays fuch fantaftic tricks before high heaven, As make the angels weep; who, with our spleens, We cannot weigh our brother with yourfelf; That in the captain's but a choleric word, Angelo Why do you put these fayings upon me? That skins the vice o' th' top. Go to your bofom; Let it not found a thought upon your tongue, Angelo. (Afide.) She fpeaks, and 'tis fuch fenfe, That my fenfe breeds with it (To lfabel.) Fare you well. Ifabella. Gentle, my lord, turn back. Angelo. I will bethink me-Come again, to-morrow. ་ ་ Ifabella. Hark, how I'll bribe you-good my lord, turn backAngelo. How? Bribe me! Ifabella. Ay, with fuch gifts, that heaven shall share with you. Or ftones whofe rates are either rich, or poor, I have transcribed, perhaps, more of this dialogue, than may be thought ftrictly relative to the arguments of it; but I found it impoffible to break off before, and I believe the reader would be forry to have had me interrupt it fooner. The powerful attractions of virtue and modefty, are finely fhewn, in Angelo's conflict and refections, here. Ifabella, having in the laft Scene, received fome hope of pardon for her brother, takes leave of the Depury, with this expreffion: Save your honour! Angelo folus. From thee, even from thy virtue Whatd |