35 -guards!] This word means here lace, or the ornaments of dress. 36 If it were damnable, &c.] Shakspeare shows his knowledge of human nature in the conduct of Claudio. When Isabella first tells him of Angelo's proposal, he answers, with honest indignation, agreeably to his settled principles, Thou shalt not do't. But the love of life being permitted to operate, soon furnishes him with sophistical arguments; he believes it cannot be very dangerous to the soul, since Angelo, who is so wise, will venture it. 1 JOHNSON.. 37 -delighted spirit-] i. e. the spirit accustomed here to ease and delights. This was properly urged as an aggravation to the sharpness of the torments spoken of. The Oxford editor, not apprehending this, alters it to dilated. As if, because the spirit in the body is said to be imprisoned, it was crowded together likewise; and so by death not only set free, but expanded too; which, if true, would make it the less sensible of pain. WARBURTON. 38 the corrupt deputy scaled.] To scale may mean to disorder, to disconcert, to put to flight. An army routed is called by Hollinshed an army scaled. The word sometimes signifies to diffuse or disperse; at others, as I suppose in the present instance, to put into confusion. STEEVENS. 39 -brown and white bastard.] Bastard was a kind of sweet wine then much in vogue, from the Italian bastardo. WARBURTON. 40-since, of two usuries, &c.] Here a satire on usury turns abruptly to a satire on the person of the usurer, without any kind of preparation. We may be assured then, that a line or two, at least, have been lost; the subject of which we may easily discover-a comparison between the two usurers; as, before, between the two usuries. So that, for the future, the passage should be read with asterisks thus-by order of law, *** a furr'd gown, &c. WARBURTON. Sir Thomas Hanmer corrected this with less pomp: then since of two usurers the merriest was put down, and the worser allowed, by order of law, a furr'd gown, &c. His punctuation is right, but the alteration, small as it is, appears more than was wanted. Usury may be used by an easy licence for the professors of usury. JOHNSON. After all that the commentators have said here, I can see no reason for the Clown's moralizing on the different fate of two usurers. By the merry usury, which the law had put down, I can only suppose him to mean the traffic in the suburbs, where the principal and her agent divided the profits; in other words, his own profession of a bawd. 41 Free from our faults, as faults from seeming, free!] Dr. Johnson would have this line, Free from all faults, or from false seeming free.' And sir T. Hanmer, Free from all faults, as from faults seeming free.' 42 -to your waist, a cord, sir.] Some orders of friars wear a cord for a girdle. 43 -Pygmalion's images, newly made woman,] Mr. Douce's note on this passage would be right I think, if the scene were laid in England. By Pygmalion's images, he understands new money of queen Elizabeth; but unfortunately the conversation is supposed to be holden at Vienna, and a Duke is the sovereign. Yet mistakes like this are not unfrequent in Shakspeare. 44 What say'st thou to this tune, matter, and method? Is't not drown'd i' the last rain?] This nonsense should be thus corrected, It's not down i' the last reign, i. e. these are severities unknown to the old duke's time. And this is to the purpose. WARBURTON. Dr. Warburton's emendation is ingenious, but I know not whether the sense may not be restored with less change. Let us consider it. Lucio, a prating fop, meets his old friend going to prison, and pours out upon him his impertinent interrogatories, to which, when the poor fellow makes no answer, he adds, What reply? ha? what say'st thou to this? Tune, matter, and method,-is't not? Drown'd i'th' last rain? ha? what say'st thou? trot? JOHNSON. 45 in the tub.] The method of cure for venereal complaints is grossly called the powdering-tub. JOHNSON. 46 -clack-dish:] The beggars, two or three centuries ago, used to proclaim their want by a wooden dish with a moveable cover, which they clacked to shew that their vessel was empty. This appears in a passage quoted on another occasion by Dr. Gray. STEEVENS. 47 Pattern in himself to know, These lines I cannot understand, but believe that they should be read thus: Patterning himself to know, In grace to stand, in virtue go; To pattern is to work after a pattern, and, perhaps, in Shakspeare's licentious diction, simply to work. The sense is, he that bears the sword of heaven should be holy as well as severe; one that after good examples labours to know himself, to live with innocence, and to act with virtue. JOHNSON. This passage is very obscure, nor can be cleared without a more licentious paraphrase than any reader may be willing to allow. He that bears the sword of heaven should be not less holy than severe: should be able to discover in himself a pattern of such grace as can avoid temptation, together with such virtue as dares venture abroad into the world without danger of seduction. I should think Shakspeare rather wrote Pattern in himself-to show Grace to stand, and virtue go; STEEVENS, As if he had said, becoming a pattern himself, (or being in himself an example,) that he might show to others how grace will withstand temptation, and how virtue may be rendered operative. 48 Take, oh take, &c.] This is part of a little song of Shakspeare's own writing, consisting of two stanzas; and so extremely sweet, that the reader won't be dis pleased to have the other: 49 Hide, oh hide those hills of snow, Which thy frozen bosom bears, WARBURTON. for yet our tithe's to sow.] As before, the blundering editors have made a prince of the priestly Angelo, so here they have made a priest of the prince. We should read tilth, i. e. our tillage is yet to make. The grain from which we expect our harvest, is not yet put into the ground. 50 WARBURTON. starkly-] starkly is stifly, strongly. Stark in German is strong. 51 -the unsisting postern-] Unsisting may signify never at rest,' 'always opening.' BLACKSTONE. Sir T. Hanmer reads unresting; Mr. Rowe unresisting. 52 desperately mortal] perhaps is the same as mortally desperate. 53 and tie the beard;] The Revisal recommends Mr. Simpson's emendation, DIE the beard, but the present reading may stand. I believe it was usual to tie up the beard before decollation, that it might escape the blow. Sir T. More is said to have been very careful about this ornament of his face. It should however be remembered, that it was the custom to die beards. In the Midsummer Night's Dream, Bottom says, |