And you may marvel, why I obscur'd myself, Which I did think with slower foot came on, That brain'd my purpose: 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. IS.AB. I do, my lord. DUKE. For this new-married man, approaching here, Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd 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 7, 5 Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power,] That is, a premature discovery of it. M. MASON. As I am not aware of remonstrance being ever used in this sense, I would read demonstrance, i. e. demonstration. Malone. 6 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: 66 -baned my purpose." JOHNSON. 7 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. Most audible, even from his proper tongue 3, Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure ; Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measureo. Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifested; Which though thou would'st deny, denies thee vantage :: We do condemn thee to the very block Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like haste ; Away with him. MARI. Consenting to the safeguard of your honour, 8 even from his PROPER tongue,] tongue. So, above: Even from Angelo's own proper ear JOHNSON. "In the witness of his "To call him villain." MEASURE Still FOR MEASURE.] So, in The Third Part of King Henry VI. : 9 66 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 1 - denies thee VANTAGE:] Takes from thee all opportunity, all expedient of denial. WARBUrton. "Which though thou would'st 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. 2 Although by CONFISCATION they are ours,] This reading was furnished by the editor of the second folio. The original copy We do instate and widow you withal, MARI. O, my dear lord, I crave no other, nor no better man. DUKE. [Kneeling. 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 DUKE. Against all sense you do impórtune her3: MARI. Isabel, Sweet Isabel, do yet but kneel by me ; Hold up your hands, say nothing, I'll speak all. DUKE. He dies for Claudio's death. 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. 3 Against all SENSE you do impórtune her:] The meaning required is, against all reason aud 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. ISAB. Most bounteous sir, [Kneeling. Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd, Till he did look on me; since it is so, Let him not die: My brother had but justice, His act did not o'ertake his bad intent 5 ; 4 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: "A due sincerity govern'd his deeds 66 Till he did look on me: since it is so, "Let him not die." That Angelo had committed all the crimes charged against him, as far as he could commit them, is evident. The only intent which his act did not overtake, was the defilement of Isabel. this Angelo was only intentionally guilty. Of 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. 5 His act did not O'ERTAKE his bad intent;] So, in Macbeth: That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no sub jects; 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 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 office : Give up your keys. PROV. DUKE. What's he? His name is Barnardine. DUKE. I would thou had'st done so by Claudio.Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him. ESCAL. I am sorry, [Exit Provost. one so learned and so wise As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd, Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood, 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 7 Obliti ignoto camporum in pulvere linquunt. STEEvens. after more advice:] i. e. after more mature consideration. So, in Titus Andronicus : "The Greeks, upon advice, did bury Ajax." STEEVENS. |