Look you speak justly.

DUKE. Boldly, at least.-But, O, poor souls, Come you to seek the lamb here of the fox? Good night to your redress! Is the duke gone? Then is your cause gone too. The duke's unjust, Thus to retort your manifest appeal, And put your trial in the villain's mouth, Which here you come to accuse.

LUCIO. This is the rascal; this is he I spoke of. ESCAL. Why, thou unreverend and unhallow'd friar,

Is't not enough thou hast suborn'd these women To accuse this worthy man, but, in foul mouth, And in the witness of his proper ear,

To call him villain? and then to glance from him To the duke himself, to tax him with injustice?—

a-his purpose.] Capell reads, "this purpose," and Mr. Collier's annotator, 46 -your purpose," " but Boswell suggested that, after threatening the supposed Friar, Escalus addresses the close of the sentence to the bystanders.

b Nor here provincial] Nor within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the province

e Close-] So the old copies. In Mr. Collier's annotated folio, the word is changed to gloze, but most improperly; for "close" and not gloze, despite of all that can be adduced in favour of the latter, is the genuine word. In proof of this take the following unanswerable quotations

Take him hence; to the rack with him! We'll touse you

Joint by joint, but we will know hisa purpose.— What? unjust!

DUKE. Be not so hot; the duke dare No more stretch this finger of mine, than he Dare rack his own: his subject am I not, Nor here provincial." My business in this state Made me a looker-on here in Vienna, Where I have seen corruption boil and bubble, Till it o'er-run the stew laws for all faults, But faults so countenanc'd, that the strong statutes Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop, As much in mock as mark.(1)

[to prison ! ESCAL. Slander to the state! Away with him ANG. What can you vouch against him, signior Lucio?

Is this the man that you did tell us of?

LUCIO. 'Tis he, my lord.-Come hither, goodman bald-pate do you know me?

DUKE. I remember you, sir, by the sound of your voice: I met you at the prison, in the absence

of the duke.

LUCIO. O, did you so? and do you remember what you said of the duke?

DUKE. Most notedly, sir.

LUCIO. Do you so, sir? and was the duke a fleshmonger, a fool, and a coward, as you then reported him to be?

DUKE. You must, sir, change persons with me, ere you make that my report: you, indeed, spoke so of him; and much more, much worse.

LUCIO. O, thou damnable fellow! did not I pluck thee by the nose, for thy speeches?

DUKE. I protest, I love the duke as I love myself.

ANG. Hark how the villain would close now, after his treasonable abuses!

ESCAL. Such a fellow is not to be talked withal-away with him to prison !—where is the provost ?-away with him to prison! lay bolts enough upon him: let him speak no more.-Away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate companion!

[The Provost lays hand on the DUKE. DUKE. Stay, sir; stay a while.

ANG. What! resists he?—Help him, Lucio.

LUCIO. Come, sir; come, sir; come, sir; foh, sir! Why, you bald-pated, lying rascal! you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's

"It would become me better than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies."

Julius Cæsar, Act III. Sc. 1 "This closing with him fits his lunacy."

Titus Andronicus, Act V. Sc. 2.

"I will close with this country peasant very lovingly." WEBSTER'S Works, Dyce's ed. p. 281.

"Thus cunningly she clos'd with him, and he conceaves her thoughts."-WARNER'S Abion's England.

Make rash remonstrance of my hidden power,
Than let him so be lost. O, most kind maid!
It was the swift celerity of his death,
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.
ISAB.
I do, my lord.

Re-enter ANGELO, MARIANA, FRIAR Peter,
and Provost.

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
Thereon dependent,-for your brother's life,
The very mercy of the law cries out
Most audible, even from his proper tongue,
An Angelo for Claudio, death for death!
Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;
Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.
Then, Angelo, thy fault thus manifested,-
Which, though thou wouldst deny, denies thee
vantage,―

We do condemn thee to the very block [haste.-
Where Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like
Away with him!

MARI.

O, my most gracious lord,
I hope you will not mock me with a husband!
DUKE. It is your husband mock'd you with a
husband:

Consenting to the safeguard of your honour,
I thought your marriage fit; else imputation,
For that he knew you, might reproach your life,
And choke your good to come. For his possessions,
Although by confiscation* they are ours,
We do instate and widow you withal,
To buy you a better husband.

MARI.

O, my dear lord,

ANG. I am sorry that such sorrow I procure; And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart, That I crave death more willingly than mercy; 'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.

Re-enter Provost, with BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO, muffled, and JULIET.

DUKE. Which is that Barnardine?
PROV.
This, my lord.
DUKE. There was a friar told me of this man.—
Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul,
That apprehends no further than this world,
And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt con-
demn'd;

But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all,
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide
For better times to come.-Friar, advise him;

I leave him to your hand.-What muffled fellow's

that?

PROV. This is another prisoner that I sav'd, Who should have died when Claudio lost his head; As like almost to Claudio as himself.

[Unmuffles CLAUDIO. DUKE. [TO ISABELLA.] If he be like your brother, for his sake

Is he pardon'd; and, for your lovely sake,
Give me your hand, and say you will be mine,
He is my brother too: but fitter time for that.—
By this lord Angelo perceives he's safe:
Methinks I see a quick'ning in his eye.-
Well, Angelo, your evil quits" you well:
Look that you love your wife; her worth, worth
yours.―

I find an apt remission in myself;

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon.—
[TO LUCIO.] You, sirrah, that knew me for a fool,
a coward,

One all of luxury," an ass, a madman :
Wherein have I deserved so of you,
That you extol me thus?

Lucio. Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick. If you will hang me for it, you may; but I had rather it would please you I might be whipped.

DUKE. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.-Proclaim it, provost, round about the city, If any woman'st wrong'd by this lewd fellow, -As I have heard him swear himself there's one Whom he begot with child,-let her appear, And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd, Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.

LUCIO. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore! Your highness said even now, I

(*) Old text, so deserv'd.

(t) Old text, woman.

made you a duke: good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold.

DUKE. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her. Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal Remit thy other forfeits.-Take him to prison; And see our pleasure herein executed.

LUCIO. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging.

DUKE. Slandering a prince deserves it.[Exeunt Officers with LUCIO. She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.Joy to you, Mariana !-Love her, Angelo:

I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:

There's more behind that is more gratulate.-
Thanks, provost, for thy care and secrecy;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place.-
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's:
The offence pardons itself.-Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good;
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,
What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.-
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show
What's yet behind, that's* meet you all should
know.
[Exeunt.

(*) First folio, that.

(1) SCENE II.-Enter POMPEY.] The original stage direction is "Enter Clown." Of this character Mr. Douce remarks,-"The clown in this play officiates as the tapster of a brothel; whence it has been concluded that he is not a domestic fool, nor ought to appear in the dress of that character. A little consideration will serve to shew that the opinion is erroneous, that this clown is altogether a domestic fool, and that he should be habited accordingly, In Act II. Sc. 1, Escalus calls him a tedious fool, and Iniquity, a name for one of the old stage buffoons. He tells him that he will have him whipt, a punishment that was very often inflicted on fools. In Timon of Athens, we have a strumpet's fool, and a similar character is mentioned in the first speech in Antony and Cleopatra. But if any one should still entertain a doubt on the subject, he may receive the most complete satisfaction by an attentive examination of ancient prints, many of which will furnish instances of the common use of the domestic fool in brothels."-Illustrations of Shakespeare, I. 151.

(2) SCENE II.—

this we came not to,

Only for propagation of a dower
Remaining in the coffer of her friends,
From whom we thought it meet to hide our love
Till time had made them for us.]

If propagation be the poet's word, its most literal meaning, that is, to increase or multiply, seems to furnish the real and natural sense of this much-disputed passage. The dowry of Julietta was "at use" in the coffer of her friends until her authorised marriage should require it to be paid. The principal, therefore, was a fixed sum, but the "propagation" of the "dower " expressed the increase of it as added to that principal by the extension of the time in which it lay at interest in the hands of the lady's friends. It is very probable that, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, this was not an uncommon contrivance for improving the portions of unmarried women; and, wherever it could be safely and legally

adopted, it was a great protection to their property against the feudal claims of wardship. With respect to the sense of the word propagation, as implying the increase of money by interest, there is a pertinent illustration in “Twelfth Night," Act III. Sc. 1, where the Clown says to Viola,"Would not a pair of these have bred, sir?"

and she replies,

"Yes, being kept together, and put to use." Sometimes, however, the improvement of the dowry was not assured by the accumulation of periodical interest; but was left altogether dependent on the good will of a relation. There is an instance of this power being given, in the will of Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essex, 1361; one of the bequests of which is to "Thomasine Belle, xl marks, [67. 13s. 4d.] for her marriage, or more, if she be well married." But, in the testament of Henry, the last Lord Grey of Codnor, dated Sept. 10th, 1492, there occurs an instance, perhaps still more to the purpose. The testator is directing the payment of several bequests to his illegitimate children, and he orders that his cousin, Sir Thomas Barrow, should pay 100l. to two of them, named Richard Grey, and "the Greater Harry;" or else, that the land of his part stand still in feoffees hands, "till Two Hundred Marks [331. 6s. 8d.] be raised and paid to the marriage of the said two children."

Still, after all the endeavours to impart a meaning to the word "propagation" in this passage, the expression is so peculiar that it will be suspected. Malone proposed to read, "for prorogation;" and Mr. Collier's annotator, "for procuration." Query, is the disputed word a misprint for propugnation ?—

"Only for propugnation [that is, defence, or preservation] of a dower,"

Shakespeare uses the word in this sense elsewhere:"What propugnation is in one man's valour." Troilus and Cressida, Act II. Sc. 2.

(1) SCENE I.

· merely, thou art death's fool.]

people either in the sculpture and painting of ecclesiastical buildings, or in the books adapted to the service of the church." * But, notwithstanding such eminent authority, it may well be questioned whether Shakespeare's allusion is not rather to some old stage representation, familiar to his auditory, where the Devil and the Fool; Death and the Fool; and Time and the Fool,

and Life, Time's fool "-First Part of Henry IV. Act V. Sc. 4.

were in turn brought into ludicrous collision for the entertainment of the spectators.

* Douce's Illustrations of Shakespeare, I. 130.