Remaining in the coffer of her friends; From whom we thought it meet to hide our love, Lucio. With child, perhaps? Unhappily, even so. And the new deputy now for the duke,— Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness, Or whether that the body public be A horse whereon the governor doth ride, Who, newly in the seat, that it may know He can command, lets it straight feel the spur; Whether the tyranny be in his place, Or in his eminence that fills it up, I stagger in:-but this new governor Awakes me all the enrolled penalties, SCENE IV.-A Monastery. Enter DUKE and Friar THOMAS. Duke. No, holy father; throw away that thought: 34 Which have, like unscour'd armour, hung by the Believe not that the dribbling dart of love wall So long, that nineteen zodiacs 2 have gone round, Lucio. I warrant it is: and thy head stands so tickle 30 on thy shoulders, that a milkmaid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the duke, and appeal to him. Claud. I have done so, but he's not to be found. I pr'ythee, Lucio, do me this kind service. This day my sister should the cloister enter, And there receive her approbation: 31 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,3 Such as moves men; besides, she hath prosperous art interpretation seems confirmed. It has been supposed that the word is used here in its old sense of 'increasing,' to signify that the lovers left the money in the hands of its guardians, that they might increase it by putting it out to interest; but "remaining in the coffer of her friends" makes against this explanation. 29. Nineteen zodiacs. "Zodiac," the track of the sun through the twelve signs, is here poetically used to express a revolving year; and Claudio speaks of "nineteen" of these years during which the penal law has been suffered to remain unenforced, though the duke, in the next scene, more correctly states their number to be fourteen." These variations in statement, with which Shakespeare's commentators reproach him as inaccuracies, are precisely such as are consistent with Nature-whose portrait the poet copied with the implicitness of a Chinese artificer, and the fidelity of a true poet. It is most characteristic that a young fellow like Claudio should carelessly mention somewhere about the period in question, while the staid duke cites it exactly. 30. Tickle. Ticklish; precariously. 31. Receive her approbation. Enter upon her probation, or noviciate. 32. Prone and speechless dialect. "Prone" is interpreted by several annotators in its sense of 'apt,' 'ready,' or 'prompt; ' but it seems to us that, taken in connection with the whole of the context, it means rather something derived from another sense Can pierce a complete bosom. Why I desire thee Fri. T. May your grace speak of it? Duke. My holy sir, none better knows than you A man of stricture 38 and firm abstinence- Duke. We have strict statutes and most biting law's, of this word-bending,' 'stooping with the head inclined forwards.' Be it observed that Claudio, in the first clause of the sentence, describes rather the manner than the matter of his sister's style, designating it as “ prone and speechless dialect;" and then he goes on to talk of her power of eloquence, after the emphatic "beside." We therefore believe that "prone" is here employed (in Shakespeare' magic way of selecting a significant word to express his particular meaning) to convey the idea of deferential, gently submissive and supplicatory; just the appealing look that would accompany "speechless dialect, such as moves men." 33. Grievous imposition. The imposing of grievous penalties. 34 Dribbling. Trifling, ineffectual, weak. It is a 'erm borrowed from archery ; a poor marksman being called "a dribber." 35. Complete bosom. A bosom completely armed; here used figuratively, for morally protected. Shakespeare has the same epithet elsewhere, in combination with defensive armature :"All the complete armour that thou wear'st," Richard III., iv. 4; and “again in cómplete steel, revisit'st," &c., Hamlet, i. 4. 36. The life remov'd. The life of retirement, apart from worldly attractions. 37. Bravery keeps. "Bravery" was often used for finery, showy dress; and "keeps," for keep station, stays, remains, or haunts. 38. Stricture. Strictness, rigorous conduct. 39 The needful bits and curbs to headstrong steeds, 39. That goes not out to prey. Now, as fond fathers, The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart Fri. T. 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, To do it slander. And to behold his sway, Visit both prince and people: therefore, I pr'ythee, Is more to bread than stone: hence shall we see, SCENE V.-A Nunnery. Enter ISABELLA and FRANCISCA. [Exeunt. Isab. And have you nuns no farther privileges? 39. Steeds. Misprinted "weedes," in the Folio; but the words "bits and curbs" show the noun in the text (Theobald's correction) to be the right one. In the following line 'slip' stands in the Folio for "sleep" (also Theobald's); whereas this is evidenced to be the verb, no less by the metaphor, than by the passage (ii. 2):-"The law hath not been dead, though it hath slept." 40. Scope. Used here for latitude of license. 41. Never in the fight, to do it slander. Here, for "it" (Hanmer's correction) the Folio misprints 'in;' which probably caught the printer's eye from occurring twice before in the sentence. 'Sight' has also been substituted for " fight" by some editors; but the figurative words "ambush" and "strike home" seem to demand 'fight," in the sense of struggle or active exertion. "It" we take to refer to "name;" and the meaning of the whole passage appears to us to be:- Angelo Fran. Are not these large enough? Isab. Yes, truly: I speak not as desiring more; But rather wishing a more strict restraint Upon the sisterhood, the votarists of Saint Clare. Lucio [within]. Ho! Peace be in this place! Isab. Who's that which calls? Fran. It is a man's voice. Gentle Isabella, Turn you the key, and know his business of him : You may, I may not; you are yet unsworn. When you have vow'd, you must not speak with Isab. Lucio. Woe me! for what? For that which, if myself might be his judge, He should receive his punishment in thanks: Isab. Sir, make me not your story.43 Lucio. 'Tis true. I would not-though 'tis my familiar sin With maids to seem the lapwing," and to jest, Isab. You do blaspheme the good in mocking me. may, under cover of my name, enforce the law, while I take no part in the exertion that is opposed to my nature, and might bring me blame.' As we now say, 'Defies 42. Stands at a guard with envy. envy, or detraction.' 43. Make me not your story. It has been proposed to substitute 'scorn' for "story." But "story" is here used for subject of jest, ground for mockery. In the same way, Falstaff, when made the subject of the gibes and jests of the assembled party around Herne's Oak, says-" Well, I am your theme." 44. Lapwing. A bird that diverts attention from its nest, by crying and flitting away from the spot. There is another allusion to this, "Comedy of Errors," iv. 2. 45. Renouncement. Renouncing the world by intending to become a nun. 46 Lucio. Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, To make him an example. All hope is gone, tis thus:: Your brother and his lover have embraced. Isab. My cousin Juliet? Lucio. Is she your cousin ? Isab. Adoptedly; as school-maids change their names By vain, though apt, affection. Isab. Oh, let him marry her. She it is. This is the point. The duke is very strangely gone from hence; Bore many gentlemen, myself being one, In hand," and hope of action: 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 use and liberty,50 Which have, for long, run by the hideous law, As mice by lions-hath pick'd out an act, Under whose heavy sense your brother's life Falls into forfeit: he arrests him on it; And follows close the rigour of the statute, Unless you have the grace by your fair prayer Of business 'twixt you and your poor brother. Isab. Alas! what poor ability's in me Lucio. Assay the power you have. All their petitions are as freely theirs Good sir, adieu. [Exeunt. Enter ANGELO, ESCALUS, a Justice, Provost, Officers, and other Attendants. Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Ang. We must not make a scarecrow of the Whom I would save, had a most noble father. law, Setting it up to fear1 the birds of prey, 46. Fewness and truth. In few and true words. 47. Lover. In Shakespeare's time "lover" was applied to both men and women. 48. Bore many gentlemen. in hand. To "bear in hand" meant to beguile, or lure on by false expectation. 49. Rebate. Literally, to beat back; French, rebattre. To make dull, to repress, to diminish. 50. To give fear to use and liberty. To intimidate and check abuses grown customary and over-free. 51. Pith of business. The marrow, or core of the communication. Or that the resolute acting of your blood Ang. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, The jewel that we find, we stoop and take it, Where is the provost ? See that Claudio 4 This point which now you censure him. An elliptical phrase, wherein 'for' must be understood between " point" and which." 5. Passing on. To " pass on" is a legal term, signifying to pass judgment on, to decide for capital punishment. 6. Pregnant. Used here for full of self-evident fact. 7. For I have had such faults. Because I have had such faults. 8. Censure him. Judge him, condemn him, sentence him. 9. Brakes of vice. "Vice" (Rowe's correction) is misprinted 'ice' in the Folio. From the way in which Shakespeare uniformly uses the word "brake," when he uses it as a noun, we believe that here "brakes" mean thorny thickets; and, figuraTherefore, tively, entanglements, or moral embarrassments. the entire passage may be thus interpreted: Some get free from vicious courses, without having to answer for any, while some are condemned for a single error.' 10. Precise villains. Elbow wishes to say that they are pre Elb. If it please your honour, I am the poor duke's constable, and my name is Elbow: I do lean upon justice, sir, and do bring in here before your good honour two notorious benefactors. Ang. Benefactors! Well; what benefactors are they are they not malefactors? Elb. If it please your honour, I know not well what they are: but precise villains 10 they are, that I am sure of; and void of all profanation in the world, that good Christians ought to have. Escal, This comes off well; here's a wise officer. Ang. Go to:—what quality 12 are they of? Elbow is your name? why dost thou not speak, Elbow? Clo. He cannot, sir; he's out at elbow,13 Elb. He, sir! a tapster, sir: one that serves a bad woman; whose house, sir, was, as they say, plucked down in the suburbs; and now she professes a hot-house, which, I think, is a very ill house too. Escal. How know you that? Elb, My wife, sir, whom I detest1s before Heaven and your honour, Escal. How! thy wife! Elb. Ay, sir;-whom, I thank Heaven, is an honest woman,— Escal, Dost thou detest her therefore? Elb. I say, sir, I will detest myself also, as well as she, that this house is a naughty house. Escal. How dost thou know that, constable? Elb. Marry, sir, by my wife; who might have been accused in all uncleanliness there. Escal, By the woman's means? Elb. Ay, sir, by Mistress Overdone's means; but she defied him, Clo. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not so. Elb. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man; prove it, Escal. [To ANGELO,] Do you hear how he misplaces? cisely, exactly, thoroughly villains; but the word he uses gives the impression of strict, severely moral, if we observe how it is used (i. 4) in the passage, "Lord Angelo is precise," &c. Also, Elbow stumbles on the word "profanation" for 'profession,' immediately afterwards (as is proved by Angelo's asking, "What quality are they of?"), giving the effect by the whole speech of a ridiculous complaint against puritanical conduct, instead of just the reverse. 11. This comes off well. A phrase in common use, signifying 'this is well delivered, or expressed.' Of course, this is here used ironically. 12. Quality. Used for profession, avocation. |