FRIENDSHIP'S AGONY. BASSANIO. Good cheer, Antonio! What,

man ? courage yet! The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and

all, Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood. ANTONIO.

a tainted wether of the flock, Meetest for death; the weakest kind of fruit Drops earliest to the ground, and so let me: You cannot better be employ’d, Bassanio, Than to live still, and write mine epitaph.

MERCHANT OF VENICE, A. 4, s. 1.

I am

FRIENDS IN SIN ARE SELDOM

FRIENDS IN NEED. NORTHUMBERLAND, thou ladder wherewithal The mounting Bolingbroke ascends my throne, The time shall not be

many

hours of age More than it is, ere foul sin, gathering head, Shall break into corruption: thou shalt think, Though he divide the realm, and give thee half, It is too little, helping him to all; And he shall think, that thou, which know'st

the way.

To plant unrightful kings, wilt know again,
Being ne'er so little urg'd, another way
To pluck him headlong from the usurped throne.
The love of wicked friends converts to fear;
That fear, to hate; and hate turns one, or both,
To worthy danger, and deserved death.

K. RICHARD II., A. 5, s. 1.

your own science

FRIENDS IN COUNCIL:-ON

GOVERNMENT. DUKE. Escalus,Of government the properties to unfold, Would seem in me to affect speech and discourse; Since, I am put to know, that Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice My strength can give you: Then no more re

mains Put that to your sufficiency, as your worth is

able, And let them work. The nature of our people, Our city's institutions, and the terms For common justice, you are as pregnant in, As art and practice hath enriched any That we remember: There is our commission, From which we would not have you warp.— Call

hither, I say, bid come before us Angelo. What figure of us think you he will bear? For you must know, we have with special soul Elected him our absence to supply; Lent him our terror, drest him with our love; And given his deputation all the organs Of our own power: What think you of it?

ESCALUS. If any in Vienna be of worth To undergo such ample grace and honour, It is lord Angelo.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE, A. 1, s. 1.

FRIENDS IN COUNCIL-THE DIFFI

CULTY OF BEING GENTLE, AND
YET SEVERE.
DUKE. No; holy father; throw away that

thought;

Believe not that the dribbling dart of love
Can pierce a complete bosom : why I desire thee
To give me secret harbour, hath a purpose
More grave and wrinkled than the aims and

ends
Of burning youth.
My holy sir, none. better knows than you
How I have ever lov'd the life removed;
And held in idle price to haunt assemblies,
Where youth, and cost, and witless bravery

keeps. I have deliver'd to lord Angelo (A man of stricture, and firm abstinence, My absolute power and place here in Vienna, And he supposes me travell’d to Poland; For so I have strewed it in the common ear, And so it is receiv’d: Now, pious sir, You will demand of me, why I do this ? We have strict statutes, and most biting laws, (The needful bits and curbs for head-strong

steeds) Which for these fourteen years we have let

sleep; Even like an o'er-grown lion in a cave, That

goes not out to prey: Now, as fond fathers,
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to stick it in their children's sight,
For terror, not to use; in time the rod
Becomes more mock'd, than fear'd: so our

decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead;
And liberty plucks justice by the nose;
The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.
FRIAR.

It rested in your grace
To unloose this tied-up justice, when you pleas'd:
And it in you more dreadful would have seem’d,
Than in lord Angelo.
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, And yet my nature never in the sight, To do it slander: And to behold his sway, I will, as 'twere a brother of your order, Visit both prince and people : therefore, I

pr’ythee, Supply me with the habit, and instruct me How I may formally in person bear me Like a true friar. More reasons for this action, At our more leisure shall I render you; Only, this one :-Lord Angelo is precise; Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confesses That his blood flows, or that his appetite Is more to bread than stone: Hence shall we see, If power change purpose, what our seemers be.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE, A. 1, s. 4.

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FRIENDS IN COUNCIL-THE GREAT

DUKE. DUKE.

Look, where he comes. ANGELO. Always obedient to your grace's

I come to know your pleasure.
DUKE.

Angelo,
There is a kind of character in thy life,
That, to the observer, doth thy history
Fully unfold: Thyself and thy belongings
Are not thine own so proper, as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtues, them on thee.
Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do;
Not light them for themselves : for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike
As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely

touch'd, But to fine issues : nor nature never lends The smallest scruple of her excellence, But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines Herself the glory of a creditor, Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech To one that can my part in him advertise ; Hold therefore, Angelo ; In our remove, be thou at full ourself : Mortality and mercy in Vienna Live in thy tongue and heart: Old Escalus, Though first in question, is thy secondary : Take thy commission. No more evasion : We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice Proceeded to

you; therefore take your honours. Our haste from hence is of so quick condition, That it prefers itself, and leaves unquestion'd Matters of needful value. We shall write to

you, As time and our concernings shall importune, How it goes with us; and do look to know What doth befall you here. So, fare you well: To the hopeful execution do I leave you Of your commissions. ANG.

Yet, give leave, my lord,

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