VINCENTIO, Duke of Vienna. Angelo, Lord Deputy in the Duke's abfence. Escalus,} 2 an ancient Lord, join'd with Angelo in the Deputation. Claudio, a young gentleman. Lucio, a fantastick. Two Gentlemen. Varrius, a gentleman, fervant to the Duke. Efcal. My Lord. Duke. Of Government the properties t'unfold, Would feem in me t'affect fpeech and dif- Since I am not to know, that your own Science My ftrength can give you: then no more remains: (1) (1) X 4 -then no more remaines: Put that to your Sufficiency, as your Worth is able, Put And let them work] I doubt not, but this Paffage, either from the Impertinence of the Actors, or the Negligence of the Copyifts, has come maim'd to us. In the first Place, what an unmeasurable, inharmonious, Verse have we here; and, then, how lame is the Senfe! What was Efcalus to put to his Sufficiency? Why, his Science. But his Science and his Sufficiency were but One and the fame Thing. On what then does the Relative, them, depend? The old Editions read thus. Here, again, the Senfe is manifeftly lame and defective, and as the Verfification is fo too, they concur to make me think, a Line has accidentally been left out. Perhaps, fomething like This might supply our Author's Meaning. -Them Put that to your fufficiency, as your worth is able, Of common juftice, y'are as pregnant in, As art and practice hath enriched any That we remember. There is our Commiffion, From which we would not have you warp. Call hither, What figure of us, think you, he will bear? Lent him our Terror, dreft him with our Love; Of our own Power: fay, what think you of it? To undergo fuch ample grace and honour, Enter Angelo, Duke. Look, where he comes. Ang. Always obedient to your Grace's will, I come to know your pleasure. Duke. Angelo, There is a kind of character in thy life, Then no more remains, But that to your Sufficiency you add Due Diligency, as your Worth is able; And let them work. By fome fuch Supplement both the Sense and Measure would be cur'd. But as the Conjecture is unfupported by any Authorities, I have not pretended to thruft it into the Text; but fubmit it to Judgment. They, who are acquainted with Books, know, that, where two Words of a fimilar Length and Termination happen to lie under one another, nothing is more common than for Tranfcribers to glance their Eye at once from the first to the under moft Word, and so leave out the intermediate part of the Sentence. Not light them for themselves: for if our virtues (2) As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, Both thanks, and ufe. But I do bend my speech In our Remove, be thou at full our felf. Live in thy tongue and heart: old Efcatus, Ang. Now, good my lord, Let there be fome more teft made of my metal, Be ftampt upon it. Duke. Come, no more evafion:" We have with a prepar'd and leaven'd choice Ang. Yet give me leave, my lord, That we may bring you fomething on the way. Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do (2) -for if our Virtues Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike As if we bad them not.] This Sentiment feems to have sprurg from the following Paffage of Horace, Lib. 4. Ode 9. Paullum fepulta diftat Inertia Celata Virtus. |