Put that to your fufficiency, as your worth is able,
And let them work. The nature of our people;
Our city's inftitutions, and the terms
Of common juftice, y'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, dreft him with our love ;
And giv'n his deputation all the organs
Of our own power: say, what think you

of it?
Escal. If any in Vienna be of worth
To undergo such ample grace and honour,
It is Lord Angelo.

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,
That to th'observer doth thy history
Fully unfold : thyfelf and thy belongings
Are not thinc own so proper, as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtues ; they on thee.
accidentally been left out. Perhaps, something like this might fupe
ply our Author's meaning.

Then no more remains,
But sbat to your fufficiency you ada
Due diligency, as your wortb is able;

And let them werk.
By come such supplement both the sense and measure would be
cur'd. But as the conjecture is unsupported by any authorities, I
have not pretended to thruf it into the text; but fubmit it to judge
ment. 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 transcribers to glance
their eye at once from the firf to the undermoff word, and so leave out
the intermodiate part of the sentence.

Heav'n doth with us, as we with torches do,
Not light them for themselves : for if our virtues (2)
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all aljke
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, the 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 fecondary.
Take thy commission.

Ang. Now, good my Lord,
Let there be some more teft made of

my metal,
Before fo noble and so great a figure
Be stampt upon it.

Duke. Come, no more evasion:
We have with a prepar'd and leaven'd choice
Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.
Our halte 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 and do look to know
What doth befal you here. So, fare you well.
To th' hopeful execution do I leave you
Of your commissions.

Ang. Yet give me leave, my Lord,
That we may bring you something on the way.

Duke. My haste may not admit it;

us;

--for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

As if we bad tbem nor.] This sentiment seems to have sprung from the following passages of Horace, Lib. 4. Ode 9.

Paulum sepulta diftat Inertia
Celata Virtus.

Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do
With any scruple ; your scope is as mine own,
So to inforce, or qualify the laws,
As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand;
I'll privily away. I love the people;
But do not like to fage me to their eyes :
Though it do well, I do not relish well

Their loud applause, and Aves vehement :
Nor do I think the man of safe discretion,
That does affect it. Once more, fare you well.

Ang. The heav'ns give safety to your purposes !
Escal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happiness!
Duke. I thank

you,
fare
you
well.

[Exit.
Escal. I shall desire you, 'Sir, to give me leave
To have free speech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the bottom of my place :
A pow'r I have, but of what ftrength and nature
I am not yet instructed.

Ang. 'Tis so with me: let us withdraw together,
And we may foon our satisfaction have
Touching that point.
Escal. I'll wait upon your honour.

[Exeunt. SCENE, the Street.

Enter Lucio, and two Gentlemen. Lucio. F the Duke, with the other Dukes, come not

to composition with the King of Hungary, why, then all the Dukes fall upon the King.

i Gent. Heav'n grant us its peace, but not the King of Hungary's !

2 Gent. Amen.

Lucio. Thou conclud'ft like the fanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten Commandments, but serap'd one out of the table.

2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal.. Lucio. Ay, that he raz’d.

i Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to steal; there's not a soldier of us all, that,

in the thankfgiving before meát, do relish the petition
well that prays

for

peace.
2 Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it.

Lutiö. I believe thee : for, I think, thou never wast
where grace was said.

2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least.
I Gent. What! in meeter?
Lucio. In any proportion; or in any language.
i Gent. I think, or in any religion.

Lucio. Ay, why not? grace is grace, despight of all
controversy; as for example, thou thyself art a wicked
villain, despight of all grace.

i Gent. Well; there went but a pair of sheers between us.

Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet. Thou art the list.

i Gent. And thou the velvet; thou art good velvet ; thou’rt a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be pil'd, as thou art pild, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now?

Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with moft painful feeling of thy speech : I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilft I live forget to drink after thee.

i Gent. I think, I have done myself wrong, have I not?

2 Gent. Yes, that thou hast; whether thou art tainted,

or free.

Lucio. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes.

i Gent. I have purchas'd as many diseases under her
roof, as come to

2 Gent. To what, I pray?
i Gent. Judge.
2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a year.
i Gent. Ay, and more.
Lucio. A French crown more. (3),

I Gent.

money so callid,

(3) A French crown more.] Lucio means here not the piece of
but that venereal scab which among the surgeons is

i Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thou art full of error; I am sound.

Lucio. Nay, not as one would say healthy; but fo found, as things that are hollow; thy bones are hol. low; impiety hath made a feaft of thee.

Enter Bawd. 1 Gent. How now, which of your hips has the moft profound sciatica?

Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carry'd to prison, was worth five thousand of

you

all. i Gent. Who's that, I pr’ythee? Bawd. Marry, Sir, that's Claudio; Signior Claudio. i Gent. Claudio to prison? 'tis not so.

Bawd. Nay, but I know, 'tis fo; I saw him arrested ; saw him carry'd away; and, which is more, within these three days his head is to be chopt off.

Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so: art thou sure of this?

Bawd. I am too sure of it; and it is for getting madam Julietta with child.

Lucio. Believe me, this may be; he promis'd to meet me two hours fince, and he was ever precise in promife-keeping

2 Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose.

Gent. But most of all agreeing with the procla. mation,

Lucio. Away, let's go learn the truth of it. (Exe.

fil'd corona veneris. To this, I think our Author likewise makes Quince allude in Midsummer-Night's Dream.

Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare-faced. As Ben Fobnfon does likewise in Cyntbia's Revels.

Afor. I, Sir, I'll assure you, 'tis a beaver, It coft me eight crowns but this morning.

Amo. After your French account?
Ajot, Yes, Šir.

Cri. And so near his head ? -Befhrew me, dangerous. For where these eruptions are, the full is carious, and the party becomes bald,

Manet