And you in love shall not deny me this. Bass. This ring, good Sir,-alas, it is a trifle, I will not shame myself to give you this. Por. I will have nothing else but only this; And now, methinks, I have a mind to it. Bass. There's more depends on this, than on the value. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you, Por. I see, Sir, you are liberal in offers: And, when she put it on, she made me vow, That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it. Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts. And if your wife be not a mad woman, Let his deservings, and my love withal, Unto Antonio's house :-away, make haste. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same.-A Street. Enter PORTIA and NERISSA. maid. Por. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him I pray you, is my master yet return'd? this deed, Lor. He is not, nor we have not heard from him. But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica, Some welcome for the mistress of the house. Enter LAUNCELOT. Laun. Sola, sola, wo ha, ho, sola, sola! Laun. Sola! did you see master Lorenzo, and mistress Lorenzo! sola, sola ! Lor. Leave hollaing, man; here. Lor. Here. Laun. Tell him, there's a post come from my master, with his horn full of good news; ny master will be here ere morning. [Exit. Lor. Sweet soul, let's in, and there expect their coming. And yet no matter;-Why should we go in ? Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn ; Jes. I am never merry, when I hear sweet music. [Music. Lor. The reason is, your spirits are attentive: For do but note a wild and wanton herd, Or race of youthful and unhandled colts, Fetching mad bounds, bellowing, and neigbing loud, Which is the hot condition of their blood; Since nought so stockish, hard, and full of rage, Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, Enter PORTIA and NERISSA at a distance. Por. So doth the greater glory dim the less: When neither is attended; and, I think, Lor. That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. Lor. Year husband is at hand, I bear in trumpet; We are no tell-tales, madam; fear you not. Por. This night, methinks, is but the day light sick, It looks a little paler; 'tis a day, Such as the day is, when the sun is hid. Enter BASSANIO, ANTONIO, GRATIANO, and their Followers. Bass. We should hold day with the Andpodes, If you would walk in absence of the sun. But God sort all -You are welcome home, my lord. Bass. I thank you, madam: give welcome to my friend. This is the man, this is Antonio, To whom I am so infinitely bound. Por. You should in all sense be much bound to him, For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk : Gra. About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring Ner. What, talk you of the posy, or the value Gave it a judge's clerk !-but well I know, The clerk will ne'er wear hair on his face that had it. Gra. He will, an if he live to be a man. Ner. Ay, if a woman, live to be a man. Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth,— A kind of boy; a little scrubbed boy, No higher than thyself, the Judge's clerk; A prating boy, that begg'd it as a fee; I could not for my heart deny it him. Por. You were to blame, 1 must be plain with you, To part so slightly with your wife's first gift; A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger, And riveted so with faith unto your flesh. Por. He knows me, as the blind man knows I gave my love a ring, and made him swear the cuckoo, By the bad voice. Lor. Dear lady, welcome home. Por. We have been praying for our husbands' welfare, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Lor. Madam, they are not yet; Por. Go in, Nerissa, Give order to my servants that they take [A tuckett sounds. A small flat dish, used in the administration of the Eucharistor, according to Warburton, plates of gold Lorne in heraldry. 1 A fleurish on a trumpet. Por. If you had known the virtue of the ring, I'll die for't, but some woman had the ring. No woman had it, but a civil doctor, Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, Ant. I once did lend my body for his wealth; Which, but for him that had your husband's ring, [TO PORTIA. Had quite miscarried: I dare be bound again, My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord Will never more break faith advisedly, Por. Then you shall be his surety: Give him this; And bid him keep it better than the other. Ant. Here, lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring. Bass. By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor! Por. I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio; For by this ring the doctor lay with me. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano; For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk, In lieu of this, last night did lie with me. Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways In summer, where the ways are fair enough; What! are we cuckolds, ere we have deserv'd it? Por. Speak not so grossly.-You are all Here is a letter, read it at your leisure; Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet And I have better news in store for you, The ring of me to give the worthy doctor. Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my Since he hath got the jewel that I lov'd, I'll not deny him any thing I have, Lie not a night from home; watch me, like If you do not, if I be left alone, Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own, Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd, How you do leave me to mine own protection. Gra. Well, do you so let me not take him then; For, if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen. Ant. I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels. Por. Sir, grieve not you; You are welcome notwithstanding. Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; And, in the hearing of these many friends, Por. Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself: Bass. Nay, but hear me : Than you expect: unseal this letter soon; [fee. My clerk bath some good comforts too for you. Por. It is almost morning, Gru. Let it be so: The first intergatory • Advantage. [Exeunt. MEASURE FOR MEASURE, LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE. THE fable of this play (written in 1603) was taken from the Promos and Cassandra of George Whetstens. The p duction is described as very meagre and insipid, though forming a complete embryo of Measure for Mer sure; and if the genius of Shakspeare enabled him to avoid the faults of his modelist, by imparting a greater degree of interest to his own drama, it did not give him strength to resist the besetting sin of his pieces-4 indulgence in obscenity, buffoonery, and quibble. Some portion of this would naturally result from the ot delicate and improbable incident which he took for the ground-work of his plot. Such an occurrence cunlá only be wrought into a catastrophe, by the introduction of agents whom morality condemns, and by the ant of allusions at which modesty revolts. But neither the necessities of the story, nor the purposes of etertainment, can justify such a strange admixture of pathetic contingencies and unmeaning trifles--af cansking sentiment and disgusting ribaldry as are exhibited in this piece. Still the moral is of excellent applietion; since there are few situations of life in which delegated authority is not capable of abuse. Satin may fail in restraining tyranny, and precept in correcting intolerance; but they teach mankind the me cessity of caution in conferring power, by shewing "the fantastic tricks” which mortals are prone to play, wira "dressed in a little authority," and entrusted with" the thunder of Jove." Though Shakspeare wrote to gratify monarchs, he never descended to palliate oppression; and in the scene between Angelo and labella, where the latter pleads for her brother's life, the reader will meet with another eloquent vindication of the principles of justice and humanity---differing from the speech of Portia, on a somewhat similar occaena, bit excellently opposed to that mild and dispassionate appeal, by the cutting and indignant sarcasm with which it lashes "the insolence of office." Dr. Johnson animadverts upon the peculiarities of the play, and than decides upon its merits: "The light or comic part is very natural and pleasing; but the grave scars ja few passages excepted) have more labour than elegance. The plot is more intricate than artful.” DRAMATIS PERSONE. VINCENTIO, Duke of Vienna. sence. ESCALUS, an ancient Lord, joined with Angelo in the deputation. CLAUDIO, a young Gentlemen. Lucio, a Fantastic. Two other like Gentleman. FROTH, a Foolish Gentleman. ISABELLA, Sister to Claudio. VARRIUS, a Gentleman, Servant to the Duke. JULIET, beloved by Claudio. PROVOST, FRANCISCA, a Nun. MRS. OVER-DONE, a Bawd. Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, Officers, and other Attendants. SCENE-Vienna. ACT I. SCENE 1.-An apartment in the DUKE'S Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, Lords, and Atten Duke. Escalus,- dants. But that to your sufficiency, as your worth is Duke. Of government the properties to un-I say, bid come before us Angelo. fold, Would seem in me to affect speech and dis course; Since I am put to know, that your own science, • Bounds. There is a kind of character in thy life, As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, But to fine issues; nor nature never lends Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech In our remove, be thou at full ourself; Live in thy tongue and heart: Old Escalus, Though first in question, is thy secondary: Take thy commission. Ang. Now, good my lord, Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. 1 Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to com. mand 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 thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for, I think, thou never wast where grace was said. 2 Gent. No a dozen times at least. or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ay! why not? Grace is grace, despite of all controversy: As for example; Thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. 1 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. 1 Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet thou art a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee I had as lief be a list of an English ker Let there be some more test made of my metal, sey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French Before so noble and so great a figure Be stamp'd upon it. Duke. No more evasion: We have with a leaver'd and prepared choice Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, That we may bring you something on the way. As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand; I'll privily away: I love the people, Escal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happiness. [Exit. Duke. I thank you: Fare you well. Escal. I shall desire you, Sir, to give me leave To have free speech with you; and it concerns To look into the bottom of my place: A power I have; but of what strength and uaI am not yet instructed. [ture [me Ang. 'Tis so with me :-Let us withdraw togetler, And we may soon our satisfaction have Escul. I'll wait upon your honour. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A Street. Enter LUCIO and two GENTLEMEN. Lucio. If the duke with the other dukes velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. 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 have purchased as many diseases under her roof, as come to 2 Gent. To what, I pray? 1 Gent. Judge. 1 Gent. How now? Which of your hips has the most profound sciatica ? Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prison, was worth five thousand of you all. 1 Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Bawd. Marry, Sir, that's Claudio, signior Claudio. 1 Gent. Claudio to prison! 'tis not so. Bawd. Nay, But I know, 'tis so; I saw him arrested; saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his bead's to be chopped 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 madain Julietta with child. Lucio. Believe me, this may be he promised to meet me two hours since; and he was ever precise in promise-keeping 2 Gent. Besides, you know, it draws someA cut of the same cloth. • Measure. 1 A jest on the loss of hair by the French disease. Corona veneris. |