תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

Doft thou defire her foully, for thofe things
That make her good? Oh, let her brother live:
Thieves for their robbery have authority,
When judges fteal themselves.

What do I love her,

That I defire to hear her speak again,

And feaft upon her eyes? what is't I dream on?
Oh, cunning enemy, that to catch a faint,
With faints doft bait thy hook! most dangerous
Is that tempation, that doth goad us on
To fin in loving virtue: ne'er could the ftrumpet,
With all her double vigour, art and nature,
Once ftir my temper; but this virtuous maid
Subdues me quite: Ever 'till this very now,
When men were fond, I fmil'd, and wonder'd how.

SCENE changes to a Prison.

[Exit.

Enter Duke habited like a Friar, and Provft.
AIL to you, Provoft; fo, I think, you are.
Prov. I am the Provost; what's your will,
good Friar?

Duke. H

Duke. Bound by my charity, and my bleft order, I come to vifit the afflicted fpirits

Here in the prifon; do me the common right

To let me fee them, and to make me know
The nature of their crimes; that I may minifter
To them accordingly.

Prov. I would do more than that, if more were needful.

Enter Juliet.

Look, here comes one; a gentlewoman of m`ne,
Who falling in the flaws of her own youth, (12)

(12) Who falling in the flaws of her own youth,

Hath

Hath blifter'd ber report.] As, blifier d, follows in the second line, Mr. Warburton ingeniously advifes to read fames in the firft. And it is the metaphor our Author elsewhere choves to use. So Polenius in Hamlet.

I do know,

When the blood burns, how prodigal the foul
Lends the tongue vows. These blazes, oh, my daughter, &.

And

[ocr errors]

Hath blifter'd her report: he is with child;
And he, that got it, fentenc'd: a young man
More fit to do another fuch offence,

Than die for this.

Duke. When 'must he die?.

Prov. As I do think, to-morrow,

I have provided for you; stay a while,
And you fhall be conducted.

[Fo Juliet.

Duke. Repent you, fair one, of the fin you carry? Juliet. I do; and bear the fhame most patiently. Duke. I'll teach you, how you fall arraign your conscience,

And try your penitence, if it be found,

'Or hollowly put on.

Juliet. I'll gladly learn.

Duke. Love you the man that wrong'd you? Juliet. Yes, as I love the woman that wrong'd him, Duke. So then, it seems, your most offenceful act Was mutually committed.

Juliet. Mutually.

Duke. Then was your fin of heavier kind than his. Fuliet. I do confess it, and repent it, father.

Duke. 'Tis meet fo, daughter; but repent you not, As that the fin hath brought you to this fhame? Which forrow's always tow'rds ourselves, not heav'ns Showing we'd not feek heaven, as we love it, But as we ftand in fear.

Juliet. I do repent me, as it is an evil; And take the fhame with joy.

Duke. There reft.

Your partner, as I hear, muft die to-morrow,
And I am going with inftruction to him;

And fo the Countefs, in All's Well that ends Well.

Nat'ral rebellion, done i'th' blaze of youth,
When oil and fire, too strong for reason's force,
O'erbears it, and burns on.

And fo Profpero, in The Tempeft;

do not give dalliance

Too much the rein; the ftrongest oaths are ftraw
To th' fire i'tb' blood:

VOL. I.

e

[ocr errors]

So grace go with you; benedicite.

Juliet. Muft die to-morrow! oh, injurious love,
That refpites me a life, whofe very comfort
Is ftill a dying horror!

Prov. 'Tis pity of him.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Palace.
Enter Angelo.

Ang. W

'Hen I would pray and think, I think and pray To fev'ral fubjects: heav'n hath my empty words,

Whilft my invention, hearing not my tongue,
Anchors on Ijabel: Heav'n's in my mouth,
As if I did but only chew its name;

And in my heart the ftrong and fwelling evil
Of my conception: the ftate, whereon I ftudied,
Is like a good thing, being often read,
Grown fear'd and tedious; yea, my gravity,
Wherein (let no man hear me) I take pride,
Could I with boot change for an idle plume
Which the air beats for vain. Oh place! oh form!
How often doft thou with thy cafe, thy habit,
Wiench awe from fools, and tie the wifer fouls
To thy falfe feeming blood, thou art but blood:
Let's write good angel on the devil's horn;
'Tis not the devil's creft.

Enter Servant.

How now, who's there?

Serv. One Ifabel, a fifter, defires access to you.
Ang. Teach her the way.

Oh heav'ns!

Why does my blood thus mufter to my heart,
Making both that unable for itself,

And difpoffeffing all my other parts

Of neceffary fitness?

So play the foolish throngs with one that fwoons;
Come all to help him, and fo stop the air

By which he should revive: and even fo

The

The gen'ral subjects to a well-wifht King

Quit their own part, and in obfequious fondness Crowd to his prefence, where their untaught love Muft needs appear offence. How now, fair maid? Enter Ifabella.

Ifab. I am come to know your pleasure.

Ang. That you might know it, would much better
please me,

Than to demand, what 'tis. Your brother cannot live.
Ifab. Ev'n fo?-Heav'n keep your Honour! [Going.
Ang. Yet may he live awhile; and, it may be,
As long as you or I; yet he must die.

Ifab. Under your fentence?

Ang. Yea.

Lab. When, I beseech you? that in his reprieve,
Longer or fhorter, he may be fo fitted,
That his foul ficken not.

Ang. Ha? fy, thefe filthy vices! 'twere as good
To pardon him, that hath from nature ftol'n
A man already made, as to remit

Their fawcy fweetness, that do coin heav'n's image
In ftamps that are forbid: 'tis all as easy,
Falfely to take away a life true made;

As to put metal in restrained means,

To make a falfe one.

Ilab. 'Tis fet down fo in heav'n, but not in earth. Ang. And fay you fo? then I fhall poze you quickly. Which had you rather, that the moft juft law Now took your brother's life; or, to redeem him, Give up your body to such sweet uncleanness, As fhe, that he hath ftain'd?

Ijab. Sir, believe this,

I had rather give my body than my foul.

Ang. I talk not of your foul; our compell'd fins Stand more for number than accompt.

Ifab. How fay you?

Ang. Nay, I'll not warrant that; for I can speak Against the thing I fay. Anfwer to this:

I, now the voice of the recorded law,
Pronounce a fentence on your brother's life:
Might there not be a charity in fin,
To fave this brother's life?

Ifab. Please you to do't,
I'll take it as a peril to my foul,
It is no fin at all, but charity.

Ang. Pleas'd you to do't at peril of your foul,
Were equal poize of fin and charity.

Ifab. That I do beg his life, if it be fin,
Heav'n, let me bear it! you, granting my fuit,
If that be fin, I'll make it my morn-pray'r
To have it added to the faults of mine,
And nothing of your answer.

Ang. Nay, but hear me:

Your fenfe purfues not mine: either, you're ignorantz Or feem fo, craftily; and that's not good.

Ijab. Let me be ignorant, and in nothing good, But graciously to know I am no better.

Ang. Thus wifdom wishes to appear most bright, When it doth tax itself: as these black mafques Proclaim an en-fhield beauty ten times louder, Than beauty could difplay'd. But mark me, To be received plain, I'll speak more grofs;

Your brother is to die.

Ifab. So.

Ang. And his offence is fo, as it appears
Accountant to the law upon that pain.
Ifab. True.

Ang. Admit no other way to fave his life,
(As I fubfcribe not that, nor any other,
But in the lofs of question,) that you his fifter,
Finding yourself defir'd of fuch a perfon,
Whofe credit with the judge, or own great place,
Could fetch your brother from the manacles
Of the all-holding law; and that there were
No earthly mean to fave him, but that either
You must lay down the treasures of your body
To this fuppos'd, or elfe to let him fuffer;
What would you do?

Ifab.

« הקודםהמשך »