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Perfons Represented.

Vincentio, duke of Vienna.

Angelo, lord deputy in the duke's abfence.

Efcalus, an ancient lord, joined with Angelo in the deputations. Claudio, a young gentleman.

Lucio, a fantastick.

Two other like gentlemen.

Varrius, a gentleman, fervant to the duke.

Provoft.

Thomas,

two friars.

Peter,

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Lords, gentlemen, guards, officers, and other attendant

SCENE, Vienna.

* Varrius might be omitted, for he is only once spoken to, and fays nothing. JOHNSON.

MEASURE for MEASURE.

ACT I. SCENE I.

A room in the Duke's Palace.

Enter Duke, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants.

Duke. Efcalus,

Efcal. My Lord.

Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, Would seem in me to affect speech and difcourfe;

1 The story is taken from Cinthio's Novels, Decad. 8. Novel 5. POPE We are fent to Cinthio for the plot of Meafure for Meafure, and Shakspeare's judgment hath been attacked for fome deviations from him in the conduct of it, when probably all he knew of the matter was from Madam Ifabella, in the Heptameron of Whetstone, Lond. 4to. 1582.She reports, in the fourth dayes Exercise, the rare Hiftorie of Promes and Caffandra. A marginal note informs us, that Whetstone was the author of the Comedie on that fubject; which likewife had probably fallen into the hands of Shakspeare. FARMER.

There is perhaps not one of Shakspeare's plays more darkened than this by the peculiarities of its authour, and the unfkilfulness of its editors, by distortions of phrafe, or negligence of tranfcription. JOHNSON. Shakspeare took the fable of this play from the Promes and Caffandra of G. Whetstone, published in 1578. See Theobald's note at the end.

A hint, like a feed, is more or lefs prolifick, according to the qualities of the foil on which it is thrown. This ftory, which in the hands of Whetstone produced little more than barren infipidity, under the culture of Shakspeare became fertile of entertainment. The curious reader will find that the old play of Promos and Caffandra exhibits an almost complete embryo of Measure for Measure; yet the hints on which it is formed are fo flight, that it is nearly as impoffible to detect them, as it is to point out in the acorn the future ramifications of the oak.

The reader will find the argument of G. Whetstone's Promos and Caffandra, at the end of this play. It is too bulky to be inferted here. See likewife the piece itfelf among Six old Plays on which Shakspeare founded &c. published by S. Leacroft, Charing-crofs. STEEVENS. Measure for Measure was, I believe, written in 1603. See an Attempt to afcertain the order of Shakspeare's plays, ante. MALONE.

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your own science

Since I am put to know 2, that
Exceeds, in that, the lifts 3 of all advice
My ftrength can give you:
But that to your fufficiency
And let them work 4.
Our city's inftitutions,

Then no more remains,

**

as your worth is able, The nature of our people, and the terms

2 Since I am put to know,-] I am put to know may mean, I am obliged to acknowledge. So, in King Henry VI. Part H. sc. i: had I first been put to speak my mind." STEEVENS.

3

4

66

- lifts] Bounds, limits. JOHNSON.

Then no more remains,

But that to your fufficiency ** as your worth is able,

And let them work.] I have not the smallest doubt that the compofitor's eye glanced from the middle of the fecond of thefe lines to that under it in the Mf. and that by this means two half lines have been omitted. The very fame error may be found in Macbeth, edit. 1632: which, being taught, return,

66

"To plague the ingredients of our poifon'd chalice
To our own lips."

infead of

"--which, being taught, return,

"To plague the inventor. This even-banded juftice "Commends the ingredients of our poifon'd chalice" &c. Again, in Much ado about nothing, edit. 1623. p. 103: "And I will break with her. Was't not to this end, &c." inftead of

"And I will break with her, and with her father,

"And thou shalt bave her. Was't not to this end, &c." Mr. Theobald would supply the defect thus:

But that to your fufficiency you add

Due diligence, as your worth is able, &c.

Sir T. Hanmer reads:

But that to your fufficiency you join

A will to ferve us, as your worth is able, &c.

The following paffage, in K. Henry IV. P. I. which is constructed in a manner fomewhat fimilar to the prefent when corrected, appears to me to ftrengthen the fuppofition that two half lines have been loft: "Send danger from the caft unto the weft,

"So bonour crofs it from the north to fouth,
"And let them grapple."

Sufficiency is killin government; ability to execute his office. And let them work, a figurative expreflion; Let them ferment. MALONE. Some words feem to have been loft here, the fenfe of which, perhaps, may be thus fupplied:

then no more remains,

But that to your fufficiency you put

A zeal as willing as your worth is able, &c. TYRWHITT.

For

For common justice, you are as pregnant in 6,
As art and practice hath enriched any

That we remember: There is our commiffion,

From which we would not have you warp.-Call hither,
I fay, bid come before us Angelo.-[Exit an attendant.
What figure of us think you he will bear?

For you must know, we have with special foul 7
Elected him our abfence to fupply;

Lent him our terror, dreft him with our love;
And given his deputation all the organs
Of our own power: What think you of it?
Efcal. If any in Vienna be of worth

To undergo fuch 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 the observer, doth thy history

5

and the terms

8

Fully

For common juftice,] Terms means the technical language of the courts. An old book called Les Termes de la Ley, (written in Henry the Eighth's time) was in Shakspeare's days, and is now, the accidence of young students in the law. BLACKSTONE.

6 -as pregnant in,] Pregnant is ready, knowing. JOHNSON. 7-with special foul] By the words with special foul elected him, I believe, the poet meant no more than that be was the immediate choice of bis beart. So, in the Tempeft:

"for feveral virtues

"Have I lik'd feveral women, never any

"With fo full foul, but fome defect" &c.

STEEVENS.

This feems to be only a tranflation of the ufual formal words inferted in all royal grants: " de gratia noftra fpeciali, et ex mero motu-." MALONE.

There is a kind of character in thy life,

That, to the obferver, doth thy history

Fully unfold:] What is there peculiar in this, that a man's life informs the obferver of his biftory?

Hiftory may be taken in a more diffufe and licentious meaning, for future occurrences, or the part of life yet to come. If this fenfe be're ceived, the pallage is clear and proper. JOHNSON.

B 3

Shakspeare

Fully unfold: Thyfelf and thy belongings
Are not thine own fo proper, as to waste
Thyfelf upon thy virtues, them on thee 2.
Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do;
Not light them for themselves: for if our virtues 3
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

As if we had them not.

Spirits are not finely touch'd, But to fine iffues 4: nor nature never lends 5

The smallest fcruple of her excellence,

But, like a thrifty goddess, fhe determines

Herself the glory of a creditor,

Both thanks and ufe . But I do bend my speech
To one that can my part in him advertise 7;

Shakspeare has the fame thought in Henry IV. which is fome comment on this paffage before us:

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1

"There is a hiftory in all men's lives,

"Figuring the nature of the times deceas'd:
"The which obferv'd, a man may prophecy

"With a near aim, of the main chance of things
"As yet not come to life, &c, STEEVENS.
thy belongings] i. e. endowments. MALONE.

-are not thine own so proper,] i. e. are not so much thy own property. STEEVENS.

they on thee. STEEVENS.

2-them on thee.] The old copy reads Corrected by Sir Tho. Hanmer. MALONE.

3

-for if our virtues &c.]

Paulum fepultæ diftat inertiæ

Celata virtus.-Hor. THEOBALD.

4- to fine iffues:] To great confequences; for high purposes. JOHNSON. 5- nor nature never lends] Two negatives, not employed to make an affirmative, are common in our author. STEEVENS.

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Herfelf the glory of a creditor,

Both thanks and ufe.] i. e. She (Nature) requires and allots to berfelf the fame advantages that creditors ufually enjoy,-thanks for the endowments she has bestowed, and extraordinary exertions in those whom the hath thus favoured, by way of intereft for what she has lent. Use, in the phrafeology of our author's age, fignified intereft of money. MALONE.

7

I do bend my fpeech

To one that can my part in him advertise;] I believe, the meaning is, I am talking to one who is himself already sufficiently converfant with the nature and duties of my office;-of that office, which I have now delegated to bim. MALONE.

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