Mrs. Ov. And what shall become of those in 100 the city?

Pom. They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too, but that a wise burgher put in for them. Mrs. Ov. But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be pulled down?

Pom. To the ground, mistress.

Mrs. Ov. Why, here's a change indeed in the commonwealth ! What shall become of me?

Pom. Come; fear not you: good counsellors lack no clients: though you change your place, 110 you need not change your trade; I'll be you: tapster still. Courage! there will be pity taken on you: you that have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you will be considered.

Mrs. Ov. What's to do here, Thomas tapster? let's withdraw.

Pom. Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the provost to prison; and there's Madam Juliet.

[Exeunt.

Enter PROVOST, CLAUDIO, JULIET, and Officers.

Claud. Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to

the world?

Bear me to prison, where I am committed.
Prov. I do it not in evil disposition,
But from Lord Angelo by special charge.
Claud. Thus can the demigod Authority
Make us pay down for our offence by weight
The words of heaven; on whom it will, it will;
On whom it will not, so; yet still 'tis just.

126. The words of heaven. A reference to St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans ix. 15 and 18, For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have

120

mercy. . . . Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.'

Re-enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen.

Lucio. Why, how now, Claudio! whence comes this restraint?

Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty: As surfeit is the father of much fast, So every scope by the immoderate use Turns to restraint. Our natures do pursue, Like rats that ravin down their proper bane, A thirsty evil; and when we drink we die.

Lucio. If I could speak so wisely under an arrest, I would send for certain of my creditors: and yet, to say the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom as the morality of imprisonment. What's thy offence, Claudio?

130

Claud. What but to speak of would offend again. 140 Lucio. What, is 't murder?

Claud. No.

Lucio. Lechery?

Claud. Call it so.

Prov. Away, sir! you must go.

Claud. One word, good friend.

with you.

Lucio, a word

Lucio. A hundred, if they'll do you any good.✔ Is lechery so look'd after?

Claud. Thus stands it with me: upon a true

contract

I got possession of Julietta's bed:

You know the lady; she is fast my wife,
Save that we do the denunciation lack
Of outward order: this we came not to,
Only for propagation of a dower

138. foppery, folly.

ib. morality; Davenant's correction for Ff mortality.

152. the denunciation of outward order, the formal declaration required by law.

150

154. propagation, increase by remaining at interest. It is probably meant that Julietta's relatives chose to postpone her marriage in order to continue to receive the interest on her dower.

Remaining in the coffer of her friends,

From whom we thought it meet to hide our love
Till time had made them for us. But it chances
The stealth of our most mutual entertainment
With character too gross is writ on Juliet.
Lucio. With child, perhaps?

Claud.

Unhappily, even so.

160

And the new deputy now for the duke--
Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness,
Or whether that the body public be

A horse whereon the governor doth ride,
Who, newly in the seat, that it may know
He can command, lets it straight feel the spur;
Whether the tyranny be in his place,

Or in his eminence that fills it up,

I stagger in:—but this new governor
Awakes me all the enrolled penalties

Which have, like unscour'd armour, hung by the

wall

So long that nineteen zodiacs have gone round
And none of them been worn; and, for a name,
Now puts the drowsy and neglected act

Freshly on me: 'tis surely for a name.

Lucio. I warrant it is: and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders that a milkmaid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the duke and appeal to him.

Claud. I have done so, but he's not to be
found.

I prithee, Lucio, do me this kind service:
This day my sister should the cloister enter

162. the fault and glimpse of newness, the imperfect vision due to novelty. The illusion of 'newness is conceived as a kind of half-light. Cf. Revisit'st thus the glimpses of the moon,'

Ham. i. 4. 53.

170

180

169. stagger, reel in judg

ment, waver.

173. for a name, nominally, for form's sake.

177. tickle, loose, unsteady.

And there receive her approbation:

Acquaint her with the danger of my state:
Implore her, in my voice, that she make friends
To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him :
I have great hope in that; for in her youth
There is a prone and speechless dialect,
Such as move men; beside, she hath prosperous art
When she will play with reason and discourse,
And well she can persuade.

Lucio. I pray she may; as well for the encouragement of the like, which else would stand under grievous imposition, as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her. Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio. Lucio. Within two hours.

Claud.

Come, officer, away!

[Exeunt.

190

SCENE III. A monastery.

Enter DUKE and FRIAR THOMAS.

Duke. No, holy father; throw away that thought; Believe not that the dribbling dart of love Can pierce a cómplete bosom. Why I desire thee To give me secret harbour, hath a purpose

183. receive her approbation, be approved as a novice of the order.

188. prone and speechless dialect, language of mute and eager entreaty. Prone is used with a suggestion of its Latin sense, to convey not only the ardour but the eager bendingforward of an earnest suppliant.

196. game of tick-tack, pro

perly backgammon; here used equivocally.

2. dribbling, a technical term in archery for an arrow too weakly shot to reach the mark. Sidney had already applied the image to Love :

Not at first sight nor with a dribbling
shot
Love gave the wound.

Astr. and Stella, cit. Collier.

More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends
Of burning youth.

Fri. T.

May your grace speak of it?

Duke. My holy sir, none better knows than you How I have ever loved the life removed,

And held in idle price to haunt assemblies

Where youth, and cost, and witless bravery keeps. 10

I have deliver'd to Lord Angelo,

A man of stricture and firm abstinence,

My absolute power and place here in Vienna,

And he supposes me travell'd to Poland;
For so I have strew'd it in the common ear,
And so it is received. Now, pious sir,

You will demand of me why I do this?
Fri. T. Gladly, my lord.

Duke. We have strict statutes and most biting
laws,

The needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds,
Which for this nineteen years we have let slip;
Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave,
That goes not out to prey. Now, as fond fathers,
Having bound up the threatening twigs of birch,
Only to stick it in their children's sight

For terror, not to use, in time the rod

Becomes more mock'd than fear'd; so our decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead;
And liberty plucks justice by the nose;

The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Fri. T.

It rested in your grace

To unloose this tied-up justice when you pleased:
And it in you more dreadful would have seem'd
Than in Lord Angelo.

10. keeps, dwell.

20. weeds. Weed is a term

20

30

still applied to an ill-conditioned horse' (Collier). Steeds and wills are plausible emendations.