When the will play with reason and discourse,
And well the can perfuade.

Retired Life,

My holy Sir, none better knows than you
How I have ever lov'd the life remov'd;
And held in idle price to haunt affemblies,
Where youth, and coft, and witless bravery keeps.
Licentioufnefs the Confequence of unexecuted
Laws.

We have strict ftatutes, and most biting laws,
(The needful bits and curbs to headstrong feeds)
Which for these nineteen years we have let fleep;
Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave,
That goes not out to prey: now, as fond fathers,
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to stick it in their children's fight
For terror, not for ufe; in time the rod
Becomes more mock'd than fear'd: fo our decrees,
Dead to infliction, to themfelves are dead;
And liberty plucks juftice by the nofe;
The baby beats the nurfe, and quite athwart
Goes all decorum.

Pardon the Sanction of Wickedness.
For we bid this be done,
When evil deeds have their permiffive pass,
And not the punishment.

A fevere faint-like Governor.

Lord Angelo is precife;
Stands at a guard with envy; fcarce confeffes
That his blood flows, or that his appetite
Is more to bread than ftone: hence fhall we fee,
If pow'r change purpose, what our feemers be.
A Virgin addreft.

Hail, virgin, if you be; as those cheek-rofes
Proclaim you are no lefs!

A Religious profeft.

I hold you as a thing enfkied and fainted;
By your renouncement, an immortal spirit;
And to be talk'd with in fincerity,
As with a faint.

Embracing.

Your brother and his lover have embrac'd:
As thofe that feed grow full; as bloffoming time,
That from the feednofs the bare fallow brings
To teeming foyfon, even fo her plenteous womb
Expreffeth his full tilth and husbandry.
School-fellows.

Luc. Is the your coufin?

Ijab. Adopredly; as fchoolmaids change their By vain, though apt affection.

Refolution.

Our doubts are traitors,

[names,

And make us lofe the good we oft might win,
By fearing to attempt.

The Prayers of Maidens effectual.

Go to Lord Angelo,

And let him learn to know, when maidens fue,
Mengive like gods; but when they weep and kneel,
All their petitions are as freely theirs
As they thenfelves would owe them.

Angelo. Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing to fall. I not deny,
The jury, palling on the prifoner's life,
May, in the fworn twelve, have a thief or two
Guiltier than him they try: what's open made
To juftice, that juftice feizes. What know the laws
That thieves do pafs on thieves? 'Tis very preg

nant;

The jewel that we find, we ftoop, and take it,
Because we fee it; but what we do not fee,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not fo extenuate his offence,

For I have had fuch faults, but rather tell me,
When I that cenfure him do so offend,
Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,
And nothing come in partial.

Mercy frequently mistaken.

Mercy is not itself, that oft looks fo;
Pardon is still the nurfe of fecond woe.

Not to be too hafty in Actions irremediable.
Under your good correction, I have seen
When, after execution, judgment hath
Repented o'er his doom.

Bad Actions already condemned, the Actors to be
punished.

Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it!
Why, every fault's condemn'd, ere it be done;
Mine were the very cypher of a function.
To fine the faults whofe fine ftands in record,
And let go by the actor.

Mercy in Governors recommended.
No ceremony that to great ones 'longs,
Not the king's crown, nor the deputed sword,
The martial's truncheon, nor the judge's robe,
Become them with one half fo good a grace,
As mercy does. If he had been as you,
And you as he, you would have flipt like him;
But he, like you, would not have been fo ftern.
The Duty of mutua! Forgiveness.
Alas! alas!
Why, all the fouls that were, were forfeit once.
And he, that might the 'vantage beit have took,

Jul. I do repent me as it is an eyil;
And take the shame with joy.
Duke. There reft.

Love in a grave, fevere Governor.
When I would pray and think, I think and pray
To fev'ral fubjects: Heaven hath my empty words;
Whilft my invention, hearing not my tongue,
Anchors on Ifabel. Heaven in my mouth,
As if I did but only chew his name;
And in my heart the strong and fwelling evil
Of my conception: the ftate, whereon Iftudied,
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. O place! O form!
How often doft thou with thy cafe, thy habit,
Wrench awe from fools, and tie the wifer fouls
Tothy falfe feeming! Blood, thou ftill art blood.
Let's write good angel on the devil's horn;
'Tis not the devil's creft.

A Simile on the Prefence of the beloved Object.
-O Heavens!

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

And difpoffeffing all my other parts
Of neceifary fitnefs?

So play the foolish throngs with one that fwoons;
Come all to help him, and fo ftop the air
By which he thould revive: and even fo
The gen'ral, fubject to a well-with'd king,
Quit their own part, and in obfequious fondnefs
Crowd to his prefence, where their untaught love
Muft needs appear offence.

Fornication and Murder equalled.

Fle, thefe filthy vices!-It were as good
To pardon him that hath from nature fol'n
A man already made, as to remit

Their faucy fweetness, that do coin Heaven's image
In ftamps that are forbid: 'tis all as eafy
Falfely to take away a life true made,
As to put mettle in reftrained means,
To make a falfe one.

Compelled Sins.

Our compell'd fins Stand more for number than for account.

Lowlinefs of Mind.

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

Ang. Thus wifdont wifes to appear moft bright, When it doth tax itfelf: as thefe black masks Proclaim an enfhiel'd beauty ten times louder Than beauty could difplay'd.

Heroic Female Virtue.

Ang. Admit no other way to fave his life
(As I fubfcribe not that, or any other,
But in the lofs of queftion), 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-binding law; and that there were
No earthly mean to fave him, but that either
You must lay down the treatures of your body

To this fuppofed, or elfe to let him fuffer,
What would you do?

Ifab. As much for my poor brother as myfelf:
That is, were I under the terms of death,

Th' impreffion of keen whips I'd wear as rubies,
And ftrip myfelf to death as to a bed
That longing I have been fick for, ere I'd yield
My body up to fhame.

Ang. Then muft your brother die.
Ijab. And 'twere the cheaper way:
Better it were a brother died at once;
Than that a fifter, by redeeming him,
Should die for ever.

Ang. Were not you then as cruel as the sentence
That you have flander'd fo?
Ifab. Ignomy in ranfor, and free pardon,
Are of two houfes: lawful mercy
Is nothing kin to foul redemption.

Self-intereft palliates Faults.
Ifab. It oft falls out,

To have what we would have, we speak not what
[we mean:
I fomething do excufe the thing I hate,
For his advantage that I dearly love.

Ang.

Woman's Frailty.

-Nay, women are frail too.
Ifab. Ay, as the glaffes where they view them-
felves;

Which are as cafy broke as they make ferms.
Women! help heaven! men their creation mar;
In profiting by them. Nay, call us ten times frail;
For we are foft as our complexions are,
And credulous to falfe prints.

Weight of eftablished Reputation.
Ang. Who will believe thee, Ifabel?
My unfoil'd name, the auftereness of my life,
My vouch against you; and my place i'the state
Will fo your accufation overweigh,

That you fhall ftifle in your own report,
And fell of calumny.

Hope.

The miferable have no other medicine
But only hope.

[life

Moral Reflections on the Vanity of Life.
Be abfolute for death; either death or life
Shall thereby be the fweeter. Reason thus with
If I do lofe thee, I do lofe a thing
That none but fools would keep: a breath thou art
That doft this habitation, where thou keep't,
(Servile to all the skicy influences),
For him thou labour'ft by thy flight to fhun,
Hourly afflict merely, thou art death's fool;
And yet run'ft tow'rd him ftill: Thou art not

noble;

For all th' accommodations that thou bear'ft
Are nurs'd by bafenefs: thou'rt by no means
valiant ;

For thou doft fear the foft and tender fork
Of a poor worn: Thy beft of reft is fleep,
Thy death, which is no more: Thou art not
And that thou oft provok'ft; yet grofsly fear'st
thyfelf;

For thou exift ft on many a thousand grains,
That iffue out of duft: Happy thou art not;
For what thou haft not, ftill thou ftriv't to get;

And

To draw with idle fpiders' ftrings
Moft pond'rous and fubftantial things!
A beautiful Song.
Take, oh take thofe lips away,
That fo fweetly were forfworn;
And thofe eyes, the break of day,
Lights that do mislead the morn:
But my kiffes bring again;
Scals of love, but feal'd in vain.

Hide, oh hide thofe hills of fnow,

Which thy frozen bofom bears,
On whofe tops the pinks that grow
Are of thofe that April wears.
But my poor heart first fet free,
Bound in thofe icy chains by thee.
Guilty Diligence.

With whispering and moft guilty diligence,
In action all of precept, he did thew me
The way twice o'er.

Greatness fubject to Cenfuré.

O place and greatnefs! millions of falfe eyes
Are stuck upon thee! volumes of report
Run with thefe falfe and moft contrarious quefts
Upon thy doings! thoufand 'fcapes of wit
Make thee the father of their idle dream,
And rack thee in their fancies.

Execution finely expressed.
By eight to-morrow

Thou must be made immortal!

Sound Sleep.

As faft lock'd up in fleep, as guiltless labour When it lies ftarkly in the traveller's bones. Upright Governor fuppofed.

Prov. It is a bitter deputy.

Duke. Not fo, not fo; his life is parallell'd
Even with the ftroke and line of his great juftice;
He doth with holy abftinence fubdue

That in himself, which he fpurs on his power
To qualify in others: were he meal'd
With that which horrects, then were he tyran-
But this being fo, he jusft.
[nous;

Good Jailor.

This is a gentle provoft; feldom, when The fteeled jailor is the friend of men, Comfort from Despair.

But I will keep her ignorant of her good,
To make her heavenly comforts of despair,
When it is leaft expected.

Complaining ufelefs.
Ifab. Injurious world! Moft damned Angelo!
Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jot:
Forbear it therefore; give your caufe to Heaven.
Character of an Arch Hypocrite.

O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'ft
There is another comfort than this world,
That thou neglect me not, with that opinion
That I am touch'd with madnefs: make not im-
poffible

That which but feems unlike: 'tis not impoffible
But one, the wickedett caitiff on the ground,
May feem as fhy, as grave, as juft, as abfolute,

As Angelo; even fo may Angelo,
In all his dreffings, characts, titles, forms,
Be an arch villain: believe it, royal prince,
If he be less, he's nothing; but he's more,
Had I more name for badnefs.

Refpect due to Place.
Refpect to your great place!-and let the devil
Be fometimes honour'd for his burning throne.
Impoffibility of Interceffion.

Against all fenfe you do importune her:
Should the kneel down, in mercy of this fact,
Her brother's ghoft his paved bed would break,'
And take her hence in horror !

Reformed Men fometimes beft.

They fay, beft men are moulded out of faults;
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad: fo may my husband.
Intents more excufable than Acts.

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;
And must be buried but as an intent,
That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no fubjects;
Intents, but merely thoughts.

§ 6. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. SHAKSPEARE.

Natural Prefentiment of Evil finely pointed out; with the Contraft of a cheerful and melancholy Man.

Ant.

IN footh, I know not why I am fo fad;
It wearies me; you fay, it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn;

And fuch a want-wit fadnefs makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself,

Salar. Your mind is toffing on the ocean,
There, where your argofies, with portly fail,
Like figniors and rich burghers on the flood,
Or as it were the pageants of the fea,-
That curt'fy to them, do them reverence,
Do over-peer the petty traffickers,
As they fly by them with their woven wings.

Salan. Believe me, Sir, had I fuch ventures
The better part of my affections would [forth,
Be with my hopes abroad. I fhould be still
Plucking the grafs, to know where fits the wind;
Peering in maps, for ports, and piers, and roads;
And every object, that might make me fear
Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt,
Would make me fad.

Would blow me to an ague, when I thought
Salar. My wind, cooling my broth,
What harm a wind too great might do at fea.
I fhould not fee the fandy hour-glafs run,
But I fhould think of thallows and of flats;
And fee my wealthy Andrew dock`d in sand,
Vailing her high top lower than her ribs,
To kifs her burial. Should I go to church,
And fee the holy edifice of tone,
Which touching but my gentle veffel's fide,
And not bethink me ftraight of dangerous rocks?
Would featter all her fpices on the stream;
Enrobe the roaring waters with any filks;