Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging. Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it. She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.- I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.- ness: "There's more behind, that is more gratulate." What's mine is your's, and what is yours is mine: So bring us to our palace; where we'll show What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know. THE END. [Exeunt, BY SAM. JOHNSON & GEO. STEEVENS, AND THE VARIOUS COMMENTATORS, UPON MEASURE for MEASURE, WRITTEN BY WILL. SHAKSPERE. -SIC ITUR AD ASTRA. VIRG. LONDON: Printed for, and under the Direction of, JOHN BELL, British-Library, STRAND, Bookseller to His Royal Highness the PRINCE of WALES, M DCC LXXXVII. ANNOTATIONS UPON MEASURE for MEASURE. MEASURE for MEASURE.] SHAKSPERE took the fable of this play from the Promos and Cassandra of George Whetstone, published in 1578. See Theobald's note at the beginning of the play. A hint, like a seed, is more or less prolifick, according to the qualities of the soil on which it is thrown. I his story, which in the hands of Whetstone produced little more than barren insipidity, under the culture of Shakspere became fertile of entertainment. The curious reader will find, that the old play of Promos and Cassandra exhibits an almost complete embryo of Measure for Measure; yet the hints on which it is formed are so slight, that it is nearly as impossible to detect them, as it is to point out in the acorn the future ramifications of the oak, Whetstone opens his play thus: A&t I. Scene I. "Promos, Mayor, Shirife, Sworde-bearer: one with a bunche of keyes: Phallax, Promos Man. "You officers which now in Julio staye "Know you your leadge, the King of Hungarie "Sent me to Promos, to joyne with you in sway, "That styll we may to Justice have an eye. "And now to show, my rule and power at lardge, "Attentivelie, his letters pattents heare: "Phallax, reade out my Soveraignes chardge. "Phal. As you commaunde I wyll: give heedful eare. [Phallax readeth the Kinges Letters Pattents, which must be fayre written in parchment, with some great counterfeat zeale. "Pro. Loe, here you see what is our Soveraignes wyl, "Loe, heare his wish, that right, not might, bear swaye : "Loe, heare his care, to weede from good the yll, |