Angelo's crimes were such, as must sufficiently justify punishment, whether its end be to secure the innocent from wrong, or to deter guilt by example; and I believe every reader feels some indignation when he finds him spared. From what extenuation of his crime can Isabel, who yet supposes her brother dead, form any plea in his favour? Since he was good 'till he looked on me, let him not die. I am afraid our varlet poet intended to inculcate, that women think ill of nothing that raises the credit of their beauty, and are ready, however virtuous, to pardon any act which they think incited by their own charms. JOHNSON. "How oft the sight of power to do ill deeds, "Makes ill deeds done!" King John. STEEVENS. 489. His act did not o'ertake his bad intent ;] So, in Macbeth: "The flighty purpose never is o'ertook, "Unless the deed go with it.” STEEVENS. 504. after more advice:] i. e. after more mature consideration. STEEVENS. 526. for those earthly faults,] Thy faults, so far as they are punishable on earth, so far as they are cognizable by temporal power, I forgive. JOHNSON. 537. -perceives he's safe ;] It is somewhat strange that Isabel is not made to express either gratitude, wonder, or joy at the sight of her brother. JOHNSON. 539. -your evil quits you well:] Quits you, recompenses, requites you. JOHNSON. Look, that you love your wife ;--] So in Pro 540. mos, &c. "Be "Be loving to good Cassandra, thy wife." STEEVENS. 540. —her worth, worth yours.] i. e. her value is équal to your value, the match is not unworthy of you. 547. JOHNSON. -according to the trick:- -] To my custom, my habitual practice. JOHNSON. 563. thy other forfeits:] Thy other punishJOHNSON. ments. To forfeit anciently signified to commit a carnal offence. So, in the 12th Pageant of the Coventry Collection of Mysteries, the Virgin Mary tells Joseph: "I dede nevyr forfete with man I wys." MS. Cott. Vesp. D. viii. 571. Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:] I have always thought that there is great confusion in this concluding speech. If my criticism would not be censured as too licentious, I should regulate it thus: Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness. Ang. Th' offence pardons itself. Duke. There's more behind That is more gratulate. Dear Isabel, I have a motion, &c. 572. JOHNSON. that is more gratulate.] i. e. to be more re joiced in;-meaning, I suppose, that there is ano L ther ther world, where he will find yet greater reason to rejoice in consequence of his upright ministry. Escalus is represented as an ancient nobleman, who, in conjunction with Angelo, had reached the highest office of the state. He therefore could not be sufficiently rewarded here; but is necessarily referred to a future and more exalted recompence. STEEVENS. I cannot help taking notice with how much judgment Shakspere has given turns to this story from what he found it in Cynthio Giraldi's novel. In the first place, the brother is there actually executed, and the governor sends his head in a bravado to the sister, after he had debauched her on promise of marriage. A circumstance of too much horror and villany for the stage. And, in the next place, the sister afterwards is, to solder up her disgrace, mar ried to the governor, and begs his life of the emperor, though he had unjustly been the death of her brother. Both which absurdities the poet has avoided by the episode of Mariana, a creature purely of his own invention. The Duke's remaining incognito at home to supervise the conduct of his deputy, is also entirely our author's fiction. THEOBALD. THE END. |