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.-
Joy to you, Mariana !---love her, Angelo;

I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.-
Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much good-

ness:

"There's more behind, that is more gratulate."
Thanks, provost, for thy care, and secresy;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place:-
“Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
"The head of Ragozine for Claudio's ;
"The offence pardons itself."-Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good;
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,

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,
"To scoorge the wights, good laws that disobay.
"Such zeale he bears, unto the common weale,
"(How so he byds, the ignoraunt to save)
"As he commaundes, the lewde doo rigor feele,
&c. &c. &c.