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tural expression, very suitable to the grave cha racter which the Duke assumes. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.“ 1 Pet. iii. 19. WHALLEY.

P. 119, 1. 5. 6. Who falling in the flames of her own youth, Hath blister'd her report:] The old copy reads flaws. STEEVENS.

Who doth not see that the integrity of the metaphor requires, we should read:

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flames of her own youth? WARBURTON. Who does not see that, upon such principles, there is no end of correction? JOHNSON.

Dr. Johnson did not know, nor perhaps Dr. Warburton either, that Sir William D'Avenant reads flames instead of flaws in his Law against Lovers, a play almost literally taken from Measure for Measure, and Much ado about Nothing.

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FARMER.

P. 119, 1. 31. But lest you do repent, etc.] I think that 'a line at least is wanting after the first of the Duke's speech. It would be presumptuous to attempt to replace the words; but the sense, I am persuaded, is easily recoverable out of Juliet's answer. I suppose his advice, in substance, to have been nearly this:,,Take care, lest you repent [not so much of your fault, as it is an evil,] as that the sin hath brought you'to this shame." Accordingly, Juliet's answer is explicit to this point:"

I do repent me, as it is an evil,
And take the shame with joy.

TYRWHITT. P. 120, 1. 5. There rest. Keep yourself in this temper. JOHNSON.

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P. 120, d. 8. Benedicite!] The former part of this line evidently belongs to Juliet. Benedicite is the Duke's reply. RITSON.

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This regulatiou is undoubtedly proper suppose Shakspeare to have written,

Juliet. May grace go with you!
Duke. Benedicite! STEEVENS.

but I

P. 120, 1. 9. O, injurious love,] Her execution was respited on account of her pregnancy, the effects of her love; therefore she calls it injurious; not that it brought her to shame, but that it hindered her freeing herself from it. Is not this all very natural?, yet the Oxford editor changes it to injurious law. JOHNSON.

I know not what circumstance in this play can authorise a supposition that Juliet was respited on account of her pregnancy; as her life was in no danger from the law, the severity of which was exerted only on the seducer. I suppose she means that a parent's love for the child she. bears, is injurious, because it makes her careful of her life in her present shameful condition.

Mr. Tollet explains the passage thus: „,0, love, that is injurious in expediting Claudio's death and that respites me a life, which is a burthen to me worse than death!" STEEVENS. \

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Both Johnson's explanation of this passage, and Steeven's refutation of it, prove the necessity of Hanmer's amendment, which removes every difficulty, and can scarcely be considered as an alteration, the trace of the letters, in the words law and love being so nearly alike. The law affected the life of the man only, not that of the woman; and this is the injury that Juliet complains of, as she wished to die with him.

M. MASON.

P. 120, 1. 19. 20. Whilst my invention, hearing not my tongue,

Anchors on Isabel:] Nothing can be either plainer or exacter than this expression. [Dr. Warburton means intention, a word substituted by shimself.] But the old blundering folio having it, invention, this was enough for Mr. Theobald to prefer authority to sense.

WARBURTON,

Intention (if it be the true reading) has, in this instance more than its common meaning, and sige nifies eagerness of desire. STEEVENS.

I believe it means attention only, a sense in which the word is frequently used by Shakspeare and the other writers of his time. Angelo says, he thinks and prays to several subjects; that Hea ven has his prayers, but his thoughts are fixed on Isabel.MarMASON. 158 fear'd] We should read So, Shakspeare uses in the sear, WARBURTON. AVA JE 14d1 02 Ithink fear'd may stand. What wesgo goi with reluctance may be said to be fear'da ou sus

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· seared, i. e. old.

tor signifyn old age.

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P. 120, 1. 27. Boot is profit,

JOHNSONA advantage, gain. i) STEEVENSY

P. 120, 1. 29. thy case, thy habit, Fore outside; garby external shew. JOHNSON. të ms I P. 120, 1. 30.51. Wrench awe from fools, rands tie the wiser souls vi

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hong To thy false seeming? Here Shale speare judiciously distinguishes the different`ope rations of high place upon different minds. (Fooliq are frighted, and wise men are allured. Those who cannot judge but by the eye, care easily a awed by splendourgthose who consider &menzasq

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P. 120, 1. 31- 33.

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JOHNSON.

Blood, thou still art

kita blood:5 601 G TVT

Let's write good angel on the devil's

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'Tis not the devil's crest.] in e.bLet the most wicked thing have but a virtuous pretence, and it shall pass for innocent. This was his soonclusion from his preceding words: rom under O form!

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How often dost thou with thy cases thy

youous habit, ow wilt datiw Wrench-awe from fools, and tid the wisen 1. 1679992 91 souls, the

ind ay To thy false seeming?" —word*ead god mov But the Oxford editor makes him conclude i just counter to his own premises; by altering de stof * Is't not the devil's crest? 5

So that, according to this alteration; the reason ing stands thus: False seeming, wrenches awe from fools, and deceives the wise. Thereforey Let us but write good angel on the devil's horn, (i. e. gives him the appearance of an angel;) and what then? Is't not the devil's crest? (i. e. he shall be esteemed a devil.) WARBURTON, 021

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I am still inclined to the opinion of the Oxford, editor.Angelo, reflecting on the difference bet ween his seeming character, and his real disposi tion observes, that he could change his gravity for a plume. He then digresses into an apostroj: phie, O dignity, how dost thou impose upon thes world! then returning to himself, Blood (sny, ha), thousart but bloods however concealed with ap pearances and decorations.cfitle and characterḥdos

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not alter nature, which is still corrupt, howe ver dignified:

Let's write good angel on the devil's horn;
Is't not?- or rather
'Tis yet the devil's

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crest.

It may however be understood, according to Dr. Warburton's explanation. O place, how dost thow impose upon the world by false appearances! so much, that if we write good angel on the devil's horn, 'tis not taken any longer to be the devil's crest. In this sense,

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Blood, thou art but blood!

is an interjected exclamation. JOHNSON.

A Hebrew proverb seems to favour Dr. Johnson's reading

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'Tis yet the devil's crest."< *A nettle standing among myrtless, doth notwithstanding retain the name of a nettle.****

STEEVENS.

This passage, as it stands, appears to me to be right, aud Angelo's reasoning to be this:,,0 place! O form! though you wrench awe from fools, and tie even wiser souls to your false 'seeming, yet you make no alteration in the minds or constitutions of those who possess, or assume you, Though we should write good augel on the devil's horn, it will not change his nature, so as to give him a right to wear that crest." It is well known that the crest was formerly chosen either as emblematical of some quality conspicuous in the person who bore it, or as alluding to some Temarkable incident of his life; and on this cir

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cumstance depends the justness of the present allusion. M. MASON.

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It should be remembered, that the devil is usually represented with horns and cloveudifeet.

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