was known that the play, on account of its popularity, had been chosen for performance before the King. One of these passages seems to have been the following, which may have had reference to the crowds attending the arrival of James I. in London, not very long before "Measure for Measure was acted at Whitehall:

"and even so

The general, subject to a well-wish'd King,
Quit their own path, and in obsequious fondness
Crowd to his presence, where their untaught love
Must needs appear offence."-A. ii. sc. 4.

Steevens quoted a passage from “ a True Narration of the Entertainment" of the King on his way from Edinburgh to London, printed in 1603, where it is said, "he was faine to publish an inhibition against the inordinate and dayly accesse of people comming." Taken with the context, the lines above quoted read like a complimentary insertion.

We may, therefore, arrive pretty safely at the conclusion, that "Measure for Measure" was written either at the close of 1603, or in the beginning of 1604.

"Measure for Measure"" was first printed in the folio of 1623; and exactly fifty years afterwards was published Sir William Davenant's "Law against Lovers," founded upon it, and upon "Much Ado about Nothing." With some ingenuity in the combination of the plots, he contrived to avail himself largely, and for his pose judiciously, of the materials Shakespeare furnished.

pur

Of "Measure for Measure," Coleridge observes in his "Literary Remains," ii. 122: "This play, which is Shakespeare's throughout, is to me the most painful, say rather, the only painful part of his genuine works. The comic and tragic parts equally border on the Monrέor the one being disgusting, the other horrible; and the pardon and marriage of Angelo not merely baffles the strong indignant claim of justice (for cruelty, with lust and damnable baseness, cannot be forgiven, because we cannot conceive them as being morally repented of), but it is likewise degrading to the character of woman.' In the course of Lectures on Shakespeare delivered in the year 1818, Coleridge pointed especially to the artifice of Isabella, and her seeming consent to the suit of Angelo, as circumstances which tended to lower the character of the female He then only called "Measure for Measure" the "least agreeable" of Shakespeare's dramas.

sex.

3 With reference to the name, we may remark that the expression "Measure for measure" was proverbial, and we meet with it in the following line,

"Measure for measure must be answered,"

in "The True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York," 4to, 1595, p. 151 of the reprint made for the Shakespeare Society in 1843. See also Vol. iv. p. 156.

Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, Officers, and other Attendants.

SCENE, Vienna.

1 This list of characters (with the omission of "a Justice") is appended to the play in the folio of 1623.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

ACT I. SCENE I.

An Apartment in the DUKE's Palace.

Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, Lords, and Attendants.

Duke. Escalus!

Escal. My lord.

Duke. Of government the properties to unfold
Would seem in me t' affect speech and discourse;
Since I am apt to know, that your own science
Exceeds, in that, the lists' of all advice

My strength can give you: then, no more remains,
But add to your sufficiency your worth,

And let them work'. The nature of our people,

Our city's institutions, and the terms

For common justice, y' are as pregnant in

LISTS] Bounds or limits: often so used: see particularly Vol. ii. p.

then, no more remains,

But ADD to your sufficiency your worth,

685.

And let them work.] We know of no better way of overcoming the difficulty presented in the opening of this play, than adopting the text offered in the corr. fo. 1632, and that we present to our readers: the passage has usually been printed thus, from the folio, 1623:

"then, no more remains,

But that, to your sufficiency, as your worth is able,

And let them work."

This cannot have been what the poet wrote; and what the old annotator on our fo. 1632 tells us was the text in his day is not merely clear and intelligible, but harmonious and correct as regards the verse. In a preceding line "Since I am put to know" of the folio, 1623, might have remained, but that, on the same authority, we are instructed to read "Since I am apt to know," which certainly fills the place, and answers the purpose better.

[Giring it.

As art and practice hath enriched any

That we remember. There is our commission,

From which we would not have you warp.-Call hither,

I say, bid come before us Angelo.—

What figure of us think you he will bear?

[Exit an Attendant.

For, you must know, we have with special soul
Elected him our absence to supply,

Lent him our terror, drest him with our love,
And given his deputation all the organs
Of our own power. What think you of it?
Escal. If any in Vienna be of worth

To undergo such ample grace and honour,
It is lord Angelo.

Ang. Always obedient to your grace's will, I come to know your pleasure.

There is a kind of character in thy life,
That, to th' observer, doth thy history
Fully unfold. Thyself and thy belongings
Are not thine own so proper, as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtues, them on thee3.
Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do,
Not light them for themselves; for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike

As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd,
But to fine issues; nor nature never lends
The smallest scruple of her excellence,
But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines

Herself the glory of a creditor,

Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech

To one that can my part in him advertise":
Hold, therefore, Angelo:

3

4

[Tendering his commission'.

THEM on thee.] The old copy erroneously reads, "they on thee."
to fine issues;] For high purposes, or, more strictly, results.

5 Both thanks and USE.] "Use" of old signified interest of money. To one that can my part in him advertise:] i. e. To one, says Malone, who is already informed as to the duties of my office.

7 Tendering his commission.] This stage-direction from the corr. fo. 1632 may be said to settle the question, argued between Johnson, Tyrwhitt, and Steevens, whether at these words the Duke offered the commission to Angelo: it appears,

In our remove, be thou at full ourself;
Mortality and mercy in Vienna

Live in thy tongue and heart. Old Escalus,
Though first in question, is thy secondary:
Take thy commission.

Ang.

Now, good my lord,

Let there be some more test made of my metal,
Before so noble and so great a figure

Be stamp'd upon it.

Duke.

No more evasion:

We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice
Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.
Our haste from hence is of so quick condition,
That it prefers itself, and leaves unquestion'd
Matters of needful value. We shall write to you,
As time and our concernings shall importune,
How it goes with us; and do look to know
What doth befall you here. So, fare you well:
To the hopeful execution do I leave you
Of your commissions.

Ang.

Yet, give leave, my lord,

That we may bring you something on the way.
Duke. My haste may not admit it;

Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do
With any scruple: your scope is as mine own,

So to enforce, or qualify the laws

As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand.
I'll privily away: I love the people,
But do not like to stage me to their eyes.
Though it do well, I do not relish well
Their loud applause, and ares vehement,
Nor do I think the man of safe discretion,

That does affect it. Once more, fare you well.

Ang. The heavens give safety to your purposes!

[Giving it.

Escal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happiness!
Duke. I thank you. Fare you well.

[Exit.

Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave

To have free speech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the bottom of my place:

A power I have, but of what strength and nature

by a subsequent stage-direction, that Angelo did not take the instrument from the Duke's hand until afterwards: he perhaps, at first, showed modest hesitation.