42: Here Ff have _Enter Bawde_, transferred by Theobald to line 56.

43: SCENE IV. Pope. Bawd coming at a distance. Hanmer.

44: _I have_] 1. Gent. _I have_ Pope (ed. 2). _He has_ Halliwell.

48: _dolours_] Rowe. _dollours_ Ff. _dollars_ Pope.

56: SCENE IV. Johnson.

65: _head_] _head is_ Rowe. _head's_ Capell.

81: SCENE V. Pope.

88: _with maid_] _with-made_ Seymour conj.

91: _houses_] _bawdy houses_ Tyrwhitt conj.

96: _all_] om. Pope.

110: SCaeNA TERTIA. Ff.

Juliet] Ff. Gaoler. Halliwell. om. Collier MS. See note (IV).

[Transcriber's Note: Pope's Scene I.VI is not mentioned, but presumably begins here.]

113: _Lord_] om. F2 F3 F4.

115: _offence_] _offence'_ (for _offences_) S. Walker conj.

115, 116: _by weight The words_] Ff. _by weight; I' th' words_ Hanmer.

_by weight. The words_ Warburton (after Davenant).

_by weight--The sword_ Roberts conj. _by weight The word_ Halliwell.

_by weight.--The word's_ Becket conj. _by weight--The works_ Jackson conj. See note (V).

117: _yet still 'tis just_] _yet 'tis just still_ S. Walker conj.

121: _every scope_] _liberty_ Wheeler MS.

124: _A thirsty evil_] _An evil thirst_ Davenant's version.

_A thirsted evil_ Spedding conj.

128: _morality_] Rowe (after Davenant). _mortality_ Ff.

141: _denunciation_] _p.r.o.nunciation_ Collier MS.

143: _propagation_] F2 F3 F4. _propogation_ F1. _prorogation_ Malone conj. _procuration_ Jackson conj. _preservation_ Grant White.

147: _most_] om. Hanmer.

148: _on_] F1. _in_ F2 F3 F4.

151: _fault and_] _flash and_ Johnson conj. _foult or_ Id. conj.

_foil and_ Anon. conj. _fault and_] _flash and_ Johnson conj.

_fault or_ Id. conj. _foil and_ Anon. conj.

_glimpse_] _guise_ Anon. conj.

161: _nineteen_] _fourteen_ Whalley conj.

165: _it is_] _so it is_ Hanmer (who prints line 165-167 as four verses ending _stands, milkmaid, off, him._ 166: _she be_] _she be but_ Hanmer.

173: _voice_] _name_ Wheler MS.

175: _youth_] _zenith_ Johnson conj.

176: _p.r.o.ne_] _prompt_ Johnson conj. _pow'r_ Id. conj. _proue_ Becket conj.

177: _move_] Ff. _moves_ Rowe.

_beside_] _besides_ Capell.

181: _under_] F1. _upon_ F2 F3 F4. _on_ Hanmer, who prints 179-185 as six verses ending _may, like, imposition, be, tick-tack, Lucio._ _imposition_] _inquisition_ Johnson conj. (withdrawn).

182: _the enjoying of_] om. Hanmer.

_who I would_] _which I'd_ Hanmer.

184: _her_] _her strait_ Hanmer.

SCENE III. _A monastery._

_Enter _Duke_ and FRIAR THOMAS._

_Duke._ No, holy father; throw away that thought; Believe not that the dribbling dart of love Can pierce a complete bosom. Why I desire thee To give me secret harbour, hath a purpose More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends 5 Of burning youth.

_Fri. T._ May your grace speak of it?

_Duke._ My holy sir, none better knows than you How I have ever loved the life removed, And held in idle price to haunt a.s.semblies Where youth, and cost, and witless bravery keeps. 10 I have deliver'd to Lord Angelo, A man of stricture and firm abstinence, My absolute power and place here in Vienna, And he supposes me travell'd to Poland; For so I have strew'd it in the common ear, 15 And so it is received. Now, pious sir, You will demand of me why I do this?

_Fri. T._ Gladly, my lord.

_Duke._ We have strict statutes and most biting laws, The needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds, 20 Which for this fourteen years we have let slip; Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave, That goes not out to prey. Now, as fond fathers, Having bound up the threatening twigs of birch, Only to stick it in their children's sight 25 For terror, not to use, in time the rod Becomes more mock'd than fear'd; so our decrees.

Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead; And liberty plucks justice by the nose; The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart 30 Goes all decorum.

_Fri. T._ It rested in your Grace To unloose this tied-up justice when you pleased: And it in you more dreadful would have seem'd Than in Lord Angelo.

_Duke._ I do fear, too dreadful: Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope, 35 'Twould be my tyranny to strike and gall them For what I bid them do: for we bid this be done, When evil deeds have their permissive pa.s.s, And not the punishment. Therefore, indeed, my father, I have on Angelo imposed the office; 40 Who may, in the ambush of my name, strike home, And yet my nature never in the fight To do in slander. And to behold his sway, I will, as 'twere a brother of your order, Visit both prince and people: therefore, I prithee, 45 Supply me with the habit, and instruct me How I may formally in person bear me Like a true friar. More reasons for this action At our more leisure shall I render you; Only, this one: Lord Angelo is precise; 50 Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confesses That his blood flows, or that his appet.i.te Is more to bread than stone: hence shall we see, If power change purpose, what our seemers be. [_Exeunt._

NOTES: I, 3.

SCENE III.] SCENA QUARTA Ff. SCENE VII. Pope.

3: _bosom_] _breast_ Pope.

10: _and witless_] F2 F3 F4. _witless_ F1. _with witless_ Edd. conj.

_keeps_] _keep_ Hammer.

12: _stricture_] _strictness_ Davenant's version. _strict ure_ Warburton.

15: _For_] _Far_ F2.

20: _to_] F1. _for_ F2 F3 F4.

_weeds_] Ff. _steeds_ Theobald. _wills_ S. Walker conj.

21: _this_] _these_ Theobald.

_fourteen_] _nineteen_ Theobald.

_slip_] Ff. _sleep_ Theobald (after Davenant).

25: _to_] _do_ Dent. MS.

26: _terror_] F1. _errour_ F2 F3 F4.

26, 27: _the rod Becomes more ... decrees_] Pope (after Davenant).

_the rod More ... decrees_ Ff. _the rod's More ... most just decrees_ Collier MS.

27: _mock'd_] _markt_ Davenant's version.

34: _do_] om. Pope.

37: _be done_] om. Pope.

39: _the_] _their_ Dyce conj.

_indeed_] om. Pope.

42, 43: _fight To do in slander_] _sight To do in slander_ Pope.

_fight So do in slander_ Theobald. _sight To do it slander_ Hanmer.

_sight, So doing slander'd_ Johnson conj.

_sight To draw on slander_ Collier MS.

_right To do him slander_ Singer conj.

_light To do it slander_ Dyce conj.

_fight To do me slander_ Halliwell.

_win the fight To die in slander_ Staunton conj.

_never ... slander_] _ever in the fight To dole in slander_ Jackson conj.

43: _And_] om. Pope.

45: _I_] om. Pope.