FRIENDSHIP'S AGONY.

BASSANIO.

Good cheer, Antonio! What, man? courage yet!

The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and

all,

Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.

ANTONIO. flock,

I am a tainted wether of the

Meetest for death; the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground, and so let me :
You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio,
Than to live still, and write mine epitaph.

MERCHANT OF VENICE, A. 4, s. 1.

FRIENDS IN SIN ARE SELDOM
FRIENDS IN NEED.

NORTHUMBERLAND, thou ladder wherewithal
The mounting Bolingbroke ascends my throne,-
The time shall not be many hours of age
More than it is, ere foul sin, gathering head,
Shall break into corruption: thou shalt think,
Though he divide the realm, and give thee half,
It is too little, helping him to all;

And he shall think, that thou, which know'st the way

To plant unrightful kings, wilt know again,
Being ne'er so little urg'd, another way

To pluck him headlong from the usurped throne.
The love of wicked friends converts to fear;
That fear, to hate; and hate turns one, or both,
To worthy danger, and deserved death.

K. RICHARD II., A. 5, s. 1.

FRIENDS IN COUNCIL :-ON
GOVERNMENT.

DUKE. Escalus,

Of government the properties to unfold,
Would seem in me to affect speech and discourse;
Since, I am put to know, that your own science
Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice

My strength can give you: Then no more remains

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

And let them work. The nature of our people,
Our city's institutions, and the terms

For common justice, you are as pregnant in,
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?
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?
ESCALUS. If any in Vienna be of worth
To undergo such ample grace and honour,
It is lord Angelo.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE, A. 1, s. 1.

FRIENDS IN COUNCIL THE DIFFICULTY OF BEING GENTLE, AND YET SEVERE.

DUKE. No; holy father; throw away that thought;

Believe not that the dribbling dart of love
Can pierce a cómplete bosom: why I desire thee
To give me secret harbour, hath a purpose
More grave and wrinkled than the aims and
ends

Of burning youth.

My holy sir, none better knows than you
How I have ever lov'd the life removed;
And held in idle price to haunt assemblies,
Where youth, and cost, and witless bravery
keeps.

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 strewed it in the common ear, And so it is receiv'd: Now, pious sir, You will demand of me, why I do this? We have strict statutes, and most biting laws, (The needful bits and curbs for head-strong steeds,)

Which for these fourteen years we have let sleep;

Even like an o'er-grown lion in a cave,

That goes not out to prey: Now, as fond fathers,
Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch,
Only to stick it in their children's sight,
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
Goes all decorum.

FRIAR.

It rested in your grace To unloose this tied-up justice, when you pleas'd:

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, '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 pass, And not the punishment. Therefore, indeed, my father,

I have on Angelo impos'd the office;

Who may, in the ambush of my name, strike home,

And yet my nature never in the sight,

To do it slander: And to behold his sway,
I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,
Visit both prince and people: therefore, I
pr❜ythee,

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;
Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confesses
That his blood flows, or that his appetite

Is more to bread than stone: Hence shall we see,
If power change purpose, what our seemers be.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE, A. 1, s. 4.

I come to know your pleasure.

Angelo,

DUKE. There is a kind of character in thy life, That, to the 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 thee. 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 advértise;
Hold therefore, Angelo;

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. 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 impórtune,
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
your commissions.
ANG.

Of

Yet, give leave, my lord,