After relating Steevens' attempt at elucidation, Mr. Knight proceeds to explain the passage by a running interpretation parenthetically applied to each expression; but I doubt very much whether any person would feel much enlightened by it; or whether, amongst so many explanations, any one of them could be pointed out less obscure than the rest. Let us try, then, what a total change of interpretation will do. In the sixth line of the Duke's speech, as quoted at the commencement, we find the demonstrative pronoun _that_, which must have _some_ object. Mr. Knight supposes that object to be "your science." I, on the contrary, am of opinion that it refers to _the commission_ which the Duke holds in his hand, and which he is in the act of presenting to Escalus: "Then no more remains, But--that, to your sufficiency, as your worth is able, And let them work." By transposition, this sentence becomes "Then, as your worth is able, no more remains, to your sufficiency, but _that_." But _what_? Your COMMISSION! Have we not here the _mot_ to the enigma, the clue to the mystery? When the Duke takes up the commission, he addresses Escalus to the following effect: "It would be affectation in me to lecture you upon the art of government, since I must needs know that your own science exceeds, in that, the limits of all I could teach you. Therefore, since your worth is able, no more remains to your sufficiency, but--_that_, and let them work." The _sufficiency_ here spoken of is twofold, ability to direct, and _authority to enforce_. The first was personal to Escalus, consisting of his own skill and knowledge; the second was conferred upon him _by commission_: when both were united, he was to "let them work!" Reading the passage in this way, there is no necessity for the alteration of a single letter; and yet I will put it to any person of sense and candour, whether the passage be not thereby relieved from all real obscurity? It must be borne in mind, that the presentation of the commission is the _main object_ of the Duke's address: the presentation therefore is not a _single act_, but rather a protracted action during the whole speech, finally consummated with the concluding words--"there is our commission." This is so plain, that it scarcely needs confirmation; but, if it did so, it would receive it, by analogy, in the similarly protracted presentation to Angelo when it becomes his turn to receive _his_ commission. In that case the act of presentation commences with the word "hold:" "Hold--therefore, Angelo!" And finishes six lines lower down with: "Take thy commission." And it is not a little singular, that this word "hold," having been at first similarly misinterpreted, proved as great a stumbling block to Tyrwhitt and others, who seemed to grope about in sheer perverseness, catching at any meaning for it rather than the right, and certainly the obvious one. A. E. B. Leeds.