Scene III. MEASURE FOR MEASURE. For which the pardoner himself is in: Prov. I told you: Lord Angelo, belike, thinking me remiss in mine office, awakens me with this unwonted putting on methinks, strangely; for he hath not used it before. Duke. Pray you, let's hear. Prov. [Reads.] Whatsoever you may hear to the contrary, let Claudio be executed by four of the clock; and, in the afternoon, Barnardine: for my better satisfaction, let me have Claudio's head sent me by five. Let this be duly perform'd; with a thought, that more depends on it than we must yet deliver. Thus fail not to do your office, you will answer it at your peril. What say you to this, sir? as Duke. What is that Barnardine, who is to be executed in the afternoon? Prov. A Bohemian born; but here nursed up and bred: one that is a prisoner nine years old.2 Duke. How came it, that the absent duke had rot either deliver'd him to his liberty, or executed him? I have heard, it was ever his manner to do so. Prov. His friends still wrought reprieves for him: and, indeed, his fact, till now in the government of lord Angelo, came not to an undoubtful proof. Duke. Is it now apparent? Duke. O, death's a great disguiser: and you may add to it. Shave the head, and tie the beard; and say, it was the desire of the penitent to be so bared before his death: you know, the course is any thing fall to you upon this, more than thanks and good fortune, by the saint whom I profess, I will plead against it with my life. Prov. Pardon me, good father; it is against my oath. If Duke. Were you sworn to the duke, or to the deputy? if Prov. To him, and to his substitutes. Yet Duke. You will think you have made no offence, Duke. The contents of this is the return of the duke; you shall anon over-read it at your pleasure; where you shall find, within these two days he will be here. This is a thing, that Angelo knows not: for he this very day receives letters of strange tenor; perchance, of the duke's death; perchance, entering into some monastery; but, by chance, nothing of what is writ.-Look, the unfolding star calls up the shepherd: put not yourself into amazement, how these things should be: all difficulties are but easy when they are known. Call your executioner, and off with Barnardine's Prov. A man that apprehends death no more head: I will give him a present shrift, and advise dreadfully, but as a drunken sleep; careless, reck-him for a better place. Yet you are amazed; but [Exeunt. less, and fearless of what's past, present, or to this shall absolutely resolve you. Come away; it come; insensible of mortality, and desperately is almost clear dawn. mortal. Prov. Most manifest, and not denied by himself. Duke. Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? How seems he to be touch'd? Duke. He wants advice. Prov. He will hear none: he hath evermore had the liberty of the prison; give him leave to escape hence, he would not: drunk many times a day, if not many days entirely drunk. We have very of ten awaked him, as if to carry him to execution, and show'd him a seeming warrant for it: it hath not mov'd him at all. SCENE III-Another room in the same. Enter Clo. I am as well acquainted here, as I was in our house of profession: one would think, it were mistress Over-done's own house, for here be many of her old customers. First, here's young master Rash; he's in for a commodity of brown paper and old he made five marks, ready money: marry, then, ginger, ninescore and seventeen pounds; of which ginger was not much in request, for the old women were all dead. Then is there here one master Ca Duke. More of him anon. There is written in your brow, provost, honesty and constancy: if I read it not truly, my ancient skill beguiles me; but in the boldness of my cunning, I will lay my-per, at the suit of master Three-pile the mercer, for self in hazard. Claudio, whom here you have a warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the law than Angelo who hath sentenced him: to make you understand this in a manifested effect, I crave but four days respite; for the which you are to do me both a present and a dangerous courtesy. Prov. Pray, sir, in what? Duke. In the delaying death. Duke. By the vow of mine order, I warrant you, Prov. Angelo hath seen them both, and will discover the favour. (1) Spur, incitement. (2) Nine years in prison. some four suits of peach-colour'd satin, which now Dizy, and young master Deep-vow, and master Coppeaches him a beggar. Then have we here young dagger-man, and young Drop-heir that kill'd lusty per-spur, and master Starve-lackey the rapier and Pudding, and master Forthright the tilter, and brave master Shoe-tie the great traveller, and wild Half-cann that stabb'd Pots, and, I think, forty more; all great doers in our trade, and are now for the Lord's sake. Enter Abhorson. Abhor. Sirrah, bring Barnardine hither. Clo. Master Barnardine! you must rise and be hang'd, master Barnardine. Abhor. What, ho, Barnardine! Barnar. [Within.] A pox o' your throats! Who makes that noise there? What are you? Clo. Your friends, sir; the hangman: you must (3) Countenance. be so good, sir, to rise and be put to death. Barnar. [Within.] Away, you rogue, away; I am sleepy. Abhor. Tell him, he must awake, and that quickly too. Clo. Pray, master Barnardine, awake till executed, and sleep afterwards. Abhor. Go in to him, and fetch him out. you are Both Barnardine and Claudio: Ere twice Prov. I am your free dependant. Quick, despatch, And send the head to Angelo. [Exit Provost. Now will I write letters to Angelo, Clo. He is coming, sir, he is coming; I hear his The provost, he shall bear them,-whose contents straw rustle. Enter Barnardine. Abhor. Is the axe upon the block, sirrah? Barnar. How now, Abhorson? what's the news with you? Abhor. Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your prayers; for, look you, the warrant's come. Barnar. You rogue, I have been drinking all night, I am not fitted for't. Clo. O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night, and hang'd betimes in the morning, may sleep the sounder all the next day. Enter Duke. Abhor. Look you, sir, here comes your ghostly father; do we jest now, think you? Duke. Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing how hastily you are to depart, I am come to advise you, comfort you, and pray with you. Barnar. Friar, not I; I have been drinking hard all night, and I will have more time to prepare me, or they shall beat out my brains with billets: I will not consent to die this day, that's certain. Duke. O, sir, you must: and therefore, I be seech you, Look forward on the journey you shall go. Shalf witness to him, I am near at home; Isab. Ho, by your leave. Duke. Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter. Isab. The better, given me by so holy a man. Barnar. I I will not die to-day for any Hath yet the deputy sent my brother's pardon? man's persuasion. swear, Duke. But hear you, Barnar. Not a word; if you have any thing to say to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to-day. [Exit. Enter Provost. Duke. Unfit to live, or die: O, gravel heart!- [Exeunt Abhorson and Clown. Prov. Here in the prison, father, A man of Claudio's years; his beard, and head, Duke. O, 'tis an accident that Heaven provides! Duke. Let this be done;--Put them in secret holds, Duke. He hath releas'd him, Isabel, from the world; His head is off, and sent to Angelo. It is no other:" Show your wisdom, daughter, in your close pa tience. Isab. O, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes. Duke. You shall not be admitted to his sight. Isab. Unhappy Claudio! Wretched Isabel! Injurious world! Most damned Angelo! Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits you a jot: Forbear it therefore; give your cause to Heaven. Mark what I say; which you shall find, By every syllable, a faithful verity: The duke comes home to-morrow;--nay, dry your eyes; One of our convent, and his confessor, Who do prepare to meet him at the gates, In that good path that I would wish it go; Isab. I am combined by a sacred vow, Lucio. Friar, where is the provost? Duke. Good even! Not within, sir. Lucio. O, pretty Isabella, I am pale at mine heart, to see thine eyes so red: thou must be patient: I am fain to dine and sup with water and bran; I dare not for my head fill my belly; one fruitful meal would set me to't: But they say the duke will be here to-morrow. By my troth, Isabel, I lov'd thy brother: if the old fantastical duke of dark corners had been at home, he had lived. [Exit Isabella. Duke. Sir, the duke is marvellous little beholden to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them. Lucio. Friar, thou knowest not the duke so well as I do: he's a better woodman than thou takest him for. The law against it!-But that her tender shame For my authority bears a credents bulk, had liv'd! Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, Nothing goes right; we would and we would not. [Exit. SCENE V-Fields without the town. Enter Duke in his own habit, and Friar Peter. Duke. These letters at fit time deliver me. [Giving letters. The provost knows our purpose, and our plot. The matter being afoot, keep your instruction, And hold you ever to our special drift; Though sometimes you do blench from this to that, As cause doth minister. Go, call at Flavius' house, And tell him where I stay: give the like notice, To Valentinus, Rowland, and to Crassus, And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate; Duke. You have told me too many of him al-But send me Flavius first. ready, sir, if they be true; if not true, none were enough. Duke. Well, you'll answer this one day. Fare ye well. Lucio. Nay, tarry; I'll go along with thee; can tell thee pretty tales of the duke. I Lucio. I was once before him for getting a wench with child. Duke. Did you such a thing? Lucio. Yes, marry, did I: but was fain to forswear it; they would else have married me to the rotten medlar. Duke. Sir, your company is fairer than honest: Rest you well. Lucio. By my troth, I'll go with thee to the lane's end: If bawdy talk offend you, we'll have very little of it: Nay, friar, I am a kind of burr, shall stick. [Exeunt. SCENE IV-A room in Angelo's house. Enter Angelo and Escalus. Escal. Every letter he hath writ hath dis vouch'd2 other. Ang. In most uneven and distracted manner. His actions show much like to madness: pray Heaven, his wisdom be not tainted! And why meet him at the gates, and re-deliver our authorities there? Escal. I guess not. Ang. And why should we proclaim it in an hour before his entering, that if any crave redress of injustice, they should exhibit their petitions in the street? Escal. He shows his reason for that: to have a despatch of complaints; and to deliver us from devices hereafter, which shall then have no power to stand against us. Ang. Well, I beseech you, let it be proclaim'd: Escal. I shall, sir: fare you well. [Exit. F. Peter. It shall be speeded well. [Exit Friar. Enter Varrius. SCENE I.—A public place near the city gate. Mariana (veiled,) Isabella, and Peter, at a dis tance. Enter at opposite doors, Duke, Varrius, Lords; Angelo, Escalus, Lucio, Provost, Officers, and Citizens. Duke. My very worthy cousin, fairly met : (7) Start off. (8) Availful. (9) Advantage. (11) Seized. P Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you. [] In all his dressings,2 characts, titles, forms, grace! Duke. Many and hearty thankings to you both. We have made inquiry of you; and we hear Such goodness of your justice, that our soul Cannot but yield you forth to public thanks, Forerunning more requital. Ang. You make my bonds still greater. Duke. O, your desert speaks loud; and I should wrong it, To lock it in the wards of covert bosom, Peter and Isabella come forward. F. Peter. Now is your time; speak loud, and kneel before him. Isab. Justice, O royal duke! Vail! your regard Here is lord Angelo shall give you justice; Isab. here. Ang. My lord, her wits, I fear me, are not firm: Isab. Isab. Most strange, but yet most truly, will I speak: That Angelo's forsworn; is it not strange? A hypocrite, a virgin-violator; Duke. If she be mad (as I believe no other,) Isab. O, gracious duke, Harp not on that; nor do not banish reason For inequality: but let your reason serve To make the truth appear, where it seems hid; And hide the false, seems true. Duke. Many that are not mad, Have, sure, more lack of reason.-What would you say? Isab. I am the sister of one Claudio, I came to her from Claudio, and desir'd her Isab. That's he indeed. Duke. Mended again: the matter:-Proceed. Isab. In brief,-to set the needless process by, How I persuaded, how I pray'd, and kneel'd, How he retell'd3 me, and how I reply'd; (For this was of much length,) the vile conclusion I now begin with grief and shame to utter : Nay, ten times strange. He would not, but by gift of my chaste body Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo, Duke. possible sible, To his concupiscible intemperate lust, Duke. This is most likely! Isab. O, that it were as like, as it is true! Duke. By heaven, fonds wretch, thou know'st not what thou speak'st; Or else thou art suborn'd against his honour, That which but seems unlike: 'tis not impos-In hateful practice :6-First, his integrity But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground, Stands without blemish :-next, it imports no reason, That with such vehemency he should pursue Faults proper to himself: if he had so offended, He would have weigh'd thy brother by himself, And not have cut him off: Some one hath set you on: (6) Conspiracy. Then, oh, you blessed ministers above, your grace from As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go! Lucio. My lord, I know him; 'tis a meddling friar; And to set on this wretched woman here I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar, Duke. We did believe no less. Lucio. My lord, most villanously; believe it. But at this instant he is sick, my lord, Good friar, let's hear it. Mari. No, my lord. What, are you married? (2) Simple. (3) Convened. Duke. Are nothing then :-Neither maid, widow, nor wife? some cause To prattle for himself. Lucio. Well, my lord. Mari. My lord, I do confess I ne'er was married; not, That ever he knew me. Lucio. He was drunk then, my lord; it can be no better. Duke. For the benefit of silence, 'would thou wert so too. Lucio. Well, my lord. Duke. This is no witness for lord Angelo. She, that accuses him of fornication, Ang. Charges she more than me? No? you say, your husband. Ang. This is a strange abuse:5-Let's see thy face. Mari. My husband bids me; now I will unmask. This is that face, thou cruel Angelo, Duke. Know you this woman? Sirrah, no more. Ang. My lord, I must confess, I know this woman; marriage Betwixt myself and her; which was broke off, Mari. As there comes light from heaven, and words from As there is sense in truth, and truth in virtue, (5) Deception. (6) Her fortune fell short. |