The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

SCENE III.-Another Room in the Same.
Enter POMPEY.

Pom. I am as well acquainted here as I was in our house of profession: one would think it were Mistress Overdone'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 ginger, nine-score and seventeen pounds, of which he made five marks, ready money: marry, then ginger was not much in request, for the old women were all dead. Then is there here one Master Caper, at the suit of Master Three-pile the mercer, for some four suits of peach-colour'd satin, which now peaches him a beggar. Then have we young Dizy, and young Master Deep-vow, and Master Copperspur, and Master Starve-lackey the rapier and dagger man, and young Drop-heir that kill'd lusty Pudding, and Master Forthlight, the tilter, and brave Master Shoe-tie the great traveller, and wild Half-san that stabbed Pots, and, I think, forty more; all great doers in our trade, and are now 'for the Lord's sake.'

Enter ABHORSON.

Abhor. Tell him he must awake, and that quickly too.

Pom. Pray, Master Barnardine, awake till you are executed, and sleep afterwards. Abhor. Go in to him, and fetch him out.

Pom. He is coming, sir, he is coming; I hear his straw rustle.

Abhor. Is the axe upon the block, sirrah? 40
Pom. Very ready, sir.

Enter BARNARDINE.

Barnar. How now, Abhorson! what's the news with you?

Barnar. You rogue, I have been drinking all night; I am not fitted for 't.

Pom. O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night, and is hang'd betimes in the morning, may sleep the sounder all the next day.

Abhor. Look you, sir; here comes your ghostly father: do we jest now, think you?

Enter DUKE, disguised as before.

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. 56

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. Unfit to live or die. O, gravel heart!
After him fellows: bring him to the block.
[Exeunt ABHORSON and POMPEY.
Prov. Now, sir, how do you find the prisoner?
Duke. A creature unprepar'd, unmeet for
death;

And, to transport him in the mind he is
Were damnable.

Prov.

Here in the prison, father, 76

There died this morning of a cruel fever
One Ragozine, a most notorious pirate,
A man of Claudio's years; his beard and head
Just of his colour. What if we do omit
This reprobate till he were well inclin'd,
And satisfy the deputy with the visage
Of Ragozine, more like to Claudio?

Duke. O, 'tis an accident that heaven pro-
vides!

Dispatch it presently: the hour draws on
Prefix'd by Angelo. See this be done,
And sent according to command, whiles I
Persuade this rude wretch willingly to die. 88

Prov. This shall be done, good father, pre-
sently.

But Barnardine must die this afternoon:
And how shall we continue Claudio,
To save me from the danger that might come 92

Abhor. Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap
into your prayers; for, look you, the warrant's If he were known alive?

come,

46 Duke.

Let this be done:

Prov. Here is the head; I'll carry it myself. Duke. Convenient is it. Make a swift return, For I would commune with you of such things That want no ear but yours. Prov.

I'll make all speed. [Exit. Isab. [Within.] Peace, ho, be here!

Duke. The tongue of Isabel. She's come to know

If yet her brother's pardon be come hither; 116
But I will keep her ignorant of her good,
To make her heavenly comforts of despair,
When it is least expected.

Duke. Not within, sir.

160

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 loved 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 beholding to your reports; but the best is, he lives not in them.

172

The duke comes home to-morrow; nay, dry your

wench with child.

eyes:

136

Duke. Did you such a thing?

ACT V.

SCENE I.-A public Place near the City Gate. MARIANA, veiled, ISABELLA, and FRIAR PETER, at their stand. Enter DUKE, VARRIUS, Lords, ANGELO, ESCALUS, LUCIO, PROVOST, Officers,

and Citizens at several doors.

Duke. My very worthy cousin, fairly met!

Nay, it is ten times strange.

Isab. It is not truer he is Angelo Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see Than this is all as true as it is strange;

Nay, it is ten times true; for truth is truth
To the end of reckoning.
Duke.

Away with her! poor soul, She speaks this in the infirmity of sense. Isab. O prince, I conjure thee, as thou believ'st

There is another comfort than this world,
That thou neglect me not, with that opinion
That I am touch'd with madness. Make not

Ang. You make my bonds still greater. 8 Duke. O! your desert speaks loud; and I

should wrong it,

To lock it in the wards of covert bosom,

When it deserves, with characters of brass,

But one, the wicked'st caitiff on the ground, May seem as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute

A forted residence 'gainst the tooth of time 12 As Angelo; even so may Angelo,

F. Peter. Now is your time: speak loud and kneel before him.

Isab. Justice, O royal duke! Vail your regard Upon a wrong'd, I'd fain have said, a maid! 21 O worthy prince! dishonour not your eye By throwing it on any other object

Till you have heard me in my true complaint 24 And given me justice, justice, justice, justice!

Duke. Relate your wrongs: in what? by whom? Be brief;

Here is Lord Angelo, shall give you justice:
Reveal yourself to him.

Had I more name for badness.
Duke.

If she be mad, -as I believe no other, -
Her madness hath the oddest frame of sense,
Such a dependency of thing on thing,
As e'er I heard in madness.
Isab.

O gracious duke! Harp not on that; nor do not banish reason 64 For inequality; but let your reason serve To make the truth appear where it seems hid, And hide the false seems true.

Nor wish'd to hold my peace. Duke.

By course of justice! Ang. And she will speak most bitterly and strange.

I wish you now, then;

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 refell'd me, and how I replied, -
For this was of much length, -the vile con-
clusion

I now begin with grief and shame to utter.
He would not, but by gift of my chaste body
To his concupiscible intemperate lust,
Release my brother; and, after much debate-
ment,

100

132

And to set on this wretched woman here
Against our substitute! Let this friar be found.
Lucio. But yesternight, my lord, she and
that friar,

I saw them at the prison: a saucy friar, 136
A very scurvy fellow.
F. Peter.

Bless'd be your royal Grace!

I have stood by, my lord, and I have heard
Your royal ear abus'd. First, hath this woman
Most wrongfully accus'd your substitute,
Who is as free from touch or soil with her,
As she from one ungot.

Duke.

140

We did believe no less. Know you that Friar Lodowick that she speaks of?

F. Peter. I know him for a man divine and holy;

144

116

woman,

Unfold the evil which is here wrapt up

In countenance! Heaven shield your Grace

from woe,

As I, thus wrong'd, hence unbelieved go!

120 Till she herself confess it.

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