Page images
PDF
EPUB

ACT IV.

SCENE I.—A Room in MARIANA's House.
MARIANA discovered sitting; a Boy singing.
SONG.

Take, oh take those lips away,
That so sweetly were forsworn;
And those eyes, the break of day,
Lights that do mislead the morn:
But my kisses bring again,

bring again,

Seals of love, but seal'd in vain,

seal'd in vain.

Mari. Break off thy song and haste thee quick away, Here comes a man of comfort, whose advice Hath often still'd my brawling discontent. [Exit Boy.

Enter DUKE.

I cry you mercy, Sir; and well could wish
You had not found me here so musical:
Let me excuse me, and believe me so,-

My mirth it much displeased, but pleased my woe. Duke. 'Tis good: though music oft hath such a charm,

To make bad good, and good provoke to harm. I pray you tell me, hath any body inquired for me here to day? Much upon this time have I promised here to meet.

Mari. You have not been enquired after: I have sat here all day.

Enter ISABELLA.

Duke. I do constantly believe you :-The time is come, even now. I shall crave your forbearance a little; may be, I will call upon you anon, for some advantage to yourself.

Mari. I am always bound to you.

Duke. Very well met, and welcome.

What is the news from this good deputy?

[Exit.

Isab. He hath a garden circummured with brick,

Whose western side is with a vineyard back'd;
And to that vineyard is a planched + gate,
That makes his opening with this bigger key:
This other doth command a little door,
Which from the vineyard to the garden leads;

Walled round.

+ Planked, wooden.

There have I made my promise to call on him,
Upon the heavy middle of the night.

Duke. But shall you on your knowledge find this way?

Isab. I have ta'en a due and wary note upon't; With whispering and most guilty diligence, In action all of precept, he did shew me The way twice o'er.

Duke. Are there no other tokens

Between you 'greed, concerning her observance ?
Isab. No, none, but only a repair i' the dark;
And that I have possess'd him, my most stay
Can be but brief: for I have made him know,
I have a servant comes with me along,
That stays upon me; whose persuasion is,
I come about my brother.

Duke. 'Tis well borne up.

I have not yet made known to Mariana
A word of this:-What, ho! within! come forth!
Re-enter MARIANA.

I pray you be acquainted with this maid;
She comes to do you good.

Isab. I do desire the like.

Duke. Do you persuade yourself that I respect you? Mari. Good fríar I know you do; and have found it. Duke. Take then this your companion by the hand, Who hath a story ready for your ear:

I shall attend your leisure; but make haste;
The vapourous night approaches.

Mari. Will't please you walk aside?

[Exeunt Mariana and Isabella. Duke. O place and greatness millions of false eyes Are struck upon thee! Volumes of report

Run with these false and most contrarious quests?
Upon thy doings! Thousand 'scapes of wit
Make thee the father of their idle dream,

And rack thee in their fancies!-Welcome! How agreed?

Re-enter MARIANA, and ISABELLA.

Isab. She'll take the enterprise upon her, father, If you advise it.

Duke. It is not my consent,

But my intreaty too.

Isab. Little have you to say,

Informed.

Inquisitions, inquiries.

+ Waits.

§ Sallies.

When you depart from him, but, soft and low,
Remember now my brother.

Mari. Fear me not.

Duke. Nor, gentle daughter, fear you not all: He is your husband on a pre-contract: To bring you thus together, 'tis no sin; Sith that the justice of your title to him Doth flourish + the deceit. Come, let us go; Our corn's to reap, for yet our tithe's to sow. [Exeunt.

SCENE II-A Room in the Prison.

Enter PROVOST and CLOWN.

Prov. Come hither, sirrah: Can you cut off a man's head?

Clo. If the man be a bachelor, Sir, I can: but if he be a married man, he is his wife's head, and I can never cut off a woman's head.

Prov. Come, Sir, leave me your snatches, and yield me a direct answer. To-morrow morning are to die Claudio and Barnardine: here is in our prison a common executioner, who in his office lacks a helper: if you will take it on you to assist him, it shall redeem you from your gyves; if not, you shall have your full time of imprisonment, and your deliverance with an unpitied whipping; for you have been a notorious bawd.

Clo. Sir, I have been an unlawful bawd, time out of mind; but yet I will be content to be a lawful hangman, I would be glad to receive some instruction from my fellow partner.

Prov. What ho, Abhorson! Where's Abhorson, there?

Enter ABHORSON.

Abhor. Do you call, Sir?

Prov. Sirrah, here's a fellow will help you tomorrow in your execution: if you think it meet, compound with him by the year, and let him abide here with you; if not, use him for the present, and dismiss him he cannot plead his estimation with you; he hath been a bawd.

Abhor. A bawd, Sir? Fie upon him, he will discredit our mystery .

. Since.
+ Gild, or varnish over.
Tilth, land prepared for sowing.
Fetters.

Trade.

Prov. Go to, Sir; you weigh equally; a feather will turn the scale.

[Exit.

Clo. Pray, Sir, by your good favour, (for, surely, Sir, a good favour you have, but that you have a hanging look,) do you call, Sir, your occupation a mystery?

Abhor. Ay, Sir; a mystery.

Clo. Painting, Sir, I have heard say, is a mystery; and your whores, Sir, being members of my occupation, using painting, do prove my occupation a mystery but what mystery there should be in hanging, if I should be hang'd, I cannot imagine.

Abhor. Sir, it is a mystery.

Clo. Proof.

Abhor. Every true+ man's apparel fits your thief: if it be too little for your thief, your true man thinks it big enough; if it be too big for your thief, your thief thinks it little enough so every true man's apparel fits your thief.

Re-enter PROVOST.

Prov. Are you agreed?

Clo. Sir, I will serve him; for I do find, your hangman is a more penitent trade than your bawd; he doth oftener ask forgiveness.

Prov. You, sirrah, provide your block and your axe, to-morrow, four o'clock.

Abhor. Come on, bawd; I will instruct thee in my trade; follow.

Clo. I do desire to learn, Sir, and, I hope, if you have occasion to use me for your own turn, you shall find me yaret: for, truly Sir, for your kindness, I owe you a good turn.

Prov. Call hither Barnardine and Claudio:

[Exeunt Clown and Abhorson.

One has my pity; not a jot the other,

Being a murderer, though he were my brother.

Enter CLAUDIO.

Look, here's the warrant, Claudio, for thy death: 'Tis now dead midnight, and by eight to-morrow Thou must be made immortal. Where's Barnardiae? Claud. As fast lock'd up in sleep, as guiltless

labour

When it lies starkly § in the traveller's bones:
He will not wake.

Countenance.

+ Honest. § Stimy.

Ready.

Prov. Who can do good on him?

Well, go, prepare yourself. But hark, what noise? [Knocking within. Heaven give your spirits comfort! [Exit Claudio. By and by

I hope it is some pardon, or reprieve,

For the most gentle Claudio.-Welcome, father. Enter DUKE.

Duke. The best and wholesomest spirits of the night

Envelope you good Provost! Who call'd here of

late?

Prov. None, since the curfew rung.

Duke. Not Isabel?

Prov. No.

Duke. They will then, ere't be long.

Prov. What comfort is for Claudio?

Duke. There's some in hope.

Prov. It is a bitter deputy.

Duke. Not so, not so; his life is parallel'd

Even with the stroke and line of his great justice;

He doth with holy abstinence subdue

That in himself, which he spurs on his power
To qualify in others: were he meal'd+

With that which he corrects, then were he tyrannous;
But this being so, he's just.-Now are they come.-
[Knocking within.-Provost goes out.
This is a gentle provost: seldom, when

The steeled gaoler is the friend of men.—

How now? What noise? That spirit's possess'd with haste,

That wounds the unsisting postern with these strokes.

PROVOST returns, speaking to one at the Door. Prov. There he must stay until the officer Arise to let him in; he is call'd up.

Duke. Have you no countermand for Claudio yet, But he must die to-morrow?

Prov. None, Sir, none.

Duke. As near the dawning, Provost, as it is, You shall hear more ere morning.

Prov. Happily 1,

You something know; yet, I believe, there comes No countermand; no such example have we:

Besides, upon the very siege § of justice,

• Moderate.

+ Defiled.
Seat.

Perhaps.

« PreviousContinue »