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Aa IV. you shall have your full time of imprisonment, and your deliverance with an unpity'd whipping, for you have been a notorious bawd.

Clown. 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 fome inftruction from my fellow-partner.

Prov. What ho, Abhorfon! where's Abhorfon, there?

Enter ABHORSON.

Abhor. Do you call, fir?

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 a bide here with you; if not, use him for the prefent, and dismiss him; he cannot plead his estimation with you, he hath been a bawd.

Abhor. A bawd, fir? fie upon him, he will difcredit our mystery.

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

[Exit. Clown. Pray, fir, by your good favour (for, furely, fir, a good favour you have, but that you have a hanging look), do you call, fir, your occupation a mystery?

Abhor. Ay, fir; a mystery.

Clown. Painting, fir, I have heard fay, is a myftery; and your whores, fir, being members of my occupation, ufing painting, do prove my occupa tion a mystery: but what mystery there fhould be in hanging, if I fhould be hang'd, I cannot imagine? Abhor. Sir, it is a mystery. Clown. Proof.

Abhor.

Abhor. Every true man's apparel fits your thief. Clown. 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: fo every true man's apparel fits your thief.

Re-enter Provoft:

Prov. Are you agreed?

Clown. Sir, I will ferve him; for I do find, your hangman is a more penitent trade than your bawd he doth oftner afk forgivenefs.

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

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

Clown. I do defire to learn, fir; and, I hope, if you have occafion to use me for your own turn, you shall find me yare; for, truly, fir, for your kindness, I owe you a good turn. [Exit. Prov. Call hither Barnardine and Claudio: One has my pity; not a jot the other,

Being a murtherer, 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 Barnardine?

Claud. As faft lock'd up in fleep, as guiltless laWhen it lies starkly in the traveller's bones: [bour He will not wake.

Prov. Who can do good on him?

Well, go, prepare yourself. [Exit CLAUDIO.] But, hark, what noife?

[Knock within Heaven give your fpirits comfort!-By and bye;

F 3

I hope

I hope it is fome pardon, or reprieve,

For the most gentle Claudio.-Welcome, father.

Enter Duke.

Duke. The beftand wholfomeft fpirits of the night Envelop you, good provoft! Who call'd here of late! Prov. None, fince the curfew rung.

Duke. Not Ifabel?

Prov. No.

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

Prov. What comfort is for Claudio?

Duke. There's fome in hope.

Prov. It is a bitter deputy.

Duke. Not fo, not fo; his life is parallel'd Even with the stroke and line of his great juftice; He doth with holy abftinence fubdue

'That in himself, which he fpurs on his power To qualify in others: where he meal'd

With that, which he corrects, then were he tyran

nous;

But this being fo, he's juft.-Now are they come.[Knock. Provoft goes out. This is a gentle provoft. Seldom, when

The fteeled gaoler is the friend of men.

How now? what noife? that spirit's poffefs'd with hafte,

That wounds the unrefifting postern with these ftrokes.

Provoft returns, fpeaking to one at the door. Prov. There must he stay, until the officer Arife to let him in; he is call'd up.

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

Prov. None, fir, none.

Duke. As near the dawning, provost, as it is, You fhall hear more ere morning.

Prov. Happily, ·

You fomething know; yet, I believe there comes
No countermand; no fuch example have we:
Befides, upon the very fiege of justice,

Lord Angelo hath to the publick ear
Profefs'd the contrary.

Enter a Meffenger.

Duke. This is his lordship's man.

Prov. And here comes Claudio's pardon. Melf. My lord hath fent you this note; and by me, this farther charge, that you fwerve not from the smallest article of it, neither in time, matter, or other circumftance. Good-morrow; for, as I take it, it is almost dày.

Prov. I fhall obey him.

[Exit Mefenger. Duke. This is his pardon; purchas'd by fuch fin.

For which the pardoner himself is in:
Hence hath offence his quick celerity,
When it is borne in high authority:

[Afide.

When vice makes mercy, mercy's fo extended, That, for the fault's love, is the offender friended.Now, fir, what news?

Prov. I told you: Lord Angelo, be-like, thinking me remifs in my office, awakens me with this unwonted putting on: methinks, frangely; for he hath not us'd it before."

Duke. Pray you, let's hear.

Proveft reads the letter.

Whatfoever you may hear to the contrary, let Claudio

be

be executed by four of the clock; and in the afternoon, Barnardine: for my better fatisfaction, let me have Claudio's head fent me by five. Let this be duly perform'd with a thought that more depends on it than we muft yet deliver. Thus fail not to do your office, as you will answer it at your peril.

What fay you to this, fir?

Duke. What is that Barnardine, who is to be executed in the afternoon?

Prov. A Bohemian born: but here nurs'd up and bred: one that is a prifoner nine years old.

Duke. How came it, that the abfent duke had not either deliver'd him to his liberty, or executed him? I have heard, it was ever his manner to do so. Prov. His friends ftill wrought reprieves forhim: And, indeed, his fact, till now in the government of lord Angelo, came not to an undoubtful proof. Duke. Is it now apparent?

Prov. Moft manifeft, and not deny'd by himself. Duke. Hath he borne himself penitently in pri fon? how feems he to be touch'd?

Prov. A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken fleep; careless, recklefs, and fearlefs of what's past, prefent, or to come; infenfible of mortality, and defperately

mortal.

Duke. He wants advice.

Prov. He will hear none: he hath evermore had the liberty of the prifon; give him leave to escape hence he would not: drunk many times a day, if not many days entirely drunk. We have very often awak'd him, as if to carry him to execution, and shew'd him a feeming warrant for it; it hath not moved him at all.

Dukes

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