1857Pro. Come hither sirha; can you cut off a mans head?

1858Clo. If the man be a Bachelor Sir, I can:

1859But if he be a married man, he's his wiues head,

1860And I can neuer cut off a womans head.

1861Pro. Come sir, leaue me your snatches, and yeeld mee

1862a direct answere. To morrow morning are to die Clau-

1863dio and Barnardine: heere is in our prison a common exe-

1864cutioner, who in his office lacks a helper, if you will take

1865it on you to assist him, it shall redeeme you from your

1866Gyues: if not, you shall haue your full time of imprison-

1867ment, and your deliuerance with an vnpittied whipping;

1868for you haue beene a notorious bawd.

1869Clo. Sir, I haue beene an vnlawfull bawd, time out of

1870minde, but yet I will bee content to be a lawfull hang-

1871man: I would bee glad to receiue some instruction from

1872my fellow partner.

1873Pro. What hoa, Abhorson: where's Abhorson there?

1875Abh. Doe you call sir?

1876Pro. Sirha, here's a fellow will helpe you to morrow

1877in your execution: if you thinke it meet, compound with

1878him by the yeere, and let him abide here with you, if not,

1879vse him for the present, and dismisse him, hee cannot

1880plead his estimation with you: he hath beene a Bawd.

1881Abh. A Bawd Sir? fie vpon him, he will discredit our

1882mysterie.

1883Pro. Goe too Sir, you waigh equallie: a feather will

1884turne the Scale. Exit.

1885Clo. Pray sir, by your good fauor: for surely sir, a

1886good fauor you haue, but that you haue a hanging look:

1887Doe you call sir, your occupation a Mysterie?

G2 Abh. I

1888Abh. I Sir, a Misterie.

1889Clo. Painting Sir, I haue heard say, is a Misterie; and

1890your Whores sir, being members of my occupation, v-

1891sing painting, do proue my Occupation, a Misterie: but

1892what Misterie there should be in hanging, if I should

1893be hang'd, I cannot imagine.

1894Abh. Sir, it is a Misterie.

1895Clo. Proofe.

1896Abh. Euerie true mans apparrell fits your Theefe.

1897Clo. If it be too little for your theefe, your true man

1898thinkes it bigge enough. If it bee too bigge for your

1899Theefe, your Theefe thinkes it little enough: So euerie

1900true mans apparrell fits your Theefe.

1902Pro. Are you agreed?

1903Clo. Sir, I will serue him: For I do finde your Hang-

1904man is a more penitent Trade then your Bawd: he doth

1905oftner aske forgiuenesse.

1906Pro. You sirrah, prouide your blocke and your Axe

1907to morrow, foure a clocke.

1908Abh. Come on (Bawd) I will instruct thee in my

1909Trade: follow.

1910Clo. I do desire to learne sir: and I hope, if you haue

1911occasion to vse me for your owne turne, you shall finde

1912me y'are. For truly sir, for your kindnesse, I owe you a

1913good turne. Exit

1914Pro. Call hether Barnardine and Claudio:

1915Th' one has my pitie; not a iot the other,

1916Being a Murtherer, though he were my brother.

1918Looke, here's the Warrant Claudio, for thy death,

1919'Tis now dead midnight, and by eight to morrow

1920Thou must be made immortall. Where's Barnardine?

1921Cla. As fast lock'd vp in sleepe, as guiltlesse labour,

1922When it lies starkely in the Trauellers bones,

1923He will not wake.

1924Pro. Who can do good on him?

1925Well, go, prepare your selfe. But harke, what noise?

1926Heauen giue your spirits comfort: by, and by,

1927I hope it is some pardon, or repreeue

1928For the most gentle Claudio. Welcome Father.

1930Duke. The best, and wholsomst spirits of the night,

1931Inuellop you, good Prouost: who call'd heere of late?

1932Pro. None since the Curphew rung.

1933Duke. Not Isabell?

1934Pro. No.

1935Duke. They will then er't be long.

1936Pro. What comfort is for Claudio?

1937Duke. There's some in hope.

1938Pro. It is a bitter Deputie.

1939Duke. Not so, not so: his life is paralel'd

1940Euen with the stroke and line of his great Iustice:

1941He doth with holie abstinence subdue

1942That in himselfe, which he spurres on his powre

1943To qualifie in others: were he meal'd with that

1944Which he corrects, then were he tirrannous,

1945But this being so, he's iust. Now are they come.

1946This is a gentle Prouost, sildome when

1947The steeled Gaoler is the friend of men:

1948How now? what noise? That spirit's possest with hast,

1949That wounds th' vnsisting Posterne with these strokes.

1950Pro. There he must stay vntil the Officer

1951Arise to let him in: he is call'd vp.

1952Duke. Haue you no countermand for Claudio yet?

1953But he must die to morrow?

1954Pro. None Sir, none.

1955Duke. As neere the dawning Prouost, as it is,

1956You shall heare more ere Morning.

1957Pro. Happely

1958You something know: yet I beleeue there comes

1959No countermand: no such example haue we:

1960Besides, vpon the verie siege of Iustice,

1961Lord Angelo hath to the publike eare

1962Profest the contrarie.

1964Duke. This is his Lords man.

1965Pro. And heere comes Claudio's pardon.

1966Mess. My Lord hath sent you this note,

1967And by mee this further charge;

1968That you swerue not from the smallest Article of it,

1969Neither in time, matter, or other circumstance.

1970Good morrow: for as I take it, it is almost day.

1971Pro. I shall obey him.

1972Duke. This is his Pardon purchas'd by such sin,

1973For which the Pardoner himselfe is in:

1974Hence hath offence his quicke celeritie,

1975When it is borne in high Authority.

1976When Vice makes Mercie; Mercie's so extended,

1977That for the faults loue, is th' offender friended.

1978Now Sir, what newes?

1979Pro. I told you:

1980Lord Angelo (be-like) thinking me remisse

1981In mine Office, awakens mee

1982With this vnwonted putting on, methinks strangely:

1983For he hath not vs'd it before.

1984Duk. Pray you let's heare.

1986 Whatsoeuer you may heare to the contrary, let Claudio be ex-

1987 ecuted by foure of the clocke, and in the afternoone Bernar-

1988 dine: For my better satisfaction, let mee haue Claudios

1989 head sent me by fiue. Let this be duely performed with a

1990 thought that more depends on it, then we must yet deliuer.

1991 Thus faile not to doe your Office, as you will answere it at

1992your perill.

1993What say you to this Sir?

1994Duke. What is that Barnardine, who is to be execu-

1995ted in th' afternoone?

1996Pro. A Bohemian borne: But here nurst vp & bred,

1997One that is a prisoner nine yeeres old.

1998Duke. How came it, that the absent Duke had not

1999either deliuer'd him to his libertie, or executed him? I

2000haue heard it was euer his manner to do so.

2001Pro. His friends still wrought Repreeues for him:

2002And indeed his fact till now in the gouernment of Lord

2003Angelo, came not to an vndoubtfull proofe.

2004Duke. It is now apparant?

2005Pro. Most manifest, and not denied by himselfe.

2006Duke. Hath he borne himselfe penitently in prison?

2007How seemes he to be touch'd?

2008Pro. A man that apprehends death no more dread-

2009fully, but as a drunken sleepe, carelesse, wreaklesse, and

2010fearelesse of what's past, present, or to come: insensible

2011of mortality, and desperately mortall.

2012Duke. He wants aduice.

2013Pro. He wil heare none: he hath euermore had the li-

2014berty of the prison: giue him leaue to escape hence, hee

2015would not. Drunke many times a day, if not many daies

2016entirely drunke. We haue verie oft awak'd him, as if to

2017carrie him to execution, and shew'd him a seeming war-

2018rant for it, it hath not moued him at all.

2019Duke. More of him anon: There is written in your

2020brow Prouost, honesty and constancie; if I reade it not

2021truly, my ancient skill beguiles me: but in the boldnes

2022of my cunning, I will lay my selfe in hazard: Claudio,

2023whom heere you haue warrant to execute, is no greater

2024forfeit to the Law, then Angelo who hath sentenc'd him.

2025To make you vnderstand this in a manifested effect, I

2026craue but foure daies respit: for the which, you are to

2027do me both a present, and a dangerous courtesie.

2028Pro. Pray Sir, in what?

2029Duke. In the delaying death.

2030Pro. Alacke, how may I do it? Hauing the houre li-

2031mited, and an expresse command, vnder penaltie, to de-

2032liuer his head in the view of Angelo? I may make my

2033case as Claudio's, to crosse this in the smallest.

2034Duke. By the vow of mine Order, I warrant you,

2035If my instructions may be your guide,

2036Let this Barnardine be this morning executed,

2037And his head borne to Angelo.

2038Pro. Angelo hath seene them both,

2039And will discouer the fauour.

2040Duke. Oh, death's a great disguiser, and you may

2041adde to it; Shaue the head, and tie the beard, and say it

2042was the desire of the penitent to be so bar'de before his

2043death: you know the course is common. If any thing

2044fall to you vpon this, more then thankes and good for-

2045tune, by the Saint whom I professe, I will plead against

2046it with my life.

2047Pro. Pardon me, good Father, it is against my oath.

2048Duke. Were you sworne to the Duke, or to the De-

2049putie?

2050Pro. To him, and to his Substitutes.

2051Duke. You will thinke you haue made no offence, if

2052the Duke auouch the iustice of your dealing?

2053Pro. But what likelihood is in that?

2054Duke. Not a resemblance, but a certainty; yet since

2055I see you fearfull, that neither my coate, integrity, nor

2056perswasion, can with ease attempt you, I wil go further

2057then I meant, to plucke all feares out of you. Looke

2058you Sir, heere is the hand and Seale of the Duke: you

2059know the Charracter I doubt not, and the Signet is not

2060strange to you?

2061Pro. I know them both.

2062Duke. The Contents of this, is the returne of the

2063Duke; you shall anon ouer-reade it at your pleasure:

2064where you shall finde within these two daies, he wil be

2065heere. This is a thing that Angelo knowes not, for hee

2066this very day receiues letters of strange tenor, perchance

2067of the Dukes death, perchance entering into some Mo-

2068nasterie, but by chance nothing of what is writ. Looke,

2069th' vnfolding Starre calles vp the Shepheard; put not

2070your selfe into amazement, how these things should be;

2071all difficulties are but easie when they are knowne. Call

2072your executioner, and off with Barnardines head: I will

2073giue him a present shrift, and aduise him for a better

2074place. Yet you are amaz'd, but this shall absolutely re-

2075solue you: Come away, it is almost cleere dawne. Exit.