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

Prov. Go to, Sir, you weigh equally; a feather will turn the fcale. [Exit. Clown. 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.

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

Abbor. Sir, it is a mystery.

Clown. Proof.

Abhor. (23) Every true man's apparel fits your thief, Clown: If it be too little for your true man, your Thief thinks it big enough. If it be too big for your true man, your thief thinks it little enough; fo every true man's apparel fits your thief.

Re-enter Provost.

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 ask forgiveness.

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

(23) 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.] This is a very notable Paffage, as it ftands in all the Editions; but, I dare fay, is notably corrupted; and both the Speeches, and the Words, fhuffled and misplaced. What! does the Clown ask Proof, how the Hangman's Trade is a Myftery; and, fo foon as ever Abhorfon advances his Thefis to prove it, the Clown takes the Argument out of his Mouth, and perverts the very Tenour of it? I am latisfied, the Poet intended a regular Syllogifm; and I fubmit it to judgment, whether my Regulation has not reitor'd that Wit, and Humour which was quite loft in the Depravation.

VOL. I.

B b

Abbor.

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

Clown. I do defire to learn, Sir; and I hope, if you have occasion to use me for your own turn, you (24) fhall find me yare: for, truly, Sir, for your kindness I owe you a good turn.

Prov. Call hither Barnardine, and Claudio:
One has my pity; not a jot the other,
Being a murth'rer, tho' he were my brother.

Enter Claudio.

[Exit.

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 labour
When it lyes ftarkly in the traveller's bones:
He'll not awake.

Prov. Who can do Good on him?

Well, go, prepare your self. [Ex. Claud.] But, hark, what noife? [Knock within. Heav'n give your fpirits comfort!-by and by;I hope, it is fome Pardon, or Reprieve,

For the noft gentle Claudio. Welcome, father.

Enter Duke.

Duke. The best and wholefom'ft fpirits of the night Invellop you, good Provoft! who call'd here of late? Prov. None, fince the curphew rung.

Duke. Not Ifabel?

Prov. No.

Duke. They will then, ere't be long.
Prov. What comfort is for Claudio?
Duke. There is fome in hope.

Prov. It is a bitter Deputy.

(24) You shall find me yours ;] This Reading, I believe, was firft Mr. Rowe's; and confequently adopted by the laft Editor. The old Books have it, You fhall find me y'are. Very little Sagacity might have inftructed them, that the Corruption is only in the Apoftrophe; and that the Poet's Word was jare; i. e. dextrous in the Office; a Word very frequent in our Author's Writings.

Duke.

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

That in himself, which he fpurs on his Pow'r

To qualifie in others. Were he meal'd

With That, which he corrects, then were he tyrannous; But this being fo, he's juft. Now are they come.

[Knock again. Provoft goes out.

This is a gentle Provoft; feldom when

The steeled goaler is the friend of men.

How now? what noife? that fpirit's poffeft with hafte, That wounds th' unrefifting postern with these strokes.

[Provost returns.

Prov. There he muft ftay, 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, Sir, 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 Siege of justice,

Lord Angelo hath to the publick ear

Profeft the contrary.

Enter a Meffenger.

Duke. This is his lordship's man.

Prov. And here comes Claudio's Pardon.

Me. My lord hath fent you this note, and by me this further charge, that you fwerve not from the fmalleft article of it, neither in time, matter, or other circumstance. Good morrow; for as I take it, it is almoft day.

Prov. I fhall obey him.

[Exit Meffen. 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 born in high authority;

When vice makes mercy, mercy's fo extended,

That, for the fault's love, is th' offender friended.
Now, Sir, what news?

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

Duke. Pray you, let's hear.

Provost reads the letter.

Whatfoever you may hear to the contrary, let Claudio 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 performed, with a thought that more depends on it than we must yet deliver. Thus fail not to do your office, as you will answer it at your peril.

What fay you to this, Sir?

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

Prov. A Bohemian born; but here nurft up and bred; one, that is a prisoner 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 fo.

Prov. His friends ftill 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?

Prov. Moft manifeft, and not deny'd by himself. Duke. Hath he born himself penitently in prifon? how feems he to be touch'd?/

Prov. A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken fleep; careless, reckless, and fearless of what's paft, 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

not many days entirely drunk. We have very oft awak'd him, as if to carry him to execution, and shew'd him a feeming Warrant for it; it hath not mov'd him at all.

Duke. More of him anon. There is written in your brow, Provost, honefty and conftancy; if I read it not truly, my ancient skill beguiles me; but in the boldness of my cunning, I will lay my self in hazard. Claudio, whom here you have Warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the law than Angelo, who hath sentenc'd him. To make you understand this in a manifefted effect, I crave but four days refpite; for the which you are to do me both a present and a dangerous courtefie.

Prov. Pray, Sir, in what?

Duke. In the delaying death.

Prov. Alack! how may I do it, having the hour limited, and an exprefs command, under penalty, to deliver his head in the view of Angelo? I may make my cafe as Claudio's, to cross this in the smallest.

Duke. By the vow of mine Order, I warrant you, if my inftructions may be your guide: let this Barnardine be this morning executed, and his head born to Angelo.

Prov. Angelo hath feen them both, and will difcover the favour.

Duke. Oh, death's a great difguifer, and you may add to it; fhave the head, and tie the beard, and fay it was the defire of the penitent to be fo barb'd before his death; you know the courfe is common. If any thing fall to you upon this, more than thanks and good fortune; by the Saint whom I profefs, I will plead against it with my life.

Prov. Pardon me, good father; it is against my

oath.

Duke. Were you fworn to the Duke, or to the Deputy?

Prov. To him, and to his Substitutes.

Duke. You will think you have made no offence, if the Duke avouch the juftice of your dealing?

Bb 3

Prov