Sir, a good favour you have, but that you have a hanging look;) do you call, Sir, your occupation a miftery? Abhor. Ay, Sir; a miftery.

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

:

Clown. Sir, it is a mistery.

Abhor. Proof.

Clown. 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; 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 afk forgivenefs.

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

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 fhall find me yare: for, truly, Sir, for your kindnefs 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..

[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 sleep, as guiltlefs labour

When

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

Prov. Who can do good on him?

Well, go, prepare yourself. [Exit Caud.] But, hark,

what noife?

[Knock within. Heav'n give your spirits comfort !—by and by ;I hope it is fome pardon, or reprieve,

For the most 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. These is fome in hope.

Prov. It is a bitter deputy.

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

That in himself, which he fpurs on his pow'r
To qualify in others. Where he * meal'd

With that, which he corrects, then were he tyrannous;
But this being fo, he's juft. Now they are come.
[Knock again. Provoft goes out.

This is a gentle Provoft; feldom, when

The fteeled goaler is the friend of men.

How now? what noife? that spirit's poffeft with haste, That wounds th' unrefifting poftern with these ftrokes.

Provoft 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.

*meal'd.] i. e, mingled.

Duke.

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 juftice,

Lord Angelo hath to the public ear

Profeft the contrary.

Duke.

SCENE VII.

Enter a Meffenger.

HIS is his lordship's man,

Th

Prov. And here comes Claudio's pardon. Meff. My lord hath fent you this note, and by me the further charge, that you fwerve not from the smallest 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 Meffenger.

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

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

When vice makes mercy, mercy's so extended,
That, for the fault's love, is th' offender friended.
Now, Sir, whạt 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.

Provoft reads the letter.

Whatsoever 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

head fent me by five. Let this be duly perform'd, 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 exe-. cuted 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 so.

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 penitent in prison? how feems he to be touch'd?

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

Duke. He wants advice.

Prov. He will hear none; he hath evermore had the liberty of the prison: give him leave to escape hence, he would not drunk many times a day, if not many days entirely drunk. We have very oft awak'd him, as if to carry him to execution, and fhew'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 boldnefs of my cunning, I will lay myself in hazard. Claudio, whom here you have warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the law than Angelo, who hath fentenc'd him. To make you understand this in a manifefted

manifefted effect, I crave but four days refpite; for the which you are to do me both a present and a dangerous courtesy.

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 crofs this in the fmallest.

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 borne to Angelo.

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

Duke. Oh, death's a great disguiser, 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 course 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 againft 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 fubftitutes.

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

Prov. But what likelihood is in that?

Duke. Not a resemblance, but a certainty. Yet fince I fee you fearful, that neither my coat, integrity, nor my persuasion, can with ease attempt you, I will go further than I meant, to pluck all fears out of you. Look you, Sir, here is the hand and seal of the Duke; you know the character, I doubt not; and the fignet is not strange to you.

Prov. I know them both.

Duke.