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 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 to-morrow 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, fir? Fie upon him, he will difcredit our mystery.

PROV. Go to, fir; you weigh equally; a feather will turn the fcale.

[Exit.

CLO. 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.

CLO. Painting, fir, I have heard fay, is a mystery; and your whores, fir, 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 VOL. I. B b

it little enough: fo every true man's apparel fits your thief.

Re-enter PROVOST.

PROV. Are you agreed?

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

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

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

CLO. I do defire to learn, fir; and, I hope, if you have occasion to use me for your own turn, you shall find me yare for, truly fir, for your kindness, I owe you a good

turn.

PROF. 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 Barnardine?
CLAUD. As faft lock'd up in fleep, as guiltless labour
When it lies ftarkly in the traveller's bones:
He will not wake.

PROV. Who can do good on him?

Well, go, prepare yourself. But hark, what noise?

I hope it is fome pardon, or reprieve,

[Knocking within. [Exit CLAUDIO.]

For the most gentle Claudio.-Welcome, father.

Enter DUKE.

DUKE. The best and wholesomest spirits 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 ftroke 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: were he meal'd

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

[Knocking within.-PROVOST goes out.

This is a gentle provoft: Seldom, when

The fteeled gaoler is the friend of men.

How now? What noife? That fpirit's poffefs'd with haste, That wounds the unfifting postern with these strokes. PROVOST returns, Speaking to one at the door.

PROV. There he must 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, Provoft, 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 MESSENGER.

DUKE. This is his lordship's man.

PROV. And here comes Claudio's pardon.

MESS. My lord hath fent you this note; and by me this further 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 day. PROV. I fhall obey him. [Exit MESSENGER.

DUKE. This is his pardon; purchas'd by fuch fin. [Afide. 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 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 mine office, awakens me with this unwonted putting on methinks, ftrangely; for he hath not used it before.

DUKE. Pray you, let's hear,

PROV. [Reads.] 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 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 anfwer it at your peril.

What say you to this, fir?

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

PROV. A Bohemian born; but here nurfed up and bred: one that is a prisoner nine years old.

DUKE. How came it, that the absent 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 denied by himself. DUKE. Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? How feems he to be touch'd?

PROV. A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken fleep; carelefs, reckless, and fearless of what's past, present, 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 often awaked him, as if to carry him to execution, and show'd him a feeming warrant for it: it hath not moved 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 myfelf in hazard. Claudio, whom here have a warrant to execute, is no greater you forfeit to the law than Angelo who hath sentenced 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 courtesy.

PROV. Pray, fir, in what?

B b iij