You had not found me here so musical:

Let me excuse me, and believe me so,

My mirth it much displeas'd, but pleas'd my woe. Duke. Tis good: though music oft hath such a charm,

To make bad good, and good provoke to harm.

I pray you, tell me, hath any body inquired for me here to-day? much upon this time have I promis'd here to

meet.

Mari. You have not been inquired after: I have sat here all day.

Enter ISABELLA.

Duke. I do constantly believe you. The time is come, even now. I shall crave your forbearance a little : may be, I will call upon you anon, for some advantage to yourself.

Mari. I am always bound to you.

Duke. Very well met, and welcome.

What is the news from this good deputy?

[Exit.

Isab. He hath a garden circummur'd with brick,
Whose western side is with a vineyard back'd;
And to that vineyard is a planched gate,
That makes his opening with this bigger key:
This other doth command a little door,
Which from the vineyard to the garden leads;
There have I made my promise upon the heavy
Middle of the night to call upon him'.

6

a PLANCHED gate.] i. e. A gate made of boards: from the Fr. Planche. 7 There have I made my promise upon the heavy

Middle of the night to call upon him.] The old folios thus regulate these lines:

:

"There have I made my promise, upon the

Heavy middle of the night to call upon him."

And Malone reads:

"There have I made my promise to call on him

Upon the heavy middle of the night."

There is no need to take so much liberty with the text, for if we were to read upon in the first line on, the measure is not defective, though somewhat harsh.

Duke. But shall you on your knowledge find this way?

Isab. I have ta'en a due and wary note upon't:
With whispering and most guilty diligence,

In action all of precept, he did show me
The way twice o'er.

Duke.
Are there no other tokens
Between you 'greed, concerning her observance?
Isab. No, none, but only a repair i' the dark;
And that I have possess'd him my most stay
Can be but brief: for I have made him know,
I have a servant comes with me along,
That stays upon me; whose persuasion is,
I come about my brother.

Duke.

"Tis well borne up.

I have not yet made known to Mariana

A word of this.-What, ho! within! come forth.

Re-enter MARIANA.

I pray you, be acquainted with this maid:
She comes to do you good.

I do desire the like.

Isab.
Duke. Do you persuade yourself that I respect you?
Mari. Good friar, I know you do, and have found it.
Duke. Take then this your companion by the hand,
Who hath a story ready for your ear.

I shall attend your leisure: but make haste;
The vaporous night approaches.

Mari.

Will't please you walk aside? [Exeunt MARIANA and ISABELLA.

Duke. O place and greatness! millions of false eyes Are stuck upon thee. Volumes of report

Run with these false and most contrarious quests
Upon thy doings: thousand escapes of wit

8

$ — and most contrarious QUESTS] The first folio reads quest: the alteration

was made in the second folio.

Make thee the father of their idle dream.

And rack thee in their fancies!

Re-enter MARIANA and ISABELLA.

Welcome! How agreed?

Isab. She'll take the enterprize upon her, father,

If you advise it.

Duke.

It is not my consent,

Little have you to say,

But my entreaty too.

Isab

When you depart from him, but, soft and low, "Remember now my brother."

Mari.

Fear me not.

Duke. Nor, gentle daughter, fear you not at all.

He is your husband on a pre-contract:

To bring you thus together, 'tis no sin,

Sith that the justice of your title to him.
Doth flourish the deceit. Come, let us go:
Our corn's to reap, for yet our tithe's to sow.

SCENE II.

A Room in the Prison.

Enter Provost and Clown.

[Exeunt.

Prov. Come hither, sirrah. Can you cut off a man's head?

Clo. If the man be a bachelor, sir, I can; but if he be a married man, he is his wife's head, and I can never cut off a woman's head.

Prov. Come, sir; leave me your snatches, and yield me a direct answer. To-morrow morning are to die Claudio and Barnardine: here is in our prison a com

- for yet our TITHE'S to sow.] Warburton very plausibly conjectured that we ought to read tilth for tithe, meaning the ground as prepared for seed. With this observation, we adhere to the ancient reading.

mon executioner, who in his office lacks a helper: if you will take it on you to assist him, it shall redeem you from 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 some instruction from my fellow partner.

Prov. What ho, Abhorson!

there?

Where's Abhorson,

Enter ABHORSON.

Abhor. Do you call, sir.

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, sir? Fie upon him! he will discredit our mystery.

Prov. Go to, sir; you weigh equally: a feather will turn the scale. [Exit.

Clo. 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.

Clo. Painting, sir, I have heard say, is a mystery; and your whores, sir, 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.

Clo. 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: so, every true man's apparel fits your thief'.

Re-enter Provost.

Prov. Are you agreed?

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

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

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

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

Prov. Call hither Barnardine and Claudio:

[Exeunt Clown and ABHORSON. Th' 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 fast lock'd up in sleep, as guiltless labour,
When it lies starkly in the traveller's bones:

He will not wake.

3

Iso every true man's apparel fits your thief.] This is the old and the correct division of the dialogue, though the last speech of the Clown has been usually coupled with Abhorson's answer. The Clown asks Abhorson for "proof" that his occupation is a mystery, and receives for reply, merely, "Every true man's (i. e. honest man's) apparel fits your thief." The Clown, who is a quick fellow, instantly catches at the mode of reasoning passing in Abhorson's mind, and explains in what way "every true man's apparel fits your thief." Abhorson is not a man of many words, and contents himself with the assertion upon which the Clown enlarges.

2

3

- yare :] i. e. Handy, nimble in the execution of the office.
starkly] Stiffly.