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Duke. But fhall you on your knowledge find this Way?
Ifab. I have ta'en a due and wary Note upon't;
With whifpering, and moft guilty Diligence,

In Action of all Precept, he did fhow me
The way twice o'er.

Duke. Are there no other Tokens

Between you 'greed, concerning her Obfervance?
Ifab. No; none but only a Repair i' th' dark,
And that I have poffeft him, my moft ftay
Can be but brief; for I have made him know,
I have a Servant comes with me along,
That ftays upon me, whofe Perfuafion is
I come about my Brother.

Duke. Tis well born up.

I have not yet made known to Mariana

A Word of this. What hoa! within! come forth!
Enter Mariana.

I pray you be acquainted with this Maid;

She comes to do you good.

Ifab. I do defire the like.

Duke. Do you perfuade your felf that I refpect 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 fhall attend your leifure; but make hafte;

The vaporous Night approaches.

Mari. Wilt pleafe you walk afide?

[Exit.

Duke. Oh Place, and Greatnefs! Millions of false. Eyes

Are stuck upon thee: Volumes of Report

Run with thefe falfe and moft contrarious Quests
Upon thy Doings: Thoufand Efcapes of Wit

Make thee the Father of an idle Dream,

And rack thee in their Fancies. Welcome, how agreed?

If

Enter Mariana and Ifabel.

Ifab. She'll take the Enterprize upon her, Father,

you advise it.

Duke. It is not my Confent,

But my Intreaty too.

Ifab. Little have you to fay

When you depart from him, but foft 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 Juftice of your Title to him
Doth flourish the Deceit. Come, let us go;
Our Corn's to reap, for yet our Tythes to fow.

SCENE II. The Prison.

Enter Provoft and Clown.

[Exeunt.

Prov. Come hither, Sirrah: Can you cut off a Man's Head?

Clown. If the Man be a Batchelor, Sir, I can:

But if he be a marry'd Man, he's 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 Prifon a common Executio ner, who in his Office lacks a Helper; if you will take it on you to affift 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.

Clown. 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 FellowPartner.

Prov. What hoa, Abhorfon! where's Abhorfon there?
Enter Abhorfon.

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, ufe him for the prefent, and difmifs him. He cannot plead his Eftimation with you; he hath been a Bawd.

Abhor. A Bawd, Sir? Fie upon him, he will difcredit our Mystery.

Prov. Go to, Sir; you weigh equally, a Feather will turn the Scale.

[Exit.

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Clown. Pray Sir, by your good Favour; for furely, 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 should be in hanging, if I fhould be hang'd, I cannot imagine.

Abhor. Sir, it is a Mystery.

Clown. Proof.

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: So every true Man's Apparel fits your Thief.

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, Sirrah, provide your Block and

Morrow, four a Clock.

your Ax to 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 occafion to use me for your own turn, you shall find me yours: For truly, Sir, for your Kindness, I owe you a good

turn.

Prov. Call hither Barnardine and Claudio: Th' one has my Pity; not a jot the other, Being a Murtherer, 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 Sleep as guiltlefs Labour,
When it lyes ftarkly in the Traveller's Bones:
He will not wake.

Prov. Who can do good on him?

Well, go, prepare your felf. 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.

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Duke. The beft and wholfom'ft Spirits of the Night Invellop you, good Provost: 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's fome in hope.

Prov. It is a bitter Deputy.

Duke. Not fo, not fo; his Life is parallel'd
Even with the Stroak and Line of his great Justice;
He doth with holy Abftinence fubdue

That in himself which he fpurs on his Power
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.

This is a gentle Provost, feldom when
The fteeled Goaler is the Friend of Men.

How now? What Noife? That Spirit's poffeft with hafte
That wounds th' unrefifting Postern with these Strokes.
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 shall hear more e'er 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 publick Ear

Profeft the contrary.

Enter a Messenger.

Duke. This is his Lord's Man.

Prov. And here comes Claudio's Pardon.

R 3

Meff

Meff. 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 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 Sin
For which the Pardoner himself is in:
Hence hath Offence his quick Celerity,1
When it is born in high Authority;

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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 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 Satisfaction, 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 executed in th' Afternoon?

Prov. A Bohemian born; but here nurft up and bred, One that is a Prifoner 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. It is now apparent?

Prov. Moft manifeft, and not deny'd by himself,

Duke

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