Lucio. A very superficial, ignorant, unweighing' fellow. Duke. Either this is envy in you, folly, or mistaking; the very stream of his life, and the business he hath helmed,2 must, upon a warranted need, give him a better proclamation. Let him be but testimonied in his own bringings forth, and he shall appear to the envious, a scholar, a statesman, and a soldier: Therefore, you speak unskilfully; or, if your knowledge be more, it is much darkened in your malice. Lucio. Sir, I know him, and I love him. Duke. Love talks with better knowledge, and knowledge with dearer love. Lucio. Come, sir, I know what I know. Duke. I can hardly believe that, since you know not what you speak. But, if ever the duke return (as our prayers are he may,) let me desire you to make your answer before him: If it be honest you have spoke, you have courage to maintain it: I am bound to call upon you; and, I pray you, your name? Lucio. Sir, my name is Lucio; well known to the duke. Duke. He shall know you better, sir, if I may live to report you. Lucio. fear you not. Duke. O, you hope the duke will return no more; or you imagine me too unhurtful an opposite. But, indeed, I can do you little harm; you'll forswear this again. Lucio. I'll be hang'd first: thou art deceived in me, friar. But no more of this; Canst thou tell if Claudio die to-morrow, or no? Duke. Why should he die, sir? Escal. That fellow is a fellow of much licence: let him be called before us.-Away with her to prison: Go to; no more words. [Exeunt Bawd and Officers.] Provost, my brother Angelo will not be alter'd, Claudio must die to-morrow: let him be furnished with divines, and have all charitable preparation: if my brother wrought by my pity, it should not be so with him. Prov. So please you, this friar hath been with him, and advised him for the entertainment of death. Escal. Good even, good father. Duke. Bliss and goodness on you? Duke. Not of this country, though my chance is now To use it for my time: I am a brother Escal. What news abroad i' the world? Escal. One, that, above all other strifes, contended especially to know himself. Duke. What pleasure was he given to? Escal. Rather rejoicing to see another merry, than merry at any thing which professed to make him rejoice: a gentleman of all temperance. But leave we him to his events, with a prayer they may prove prosperous; and let me desire to know how you find Claudio prepared. I am made to understand, that you have lent him visitation. Lucio. Why? for filling a bottle with a tun-dish. I would, the duke, we talk of, were return'd again: this ungenitur'd agent will unpeople the province with continency; sparrows must not build in his house-eaves, because they are lecherous. The duke yet would have dark deeds darkly answered; he Duke. He professes to have received no sinister would never bring them to light: would he were measure from his judge, but most willingly humreturn'd! Marry, this Claudio is condemn'd for un-bles himself to the determination of justice: yet had. trussing. Farewell, good friar; I pry'thee, pray he framed to himself, by the instruction of his frailfor me. The duke, I say to thee again, would eat muttons on Fridays. He's now past it; yet, and I say to thee, he would mouth with a beggar, though she smelt brown bread and garlick: say, that I said so. Farewell. [Exit. Duke. No might nor greatness in mortality Enter ESCALUs, Provost, Bawd, and Officers. Escal. Double and treble admonition, and still forfeit in the same kind? This would make mercy swear, and play the tyrant. Prov. A bawd of eleven years continuance, may it please your honour. Bawd. My lord, this is one Lucio's information against me: mistress Kate Keep-down was with child by him in the duke's time, he promised her marriage; his child is a year and a quarter old, come Philip and Jacob: I have kept it myself; and see how he goes about to abuse me. 1 i. e. inconsiderate. ty, many deceiving promises of life; which I, by my good leisure, have discredited to him, and now is he resolved to die. Escal. You have paid the heavens your function, and the prisoner the very debt of your calling. Í have labour'd for the poor gentleman, to the extremest shore of my modesty; but my brother justice have I found so severe, that he hath forced me to tell him, he is indeed-justice.10 Duke. If his own life answer the straitness of his proceeding, it shall become him well; wherein, if he chance to fail, he hath sentenced himself. Escal. I am going to visit the prisoner: Fare you well. Duke. Peace be with you! [Exeunt ESCALUS and Provost. 8 The allusion is to those legal securities into which fellowship leads men to enter for each other. For this He that hateth suretiship is sure. Prov. xi. 15. 2 Guided, steered through, a metaphor from navi- quibble Shakspeare has high authority, gation. 3 Opposite, opponent. 4 Ungenitur'd. This word seems to be formed from genitoirs, a word which occurs several times in Holland's Pliny, vol. ii. p. 321, 560, 589, and comes from the French genitoires. 5 A wench was called a laced mutton. In Doctor Faustus, 1604, Lechery says, 'I am one that loves an inch of raw mutton better than an ell of stock-fish.' Smelt, for smelt of. 7 Forfeit, transgress, offend, from forfaire. Fr. 9 i. e. satisfied; probably because conviction leads to decision or resolution. 10 Summum jus, summa in juria. 11 This passage is very obscure, nor can it be cleared without a more licentious paraphase than the reader may be willing to allow. He that bears the sword of heaven should be not less holy than severe; should be able to discover in himself a pattern of such grace as can avoid temptation, and such virtue as may go abroad into the world without danger of seduction.' Enter DUKE. [Exit Boy. I cry you mercy, sir; and well could wish To make bad, good, and good provoke to harm. Mari. You have not been inquired after. I have sat here all day. Enter ISABELLA. 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; 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 Re-enter MARIANA and ISABELLA. [Exeunt. SCENE II. A Room in the Prison. Enter Provost and Clown. 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. cond. It may indeed be the property of some unknown 1 The duke's vice may be explained by what he or forgotten author. Be this as it may, the reader will says himself, Act. i. Sc. 4. 'How may likeness, made in crimes, The old copies read making. The emendation is Mr. Malone's. The sense of this obscure passage appears to be: How may persons assuming the likeness or semblance of virtue, while they are in fact guilty of the grossest crimes, impose with this counterfeit sanctity upon the world, in order to draw to themselves by the flimsiest pretensions the most solid advantages; such as pleasure, honour, reputation, &c.' be pleased to have the second stanza. Hide, oh hide those hills of snow 4 Though the music soothed my sorrows, it had no tendency to produce light merriment. 5 Circummur'd, walled round. 6 Planched, planked, wooden. 7 i. e. informed. Thus Shylock says 'I have possess'd your grace of what I purpose.' 8 Stays, waits. 9 Quests, inquisitions, inquiries. 10 'Scapes, sallies, sportive wiles. 11 i. e. ornament, embellish an action that would otherwise seem ugly. 3 It does not appear certain to whom this beautiful little song rightly belongs. It is found with an additional stanza in Fletcher's Bloody Brother. Mr. Malone prints it as Shakspeare's, Mr. Boswell thinks Fletcher has the best claim to it; Mr. Webster that Shakspeare 12 Tilth here means land prepared for sowing. The may have written the first stanza, and Fletcher the se-old copy reads tithe; the emendation is Warburton's Prov. Sirrah, here's a fellow will help you tomorrow 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. will turn the scale. Abhor. A bawd, sir? Fye upon him, he will discredit our mystery. Prov. Go to, sir; you weigh equally; a feather [Exit. Clo. Pray, sir, by your good favour (for, surely, sir, a good favour3 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: 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. 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? 1 i. e. fetters. 2 i. e. a whipping that none shall pity. 3 Favour is countenance. 4 i. e. honest. 5 Warburton says, this proves the thief's trade a mystery, not the hangman's,' and therefore supposes that a speech in which the hangman proved his trade a mystery is lost, part of this last speech being in the old editions given to the clown. But Heath observes, The argument of the hangman is exactly similar to that of the clown. As the latter puts in his claim to the whores as members of his occupation, and in virtue of their painting would enroll his own fraternity in the mystery of painters; so the former equally lays claim to the thieves as members of his occupation, and in their right endeavours to rank his brethren the hangmen under the mystery of fitters of apparel, or tailors" 6 i e. ready. 7-í. e. strongly. When it lies starkly in the traveller's bones: Well, go, prepare yourself. But hark, what noise? I hope it is some pardon, or reprieve, For the most gentle Claudio.-Welcome, father. Enter Duke. Duke. The best and wholesome spirits of the night Envelope you, good Provost! Who call'd here of late? Prov. None, since the curfew rung. Prov. No. Duke. Not Isabel? They will then, ere't be long. Prov. What comfort is for Claudio? Duke. There's some in hope. power Prov. It is a bitter deputy. Duke. Not so, not so; his life is parallel'd Even with the strokes and line of his great justice; He doth with holy abstinence subdue That in himself, which he spurs on his To qualify in others: were he meal'di With that which he corrects, then were he tyrannous; But this being so, he's just.-Now are they come.[Knocking within.-Provost goes out This is a gentle provost: Seldom when11 The steeled gaoler is the friend of men.How now? What noise? That spirit's possess'd with haste, That wounds the unsisting12 postern with these strokes. None, sir, none. Duke. As near the dawning, Provost, as it is, You shall hear more ere morning. Happily,' 13 Prov. Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord hath sent you this note; and by me this further charge, that you swerve not from the smallest article of it, neither in time, matter, or other circumstance. Good-morrow; for, as I take it, it is almost day. Prov. I shall obey him. [Exit Messenger. Duke. This is his pardon; purchas'd by such sin. [Aside. For which the pardoner himself is in: 8 Stroke is here put for the stroke of a pen, or a line. 9 To qualify is to temper, to moderate. 10 Meal'd appears to mean here sprinkled, o'erdusted, defiled; I cannot think that in this instance it has any relation to the verb to mell, meddle or mix with 11 This is absurdly printed Seldom, when, &c. in all the late editions. Seldom-when (i. e. rarely, not often) is the steeled gaoler the friend of men. Thus in old phraseology we have seldom-time, any-when, &c. The comma between seldom and when is not in the old copy. but an arbitrary addition of some editor. 12 The old copies read thus.-Monck Mason proposed, unlisting, i e. unheeding, which is intelligible. But I prefer Sir W. Blackstone's suggestion, that unsisting may signify never at rest,' always opening. 13 Hapily, haply, perhaps the old orthography of the word. 14 i e. seat. That for the fault's love, is the offender friended, Now, sir, what news? Prov. I told you: Lord Angelo, be-like, thinking me remiss in mine office, awakens me with this un wonted putting on: methinks, strangely; for he hath not used it before. Duke. Pray you, let's hear. Prov. [Reads.] Whatever 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 sent 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 say you to this, sir? say, it was the desire of the penitent to be so bared 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 profess, I will plead against it with my life. Prov. Pardon me, good father; it is against my oath. Duke. Were you sworn 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 justice of your dealing? Prov. But what likelihood is in that? Duke. Not a resemblance, but a certainty. Yet since I see you fearful, that neither my coat, in Duke. What is that Barnardine, who is to be ex-tegrity, nor my persuasion, can with ease attempt ecuted in the afternoon? Prov. A Bohemian born; but here nursed up and bred; one that is a prisoner nine years old.2 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 so. Prov. His friends still 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. Most manifest, and not denied by himself. Duke. Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? How seems he to be touched? Prov. A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken sleep: careless, reckless, and fearless of what's past, present, or to come; insensible of mortality, and desperately mortal.3 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 seeming warrant for it: it hath not moved him at all. I Duke. More of him anon. There is written in your brow, Provost, honesty and constancy: if read it not truly, my ancient skill beguiles me: but in the boldness of my cunning, I will lay myself in hazard. Claudio, whom here you have a warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the law than Angelo who hath sentenced him: To make you understand this in a manifested effect, I crave but four days' respite; for the which you are to do me both a present and a dangerous courtesy. Prov. Pray, sir, in what? Prov. Alack! how may I do it? having the hot limited; and an express command, under penalty, to deliver his head in the view of Angelo? I may make my case as Claudio's, to cross this in the smallest. Duke. By the row of mine order, I warrant you, if my instructions may be your guide. Let this Barnardine be this morning executed, and his head borne to Angelo. Prov. Angelo hath seen them both, and will discover the favour." Duke. O, death's a great disguiser: and you may add to it. Shave the head, and tie the beard; and 1 Putting on is spur, incitement. 2 i. e. nine years in prison. 3 Perhaps we should read mortally desperate. As we have harmonious charmingly for charmingly harmonious, in the Tempest. 4 i. e. in confidence of my sagacity. 5 Countenance. 6 Shave the head and tie the beard-the course is common. This probably alludes to a practice among Roman Catholics of desiring to receive the tonsure of the monks before they died. 7 What is writ; we should read here writ; the Duke pointing to the letter in his hand. 8 So Milton in Comus: The star that bids the shepherd fold 9 i e. convince you. 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 signet is not strange to you. Prov. I know them both. Duke. The contents of this is the return of the duke; you shall anon overread it at your pleasure; where you shall find, within these two days he will be here. This is a thing that Angelo knows not: for he this very day receives letters of strange tenor; perchance, of the duke's death; perchance, entering into some monastery; but, by chance, nothing of what is writ." Look, the unfolding star calls up the shepherd. Put not yourself into amazement, how these things should be: all difficulties are but easy when they are known. Call your executioner, and off with Barnardine's head: I will give him a present shrift, and advise him for a better place. Yet you are amazed; but this shall absolutely resolve you. Come away; it is almost clear dawn. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Another Room in the same. Enter Clown. Clo. I am as well acquainted here, as I was in our house of profession: one would think it were mistress Overdone's own house, for here be many of her old customers. First, here's young mastet and old ginger, ninescore and seventeen pounds; of Rash;10 he's in for a commodity of brown paper which he made five marks, ready money: marry, then, ginger was not much in request, for the old women were all dead. Then is there here one master Caper, at the suit of master Three-pile the mercer, for some four suits of peach-colour'd satin, which now peaches him a beggar. Then have we here young Dizy, and young master Deep-vow, and master Copper-spur, and master Starve-lackey the kill'd lusty Pudding, and master Forthright the til rapier and dagger man, and young Drop-heir that ter, and brave master Shoe-tie the great traveller, and wild Half-can that stabb'd Pots, and, I think, forty more; all great doers in our trade, and are now for the Lord's sake.12 Enter ABHORSON. Abhor. Sirrah, bring Barnardine hither. Clo. Master Barnardine! you must rise and be hang'd, master Barnardine! 10 This enumeration of the inhabitants of the prison, affords a very striking view of the practices predomi naut in Shakspeare's age. Besides those whose follies are common to all times, we have four fighting men and a traveller. It is not unlikely that the originals of the pictures were then known. Rash was a silken stuff formerly worn in coats: all the names are characteristic. 11 It was the practice of money lenders in Shakspeare's time, as well as more recently, to make advan ces partly in goods and partly in cash. The goods were to be resold generally at an enormous loss upon the cost price, and of these commodities it appears that brown paper and ginger often formed a part." 12 It appears from Davies's Epigrams, 1611, that this was the language in which prisoners who were confined for debt addressed passengers ; "Good gentle writers, for the Lord's sake, for the Like Ludgate prisoners, lo, I, begging, make Abhor. What, ho, Barnardine! Barnar. [Within.] A pox o' your throats! Who makes that noise there? What are you? Clo. Your friends, sir; the hangman: You must be so good, sir, to rise and be put to death. Barnar. [Within.] Away, you rogue, away; I am sleepy. Abhor. Tell him, he must awake, and that quickly too. Clo. Pray, master Barnardine, awake till you are executed, and sleep afterwards. Abhor. Go in to him, and fetch him out. The under generation, you shall find Prov. I am your free. dependant. Quick, despatch, [Exit Provost. And send the head to Angelo. Clo. He is coming, sir, he is coming; I hear his By cold gradation and weal-balanced form, straw rustle. Enter BARNARDINE. Abhor. Is the axe upon the block, sirrah? Barnar. How now, Abhorson? what's the news with you? Abhor. Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your prayers; for, look you, the warrant's coine. Barnar. You rogue, I have been drinking all night, I am not fitted for't. Clo. O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night, and is hanged betimes in the morning, may sleep the sounder all the next day. Enter Duke. Abhor. Look you, sir, here comes your ghostly father; Do we jest now, think you? Duke. Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing how hastily you are to depart, I am come to advise you, comfort you, and pray with you. Barnar. Friar, not I; I have been drinking hard all night, and I will have more time to prepare me, or they shall beat out my brains with billets: I will not consent to die this day, that's certain. Duke. O, sir, you must: and therefore, I beseech you, Look forward on the journey you shall go. We shall proceed with Angelo. Re-enter Provost. Prov. Here is the head; I'll carry it myself. Isab. [Vithin] Peace, ho, be here! If yet her brother's pardon be come hither; Enter ISABELLA. Isab. Ho, by your leave. Duke. Good morning to you fair and gracious Isab. The better given me by so holy a man. It is no other: Barnar. I swear, I will not die to-day for any Show your wisdom, daughter, in your close patience. man's persuasion. Duke. But hear you. Barnar. Not a word; if you have any thing to say to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to-day. Enter Provost. [Exit. Duke. Unfit to live, or die: O, gravel heart!- [Exeunt ABHORSON and Clown. Prov. Here in the prison, father, There died this morning of a cruel fever A man of Claudio's years; his beard and head, This reprobate, till he were well inelined; Duke. O, is an accident that heaven provides! Prov. This shall be done, good father, presently. But Barnardine must die this afternoon: And how shall we continue Claudio, To save me from the danger that might come, your wisdom In that good path that I would wish to go; Isab. At Mariana's house to-night. Her cause and yours, Wends you with this letter Duke. Let this be done :-Put them in secret holds, If I pervert your course.-Who's here? Both Barnardine and Claudio; Ere twice The sun hath made his journal greeting to Lucio. Enter LUCIO. 1 i. e. to remove him from one world to another. The Friar, where is the Provost? Good evens agreement; so he calls Angelo the combinate husband of Mariana. 5 i. e. Go. |