1    I am as well acquainted here as I was in our house
2    of profession: one would think it were Mistress
3    Overdone's own house, for here be many of her old
4    customers. First, here's young Master Rash; he's in
5    for a commodity of brown paper and old ginger,
6    ninescore and seventeen pounds; of which he made
7    five marks, ready money: marry, then ginger was not
8    much in request, for the old women were all dead.
9    Then is there here one Master Caper, at the suit of
10   Master Three-pile the mercer, for some four suits of
11   peach-coloured satin, which now peaches him a
12   beggar. Then have we here young Dizy, and young
13   Master Deep-vow, and Master Copperspur, and Master
14   Starve-lackey the rapier and dagger man, and young
15   Drop-heir that killed lusty Pudding, and Master
16   Forthlight the tilter, and brave Master Shooty the
17   great traveller, and wild Half-can that stabbed
18   Pots, and, I think, forty more; all great doers in
19   our trade, and are now 'for the Lord's sake.'

20   Sirrah, bring Barnardine hither.

21   Master Barnardine! you must rise and be hanged.
22   Master Barnardine!

23   What, ho, Barnardine!

Within
24    A pox o' your throats! Who makes that
25   noise there? What are you?

26   Your friends, sir; the hangman. You must be so
27   good, sir, to rise and be put to death.

Within
28    Away, you rogue, away! I am sleepy.

29   Tell him he must awake, and that quickly too.

30   Pray, Master Barnardine, awake till you are
31   executed, and sleep afterwards.

32   Go in to him, and fetch him out.

33   He is coming, sir, he is coming; I hear his straw rustle.

34   Is the axe upon the block, sirrah?

35   Very ready, sir.

36   How now, Abhorson? what's the news with you?

37   Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your
38   prayers; for, look you, the warrant's come.

39   You rogue, I have been drinking all night; I am not
40   fitted for 't.

41   O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night,
42   and is hanged betimes in the morning, may sleep the
43   sounder all the next day.

44   Look you, sir; here comes your ghostly father: do
45   we jest now, think you?

46   Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing how hastily
47   you are to depart, I am come to advise you, comfort
48   you and pray with you.

49   Friar, not I I have been drinking hard all night,
50   and I will have more time to prepare me, or they
51   shall beat out my brains with billets: I will not
52   consent to die this day, that's certain.

53   O, sir, you must: and therefore I beseech you
54   Look forward on the journey you shall go.

55   I swear I will not die to-day for any man's
56   persuasion.

57   But hear you.

58   Not a word: if you have any thing to say to me,
59   come to my ward; for thence will not I to-day.

60   Unfit to live or die: O gravel heart!
61   After him, fellows; bring him to the block.

62   Now, sir, how do you find the prisoner?

63   A creature unprepared, unmeet for death;
64   And to transport him in the mind he is
65   Were damnable.

66   Here in the prison, father,
67   There died this morning of a cruel fever
68   One Ragozine, a most notorious pirate,
69   A man of Claudio's years; his beard and head
70   Just of his colour. What if we do omit
71   This reprobate till he were well inclined;
72   And satisfy the deputy with the visage
73   Of Ragozine, more like to Claudio?

74   O, 'tis an accident that heaven provides!
75   Dispatch it presently; the hour draws on
76   Prefix'd by Angelo: see this be done,
77   And sent according to command; whiles I
78   Persuade this rude wretch willingly to die.

79   This shall be done, good father, presently.
80   But Barnardine must die this afternoon:
81   And how shall we continue Claudio,
82   To save me from the danger that might come
83   If he were known alive?

84   Let this be done.
85   Put them in secret holds, both Barnardine and Claudio:
86   Ere twice the sun hath made his journal greeting
87   To the under generation, you shall find
88   Your safety manifested.

89   I am your free dependant.

90   Quick, dispatch, and send the head to Angelo.
Exit Provost
91   Now will I write letters to Angelo,--
92   The provost, he shall bear them, whose contents
93   Shall witness to him I am near at home,
94   And that, by great injunctions, I am bound
95   To enter publicly: him I'll desire
96   To meet me at the consecrated fount
97   A league below the city; and from thence,
98   By cold gradation and well-balanced form,
99   We shall proceed with Angelo.

100  Here is the head; I'll carry it myself.

101  Convenient is it. Make a swift return;
102  For I would commune with you of such things
103  That want no ear but yours.

104  I'll make all speed.

Within
105   Peace, ho, be here!

106  The tongue of Isabel. She's come to know
107  If yet her brother's pardon be come hither:
108  But I will keep her ignorant of her good,
109  To make her heavenly comforts of despair,
110  When it is least expected.

111  Ho, by your leave!

112  Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter.

113  The better, given me by so holy a man.
114  Hath yet the deputy sent my brother's pardon?

115  He hath released him, Isabel, from the world:
116  His head is off and sent to Angelo.

117  Nay, but it is not so.

118  It is no other: show your wisdom, daughter,
119  In your close patience.

120  O, I will to him and pluck out his eyes!

121  You shall not be admitted to his sight.

122  Unhappy Claudio! wretched Isabel!
123  Injurious world! most damned Angelo!

124  This nor hurts him nor profits you a jot;
125  Forbear it therefore; give your cause to heaven.
126  Mark what I say, which you shall find
127  By every syllable a faithful verity:
128  The duke comes home to-morrow; nay, dry your eyes;
129  One of our convent, and his confessor,
130  Gives me this instance: already he hath carried
131  Notice to Escalus and Angelo,
132  Who do prepare to meet him at the gates,
133  There to give up their power. If you can, pace your wisdom
134  In that good path that I would wish it go,
135  And you shall have your bosom on this wretch,
136  Grace of the duke, revenges to your heart,
137  And general honour.

138  I am directed by you.

139  This letter, then, to Friar Peter give;
140  'Tis that he sent me of the duke's return:
141  Say, by this token, I desire his company
142  At Mariana's house to-night. Her cause and yours
143  I'll perfect him withal, and he shall bring you
144  Before the duke, and to the head of Angelo
145  Accuse him home and home. For my poor self,
146  I am combined by a sacred vow
147  And shall be absent. Wend you with this letter:
148  Command these fretting waters from your eyes
149  With a light heart; trust not my holy order,
150  If I pervert your course. Who's here?

151  Good even. Friar, where's the provost?

152  Not within, sir.

153  O pretty Isabella, I am pale at mine heart to see
154  thine eyes so red: thou must be patient. I am fain
155  to dine and sup with water and bran; I dare not for
156  my head fill my belly; one fruitful meal would set
157  me to 't. But they say the duke will be here
158  to-morrow. By my troth, Isabel, I loved thy brother:
159  if the old fantastical duke of dark corners had been
160  at home, he had lived.

161  Sir, the duke is marvellous little beholding to your
162  reports; but the best is, he lives not in them.

163  Friar, thou knowest not the duke so well as I do:
164  he's a better woodman than thou takest him for.

165  Well, you'll answer this one day. Fare ye well.

166  Nay, tarry; I'll go along with thee
167  I can tell thee pretty tales of the duke.

168  You have told me too many of him already, sir, if
169  they be true; if not true, none were enough.

170  I was once before him for getting a wench with child.

171  Did you such a thing?

172  Yes, marry, did I but I was fain to forswear it;
173  they would else have married me to the rotten medlar.

174  Sir, your company is fairer than honest. Rest you well.

175  By my troth, I'll go with thee to the lane's end:
176  if bawdy talk offend you, we'll have very little of
177  it. Nay, friar, I am a kind of burr; I shall stick.