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Duke. VER

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ERY well met, and welcome: What is the news from this good deputy? Ifab. He hath a garden circummur'd with brick, Whose western fide is with a vineyard backt; 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, on the heavy middle of the night, Have I my promife made to call upon him.

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

Ifab. I've ta'en a due and wary note upon't;
With whifp'ring and moft guilty diligence,
In action all of precept, he did fhew 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 most stay
Can be but brief; for I have made him know,
I have a fervant comes with me along,
That stays 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!

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I pray you be acquainted with this maid;

She comes to do you good.

Ifab. I do defire the like.

Duke. Do you perfuade yourself that I respect you?

Mari. Good Friar, I know you do; and I 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 please you walk afide?

[Exeunt Mar. and Ifab. Duke. O place and greatnefs! millions of false

eyes

Are ftuck upon thee: volumes of report

Run with these false and moft contrarious quefts
Upon thy doings; thousand 'fcapes of wit

Make thee the father of their idle dreams,

And rack thee in their fancies! welcome; how

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Re-enter Mariana, and Ifabel.

Ijab. If you advise it.

HE'LL take the enterprize upon her, father,

Duke. 'Tis not my confent,

But my intreaty too.

Ifab. Little have you to fay,

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 fin;

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 tilth's to fow. Exeu.

for yet our tythe's to fow. ] It must be Tilth; that is our Tillage is yet to be made; our Grain is yet to be put in the Ground; the Project, from which we expect to Profit in the Iffue, is fill to be put in Hand. Mr. Theobald.

D 6

SCENE

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Changes to the Prifon.

Enter Provoft and Clown.

Prou. C man's head?

COME hither, firrah: can you cut off a

Clown. If the man be a batchelor, Sir, I can: but if he be a marry'd 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 prifon a common executioner, who in his office lacks a helper; you will take it on you to affift him, it shall redeem you from your gyves: if not, you fhall have your full time of imprisonment, and your deliverance with an unpitied whipping; for you have been a notorious bawd.

if

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 fellow-partner.

Prov. What hoa, Abhorson! where's Abhorson, there?

Enter Abhorson.

Abhor. Do you call, Sir?

row in

if

Prov. Sirrah, here's a fellow will help you to-morthink it meet, comyour execution; you pound 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 estimation with you, he hath been a bawd.

Abhor. A bawd, Sir? fie upon him, he will difcredit our mistery.

Prov. Go to, Sir, you weigh equally; a feather will turn the scale.

[Exit.

Clown. 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 mistery? Abhor. Ay, Sir; a mistery.

Clown. Painting, Sir, I have heard fay, is a miftery and your whores, Sir, being members of my occupation, ufing painting, do prove my occupation a miftery: but what miftery there fhould be in hanging, if I fhould be hang'd, I cannot imagine. 4bClown Sir, it is a mistery.

Abhor. Proof.

Clown Clown. 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?

Clown. Sir, I will ferve him: for I do find, your hangman is a more penitent trade than your bawd; he doth oftner afk forgiveness.

Prov. You, firrah, provide your block and your ax to-morrow, four o'clock.

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 fhall find me yare: for, truly, Sir, for your kindnefs I owe you a good turn.

Prov. Call hither Barnardine, and Claudio:
One has my pity; not a jot the other,
Being a murth'rer, tho' he were my brother.

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[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 fleep, as guiltlefs labour

When

When it lies ftarkly in the traveller's bones:
He'll not awake.

Prov. Who can do good on him?

Well, go, prepare yourself. [Exit Claud.] But, hark,

what noife?

[Knock within. Heav'n give your fpirits comfort !-by and by;I hope it is fome pardon, or reprieve,

For the most gentle Claudio. Welcome, father.
Enter Duke.

---

Duke. The beft and wholefom'ft fpirits of the night Invellop you, good Provoft! 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 is fome in hope.

Prov. It is a bitter deputy.

Duke. Not fo, not fo; his life is parallel'd

Ev'n with the ftroke and line of his great juftice;
He doth with holy abftinence subdue

That in himself, which he fpurs on his pow'r

To qualify in others.

* Where he meal'd

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

[Knock again. Provoft goes out.

This is a gentle Provost; seldom, when

The fteeled goaler is the friend of men.

How now? what noife? that spirit's poffeft with hafte, That wounds th' unrefifting poftern with these ftrokes.

Provost returns.

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.

meal'd.] i. e. mingled.

Duke.

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