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ESCALUS: What news abroad i' the world?
DUKE VINCENTIO: None, but that there is so great a fever on goodness, that the dissolution of it must cure it: novelty is only in request; and it is as dangerous to be aged in any kind of course, as it is virtuous to be constant in any undertaking. There is scarce truth enough alive to make societies secure; but securi...
ESCALUS: One that, above all other strifes, contended especially to know himself.
DUKE VINCENTIO: What pleasure was he given to?
ESCALUS: 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 vis...
DUKE VINCENTIO: He professes to have received no sinister measure from his judge, but most willingly humbles himself to the determination of justice: yet had he framed to himself, by the instruction of his frailty, many deceiving promises of life; which I by my good leisure have discredited to him, and now is he resolv...
ESCALUS: You have paid the heavens your function, and the prisoner the very debt of your calling. I have laboured 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.
DUKE VINCENTIO: 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.
ESCALUS: I am going to visit the prisoner. Fare you well.
DUKE VINCENTIO: Peace be with you! He who the sword of heaven will bear Should be as holy as severe; Pattern in himself to know, Grace to stand, and virtue go; More nor less to others paying Than by self-offences weighing. Shame to him whose cruel striking Kills for faults of his own liking! Twice treble shame on Angel...
MARIANA: Break off thy song, and haste thee quick away: Here comes a man of comfort, whose advice Hath often still'd my brawling discontent. I cry you mercy, sir; and well could wish You had not found me here so musical: Let me excuse me, and believe me so, My mirth it much displeased, but pleased my woe.
DUKE VINCENTIO: '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 promised here to meet.
MARIANA: You have not been inquired after: I have sat here all day.
DUKE VINCENTIO: 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.
MARIANA: I am always bound to you.
DUKE VINCENTIO: Very well met, and well come. What is the news from this good deputy?
ISABELLA: He hath a garden circummured 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 ...
DUKE VINCENTIO: But shall you on your knowledge find this way?
ISABELLA: 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 VINCENTIO: Are there no other tokens Between you 'greed concerning her observance?
ISABELLA: 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 VINCENTIO: 'Tis well borne up. I have not yet made known to Mariana A word of this. What, ho! within! come forth! I pray you, be acquainted with this maid; She comes to do you good.
ISABELLA: I do desire the like.
DUKE VINCENTIO: Do you persuade yourself that I respect you?
MARIANA: Good friar, I know you do, and have found it.
DUKE VINCENTIO: 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.
MARIANA: Will't please you walk aside?
DUKE VINCENTIO: 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 Make thee the father of their idle dreams And rack thee in their fancies. Welcome, how agreed?
ISABELLA: She'll take the enterprise upon her, father, If you advise it.
DUKE VINCENTIO: It is not my consent, But my entreaty too.
ISABELLA: Little have you to say When you depart from him, but, soft and low, 'Remember now my brother.'
MARIANA: Fear me not.
DUKE VINCENTIO: 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.
Provost: Come hither, sirrah. Can you cut off a man's head?
POMPEY: If the man be a bachelor, sir, I can; but if he be a married man, he's his wife's head, and I can never cut off a woman's head.
Provost: 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 common 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 tim...
POMPEY: 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.
Provost: What, ho! Abhorson! Where's Abhorson, there?
ABHORSON: Do you call, sir?
Provost: 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.
ABHORSON: A bawd, sir? fie upon him! he will discredit our mystery.
Provost: Go to, sir; you weigh equally; a feather will turn the scale.
POMPEY: 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?
ABHORSON: Ay, sir; a mystery
POMPEY: 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 hanged, I cannot imagine.
ABHORSON: Sir, it is a mystery.
POMPEY: Proof?
ABHORSON: 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.
Provost: Are you agreed?
POMPEY: Sir, I will serve him; for I do find your hangman is a more penitent trade than your bawd; he doth oftener ask forgiveness.
Provost: You, sirrah, provide your block and your axe to-morrow four o'clock.
ABHORSON: Come on, bawd; I will instruct thee in my trade; follow.
POMPEY: 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.
Provost: Call hither Barnardine and Claudio: The one has my pity; not a jot the other, Being a murderer, though he were my brother. 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?
CLAUDIO: As fast lock'd up in sleep as guiltless labour When it lies starkly in the traveller's bones: He will not wake.
Provost: Who can do good on him? Well, go, prepare yourself. But, hark, what noise? Heaven give your spirits comfort! By and by. I hope it is some pardon or reprieve For the most gentle Claudio. Welcome father.
DUKE VINCENTIO: The best and wholesomest spirts of the night Envelope you, good Provost! Who call'd here of late?
Provost: None, since the curfew rung.
DUKE VINCENTIO: Not Isabel?
Provost: No.
DUKE VINCENTIO: They will, then, ere't be long.
Provost: What comfort is for Claudio?
DUKE VINCENTIO: There's some in hope.
Provost: It is a bitter deputy.
DUKE VINCENTIO: Not so, not so; his life is parallel'd Even with the stroke and line of his great justice: He doth with holy abstinence subdue That in himself which he spurs on his power To qualify in others: were he meal'd with that Which he corrects, then were he tyrannous; But this being so, he's just. Now are they ...
Provost: There he must stay until the officer Arise to let him in: he is call'd up.
DUKE VINCENTIO: Have you no countermand for Claudio yet, But he must die to-morrow?
Provost: None, sir, none.
DUKE VINCENTIO: As near the dawning, provost, as it is, You shall hear more ere morning.
Provost: Happily You something know; yet I believe there comes No countermand; no such example have we: Besides, upon the very siege of justice Lord Angelo hath to the public ear Profess'd the contrary. This is his lordship's man.
DUKE VINCENTIO: And here comes Claudio's pardon.
Messenger:
Provost: I shall obey him.
DUKE VINCENTIO:
Provost: I told you. Lord Angelo, belike thinking me remiss in mine office, awakens me with this unwonted putting-on; methinks strangely, for he hath not used it before.
DUKE VINCENTIO: Pray you, let's hear.
Provost:
DUKE VINCENTIO: What is that Barnardine who is to be executed in the afternoon?
Provost: A Bohemian born, but here nursed un and bred; one that is a prisoner nine years old.
DUKE VINCENTIO: How came it that the absent duke had not either delivered him to his liberty or executed him? I have heard it was ever his manner to do so.
Provost: 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 VINCENTIO: It is now apparent?
Provost: Most manifest, and not denied by himself.
DUKE VINCENTIO: Hath he born himself penitently in prison? how seems he to be touched?
Provost: 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.
DUKE VINCENTIO: He wants advice.
Provost: 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 oft awaked him, as if to carry him to execution, and showed him a seeming warrant for it: it hath not moved him at all.
DUKE VINCENTIO: More of him anon. There is written in your brow, provost, honesty and constancy: if I 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 warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the law than Angelo who hath se...
Provost: Pray, sir, in what?
DUKE VINCENTIO: In the delaying death.
Provost: A lack, how may I do it, having the hour 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 VINCENTIO: By the vow of mine order I warrant you, if my instructions may be your guide. Let this Barnardine be this morning executed, and his head born to Angelo.
Provost: Angelo hath seen them both, and will discover the favour.
DUKE VINCENTIO: O, death's a great disguiser; and you may add to it. Shave the head, and tie the beard; and 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 ple...
Provost: Pardon me, good father; it is against my oath.
DUKE VINCENTIO: Were you sworn to the duke, or to the deputy?
Provost: To him, and to his substitutes.
DUKE VINCENTIO: You will think you have made no offence, if the duke avouch the justice of your dealing?
Provost: But what likelihood is in that?
DUKE VINCENTIO: Not a resemblance, but a certainty. Yet since I see you fearful, that neither my coat, integrity, nor persuasion can with ease attempt 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 si...