Boy sings.
Take, O, take those lips away,
  That so sweetly were forsworn;
And those eyes, the break of day,
  Lights that do mislead the morn: ^note
But my kisses bring again, bring again;
Seals of love, but ^note sealed in vain, sealed in vain.

Mari.
Break off thy song, and haste thee quick away:
Here comes a man of comfort, whose advice
Hath often still'd my brawling discontent. [Exit Boy. Enter Duke disguised as before.
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 ^note much displeased, but pleased my woe.

Duke.
'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 today? much upon this time have I promised here to meet ^note.

Mari.

You have not been inquired after: I have sat here all day.

Duke.

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.

Mari.

I am always bound to you.

Duke.
Very well met, and well come ^note.
What is the news from this good Deputy?

Isab.
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 the night
To call upon him. ^note

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

Isab.
I have ta'en a due and wary note upon't:

With whispering and most guilty diligence,
In action all of precept ^note, he did show me
The way twice o'er.

Duke.
Are there no other tokens
Between you 'greed concerning her observance?

Isab.
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.
'Tis well borne up.
I have not yet made known to Mariana
A word of this. What, ho! within! come forth! ^note Re-enter Mariana.
I pray you, be acquainted with this maid;
She comes to do you good.

Isab.
I do desire the like.

Duke.
Do you persuade yourself that I respect you?

Mari.
Good friar, I know you do, and have ^note 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;
The vaporous night approaches.

Mari.
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
Run with these ^note false and most contrarious quests ^note
Upon thy doings! thousand escapes ^note of wit
Make thee the father of their idle dreams ^note,
And rack thee in their fancies ^note!

Re-enter Mariana and Isabella.
Welcome, how agreed? ^{note note}

Isab.
She'll take the enterprise upon her, father,
If you advise it.

Duke.
It is ^note not my consent,
But my entreaty too.

Isab.
Little have you to say
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 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 ^note to sow ^note. [Exeunt. ^note Scene II. [Footnote: A room in the prison. Enter Provost and Pompey.

Prov.

Come hither, sirrah. Can you cut off a man's head?

Pom.

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. ^note

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 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 time of imprisonment, and your deliverance with an unpitied whipping, for you have been a notorious bawd.

Pom.

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.

Prov.

What, ho! Abhorson! Where's Abhorson, there?

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, use him for the present, and dismiss him. He cannot plead his estimation with you; he hath been a bawd.

Abhor.

A bawd, sir? fie upon him! he will discredit our mystery.

Prov.

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

Pom.

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?

Abhor.

Ay, sir; a mystery.

Pom.

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.

Abhor.

Sir, it is a mystery.

Pom.

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 ^{note note}.

Re-enter Provost.

Prov.

Are you agreed?

Pom.

Sir, I will serve him; for I do find your hangman is a more penitent trade than your ^note 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.

Pom.

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 ^note; for, truly, sir, for your kindness I owe you a good turn.

Prov.
Call hither Barnardine and Claudio: [Exeunt Pompey and Abhorson.
The one ^note has my pity; not a jot the other,
Being a murderer, though he were my brother. ^note 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?

Claud.
As fast lock'd up in sleep as guiltless labour
When it lies starkly in the traveller's bones:
He will not wake ^note.

Prov.
Who can do good on him?
Well, go, prepare yourself ^note. [Knocking within.] But, hark, what noise?—
Heaven give your spirits comfort! [Exit Claudio.] By and by.— ^note
I hope it is some pardon or reprieve
For the most gentle Claudio.

Enter Duke disguised as before.
Welcome, father.

Duke.
The best and wholesomest spirits of the night
Envelop you, good Provost! Who call'd here of late?

Prov.
None ^note, since the curfew rung.

Duke.
Not Isabel?

Prov.
No.

Duke.
They ^note will, then, ere't be long.

Prov.
What comfort is for Claudio?

Duke.
There's some in hope.

Prov.
It is a bitter Deputy.

Duke.
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. [Knocking within.
Now are they come. [Exit Provost.
This is a gentle provost: seldom when
The steeled gaoler is the friend of men. [Knocking within.
How now! what noise? That spirit's possessed with haste
That wounds the unsisting ^note postern with these strokes. Re-enter Provost ^note.

Prov.
There he must stay until the officer
Arise to let him in: he is call'd up.

Duke.
Have you no countermand for Claudio yet,
But he must die to-morrow?

Prov.
None, sir, none.

Duke.
As near the dawning, provost, as it is,
You shall hear more ere morning.

Prov.
Happily ^note
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. ^note Enter a Messenger.
This is his lordship's ^note man.

Duke.
And here comes Claudio's pardon ^note.

Mes. [Giving a paper]

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. ^note

Prov.

I shall obey him.

Duke. [Aside]
This is his pardon, purchased by such sin
For which the pardoner himself is in.
Hence hath offence his quick celerity,
When it is borne in high authority:
When vice makes mercy, mercy's so extended,
That for the fault's love is the offender friended.
Now, sir, what news?

Prov.

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.

Pray you ^note, let's hear.

Prov. [Reads ^note]

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 sent me by five.

Let this be duly ^note 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?

Duke.

What is that Barnardine who is to be executed in the afternoon?

Prov.

A Bohemian born, but here nursed up and bred; one that is a prisoner nine years old.

Duke.

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.

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.

It is ^note 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 ^note, and fearless of what's past, present, or to come; insensible of mortality, and desperately mortal ^note.

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 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.

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 my self in hazard. Claudio, whom here you have 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?

Duke.

In the delaying death.

Prov.

Alack, 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.

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 borne to Angelo.

Prov.

Angelo hath seen them both, and will discover the favour. ^note

Duke.

O, death's a great disguiser; and you may add to it. Shave the head, and tie ^note the beard; and say it was the desire of the penitent to be so bared ^note 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, integrity, nor persuasion ^note 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 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 over-read it at your pleasure; where you

shall find, within these two days he will be here. This is a thing that ^note Angelo knows not; for he this very day receives letters of strange tenour; perchance of the Duke's death; perchance entering into some monastery; but, by chance, nothing of what is writ ^note. 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.