Re-enter Provoft. 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. y Prov. You, firrah, provide your block and your axe, to-morrow four o'clock. Abbor. Come on, bawd; I will inftruct thee in my trade; follow. Clown. I do defire to learn, fir; and, I hope, if you have occasion to use me for your own turn, you shall find me yare for, truly fir, for your kindness, I owe you ‘a good turn. Prov. Call hither Barnardine and Claudio: One has my pity; not a jot the other, Being a murtherer, though he were my brother. Enter Claudio. [Exit, Look here's the warrant, Claudio, for thy death: He will not wake. Prov. Who can do good on him? Well, go, prepare yourself. [Exit Claud.] But, hark, what noife? [Knock within. Heaven give your fpirits comfort !-By and by; I hope it is fome pardon, or reprieve, For the moft gentle Claudio.-Welcome, father. Y forgiveness.]-of the fufferer. 2 2 yare:]-apt, handy. TEMPEST, A&t I, S. 1. Boats. ftarkly]-ftiffly. Enter Enter Duke. Duke. The beft and wholefomeft fpirits of the night Invellop you, good provoft! Who call'd here of late? Prov. None, fince the curfew rung. Duke. Not Isabel? Prov. No. Duke. She will then, ere't be long. Prov. What comfort is for Claudio? Duke. There's fome in hope. Prov. It is a bitter deputy. Duke. Not fo, not fo; his life is parallel'd <Even with the ftroke and line of his great juftice; He doth with holy abstinence fubduẹ That in himself, which he fpurs on his power To qualify in others were he meal'd With that, which he corrects, then were he tyrannous; But this being fo, he's juft.-Now are they come. [Knock. Provoft goes out. This is a gentle provoft; Seldom, when The steeled goaler is the friend of men. How now? what noife? that fpirit's poffefs'd with hafte, That wounds the unfifting postern with these strokes. g Provost returns, Speaking to one at the door. Prov. There must he stay, 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, fir, none. Even with the ftroke and line]-exactly with. d qualify]-regulate. e meal'dj-foiled, contaminated; mingled, compounded. f this being]-as he is thus confiftent. & unfifting]-never quiet, always opening.. Duke. Duke. As near the dawning, provoft, as it is, You fhall hear more ere morning. Prov. Happily, You fomething know; yet, I believe, there comes Lord Angelo hath to the publick ear Profefs'd the contrary. Enter a Messenger. This is his lordship's man. Duke. And here comes Claudio's pardon. Meff. My lord hath fent you this note; and by me this further charge, that you fwerve not from the smallest article of it, neither in time, matter, or other circumftance. Good morrow; for, as I take it, it is almost day. Prov. I fhall obey him. [Exit Meffenger. Duke. This is his pardon; purchas'd by fuch fin, [Afide. For which the pardoner himself is in : When it is borne in high authority: When vice makes mercy, mercy's fo extended, Prov. I told you: Lord Angelo, be-like, thinking me remifs in my office, awakens me with this unwonted putting on methinks, ftrangely; for he hath not us'd it before. Duke. Pray you, let's hear. h fiegel-feat. is in-amenable to the law, being involved in the fame guilt. * quick celerity, when it is borne in high authority:]-speedy propagation, when the magiftrate himfelf is infected with it; when it obtains among the great. 1 offender-the guilty in their own way. Provoft Provoft reads the letter, Whatfoever you may bear to the contrary, let Claudio be executed by four of the clock; and, in the afternoon, Barnardine: for my better fatisfaction, let me have Claudio's bead fent me by five. Let this be duly perform'd; 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 fay you to this, fir? Duke. What is that Barnardine, who is to be executed in the afternoon? Prov. A Bohemian born; but here nurs'd 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 ftill 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 manifeft, and not deny'd by himself. Duke. Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? how seems he to be touch'd? Prov. A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken fleep; careless, reckless, and fearless of what's paft, prefent, or to come; infenfible of mortality, and desperately mortal. n Duke. He wants advice. Prov. He will hear none: he hath evermore had the liberty of the prifon; give him leave to escape hence he nine years old.]—that has been confined these nine years. two days old at sea.” HAMLET, A& IV, S. 6. Letter. n defperately mortal.]-incurably depraved; defperately attached to the corruptions of mortality, without a look beyond it. VOL. I. Ꮓ would would not drunk many times a day, if not many days entirely drunk. We have very often awak'd him, as if to carry him to execution, and fhew'd him a feeming warrant for it; it hath not mov'd him at all. Duke. More of him anon. There is written in your brow, Provost, honefty and conftancy: 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 a warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the law than Angelo who hath fentenc'd him: To make you understand this in a manifested effect, I crave but four days refpite; for the which you are to do me both a present and a dangerous courtesy. Prov. Pray, fir, in what? Duke. In the delaying death. Prov. Alack! how may I do it? having the hour limited; and an exprefs 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 inftructions may be your guide. Let this Barnardine be this morning executed, and his head borne to Angelo. Prov. Angelo hath feen them both, and will discover the favour. Duke. Oh, death's a great disguiser: and you may add to it. Shave the head, and tie the beard; and fay, it was the defire of the penitent to be fo barb'd before his death: you know the courfe is common. If any thing fall to you upon this, more than thanks and good fortune, by the faint whom I profefs, I will plead against it with my life. Prov. Pardon me, good father; it is against my oath. Duke. Were you fworn to the duke, or to the deputy? difcover the favour.]-the fraud, from his knowledge of the features. P. tie]-die. 9 barb'd]-trim'd, dressed. |