Measure For Measure

1 Enter Pompey.
2 POMPEY.
3 I am as well acquainted here as I was in our house of profession. One
4 would think it were Mistress Overdone’s own house, for here be many of
5 her old customers. First, here’s young Master Rash; he’s in for a
6 commodity of brown paper and old ginger, nine score and seventeen
7 pounds; of which he made five marks ready money. Marry, then ginger was
8 not much in request, for the old women were all dead. Then is there
9 here one Master Caper, at the suit of Master Three-pile the mercer, for
10 some four suits of peach-coloured satin, which now peaches him a
11 beggar. Then have we here young Dizie, and young Master Deep-vow, and
12 Master Copperspur, and Master Starve-lackey, the rapier and dagger man,
13 and young Drop-heir that killed lusty Pudding, and Master Forthright
14 the tilter, and brave Master Shoe-tie the great traveller, and wild
15 Half-can that stabbed Pots, and I think forty more, all great doers in
16 our trade, and are now “for the Lord’s sake.”
17 Enter Abhorson.
18 ABHORSON.
19 Sirrah, bring Barnardine hither.
20 POMPEY.
21 Master Barnardine! You must rise and be hanged, Master Barnardine.
22 ABHORSON.
23 What ho, Barnardine!
24 BARNARDINE.
25 [_Within_.] A pox o’ your throats! Who makes that noise there? What are
26 you?
27 POMPEY.
28 Your friends, sir; the hangman. You must be so good, sir, to rise and
29 be put to death.
30 BARNARDINE.
31 [_Within_.] Away, you rogue, away; I am sleepy.
32 ABHORSON.
33 Tell him he must awake, and that quickly too.
34 POMPEY.
35 Pray, Master Barnardine, awake till you are executed, and sleep
36 afterwards.
37 ABHORSON.
38 Go in to him, and fetch him out.
39 POMPEY.
40 He is coming, sir, he is coming. I hear his straw rustle.
41 Enter Barnardine.
42 ABHORSON.
43 Is the axe upon the block, sirrah?
44 POMPEY.
45 Very ready, sir.
46 BARNARDINE.
47 How now, Abhorson? What’s the news with you?
48 ABHORSON.
49 Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your prayers; for, look
50 you, the warrant’s come.
51 BARNARDINE.
52 You rogue, I have been drinking all night; I am not fitted for’t.
53 POMPEY.
54 O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night and is hanged betimes
55 in the morning may sleep the sounder all the next day.
56 Enter Duke.
57 ABHORSON.
58 Look you, sir, here comes your ghostly father. Do we jest now, think
59 you?
60 DUKE.
61 Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing how hastily you are to depart,
62 I am come to advise you, comfort you, and pray with you.
63 BARNARDINE.
64 Friar, not I. I have been drinking hard all night, and I will have more
65 time to prepare me, or they shall beat out my brains with billets. I
66 will not consent to die this day, that’s certain.
67 DUKE.
68 O, sir, you must; and therefore I beseech you
69 Look forward on the journey you shall go.
70 BARNARDINE.
71 I swear I will not die today for any man’s persuasion.
72 DUKE.
73 But hear you—
74 BARNARDINE.
75 Not a word. If you have anything to say to me, come to my ward, for
76 thence will not I today.
77 [_Exit._]
78 DUKE.
79 Unfit to live or die. O gravel heart!
80 After him, fellows; bring him to the block.
81 [_Exeunt Abhorson and Pompey._]
82 Enter Provost.
83 PROVOST.
84 Now, sir, how do you find the prisoner?
85 DUKE.
86 A creature unprepared, unmeet for death;
87 And to transport him in the mind he is
88 Were damnable.
89 PROVOST.
90 Here in the prison, father,
91 There died this morning of a cruel fever
92 One Ragozine, a most notorious pirate,
93 A man of Claudio’s years; his beard and head
94 Just of his colour. What if we do omit
95 This reprobate till he were well inclined,
96 And satisfy the Deputy with the visage
97 Of Ragozine, more like to Claudio?
98 DUKE.
99 O, ’tis an accident that heaven provides!
100 Dispatch it presently; the hour draws on
101 Prefixed by Angelo. See this be done,
102 And sent according to command, whiles I
103 Persuade this rude wretch willingly to die.
104 PROVOST.
105 This shall be done, good father, presently.
106 But Barnardine must die this afternoon;
107 And how shall we continue Claudio,
108 To save me from the danger that might come
109 If he were known alive?
110 DUKE.
111 Let this be done:
112 Put them in secret holds, both Barnardine and Claudio.
113 Ere twice the sun hath made his journal greeting
114 To yonder generation, you shall find
115 Your safety manifested.
116 PROVOST.
117 I am your free dependant.
118 DUKE.
119 Quick, dispatch, and send the head to Angelo.
120 [_Exit Provost._]
121 Now will I write letters to Angelo,
122 The Provost, he shall bear them, whose contents
123 Shall witness to him I am near at home;
124 And that by great injunctions I am bound
125 To enter publicly. Him I’ll desire
126 To meet me at the consecrated fount,
127 A league below the city; and from thence,
128 By cold gradation and well-balanced form.
129 We shall proceed with Angelo.
130 Enter Provost.
131 PROVOST.
132 Here is the head; I’ll carry it myself.
133 DUKE.
134 Convenient is it. Make a swift return;
135 For I would commune with you of such things
136 That want no ear but yours.
137 PROVOST.
138 I’ll make all speed.
139 [_Exit._]
140 ISABELLA.
141 [_Within_.] Peace, ho, be here!
142 DUKE.
143 The tongue of Isabel. She’s come to know
144 If yet her brother’s pardon be come hither.
145 But I will keep her ignorant of her good,
146 To make her heavenly comforts of despair
147 When it is least expected.
148 Enter Isabella.
149 ISABELLA.
150 Ho, by your leave!
151 DUKE.
152 Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter.
153 ISABELLA.
154 The better, given me by so holy a man.
155 Hath yet the Deputy sent my brother’s pardon?
156 DUKE.
157 He hath released him, Isabel, from the world.
158 His head is off, and sent to Angelo.
159 ISABELLA.
160 Nay, but it is not so.
161 DUKE.
162 It is no other.
163 Show your wisdom, daughter, in your close patience.
164 ISABELLA.
165 O, I will to him and pluck out his eyes!
166 DUKE.
167 You shall not be admitted to his sight.
168 ISABELLA.
169 Unhappy Claudio! Wretched Isabel!
170 Injurious world! Most damned Angelo!
171 DUKE.
172 This nor hurts him nor profits you a jot.
173 Forbear it, therefore; give your cause to heaven.
174 Mark what I say, which you shall find
175 By every syllable a faithful verity.
176 The Duke comes home tomorrow;—nay, dry your eyes.
177 One of our convent, and his confessor,
178 Gives me this instance. Already he hath carried
179 Notice to Escalus and Angelo,
180 Who do prepare to meet him at the gates,
181 There to give up their power. If you can, pace your wisdom
182 In that good path that I would wish it go,
183 And you shall have your bosom on this wretch,
184 Grace of the Duke, revenges to your heart,
185 And general honour.
186 ISABELLA.
187 I am directed by you.
188 DUKE.
189 This letter, then, to Friar Peter give;
190 ’Tis that he sent me of the Duke’s return.
191 Say, by this token, I desire his company
192 At Mariana’s house tonight. Her cause and yours
193 I’ll perfect him withal, and he shall bring you
194 Before the Duke; and to the head of Angelo
195 Accuse him home and home. For my poor self,
196 I am combined by a sacred vow,
197 And shall be absent. Wend you with this letter.
198 Command these fretting waters from your eyes
199 With a light heart; trust not my holy order,
200 If I pervert your course.—Who’s here?
201 Enter Lucio.
202 LUCIO.
203 Good even. Friar, where is the Provost?
204 DUKE.
205 Not within, sir.
206 LUCIO.
207 O pretty Isabella, I am pale at mine heart to see thine eyes so red.
208 Thou must be patient. I am fain to dine and sup with water and bran. I
209 dare not for my head fill my belly. One fruitful meal would set me
210 to’t. But they say the Duke will be here tomorrow. By my troth, Isabel,
211 I loved thy brother. If the old fantastical duke of dark corners had
212 been at home, he had lived.
213 [_Exit Isabella._]
214 DUKE.
215 Sir, the Duke is marvellous little beholding to your reports; but the
216 best is, he lives not in them.
217 LUCIO.
218 Friar, thou knowest not the Duke so well as I do. He’s a better woodman
219 than thou tak’st him for.
220 DUKE.
221 Well, you’ll answer this one day. Fare ye well.
222 LUCIO.
223 Nay, tarry, I’ll go along with thee. I can tell thee pretty tales of
224 the Duke.
225 DUKE.
226 You have told me too many of him already, sir, if they be true; if not
227 true, none were enough.
228 LUCIO.
229 I was once before him for getting a wench with child.
230 DUKE.
231 Did you such a thing?
232 LUCIO.
233 Yes, marry, did I; but I was fain to forswear it. They would else have
234 married me to the rotten medlar.
235 DUKE.
236 Sir, your company is fairer than honest. Rest you well.
237 LUCIO.
238 By my troth, I’ll go with thee to the lane’s end. If bawdy talk offend
239 you, we’ll have very little of it. Nay, friar, I am a kind of burr; I
240 shall stick.
241 [_Exeunt._]