I pray you, tell me, hath any body enquir'd for me here to-day? much upon this time, have I promis'd

here to meet.

Mari. You have not been enquir'd after: I have fate here all day.

Enter Ifabel.

Duke. I do conftantly believe you: the time is come, even now. I fhall crave your forbearance a little; may be, I will call upon you anon for fome advantage to yourself.

Mari. I am always bound to you.

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

[Exit.

Ifab. He hath a garden circummur'd with brick,
Whofe 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'n a due and wary note upon't;

With whifp'ring and moft guilty diligence,
In action all of precept, he did show 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 ftays upon me; whose 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!

Enter

Enter Mariana.

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 refpect 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 haste;
The vaporous night approaches.

Mari. Wilt please you walk afide?

[Exeunt Mar. and Ifab.

Duke. Oh place and greatness! millions of false eyes Are stuck upon thee: volumes of report

Run with thefe falfe and most contrarious quests
Upon thy doings: thoufand 'fcapes of wit

Make thee the father of their idle dreams,

And rack thee in their fancies! Welcome; how agreed?

If

Re-enter Mariana, and Isabel.

Ijab. She'll take the enterprize upon her, father, you advise it.

Duke. 'Tis not my confent,

But my intreaty too.

Ifab. Little have you to say,

When you depart from him, but foft 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. (22) [Exe.

(22) - 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 ftill to be put in hand.

Prov.

SCENE changes to the Prison.

Enter Provoft and Clown.

NOME hither, firrah: can you cut off a man's head?

C

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, fir, leave me your fnatches, and yield me a direct anfwer. To-morrow morning are to die Claudio and Barnardine: here is in our prifon a common executioner, who in his office lacks a helper; if you will take it on you to affift him, it fhall 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.

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, Abhorfon! where's Abborfon, there? Enter Abhorfon.

Abbor. 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, ufe him for the prefent, and dismiss him. He cannot plead his estimation with you, he hath been a bawd.

Abhor. A bawd, Sir? fy upon him, he will difcredit our mystery.

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

turn the scale.

[Exit.

Clown. Pray, Sir, by your good favour; (for, furely, Sir, a good favour you have, but that you have a hanging look;) do you call, Sir, your occupation a mystery?

Abbor

Abhor. Ay, Sir; a mystery.

Clown. Painting, Sir, I have heard fay, is a myftery; and your whores, Sir, being members of my occupation, ufing painting, do prove my occupation a myf tery: but what mystery there fhould be in hanging, if I fhould be hang'd, I cannot imagine.

Abhor. Sir, it is a mystery.

Clown. Proof.

Abhor. (23) Every true man's apparel fits your thief, Clown if it be too little for your true man, your thief thinks it big enough. If it be too big for your true man, your thief thinks it little enough; fo 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 oftener 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 ufe me for your own turn, you (24)

fhall

(23) Abhor. Every true man's apparel fits your thief. Clown. 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 fo every true man's apparel fits your thief.] This is a very notable paffage, as it ftands in all the editions; but, I dare fay, is notably corrupted; and both the speeches, and the words, fhuffled and mifplaced. What! does the Clown afk proof, how the hangman's trade is a myftery; and, fo foon as ever Abborfon advances his Thefis to prove it, the Clown takes the argument out of his mouth, and perverts the very tenor of it? I am fatisfied, the Poet intended a regular fyllogifm; and I fubmit it to judgment, whether my regulation has not reftor'd that wit and humour which was quite loft in the depravation.

(24) You fhall find me yours ;] This reading, I believe, was firft Mr. Rotye's; and confequently adopted by the laft Editor. The old books

R 3

fhall find me yare: for, truly, Sir, 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 murd❜rer, tho' he were my brother.

Enter Claudio.

[Exit.

Look, here's the warrant, Claudio, for thy death;
"T'is 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 guiltless labour
When it lies ftarkly in the traveller's bones:

He'll not awake.

Prov. Who can do good on him?

what noife?

Well, go, prepare yourself. [Exit Claud.] But, hark,
[Knock within.
Heav'n give your fpirits comfort!-by and by:-
I hope, it is fome pardon, or reprieve,

For the moft gentle Claudio. Welcome, father.

Enter Duke.

Duke. The best and wholefom'ft spirits of the night Invellop you, good Proveft! 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

parrallel'd

Ev'n with the ftroak and line of his great justice;

He doth with holy abftinence fubdue

That in himself, which he fpurs on his pow'r
To qualify in others. Where he meal'd

books have it, You shall find me y'are. Very little fagacity might have inftructed them, that the corruption is only in the apostrophe; and that the Poet's word was yare; i. e. dextrous in the office; a word very frequent in our Author's writings.