The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 357

by William Shakespeare


  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

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  enough alive to make societies secure; but security

  enough to make fellowships accurst. Much upon this

  riddle runs the wisdom of the world. This news is old

  enough, yet it is every day’s news. I pray you, sir, of

  what disposition was the Duke?

  225

  ESCALUS One that, above all other strifes, contended

  especially to know himself.

  DUKE What pleasure was he given to?

  ESCALUS Rather rejoicing to see another merry, than

  merry at anything which professed to make him

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  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 visitation.

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  DUKE 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

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  leisure, have discredited to him; and now is he

  resolved to die.

  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

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  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 If his own life answer the straitness of his

  proceeding, it shall become him well: wherein if he

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  chance to fail, he hath sentenced himself.

  ESCALUS I am going to visit the prisoner; fare you well.

  DUKE Peace be with you. Exeunt Escalus and Provost.

  He who the sword of heaven will bear

  Should be as holy as severe:

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  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

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  Kills for faults of his own liking!

  Twice treble shame on Angelo,

  To weed my vice, and let his grow!

  O, what may man within him hide,

  Though angel on the outward side!

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  How may likeness made in crimes,

  Making practice on the times

  To draw with idle spiders’ strings

  Most ponderous and substantial things!

  Craft against vice I must apply.

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  With Angelo tonight shall lie

  His old betrothed, but despised:

  So disguise shall by th’disguised

  Pay with falsehood false exacting,

  And perform an old contracting. Exit.

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  4.1 Enter MARIANA, and a boy singing.

  Song.

  Take, o take those lips away

  that so sweetly were forsworn,

  And those eyes, the break of day

  lights that do mislead the morn:

  But my kisses bring again,

  bring again;

  5

  Seals of love, but seal’d in vain,

  seal’d in vain.

  Enter DUKE, disguised.

  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. Exit boy.

  I cry you mercy, sir, and well could wish

  10

  You had not found me here so musical.

  Let me excuse me, and believe me so;

  My mirth it much displeas’d, but pleas’d my woe.

  DUKE ’Tis good; though music oft hath such a charm

  To make bad good, and good provoke to harm.

  15

  I pray you tell me, hath anybody enquired for me here

  to-day? Much upon this time have I promised here to

  meet.

  MARIANA You have not been enquired after: I have

  sat here all day.

  20

  Enter ISABELLA.

  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.

  MARIANA I am always bound to you. Exit.

  25

  DUKE [to Isabella] Very well met, and well come.

  What is the news from this good deputy?

  ISABELLA He hath a garden circummur’d with brick,

  Whose western side is with a vineyard back’d;

  And to that vineyard is a planched gate,

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  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

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  To call upon him.

  DUKE 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

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  The way twice o’er.

  DUKE Are there no other tokens

  Between you ’greed, concerning her observance?

  ISABELLA No; none, but only a repair i’th’ dark;

  And that I have possess’d him my most stay

  Can be but brief: for I have made him know

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  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 hoa, within! Come forth.

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  Enter MARIANA.

  [to Mariana] I pray you be acquainted with this maid;

  She comes to do you good.

  ISABELLA I do desire the like.

  DUKE Do you persuade yourself that I respect you?

  MARIANA

  Good friar, I know you do, and so have found it.

  DUKE Take, then, this your companion by the hand,

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  Who hath a story ready for your ear.

  I shall attend your leisure; but make haste,

  The vaporous night approaches.

  MARIANA [to Isabella] Will’t please you walk aside?

  [Mariana and Isabella withdraw.]

  DUKE O place and greatness! Millions of false eyes

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  Are stuck upon thee: volumes of report

  Run with these false, and most contrarious quest

  Upon thy doings: thousand escapes of wit

  Make thee the father of their idle dream

  And rack thee in their fancies.

  [Mariana and Isabella return.]

  Welcome; how agreed?

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  ISABELLA She’ll take the enterprise upon her, father,

  If you advise it.

  DUKE 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 Fea
r me not.

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  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;

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  Our corn’s to reap, for yet our tithe’s to sow. Exeunt.

  4.2 Enter Provost and POMPEY.

  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.

  5

  PROVOST Come, sir, leave me your snatches, and yield

  me a direct answer. Tomorrow 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

  10

  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.

  POMPEY Sir, I have been an unlawful bawd time out of

  15

  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 hoa, Abhorson! Where’s Abhorson

  there?

  20

  Enter ABHORSON.

  ABHORSON Do you call, sir?

  PROVOST Sirrah, here’s a fellow will help you tomorrow

  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

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  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

  30

  turn the scale. Exit.

  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.

  35

  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.

  40

  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

  45

  it little enough. So every true man’s apparel fits your

  thief.

  Enter Provost.

  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

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  doth oftener ask forgiveness.

  PROVOST You, sirrah, provide your block and your axe

  tomorrow four o’clock.

  ABHORSON Come on, bawd, I will instruct thee in my

  trade. Follow.

  55

  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.

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  Exeunt Abhorson and Pompey.

  Th’one has my pity; not a jot the other,

  Being a murderer, though he were my brother.

  Enter CLAUDIO.

  Look, here’s the warrant, Claudio, for thy death;

  ’Tis now dead midnight, and by eight tomorrow

  Thou must be made immortal. Where’s Barnardine?

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  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.

  [knocking within] But hark, what noise?

  Heaven give your spirits comfort! Exit Claudio.

  [knocking] – By and by. –

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  I hope it is some pardon or reprieve

 

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