Claud. As fast lock'd up in sleep, as guiltless

labour

When it lies starkly 7 in the traveller's bones:

He will not wake.

Prov.

Who can do good on him?

Well, go, prepare yourself. But hark, what noise?

[Knocking within. Heaven give your spirits comfort! [Exit CLAUDIO. By and by:

I hope it is some pardon, or reprieve,

For the most gentle Claudio.-Welcome, father.

Enter Duke.

Duke. The best and wholesomest spirits of the night

Envelope you, good Provost! Who call'd here of

Prov. It is a bitter deputy.

Duke. Not so, not so; his life is parallel'd

8

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 9 in others: were he meal'd 10

With that which he corrects, then were he tyrannous; But this being so, he's just.-Now are they come.— [Knocking within.-Provost goes out.

7 i. e. strongly.

8 Stroke is here put for the stroke of a pen, or a line.

9 To qualify is to temper, to moderate.

10 Meal'd appears to mean here sprinkled, o'erdusted, defiled; I cannot think that in this instance it has any relation to the verb to mell, meddle or mix with.

This is a gentle provost: Seldom when 11
The steeled gaoler is the friend of men.-

How now? What noise? That spirit's possess'd with haste,

That wounds the unsisting 12 postern with these strokes.

Provost returns, speaking to one at the door. 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 13, You something know; yet, I believe, there comes No countermand; no such example have we: Besides, upon the very siege 14 of justice,

Lord Angelo hath to the publick ear

Profess'd the contrary.

Enter a Messenger.

Duke. This is his lordship's man.

Prov. And here comes Claudio's pardon.

Mess. My lord hath sent you this note; and by me this further charge, that you swerve not from 11 This is absurdly printed Seldom, when, &c. in all the late editions. 'Seldom-when (i. e. rarely, not often) is the steeled gaoler the friend of men.' Thus in old phraseology we have seldom-time, any-when, &c. The comma between seldom and when is not in the old copy, but an arbitrary addition of some editor.

12 The old copies read thus.-Monck Mason proposed, unlisting, i. e. unheeding, which is intelligible. But I prefer Sir W. Blackstone's suggestion, that unsisting may signify' never at rest,' always opening.

13 Hapily, haply, perhaps the old orthography of the word. 14 i. e. seat.

the smallest article of it, neither in time, matter, or other circumstance. Good-morrow; for, as I take it, it is almost day.

Prov. I shall obey him.

[Exit Messenger.

Duke. This is his pardon; purchas'd by such sin.

For which the pardoner himself is in:
Hence hath offence his quick celerity,
When it is borne in high authority:

[Aside.

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, be-like, thinking me remiss in mine office, awakens me with this unwonted putting on 15: methinks, strangely; for he hath not used it before.

Duke. Pray you, let's hear.

Prov. [Reads.] 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 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 exe cuted in the afternoon?

Prov. A Bohemian born; but here nursed up and bred: one that is a prisoner nine years old 16

Duke. How came it that the absent duke had not either deliver'd 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: 15 Putting on is spur, incitement. 16 i. e. nine years in prison.

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 manifest, and not denied 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 sleep: careless, reckless, and fearless of what's past, present, or to come; insensible of mortality, and desperately mortal17.

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 often awaked him, as if to carry him to execution, and show'd 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 18, 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 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

17 Perhaps we should read mortally desperate. As we have harmonious charmingly for charmingly harmonious, in the Tempest. 18 ie. in confidence of my sagacity.

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 19.

Duke. O, death's a great disguiser: and you may add to it. Shave the head, and tie the beard; and say, it was the desire of the penitent to be so bared before his death: You know, the course is common 20. 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 my persuasion, 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

19 Countenance.

20 Shave the head and tie the beard-the course is common.' This probably alludes to a practice among Roman Catholics of desiring to receive the tonsure of the monks before they died.