think, forty more; all great doers in our trade, and are now for the Lord's sake 3. Enter ABHORSON. Abhor. Sirrah, bring Barnardine hither. Clo. Master Barnardine! you must rise and be hang'd, master Barnardine! Abhor. What, ho, Barnardine! Barnar. [Within.] A pox o' your throats! Who makes that noise there? What are you? Clo. Your friends, sir; the hangman: You must be so good, sir, to rise and be put to death. Barnar: [Within] Away, you rogue, away; I am sleepy. Abhor. Tell him, he must awake, and that quickly too. Clo. Pray, master Barnardine, awake till you are executed, and sleep afterwards. Abhor. Go in to him, and fetch him out. Clo. He is coming, sir, he is coming; I hear his straw rustle. It appears from Davies's Epigrams, 1611, that this was the language in which prisoners who were confined for debt addressed passengers: Good gentle writers, for the Lord's sake, for the Lord's sake, Like Ludeate prisoners, lo, I, begging; make My mone.' And in Nashe's Peirce Pennilesse, 1593, 'At that time that thy joys were in the fleeting, and thus crying for the Lord's sake out of an iron window." A very curious passage in confirmation of this has occurred to me in Baret's Alvearie, 1573, under the word 'Interest, or the borrowing of usurie money wherewith to pay my debt. And therefore methinke it is prettily sayd in Grammar that Interest will be joyned with Mea, Tua, Sua, Nostra, Vestra, and Cuia, only in the ablative case, because they are pronounes. possessives. For how great so ever his possessions, goodes, or lands be that haunteth the company of this impersonall, if now perchance he be able to kepe three persons, at length he shall not be able to kepe one: yea he himselfe shall shortly become such an impersonall, that he shall be counted as nobody, without any countenance, credit, person, or estimation among men. And when he hath thus filched, and fleeced his possessive so long till he hath made him as rich as a new shorn sheepe, then will he turn him to commons into Ludgate: where for his ablative case he shall have a dative cage, craving and crying at the grate, your worships' charitie FOR THE LORD'S SAKE.” Enter BARNARDINE. Abhor. Is the axe upon the block, sirrah? Barnar. How now, Abhorson? what's the news with you? Abhor. Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your prayers; for, look you, the warrant's come. Barnar. You rogue, I have been drinking all night, I am not fitted for't. Clo. O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night, and is hanged betimes in the morning, may sleep the sounder all the next day. Enter Duke. Abhor. Look you, sir, here comes your ghostly father; Do we jest now, think you? Duke. Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing how hastily you are to depart, I am come to advise you, comfort you, and pray with you. Barnar. Friar, not I; I have been drinking hard all night, and I will have more time to prepare me, or they shall beat out my brains with billets: I will not consent to die this day, that's certain. Duke. O, sir, you must; and therefore, I beseech you, Look forward on the journey you shall go. Barnar. I swear, I will not die to-day for any man's persuasion. Duke. But hear you. Barnar. Not a word; if you have any thing to say to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to-day. Enter Provost. [Exit. Duke. Unfit to live, or die: 0, gravel heart!After him, fellows; bring him to the block. [Exeunt ABHORSON and Clown. Prov. Now, sir, how do you find the prisoner? Duke. A creature unprepar'd, unmeet for death; And, to transport4 him in the mind he is, Were damnable. Prov. Here in the prison, father, There died this morning of a cruel fever One Ragozine, a most notorious pirate, A man, of Claudio's years; his beard and head, Just of his colour: What if we do omit This reprobate, till he were well inclined; And satisfy the deputy with the visage Of Ragozine; more like to Claudio? Duke. O, 'tis an accident that heaven provides! Despatch it presently; the hour draws on Prefix'd by Angelo; See, this be done, And sent according to command; whiles I Persuade this rude wretch willingly to die. Prov. This shall be done, good father, presently. But Barnardine must die this afternoon: And how shall we continue Claudio, To save me from the danger that might come, If he were known alive? Duke. Let this be done :-Put them in secret holds, Both Barnardine and Claudio: Ere twice The sun hath made his journal greeting to Your safety manifested. Prov. I am your free dependant. And send the head to Angelo. Quick, despatch. [Exit Provost. Now will I write letters to Angelo, The provost, he shall bear them,-whose contents To meet me at the consecrated fount, A league below the city; and from thence, 4 i. e. to remove him from one world to another. The French trepas affords a kindred sense. 5 The under generation, the antipodes. By cold gradation and weal-balanced form, Re-enter Provost. Prov. Here is the head; I'll carry it myself. Duke. Convenient is it: Make a swift return; For I would commune with you of such things, That want no ear but yours. Prov. I'll make all speed. Isab. [Within.] Peace, ho, be here! [Exit. Duke. The tongue of Isabel:-She's come to know, If yet her brother's pardon be come hither: But I will keep her ignorant of her good, To make her heavenly comforts of despair, When it is least expected. Enter ISABELLA. Isab. Ho, by your leave. Duke. Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter. Isab. The better, given me by so holy a man. Hath yet the deputy sent my brother's pardon? Duke. He hath releas'd him, Isabel, from the world; His head is off, and sent to Angelo.. Isab. Nay, but it is not so. It is no other: Duke. Shew your wisdom, daughter, in your close patience. Isab. O, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes. Duke. You shall not be admitted to his sight.. Isab. Unhappy Claudio! Wretched Isabel! Injurious world! Most damned Angelo! Duke. This nor hurts him, nor profits yon a jot: Forbear it therefore; give your cause to heaven. Mark what I say, which you shall find By every syllable a faithful verity: The duke comes home to-morrow;-nay, dry your eyes; One of our convent, and his confessor, Gives me this instance: Already he hath carried Who do prepare to meet him at the gates, your wisdom If you can pace In that good path that I would wish it go; And you shall have 6 bosom your on this wretch, Grace of the duke, revenges to your heart, And general honour. Isab. I am directed by you. Duke. This letter then to friar Peter give; And shall be absent. Wends you with this letter; Lucio. Enter LUCIO. Good even! Friar, where is the Provost? Duke. Not within, sir.. Lucio. O, pretty Isabella, I am pale at mine heart, to see thine eyes so red: thou must be patient: 1 am fain to dine and sup with water and bran; I dare not for my head fill my belly; one fruitful meal would set me to't: But they say the duke will be here tomorrow. By my troth, Isabel, I lov'd thy brother: if the old fantastical duke of dark corners had been at home, he had lived. [Exit ISABELLA. 6 Your bosom, is your heart's desire, your wish. Shakspeare uses combine for to bind by a pact or agreement so he calls Angelo the combinate husband of Mariana. 8 i. e. Go. Vol. II. 4* |