Measure for Measure

Measure for Measure

ACT IV SCENE II	A room in the prison.
	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. To-morrow 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	10
	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.
POMPEY	Sir, I have been an unlawful bawd time out of mind;	15
	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, ho! Abhorson! Where's Abhorson, there?
	Enter ABHORSON
ABHORSON	Do you call, sir?	20
Provost	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, use him for the present and dismiss him. He
	cannot plead his estimation with you; he hath been a bawd.	25
ABHORSON	A bawd, sir? fie upon him! he will discredit our mystery.
Provost	Go to, sir; you weigh equally; a feather will 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	30
	look,--do you call, sir, your occupation a mystery?
ABHORSON	Ay, sir; a mystery
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:	35
	but what mystery there should be in hanging, if I
	should be hanged, I cannot imagine.
ABHORSON	Sir, it is a mystery.
POMPEY	Proof?
ABHORSON	Every true man's apparel fits your thief: if it be	40
	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: so every true man's
	apparel fits your thief.
	Re-enter Provost
Provost	Are you agreed?	45
POMPEY	Sir, I will serve him; for I do find your hangman is
	a more penitent trade than your bawd; he doth
	oftener ask forgiveness.
Provost	You, sirrah, provide your block and your axe
	to-morrow four o'clock.	50
ABHORSON	Come on, bawd; I will instruct thee in my trade; follow.
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.	55
Provost	Call hither Barnardine and Claudio:
	Exeunt POMPEY and ABHORSON
	The 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 to-morrow	60
	Thou must be made immortal. Where's Barnardine?
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?	65
	Well, go, prepare yourself.
	Knocking within
	But, hark, what noise?
	Heaven give your spirits comfort!
	Exit CLAUDIO
	By and by.
	I hope it is some pardon or reprieve	70
	For the most gentle Claudio.
	Enter DUKE VINCENTIO disguised as before
	Welcome father.
DUKE VINCENTIO	The best and wholesomest spirts of the night
	Envelope you, good Provost! Who call'd here of late?
Provost	None, since the curfew rung.	75
DUKE VINCENTIO	Not Isabel?
Provost	No.
DUKE VINCENTIO	They will, then, ere't be long.
Provost	What comfort is for Claudio?
DUKE VINCENTIO	There's some in ho