Measure for Measure
Act IV, Scene 3
Another room in the prison.
Byam Shaw, 1901
- Enter Clown Pompey.
Pompey
1 - 16- I am as well acquainted here as I was in our house of
- profession. One would think it were Mistress Overdone’s own
- house, for here be many of her old customers. First, here’s
- young Master Rash, he’s in for a commodity of brown paper
- and old ginger, ninescore and seventeen pounds, of which he
- made five marks ready money. Marry, then ginger was not much
- in request, for the old women were all dead. Then is there
- here one Master Caper, at the suit of Master Three-pile the
- mercer, for some four suits of peach-color’d satin, which
- now peaches him a beggar. Then have we here young Dizzy, and
- young Master Deep-vow, and Master Copper-spur, and Master
- Starve-lackey the rapier and dagger man, and young Drop-heir
- that kill’d lusty Pudding, and Master Forthlight the tilter,
- and brave Master Shoe-tie the great traveler, and wild
- Half-can that stabb’d Pots, and I think forty more, all
- great doers in our trade, and are now “for the Lord’s sake.”
- Enter Abhorson.
Abhorson
17- Sirrah, bring Barnardine hither.
Pompey
18 - 19- Master Barnardine! You must rise and be hang’d, Master
- Barnardine!
Abhorson
20- What ho, Barnardine!
Barnardine
21 - 22- Within.
- A pox o’ your throats! Who makes that noise there? What are
- you?
Pompey
23 - 24- Your friends, sir, the hangman. You must be so good, sir, to
- rise, and be put to death.
Barnardine
25- Within.
- Away, you rogue, away! I am sleepy.
Abhorson
26- Tell him he must awake, and that quickly too.
Pompey
27 - 28- Pray, Master Barnardine, awake till you are executed, and
- sleep afterwards.
Abhorson
29- Go in to him, and fetch him out.
Pompey
30- He is coming, sir, he is coming. I hear his straw rustle.
- Enter Barnardine.
Abhorson
31- Is the axe upon the block, sirrah?
Pompey
32- Very ready, sir.
Barnardine
33- How now, Abhorson? What’s the news with you?
Abhorson
34 - 35- Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your prayers;
- for look you, the warrant’s come.
Barnardine
36 - 37- You rogue, I have been drinking all night, I am not fitted
- for’t.
Pompey
38 - 40- O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night, and is
- hang’d betimes in the morning, may sleep the sounder all the
- next day.
- Enter Duke disguised as a friar.
Abhorson
41 - 42- Look you, sir, here comes your ghostly father. Do we jest
- now, think you?
Duke
43 - 45- Sir, induc’d by my charity, and hearing how hastily you are
- to depart, I am come to advise you, comfort you, and pray
- with you.
Barnardine
46 - 49- 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
50 - 51- O sir, you must; and therefore I beseech you
- Look forward on the journey you shall go.
Barnardine
52- I swear I will not die today for any man’s persuasion.
Duke
53- But hear you—
Barnardine
54 - 55- Not a word. If you have any thing to say to me, come to my
- ward; for thence will not I today.
- Exit.
- Enter Provost.
Duke
56 - 57- Unfit to live, or die; O gravel heart!
- After him, fellows, bring him to the block.
- Exeunt Abhorson and Pompey.
Provost
58- Now, sir, how do you find the prisoner?
Duke
59 - 61- A creature unprepar’d, unmeet for death;
- And to transport him in the mind he is
- Were damnable.
Provost
62 - 69- 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 color. What if we do omit
- This reprobate till he were well inclin’d,
- And satisfy the deputy with the visage
- Of Ragozine, more like to Claudio?
Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your prayers; for look you, the warrant’s come.
From: Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare
Mary Cowden Clarke, Charles Cowden Clarke, 1870
Duke
70 - 74- O, ’tis an accident that heaven provides!
- Dispatch 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.
Provost
75 - 79- 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
80 - 84- Let this be done:
- Put them in secret holds, both Barnardine and Claudio.
- Ere twice the sun hath made his journal greeting
- To yond generation, you shall find
- Your safety manifested.
Provost
85- I am your free dependent.
Duke
86 - 95- Quick, dispatch, and send the head to Angelo.
- Exit Provost.
- Now will I write letters to Angelo
- (The Provost, he shall bear them), whose contents
- Shall witness to him I am near at home;
- And that by great injunctions I am bound
- To enter publicly. Him I’ll desire
- To meet me at the consecrated fount,
- A league below the city; and from thence,
- By cold gradation and well-balanc’d form,
- We shall proceed with Angelo.
- Enter Provost with Ragozine’s head.
Provost
96- Here is the head, I’ll carry it myself.
Duke
97 - 99- Convenient is it. Make a swift return,
- For I would commune with you of such things
- That want no ear but yours.
Provost
100- I’ll make all speed.
- Exit.
Isabella
101- Within.
- Peace, ho, be here!
Duke
102 - 106- 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.
Isabella
107- Ho, by your leave!
Duke
108- Good morning to you, fair and gracious daughter.
Isabella
109 - 110- The better, given me by so holy a man.
- Hath yet the deputy sent my brother’s pardon?
Duke
111 - 112- He hath releas’d him, Isabel, from the world,
- His head is off, and sent to Angelo.
Isabella
113- Nay, but it is not so.
Duke
114 - 115- It is no other.
- Show your wisdom, daughter, in your close patience.
Isabella
116- O, I will to him, and pluck out his eyes!
Duke
117- You shall not be admitted to his sight.
Isabella
118 - 119- Unhappy Claudio! Wretched Isabel!
- Injurious world! Most damned Angelo!
Duke
120 - 133- This nor hurts him, nor profits you 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 tomorrow—nay, dry your eyes—
- One of our covent, and his confessor,
- Gives me this instance: already he hath carried
- Notice to Escalus and Angelo,
- Who do prepare to meet him at the gates,
- There to give up their pow’r. If you can pace your wisdom
- In that good path that I would wish it go,
- And you shall have your bosom on this wretch,
- Grace of the Duke, revenges to your heart,
- And general honor.
Isabella
Edwin Austin Abbey, unknown date
Isabella
134- I am directed by you.
Duke
135 - 146- This letter then to Friar Peter give;
- ’Tis that he sent me of the Duke’s return.
- Say, by this token, I desire his company
- At Mariana’s house tonight. Her cause and yours
- I’ll perfect him withal, and he shall bring you
- Before the Duke; and to the head of Angelo
- Accuse him home and home. For my poor self,
- I am combined by a sacred vow,
- And shall be absent. Wend you with this letter.
- Command these fretting waters from your eyes
- With a light heart; trust not my holy order
- If I pervert your course. Who’s here?
- Enter Lucio.
Lucio
147- Good even. Friar, where’s the Provost?
Duke
148- Not within, sir.
Lucio
149 - 155- O pretty Isabella, I am pale at mine heart to see thine eyes
- so red; thou must be patient. I 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 liv’d.
- Exit Isabella.
Duke
156 - 157- Sir, the Duke is marvelous little beholding to your reports,
- but the best is, he lives not in them.
Lucio
158 - 159- Friar, thou knowest not the Duke so well as I do; he’s a
- better woodman than thou tak’st him for.
Duke
160- Well; you’ll answer this one day. Fare ye well.
Lucio
161 - 162- Nay, tarry, I’ll go along with thee. I can tell thee pretty
- tales of the Duke.
Duke
163 - 164- You have told me too many of him already, sir, if they be
- true; if not true, none were enough.
Lucio
165- I was once before him for getting a wench with child.
Duke
166- Did you such a thing?
Lucio
167 - 168- Yes, marry, did I; but I was fain to forswear it. They would
- else have married me to the rotten medlar.
Duke
169- Sir, your company is fairer than honest. Rest you well.
Lucio
170 - 172- By my troth, I’ll go with thee to the lane’s end. If bawdy
- talk offend you, we’ll have very little of it. Nay, friar, I
- am a kind of bur, I shall stick.
- Exeunt.
Enter Provost with Ragozine’s head.
Edwin Austin Abbey, 1889