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add to it. Shave the head,' and tie the beard, and fay it was the defire of the penitent to be fo barb'd before his death; you know the courfe is common. If any thing fall to you upon this, more than thanks and good fortune; by the faint whom I profefs, I will plead against it with my life.

Prov. Pardon me, good father; it is against my oath.

Duke. Were you fworn 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 juftice of your dealing? Prov. But what likelihood is in that?

Duke. Not a resemblance, but a certainty. Yet fince I fee 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, fir, here is the hand and feal of the duke; you know the character, I doubt not; and the fignet is not ftrange to you.

and tie the beard,] The Revifal recommends Mr. Simpfon's emendation, DIE the beard, but the prefent reading may stand. I believe it was usual to tie up the beard before decollation, that it might escape the blow. Sir T. More is faid to have been very careful about this ornament of his face. It should however be remembered, that it was the custom to die beards. In the Midsummer Night's Dream, Bottom fays,

"I will discharge it either in your ftraw-colour'd beard, "your orange-tawny beard, your purple in grain, &c."

Again in the old comedy of Ram Alley, 1611.

"What colour'd beard comes next by the window ?
"A black man's, I think.

"I think, a red; for that is most in fashion."

STEEVENS.

A beard tied would give a very new air to that face, which had never been feen but with the beard loofe, long, and fqualid.

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JOHNSON.

Prov.

Prov. I know them both.

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Duke, The contents of this is the return of the duke; you shall anon over-read it at your pleasure; where you fhall find, within these two days he will be here. This is a thing, which Angelo knows not: for he this very day receives letters of ftrange tenor; perchance, of the duke's death; perchance, of his entering into some monaftery; but, by chance, nothing of what is writ. Look, the unfolding ftar calls up the fhepherd: Put not yourself into amazement how these things should be; all difficulties are but eafy, when they are known. Call your executioner, and off with. Barnardine's head: I will give him a present fhrift, and advise him for a better place. Yet you are amaz'd, but this fhall abfolutely refolve you. Come away, it is almost clear dawn. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Enter Clown.

Clown. I am as well acquainted here, as I was in our house of profeffion: one would think, it were mistress Over-done's own houfe, for here be many of her old customers. First, here's young mafter Rash;* he's in for a commodity of brown paper and old gin

nothing of what is writ.] We fhould read-here writ-the Duke pointing to the letter in his hand. WARBURTON.

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the unfolding ftar calls up the shepherd:]

"The ftar, that bids the fhepherd fold,

"Now to the top of heav'n doth hold." Milton's Comus.

STEEVENS.

Firft, here's young mafter Rash, &c.] This enumeration of the inhabitants of the prifon affords a very friking view of the practices predominant in Shakespeare's age. Befides thofe whofe follies are common to all times, we have four fighting men and a traveller. It is not unlikely that the originals of the pictures were then known. JOHNSON.

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ger, ninefcore and feventeen pounds; of which he made five marks ready money: marry, then, ginger was not much in requeft, for the old women were all dead. Then is there here one mafter Caper, at the fuit of mafter Three-pile the mercer, for fome four fuits of peach-colour'd fattin, which now peaches him a beggar. Then have we here young Dizy, and young mafter Deep-vow, and mafter Copper-fpur, and mafter Starve-lacky the rapier and dagger-man, and young Drop-heir that kill'd lufty Pudding, and mafter Forthlight the tilter, and brave mafter Shoe-tye the great traveller, and wild Half-can that ftabb'd Pots, and, I think, forty more; all great doers in our trade, and are now in for the Lord's fake.

Enter Abborfon.

Abhor. Sirrah, bring Barnardine hither.

3 a commodity of brown paper and old ginger,] Thus the old copy. The modern editors read, brown pepper. The following paffage in Michaelmas Term, Com. 1607, will justify the original reading.

"I know fome gentlemen in town have been glad, and are "glad at this time, to take up commodities in hawk's-hoods "and brown paper." STEEVENS.

4 mafier Forthlight] Should not Forthlight be Forthright, alluding to the line in which the thruft is made? JOHNSON.

5 and brave mafter Shooty the great traveller,] As most of thefe are compound names, I fufpect that this was originally written, mafter Shoe-tye. As he was a traveller, it is not unlikely that he might be folicitous about the minutia of drefs, and the epithet brave feems to countenance the fuppofition. STEEVENS.

in for the Lord's fake.] i. e. to beg for the rest of their lives. WARBURTON. I rather think this expreffion intended to ridicule the puritans, whofe turbulence and indecency often brought them to prifon, and who confidered themselves as fuffering for religion.

It is not unlikely that men imprifoned for other crimes, might reprefent themselves to cafual enquirers, as fuffering for puritanifm, and that this might be the common cant of the prifons. In Donne's time, every prifoner was brought to jail by furetiship.

JOHNSON.

Clown.

Clown. Master Barnardine! you must rise and be hang'd, mafter Barnardine.

Abbor. What, ho, Barnardine!

Barnar. [Within.] A pox o' your throats! Who makes that noife there? What are you?

Clown. Your friend, fir, the hangman: you must be fo good, fir, to rife, and be put to death.

Barnar. [Within.] Away, you rogue, away; I am fleepy.

Abbor. Tell him, he muft awake, and that quickly

too.

Clown. Pray, mafter Barnardine, awake till you are executed, and fleep afterwards.

Abbor. Go in to him, and fetch him out.

Clown. He is coming, fir, he is coming; I hear the straw ruftle.

Enter Barnardine.

Abbor. Is the ax upon the block, firrah?
Clown. Very ready, fir.

Barnar. How now, Abhorfon? what's the news with you?

Abbor. Truly, fir, I would defire 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.

Clown. Oh, the better, fir; for he that drinks all night, and is hang'd betimes in the morning, may fleep the founder all the next day.

Enter Duke.

Abbor. Look you, fir, here comes your ghoftly father; do we jeft now, think you?

Duke. Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing how haftily you are to depart, I am come to advife you, comfort you, and pray 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 confent to die this day, that's certain.

Duke. Oh, fir, you must and therefore, I beseech you, look forward on the journey you shall go.

Barnar. I fwear, I will not die to-day for any man's perfuafion.

Duke. But hear you,you,

Barnar. Not a word: if you have any thing to fay to me, come to my ward; for thence will not I to

day.

Enter Provoft.

[Exit.

Duke. Unfit to live, or die: oh, gravel heart!— Prov. After him, fellows: bring him to the block." [Exeunt Abborfon and Clown. Now, fir, how do you find the prisoner?

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Duke. A creature unprepar'd, unmeet for death;
And, to transport him in the mind he is,
Were damnable.

Prov. Here in the prison, father,
There dy'd this morning of a cruel fever
One Ragozine, a most notorious pirate,
A man of Claudio's years; his beard, and head,
Juft of his colour: What if we do omit
This reprobate, till he were well inclin'd;
And fatisfy the deputy with the vifage
Of Ragozine, more like to Claudio?

Duke. O, 'tis an accident, that heaven provides! Difpatch it prefently. The hour draws on Prefix'd by Angelo. See, this be done,

After him, fellows:

-] Here was a line given to the Duke, which belongs to the Provoft. The Provost, while the Duke is lamenting the obduracy of the prifoner, cries out,

After him, fellows, &c.

and, when they are gone out, turns again to the Duke. JOHNSON.

I have given it to the Provoft. STEEVENS.

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-to transport him. -] To remove him from one world to another. The French tréfa: affords a kindred fenfe. JOHNSON.

And

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