Provost returns. Prov. There he must stay, until the officer Arife to let him in; he is call'd up. Duke. Have you no countermand for Claudio yet, But he muft die to-morrow? Prov. None, fir, none. Duke. As near the dawning, provoft, as it is, You fhall hear more ere morning. Prov. Happily, You fomething know; yet, I believe, there comes preffion, that want of measure, and want of fenfe, might juftly raise fufpicion of an errour, yet none of the later editors feem to have fuppofed the place faulty, except fir Tho. Hanmer, who reads, -the unrefting pofterma The three folio's have it, -unfifting poftern, out of which Mr. Rowe made unrefifting, and the reft followed him. Sir Thomas Hanmer feems to have fuppofed unrefifting the word in the copies, from which he plaufibly enough extracted unrefting, but he grounded his emendation on the very fyllable that wants authority. What can be made of unfifting I know not; the best that occurs to me is unfeeling. JOHNSON. -unrefifting poftern] I fhould think we might fafely read, -unlift'ning poftern. The measure requires it, and the sense remains uninjured. STEEVENS, 5fiege of justice,] i. e. feat of justice. Siege, Fr. So Othello, -I fetch my birth "From men of royal fiege." STEEVENS. Enter Enter a Messenger. Duke. This is his lordship's man. Prov. And here comes Claudio's pardon. Me. My lord hath fent you this note, and by me this further charge, that you fwerve not from the fmalleft article of it, neither in time, matter, or other circumstance. Good morrow; for, as I take it, it is almost day. Prov. I fhall obey him. [Exit Messenger. Duke. This is his pardon, purchas'd by fuch fin, For which the pardoner himself is in : [Afide. When vice makes mercy, mercy's fo extended, "Enter a Meffenger. Duke. This is bis lordship's man. Prov. And bere comes Claudio's pardon.] The Provoft has juft declared a fixed opinion that the execution will not be countermanded, and yet, upon the first appearance of the Meffenger, he immediately gueffes that his errand is to bring Claudio's pardon. It is evident, I think, that the names of the fpeakers are misplaced. If we fuppofe the Provost to say, This is his lordship's man, it is very natural for the Duke to fubjoin, And here comes Claudio's pardon. The Duke might believe, upon very reasonable grounds, that Angelo had now fent the pardon. It appears that he did fo, from what he fays to himself, while the Provoft is reading the letter: This is bis pardon, purchas'd' by fuch fin, Obferv. and Conject. &c. printed at Oxf. 1766. When, immediately after the Duke had hinted his expectation of a pardon, the Provoft fees the Meffenger, he fuppofes the Duke to have known fomething, and changes his mind. Either reading may ferve equally well. JOHNSON. H 4 Prov. Prov. I told you: lord Angelo, be-like, thinking me remifs in mine office, awakens me with this unwonted putting on: methinks, ftrangely; for he hath not us'd it before. Duke. Pray you, let's hear. Provost reads the letter. Whatsoever you may hear to the contrary, let Claudio be executed by four of the clock; and, in the afternoon, Barnardine: for my better fatisfaction, let me have Claudio's head fent me by five. Let this be duly perform'd, 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 you peril. What fay you to this, fir? Duke. What is that Barnardine, who is to be executed in the afternoon? Prov. A Bohemian born; but here nurs'd up and bred one that is a prifoner nine years old. Duke. How came it that the abfent duke had not either deliver'd him to his liberty, or executed him? I have heard, it was ever his manner to do fo. Prov. His friends ftill wrought reprieves for him: And, indeed, his fact, till now in the government of lord Angelo, came not to an undoubtful proof. Duke. Is it now apparent? Prev. Moft manifeft, and not deny'd by himself. Duke. Hath he born himfelf penitent in prifon? how feems he to be touch'd? Prov. A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken fleep; careless, reckless, and fearless of what's paft, prefent, or to come; infenfible of mortality, and defperately mortal. Duke. defperately mortal.] This expreffion is obfcure. Sir Thomas Hanmer reads, mortally defperate. Mortally is in low converfation ufed Duke. He wants advice. Prov. He will hear none: he hath evermore had the liberty of the prifon : give him leave to escape hence, he would not drunk many times a day, if not many days entirely drunk. We have very often awak'd him, as if to carry him to execution, and fhew'd him a feeming warrant for it; it hath not mov'd him at all. Duke. More of him anon. There is written in your brow, Provost, honefty and conftancy: if I read it not truly, my ancient skill beguiles me: but, in the boldness of my cunning, 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 fentenc'd him. To make you understand this in a manifefted effect, I crave but four days refpite; for the which you are to do me both a present and a dangerous courtesy. Prov. Pray, fir, in what? Duke. In the delaying death. Prov. Alack! how may I do it, having the hour limited, and an exprefs command, under penalty, to deliver his head in the view of Angelo? I may make my cafe as Claudio's, to cross this in the fmalleft. 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 feen them both, and will difcoyer the favour. Duke. Oh, death's a great difguifer: and you may ufed in this fenfe, but I know not whether it was ever written. I am inclined to believe, that defperately mortal means dejperately mifchievous. Or defperately mortal may mean a man likely to die in a defperate state, without reflection or repentance. JOHNSON. add add to it. Shave the head,' and tie the beard, and If fay it was the defire of the penitent to be fo barb'd before his death; you know the courfe is common. 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 refemblance, but a certainty. Yet fince I fee you fearful, that neither my coat, integrity, nor my perfuafion, 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. 8 and tie the beard,] The Revifal recommends Mr. Simpson's emendation, DIE the beard, but the prefent reading may stand. I believe it was ufual 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 says, "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? "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 seen but with the beard loofe, long, and squalid. I JOHNSON. Prov. |