登陆注册
20029500000020

第20章

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. 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 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;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? 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. 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 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:

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 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? 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. 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. 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 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?

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 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. 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 hope. Provost It is a bitter deputy. DUKE VINCENTIO Not so, not so; his life is parallel'd Even with the stroke and line of his great justice:

He doth with holy abstinence subdue That in himself which he spurs on his power To qualify in others: were he meal'd with that Which he corrects, then were he tyrannous;But this being so, he's just.

Knocking within Now are they come.

Exit Provost This is a gentle provost: seldom when The steeled gaoler is the friend of men.

Knocking within How now! what noise? That spirit's possessed with haste That wounds the unsisting postern with these strokes.

Re-enter Provost Provost There he must stay until the officer Arise to let him in: he is call'd up. DUKE VINCENTIO Have you no countermand for Claudio yet, But he must die to-morrow? Provost None, sir, none. DUKE VINCENTIO As near the dawning, provost, as it is, You shall hear more ere morning. Provost Happily You something know; yet I believe there comes No countermand; no such example have we:

Besides, upon the very siege of justice Lord Angelo hath to the public ear Profess'd the contrary.

Enter a Messenger This is his lordship's man. DUKE VINCENTIO And here comes Claudio's pardon. Messenger [Giving a paper]

同类推荐
  • 行次汉上

    行次汉上

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 吕氏春秋

    吕氏春秋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Enchanted Island of Yew

    The Enchanted Island of Yew

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Mad King

    The Mad King

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Anti-Slavery Crusade

    The Anti-Slavery Crusade

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 冷艳总裁的最强狂龙

    冷艳总裁的最强狂龙

    【免费新书】谁说屌丝不能完爆高富帅?谁说只有兵王可以虐流氓?且看一个普通的大学生林宇,如何凭借神秘的舍利子纵横花都,于群美之间遨游,在花都之中抛洒热血,完爆无良富二代,虐残横行乡里的臭流氓!
  • 驭神龙

    驭神龙

    浩瀚无垠的驭兽大陆,各族林立,其中以人族最为强悍,但却是内斗不断,最终,自上个纪元消失的神龙一族重现人间,人类将何去何从……
  • 勿枉此生

    勿枉此生

    万物起于无,万物终于无!众生愚昧,唯我一人清醒……朗朗青天,茫茫大地,看这天下风云,终将执于我手!勿嗔,勿贪,勿恨天地无道…勿尤,勿怨,勿枉此生轮回……
  • 安得盛世

    安得盛世

    性格迷糊的现代宅女重生到一个不算太平的架空世界,一次意外让她卷入王室之争,成为改写历史的关键
  • 四川客家“崇文重教”的历史重构

    四川客家“崇文重教”的历史重构

    从“崇文重教”的角度,运用比较研究方法,探讨四川客家教育的族群性和区域性特色。即从族群比较的角度,将四川的客家人与湖广人作比较,分析客家文化在与巴蜀文化的融合与冲突中,为了保存自己的文化特色,四川客家教育所充当的角色及发挥的功能,突出客家教育的族群性特色;通过区域比较,即在比较四川客家聚居区与客家散居区以及四川客家与闽、粤、赣客家的基础上,初步分析出四川客家教育的地域性特色,揭示了四川客家教育的时空差异,分析四川客家教育发展模式与特色,从而勾画出四川客家的教育史轮廓。
  • 触不及天堂

    触不及天堂

    “你还有我在。”“我想牵起你的手,走尼玛黑远。”一字一句,以为不在意,却在最后才知道那已经印入心底。
  • 霸宠无度:宅门娇妻斗妖夫

    霸宠无度:宅门娇妻斗妖夫

    无奈嫁给城中大户做冲喜媳妇。本已是满腹委屈,却奈何丈夫当日就要休妻。婆婆说要将她卖到花街才作罢。大宅内钩心斗角,面如鬼枯的大少爷。不善的大少奶奶。各有盘算的各房姨太。诡异的丫鬟,死而复生的二姨太。谁才是鬼!真鬼?假鬼?还是人心里有鬼?
  • 左手功名 右手美人

    左手功名 右手美人

    本书作者以犀利的笔锋,反映了对社会现实的敏感,书中收了50篇精彩杂文。
  • 镜面骑士

    镜面骑士

    这是一个骑士的世界,人类的文明压倒一切其他种族,世人只知崇拜天神,不思进取。一对双胞胎诞生在一个骑士家族,一个天生光明,一个天生黑暗,一个受尽万千宠爱,一个遭到世人唾弃。他们相扶相伴一起成长,却也反目成仇分道扬镳。两个人如同一面镜子反射的两面。神怜世人?神为何物人,又是否值得怜爱喜欢的朋友可以加群214331663
  • 朝元

    朝元

    上古年间,荒兽自天域降临,染血亿万禽兽鱼虫,以至禽凶残,兽嗜血,虫诡毒,鱼阴邪。有那怪岭上的千万蛟鼠,所过境土,生灵不存。有那水桶粗的金背蜈蚣,吞吸云雾,爱吃人畜。更有深湖中的如龙巨蟒,张口便吞下一座郡镇。……生在如此世间,小少年为护亲友,为争天命,踏入武道修途。从此争来神秘人书,争来万古传承;更争来那道门小和尚做兄弟,佛门小妖女做媳妇儿;再有活了亿万年的小乌龟喜欢搞一票就跑,贪食的小蚕龙最爱吞一肚子宝…………煌煌一生,终得万仙朝元,一切便从这里开始……