Craft against vice I must apply:
With Angelo to-night shall lie
His old betrothed, but despised;
So disguise shall, by the disguised,
Pay with falsehood false exacting,
And perform an old contracting.

[Exit.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. A Room at the Moated Grange. MARIANA discovered sitting: a Boy singing.

It does not appear certain to whom this beautiful little song rightly belongs. It is found with an additional stanza in Fletcher's Bloody Brother. Mr. Malone prints it as Shakespeare's, Mr. Boswell thinks Fletcher has the best claim to it, Mr. Weber that Shakespeare may have written the first stanza, and Fletcher the second. It may indeed be the property of some unknown or for gotten author. Be this as it may, the reader will be pleased to have the second stanza :

"Hide, O! hide those hills of snow

Which thy frozen bosom bears,
On whose tops the pinks that grow
Are of those that April wears.

But first set my poor heart free,
Bound in those icy chains by thee"

Mari. Break off thy song, and haste thee quick

away:

Here comes a man of comfort, whose advice

Hath often still'd my brawling discontent.

Enter DUKE.

[Exit Boy

I cry you mercy, sir; and well could wish
You had not found me here so musical:

Let me excuse me, and believe me so,

My mirth it much displeas'd, but pleas'd my woe.' Duke. 'Tis good: though music oft hath such a charm,

To make bad good, and good provoke to harm. I pray you, tell me, hath any body inquir'd for me here to-day? much upon this time have I promis'd here to meet.

Mari. You have not been inquir'd after: I have sat here all day.

Enter ISABELLA.

Duke. I do constantly believe you:-The time is come, even now. I shall crave your forbearance a little may be, I will call upon you anon, for some advantage to yourself.

Mari. I am always bound to you.

Duke. Very well met, and welcome. What is the news from this good deputy?

[Exit

Isab. He hath a garden circummur'd3 with brick, Whose western side is with a vineyard back'd; And to that vineyard is a planched gate, That makes his opening with this bigger key: This other doth command a little door,

2 Though the music soothed my sorrows, it had no tendency to produce light merriment.

Circummur'd, walled round. 4 Planched, planked, wooden

Which from the vineyard to the garden leads;
There have I made my promise, upon the
Heavy middle of the night to call upon him.
Duke. But shall you on your knowledge find this
way ?

Isab. I have ta'en a due and wary note upon't: With whispering and most guilty diligence,

In action all of precept, he did show me
The way twice o'er.

Duke.
Are there no other tokens
Between you 'greed, concerning her observance ?
Isab. No, none, but only a repair i̇'the dark;
And that I have possess'd him, my most stay
Can be but brief: for I have made him know
I have a servant comes with me along,

6

That stays upon me; whose persuasion is,
I come about my brother.

Duke.

"Tis well borne up.

I have not yet made known to Mariana

A word of this: -What, ho! within! come forth!

Re-enter MARIANA.

I pray you, be acquainted with this maid:

She comes to do you good.

Isab. I do desire the like.

Duke. Do you persuade yourself that I respect you ?

Mari. Good friar, I know you do; and have found it.

Duke. Take, then, this your companion by the

I shall attend your leisure; but make haste;
The vaporous night approaches.

Mari. Will't please you walk aside?

[Exeunt MARI. and ISAB

Duke. O place and greatness! millions of false

eyes

Are stuck upon

thee. Volumes of report

Run with these false and most contrarious quests'

8

Upon thy doings: thousand escapes of wit
Make thee the father of their idle dream,

And rack thee in their fancies!

Re-enter MARIANA and ISABELLA.

Welcome! How agreed?

Isab. She'll take the enterprise upon her, father,

If you advise it.

Duke.

But my entreaty too.

Isab.

It is not my consent,

Little have you to say,

When you depart from him, but, soft and low, "Remember now my brother."

Mari.

Fear me not.

Duke. Nor, gentle daughter, fear you not at all:

He is your husband on a pre-contract:

To bring you thus together, 'tis no sin;

Sith that the justice of your title to him

Doth flourish the deceit. Come, let us go:
Our corn's to reap, for yet our tilth's to sow.

7 Quests, inquisitions, inquiries.

8 Escapes, sallies, sportive wiles.

10

[Exeunt.

9 That is, ornament, embellish an action that would otherwise seem ugly.

10 Tilth here means land prepared for sowing. reads tithe; the emendation is Warburton's. note 5.

The old copy

See Act i. sc. 5

SCENE II. A Room in the Prison.

Enter Provost and Clown.

Prov. Come hither, sirrah: Can you cut off a man's head?

Clo. If the man be a bachelor, sir, I can; but if he be a married man, he is his wife's head, and 1 can never cut off a woman's head.

Prov. 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.

2

Clo. 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.

Prov. What ho, Abhorson!

there!

Where's Abhorson,

Encer ABHORSON.

Abhor. Do you call, sir?

Prov. Sirrah, here's a fellow will help you tomorrow 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.

1 That is, fetters.

That is, a whipping that none shall pity.