The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (440 page)

A nice favor.

PROVOST

Call hither Barnardine and Claudio:

Call Bernardine and Claudio here:

Exeunt POMPEY and ABHORSON

The one has my pity; not a jot the other,

One of them as my pity; the other one doesn’t at all,
Being a murderer, though he were my brother.

Since he is a murderer, even though he was by brother.

Enter CLAUDIO

Look, here's the warrant, Claudio, for thy death:

Look Claudio, here’s the warrant for your death:
'Tis now dead midnight, and by eight to-morrow

It is now exactly midnight, and by eight o’clock tomorrow
Thou must be made immortal. Where's Barnardine?

You must be executed. Where’s Bernardine?

CLAUDIO

As fast lock'd up in sleep as guiltless labour

As dead asleep as when honest hard work
When it lies starkly in the traveller's bones:

Drags a workingman to rest:
He will not wake.

He will not wake up.

PROVOST

Who can do good on him?

Who can do him any good?
Well, go, prepare yourself.

Well, go, prepare yourself.

Knocking within

But, hark, what noise?

Hey, what’s that noise?
Heaven give your spirits comfort!

May heaven give your souls a blessing!

Exit CLAUDIO

By and by.

Well anyway.
I hope it is some pardon or reprieve

I hope that is a pardon or reprieve
For the most gentle Claudio.

For the gentle Claudio.

Enter DUKE VINCENTIO disguised as before

Welcome father.

Welcome father.

DUKE VINCENTIO

The best and wholesomest spirts of the night

May the best and most wholesome spirits of the night
Envelope you, good Provost! Who call'd here of late?

Take you in, good Provost!  Who has called here lately?

PROVOST

None, since the curfew rung.

No one, since the curfew bell rang.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Not Isabel?

Not even Isabel?

PROVOST

No.

No.

DUKE VINCENTIO

They will, then, ere't be long.

They will, then, before too long.

PROVOST

What comfort is for Claudio?

What reassurance is there for Claudio?

DUKE VINCENTIO

There's some in hope.

There’s a little hope.

PROVOST

It is a bitter deputy.

He’s such a harsh governor

DUKE VINCENTIO

Not so, not so; his life is parallel'd

No he’s not; he life is mirrored
Even with the stroke and line of his great justice:

Exactly with the letter of his law:
He doth with holy abstinence subdue

He does with heavenly self-restraint hold back
That in himself which he spurs on his power

In himself the thing for which he uses his power
To qualify in others: were he meal'd with that

To punish others: if he were guilty of that
Which he corrects, then were he tyrannous;

Which he punishes, then he would be a tyrant;
But this being so, he's just.

But as it is, he’s fair.

Knocking within

Now are they come.

Now they are here.

Exit PROVOST

This is a gentle provost: seldom when

He is a kind provost: it’s not often when
The steeled gaoler is the friend of men.

A hardened jailer is the friendly to others.

Knocking within

How now! what noise? That spirit's possessed with haste

What’s going on! What’s that noise? That messenger is in a great hurry
That wounds the unsisting postern with these strokes.

Who hammers the unmoving gate with these blows.

Re-enter PROVOST

PROVOST

There he must stay until the officer

He must stay there until an officer
Arise to let him in: he is call'd up.

Lets him in: I have called him in.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Have you no countermand for Claudio yet,

Do you have a pardon for Claudio yet,
But he must die to-morrow?

Or is he still going to die tomorrow?

PROVOST

None, sir, none.

I have none, sir.

DUKE VINCENTIO

As near the dawning, provost, as it is,

As close to sunrise as it is, provost,
You shall hear more ere morning.

You will receive one before morning.

PROVOST

Happily

Perhaps
You something know; yet I believe there comes

You know something I don’t; but I believe he will not receive
No countermand; no such example have we:

a pardon; there are no examples of that:
Besides, upon the very siege of justice

Besides, on the very seat of justice
Lord Angelo hath to the public ear

Lord Angelo has publicly
Profess'd the contrary.

Announced the opposite.

Enter a Messenger

This is his lordship's man.

This is his lordship’s messenger.

DUKE VINCENTIO

And here comes Claudio's pardon.

And here comes Claudio’s pardon.

M
ESSENGER

[Giving a paper]

[Hands over a paper]
My lord hath sent you this note; and by me this

My lord sends you this note; and with me this
further charge, that you swerve not from the

Additional instruction: to not stray from the
smallest article of it, neither in time, matter, or

Smallest direction in it, not in time, or subject matter, or
other circumstance. Good morrow; for, as I take it,

Any other situation. Have a good day tomorrow; for I believe
it is almost day.

It’s almost day.

PROVOST

I shall obey him.

I will obey him.

Exit MESSENGER

DUKE VINCENTIO

[Aside] This is his pardon, purchased by such sin

[Aside] This is his pardon, bought by the same sin
For which the pardoner himself is in.

That the man who pardoned him committed.
Hence hath offence his quick celerity,

In this way, sin multiplies quickly
When it is born in high authority:

When it is held up by those with authority:
When vice makes mercy, mercy's so extended,

When sin is the reason for mercy, mercy becomes so overstretched
That for the fault's love is the offender friended.

That for the love of sin the prisoner is helped.
Now, sir, what news?

Now, sir, what’s the news?

PROVOST

I told you. Lord Angelo, belike thinking me remiss

As I told you before.  Lord Angelo, perhaps thinking I am irresponsible
in mine office, awakens me with this unwonted

In my work, wakes me up with these strange
putting-on; methinks strangely, for he hath not used it before.

Directions; or I think it’s strange, as he hasn’t done this before.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Pray you, let's hear.

Please, tell me what it is.

PROVOST

[Reads]

[Reads]
'Whatsoever you may hear to the contrary, let

‘Despite whatever else you might hear,
Claudio be executed by four of the clock; and in the

Execute Claudio by four o’clock; and in the
afternoon Barnardine: for my better satisfaction,

Afternoon execute Barnardine: to assure me of this
let me have Claudio's head sent me by five. Let

Have Claudio’s head sent to me by five.  This
this be duly performed; with a thought that more

Should be properly carried out; know that more
depends on it than we must yet deliver. Thus fail

Depends on this than I may tell you know.  So do not fail
not to do your office, as you will answer it at your peril.'

To do your job, as you will answer for it your own risk.’
What say you to this, sir?

What do you think of this, sir?

DUKE VINCENTIO

What is that Barnardine who is to be executed in the

Who is this Barnardine who is to be executed in the
afternoon?

Afternoon?

PROVOST

A Bohemian born, but here nursed up and bred; one
He was born in Bohemia, but was raised here;

that is a prisoner nine years old.

He has been a prisoner for the last nine years.

DUKE VINCENTIO

How came it that the absent duke had not either

How is it that the absent duke had neither
delivered him to his liberty or executed him? I

Given him his freedom nor executed him? I
have heard it was ever his manner to do so.

Have heard that it was his style to do so.

PROVOST

His friends still wrought reprieves for him: and,

His friends were able to get a stay of execution for him: and
indeed, his fact, till now in the government of Lord

In fact, until now in the government of Lord Angelo, his crime
Angelo, came not to an undoubtful proof.

Had not been absolutely proven.

DUKE VINCENTIO

It is now apparent?

Is it now evident?

PROVOST

Most manifest, and not denied by himself.

Most clear, not he does not deny it.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Hath he born himself penitently in prison? How

Has he been remorseful while in prison? How
seems he to be touched?

Does he seem to be affected?

PROVOST

A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully but

A man that worries about death no more fearfully than
as a drunken sleep; careless, reckless, and fearless

If it were a drunken sleep; he’s carless, reckless, and fearless
of what's past, present, or to come; insensible of

Of what’s in his past, present or future; uncaring of
mortality, and desperately mortal.

Death, and sure to die.

DUKE VINCENTIO

He wants advice.

He needs guidance.

PROVOST

He will hear none: he hath evermore had the liberty

He won’t hear it: he has always had the freedom
of the prison; give him leave to escape hence, he

To go about the prison; if you gave him a way to escape here, he
would not: drunk many times a day, if not many days

Still wouldn’t go: he’s drunk most of the day, and many days
entirely drunk. We have very oft awaked him, as if

Entirely drunk.  We have often woken him up, as if
to carry him to execution, and showed him a seeming

To bring him to his execution, and showed him a supposed
warrant for it: it hath not moved him at all.