O, the better, sir; for he that drinks all night,
and is hanged betimes in the morning, may sleep the
sounder all the next day.

Very ready, sir.

He is coming, sir, he is coming; I hear his straw rustle.

Pray, Master Barnardine, awake till you are
executed, and sleep afterwards.

Your friends, sir; the hangman. You must be so
good, sir, to rise and be put to death.

Master Barnardine! you must rise and be hanged.
Master Barnardine!

I am as well acquainted here as I was in our house
of profession: one would think it were Mistress
Overdone's own house, for here be many of her old
customers. First, here's young Master Rash; he's in
for a commodity of brown paper and old ginger ...

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.

Sir, I will serve him; for I do find your hangman is
a more penitent trade than your bawd; he doth
oftener ask forgiveness.

Proof?

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.

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?

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.

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.

You will not bail me, then, sir?

I hope, sir, your good worship will be my bail.

Yes, faith, sir.

Troth, sir, she hath eaten up all her beef, and she
is herself in the tub.

I spy comfort; I cry bail. Here's a gentleman and a
friend of mine.

Indeed, it does stink in some sort, sir; but yet,
sir, I would prove--

'Twas never merry world since, of two usuries, the
merriest was put down, and the worser allowed by
order of law a furred gown to keep him warm; and
furred with fox and lamb-skins too, to signify, that
craft, being richer than innocency, stands for the facing.

I thank your worship for your good counsel:
Aside
but I shall follow it as the flesh and fortune shall
better determine.
Whip me? No, no; let carman whip his jade:
The valiant heart is not whipt out of his trade.

If you head and hang all that offend that way but
for ten year together, you'll be glad to give out a
commission for more heads: if this law hold in
Vienna ten year, I'll rent the fairest house in it
after three-pence a bay: if you live ...

Truly, sir, in my poor opinion, they will to't then.
If your worship will take order for the drabs and
the knaves, you need not to fear the bawds.

Does your worship mean to geld and splay all the
youth of the city?

If the law would allow it, sir.

Truly, sir, I am a poor fellow that would live.

Bum, sir.

Pompey.

Nine, sir; Overdone by the last.

Sir, she was respected with him before he married with her.

By this hand, sir, his wife is a more respected
person than any of us all.

I'll be supposed upon a book, his face is the worst
thing about him. Good, then; if his face be the
worst thing about him, how could Master Froth do the
constable's wife any harm? I would know that of
your honour.

Doth your honour see any harm in his face?

Nay; I beseech you, mark it well.

I beseech you, sir, look in this gentleman's face.
Good Master Froth, look upon his honour; 'tis for a
good purpose. Doth your honour mark his face?

I beseech your honour, ask me.

Once, sir? there was nothing done to her once.

Why, very well, then; I hope here be truths.

Why, very well; I hope here be truths. He, sir,
sitting, as I say, in a lower chair, sir; 'twas in
the Bunch of Grapes, where indeed you have a delight
to sit, have you not?

Sir, but you shall come to it, by your honour's
leave. And, I beseech you, look into Master Froth
here, sir; a man of four-score pound a year; whose
father died at Hallowmas: was't not at Hallowmas,
Master Froth?

Sir, your honour cannot come to that yet.

Why, very well, then,--

Why, very well; I telling you then, if you be
remembered, that such a one and such a one were past
cure of the thing you wot of, unless they kept very
good diet, as I told you,--

Very well: you being then, if you be remembered,
cracking the stones of the foresaid prunes,--

No, indeed, sir, not of a pin; you are therein in
the right: but to the point. As I say, this
Mistress Elbow, being, as I say, with child, and
being great-bellied, and longing, as I said, for
prunes; and having but two in the dish, as I said,
Master ...

Sir, she came in great with child; and longing,
saving your honour's reverence, for stewed prunes;
sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very
distant time stood, as it were, in a fruit-dish, a
dish of some three-pence; your honours have seen
such dishes; they ...

Sir, if it please your honour, this is not so.

He cannot, sir; he's out at elbow.

Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the provost to
prison; and there's Madam Juliet.