Act V

SCENE

A dungeon in the public prison of Padua; Guido lies asleep on a
pallet (L.C.); a table with a goblet on it is set (L.C.); five
soldiers are drinking and playing dice in the corner on a stone
table; one of them has a lantern hung to his halbert; a torch is
set in the wall over Guido's head. Two grated windows behind, one
on each side of the door which is (C.), look out into the passage;
the stage is rather dark.

FIRST SOLDIER

[throws dice]
Sixes again! good Pietro.

SECOND SOLDIER

I' faith, lieutenant, I will play with thee no more. I will lose
everything.

THIRD SOLDIER

Except thy wits; thou art safe there!

SECOND SOLDIER

Ay, ay, he cannot take them from me.

THIRD SOLDIER

No; for thou hast no wits to give him.

THE SOLDIERS

[loudly]
Ha! ha! ha!

FIRST SOLDIER

Silence! You will wake the prisoner; he is asleep.

SECOND SOLDIER

What matter? He will get sleep enough when he is buried. I
warrant he'd be glad if we could wake him when he's in the grave.

THIRD SOLDIER

Nay! for when he wakes there it will be judgment day.

SECOND SOLDIER

Ay, and he has done a grievous thing; for, look you, to murder one
of us who are but flesh and blood is a sin, and to kill a Duke goes
being near against the law.

FIRST SOLDIER

Well, well, he was a wicked Duke.

SECOND SOLDIER

And so he should not have touched him; if one meddles with wicked
people, one is like to be tainted with their wickedness.

THIRD SOLDIER

Ay, that is true. How old is the prisoner?

SECOND SOLDIER

Old enough to do wrong, and not old enough to be wise.

FIRST SOLDIER

Why, then, he might be any age.

SECOND SOLDIER

They say the Duchess wanted to pardon him.

FIRST SOLDIER

Is that so?

SECOND SOLDIER

Ay, and did much entreat the Lord Justice, but he would not.

FIRST SOLDIER

I had thought, Pietro, that the Duchess was omnipotent.

SECOND SOLDIER

True, she is well-favoured; I know none so comely.

THE SOLDIERS

Ha! ha! ha!

FIRST SOLDIER

I meant I had thought our Duchess could do anything.

SECOND SOLDIER

Nay, for he is now given over to the Justices, and they will see
that justice be done; they and stout Hugh the headsman; but when
his head is off, why then the Duchess can pardon him if she likes;
there is no law against that.

FIRST SOLDIER

I do not think that stout Hugh, as you call him, will do the
business for him after all. This Guido is of gentle birth, and so
by the law