Act 4, Scene III

SCENE III. Another room in the same.

Enter POMPEY
POMPEY
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,
ninescore and seventeen pounds; of which he made
five marks, ready money: marry, then ginger was not
much in request, for the old women were all dead.
Then is there here one Master Caper, at the suit of
Master Three-pile the mercer, for some four suits of
peach-coloured satin, which now peaches him a
beggar. Then have we here young Dizy, and young
Master Deep-vow, and Master Copperspur, and Master
Starve-lackey the rapier and dagger man, and young
Drop-heir that killed lusty Pudding, and Master
Forthlight the tilter, and brave Master Shooty the
great traveller, and wild Half-can that stabbed
Pots, and, I think, forty more; all great doers in
our trade, and are now 'for the Lord's sake.'

Enter ABHORSON

ABHORSON
Sirrah, bring Barnardine hither.

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

ABHORSON
What, ho, Barnardine!

BARNARDINE
[Within] A pox o' your throats! Who makes that
noise there? What are you?

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

BARNARDINE
[Within] Away, you rogue, away! I am sleepy.

ABHORSON
Tell him he must awake, and that quickly too.

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

ABHORSON
Go in to him, and fetch him out.

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

ABHORSON
Is the axe upon the block, sirrah?

POMPEY
Very ready, sir.

Enter BARNARDINE

BARNARDINE
How now, Abhorson? what's the news with you?

ABHORSON
Truly, sir, I would desire you to clap into your
prayers; for, look you, the warrant's come.

BARNARDINE
You rogue, I have been drinking all night; I am not
fitted for 't.

POMPEY
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.

ABHORSON
Look you, sir; here comes your ghostly father: do
we jest now, think you?

Enter DUKE VINCENTIO disguised as before

DUKE VINCENTIO
Sir, induced by my charity, and hearing how hastily
you are to depart, I am come to advise you, comfort
you and pray with you.

BARNARDINE
Friar, not I I have been drinking hard all night,
and I will