SCENE I. Enter M.] Ff. M. discovered sitting. Steevens. 5, 6: F4 omits the refrain in l. 6. Rowe omits it in both lines. 6: _but_] _though_ Fletcher's version. 13: _it_] _is_ Warburton. 17: _meet_] _meet one_ Hanmer. 19: Enter I.] Transferred by Singer to line 23. 24: SCENE II. Pope. _well come_] Ff. _welcome_ Warburton. 32, 33, 34: _There have I made my promise Upon the heavy middle of the night To call upon him._] S. Walker conj. _There have I made my promise, upon the Heavy middle of the night to call upon him._ Ff. _There on the heavy middle of the night Have I my promise made to call upon him._ Pope. _There have I made my promise to call on him Upon the heavy middle of the night._ Capell. _There have I made my promise in the heavy Middle...._ Singer. _There have I made my promise on the heavy Middle...._ Dyce. Delius and Staunton read with Ff. but print as prose. 38: _action all of precept_] _precept of all action_ Johnson conj. 49: SCENE III. Pope. 52: _have_] _I have_ Pope. 58-63: _O place ... fancies_] These lines to precede III. 2. 178. Warburton conj. 60: _these_] _their_ Hanmer. _base_ Collier MS. _quests_] _quest_ F1. 61: _escapes_] _'scapes_ Pope. 62: _their idle dreams_] Pope. _their idle dreame_ Ff. _an idle dream_ Rowe. 63: _Welcome, how agreed?_] _Well! agreed?_ Hanmer. SCENE IV. Pope. 65: _It is_] _'Tis_ Pope. 74: _tithe's_] _Tithes_ F1 F2 F3. _Tythes_ F4. _tilth's_ Hanmer (Warburton). _Our ... sow_] _Our tythe's to reap, for yet our corn's to sow_ Capell conj. MS. SCENE II. _A room in the prison._ _Enter PROVOST and POMPEY._ _Prov._ Come hither, sirrah. Can you cut off a man's head? _Pom._ 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. _Prov._ Come, sir, leave me your snatches, and yield me 5 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 10 your deliverance with an unpitied whipping, for you have been a notorious bawd. _Pom._ 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 15 partner. _Prov._ What, ho! Abhorson! Where's Abhorson, there? _Enter ABHORSON._ _Abhor._ Do you call, sir? _Prov._ Sirrah, here's a fellow will help you to-morrow in your execution. If you think it meet, compound with 20 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.