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That onley I to all men iust must be,

And neither gods nor men be iust to me!

DEP.

Worthy Hieronimo, your office askes

A care to punish such as doe transgresse.

HIERO.

So ist my duety to regarde his death

Who when he liued deserued my dearest blood.

But come; for that we came for, lets begin;

For heere lyes that which bids me to be gone.

Enter OFFICERS, BOY, & PEDRINGANO with a letter

in his hand, bound.

DEPU.

Bring forth the prisoner for the court is set.

PED.

Gramercy, boy! but it was time to come,

For I had written to my lord anew

A neerer matter that concerneth him,

For feare his lordship had forgotten me;

But, sith he hath rememberd me so well,

Come, come, come on! when shall we to this geere?

HIERO.

Stand forth, thou monster, murderer of men,

And heere, for satisfaction of the world,

Confesse thy folly and repent thy fault,

For ther's thy place of execution.

PED.

This is short worke! Well, to your martiallship

First I confesse, nor feare I death therefore,

I am the man,—twas I slew Serberine.

But, sir, then you think this shalbe the place

Where we shall satisfie you for this geare?

DEPU.

I, Pedrigano.

PED.

No I think not so.

HEIRO.

Peace, impudent! for thou shalt finde it so;

For blood with blood shall, while I sit as iudge,

Be satisfied, and the law dischargde.

And, though my-selfe cannot receiue the like,

Yet will I see that others haue their right.

Dispatch! the fault approued and confest,

And by our law he is condemned to die.

HANG.

Come on, sir! are you ready?

PED.

To do what, my fine officious knaue?

HANG.

To goe to this geere.

PED.

O, sir, you are to forward; thou woulst faine

furnish me with a halter, to disfurnish me of my habit.

So should I goe out of this geere, my raiment, into that

geere, the rope. But, hangman, now I spy your knauery, Ile

not change without boot; thats flat.

HANG.

Come, sir.

PED.

So then I must vp?

HANG.

No remedie.

PED.

Yes, but there shalbe for my comming downe.

HANG.

Indeed heers a remedie for that.

PED.

How? be turnd off?

HANG.

I, truly. Come, are you ready?

I pray [you], sir, dispatch, the day goes away.

PED.

What, doe you hang by the howre? If you doo, I

may chance to break your olde custome.

HANG.

Faith, you haue [no] reason, for I am like to break

your yong neck.

PED.

Dost thou mock me, hangman? Pray God I be not

preserued to break your knaues-pate for this!

HANG.

Alas, sir, you are a foot too low to reach it, and I

hope you will neuer grow so high while I am in office.

PED.

Sirra, dost see yonder boy with the box in his hand?

HANG.

What, he that points to it with his finger?

PED.

I, that companion.

HANG.

I know him not; but what of him?

PED.

Doost thou think to liue till his olde doublet will

make thee a new truss?

HANG.

I, and many a faire yeere after, to trusse vp many

an honester man then either thou or he.

PED.

What hath he in his boxe, as thou thinkst?

HANG.

Faith, I cannot tell, nor I care not greatly.

Me thinks you should rather hearken to your soules health.

PED.

Why, sirra hangman, I take it that that is good for

the body is likewise good for the soule: and it may be in

that box is balme for both.

HANG.

Wel, thou art euen the meriest peece of mans

flesh that ere gronde at my office-doore.

PED.

Is your roaguery become an office, with a knaues name?

HANG.

I, and that shall all they witnes that see you seale

it with a theeues name.

PED.

I prithee, request this good company to pray [for]

me.

HANG.

I, mary, sir, this is a good motion! My maisters,

you see heers a good fellow.

PED.

Nay, nay, now I remember me, let them alone till

some other time; for now I haue no great need.

HIERO.

I haue not seen a wretch so impudent.

O monstrous times where murders are so light,

And where the soule that should be shrinde in heauen

Solelie delights in interdicted things,

Still wandring in the thornie passages

That intercepts it-selfe of hapines!