Chapter: [A street.]

                Enter BOY with the box.

     [BOY.]  My master hath forbidden me to look in this box, and, by
my troth, 'tis likely, if he had not warned me, I should not have had so
much idle time; for we men-kind in our minority are like women in
their uncertainty; that they are most forbidden, they will soonest
attempt; so I now.  By my bare honesty, here's nothing but the bare
empty box!  Were it not sin against secrecy, I would say it were a
piece of gentlemanlike knavery.  I must go to Pedringano and tell him
his pardon is in this box!  Nay, I would have sworn it, had I not
seen the contrary.  I cannot choose but smile to think how the villain
will flout the gallows, scorn the audience, and descant on the hangman,
and all presuming of his pardon from hence.  Will't not be an odd jest,
for me to stand and grace every jest he makes, pointing my finger at
this box, as who should say:  "Mock on, here's thy warrant!"  Is't not
a scurvy jest that a man should jest himself to death?  Alas, poor
Pedringano! I am in a sort sorry for thee, but, if I should be hanged
with thee, I could not weep.

                Exit.

 Hieronimo is still talking sad to himself . In his latest sad speech, he explores how jacked up it is to bring the law down on others while not getting any justice for his own family. But we've got to respect his dilemma--how does one successfully convict a pair of princes with nothing but a bloody letter that fell from the sky? At the end of his speech, the gallows party enters, including: Pedringano, the hangman, and the messenger boy with the empty box. And Pedringano is one smart-mouthed servant. Since he thinks he's safely above the law, he triumphantly berates everyone, including the hangman. The messenger boy of course points to the box, which spurs Pedringano to be the wittiest performer in the history of hangings. Hieronimo and the hangman are utterly dismayed by the strange spectacle, but when it comes time to hang Pedringano he is....hanged. What did you think would happen? The box was empty.

