The Two Noble Kinsmen

1 Enter Jailer and his Friend.
2 JAILER.
3 Hear you no more? Was nothing said of me
4 Concerning the escape of Palamon?
5 Good sir, remember.
6 FIRST FRIEND.
7 Nothing that I heard,
8 For I came home before the business
9 Was fully ended. Yet I might perceive,
10 Ere I departed, a great likelihood
11 Of both their pardons; for Hippolyta
12 And fair-eyed Emily, upon their knees,
13 Begged with such handsome pity that the Duke
14 Methought stood staggering whether he should follow
15 His rash oath or the sweet compassion
16 Of those two ladies. And, to second them,
17 That truly noble prince, Pirithous,
18 Half his own heart, set in too, that I hope
19 All shall be well. Neither heard I one question
20 Of your name or his ’scape.
21 JAILER.
22 Pray heaven it hold so.
23 Enter Second Friend.
24 SECOND FRIEND.
25 Be of good comfort, man; I bring you news,
26 Good news.
27 JAILER.
28 They are welcome.
29 SECOND FRIEND.
30 Palamon has cleared you,
31 And got your pardon, and discovered how
32 And by whose means he escaped, which was your daughter’s,
33 Whose pardon is procured too; and the prisoner,
34 Not to be held ungrateful to her goodness,
35 Has given a sum of money to her marriage,
36 A large one, I’ll assure you.
37 JAILER.
38 You are a good man
39 And ever bring good news.
40 FIRST FRIEND.
41 How was it ended?
42 SECOND FRIEND.
43 Why, as it should be; they that never begged
44 But they prevailed had their suits fairly granted;
45 The prisoners have their lives.
46 FIRST FRIEND.
47 I knew ’twould be so.
48 SECOND FRIEND.
49 But there be new conditions, which you’ll hear of
50 At better time.
51 JAILER.
52 I hope they are good.
53 SECOND FRIEND.
54 They are honourable;
55 How good they’ll prove, I know not.
56 FIRST FRIEND.
57 ’Twill be known.
58 Enter Wooer.
59 WOOER.
60 Alas, sir, where’s your daughter?
61 JAILER.
62 Why do you ask?
63 WOOER.
64 O, sir, when did you see her?
65 SECOND FRIEND.
66 How he looks?
67 JAILER.
68 This morning.
69 WOOER.
70 Was she well? Was she in health, sir?
71 When did she sleep?
72 FIRST FRIEND.
73 These are strange questions.
74 JAILER.
75 I do not think she was very well, for now
76 You make me mind her, but this very day
77 I asked her questions, and she answered me
78 So far from what she was, so childishly,
79 So sillily, as if she were a fool,
80 An innocent, and I was very angry.
81 But what of her, sir?
82 WOOER.
83 Nothing but my pity.
84 But you must know it, and as good by me
85 As by another that less loves her.
86 JAILER.
87 Well, sir?
88 FIRST FRIEND.
89 Not right?
90 SECOND FRIEND.
91 Not well?
92 WOOER.
93 No, sir, not well:
94 ’Tis too true, she is mad.
95 FIRST FRIEND.
96 It cannot be.
97 WOOER.
98 Believe, you’ll find it so.
99 JAILER.
100 I half suspected
101 What you have told me. The gods comfort her!
102 Either this was her love to Palamon,
103 Or fear of my miscarrying on his ’scape,
104 Or both.
105 WOOER.
106 ’Tis likely.
107 JAILER.
108 But why all this haste, sir?
109 WOOER.
110 I’ll tell you quickly. As I late was angling
111 In the great lake that lies behind the palace,
112 From the far shore, thick set with reeds and sedges,
113 As patiently I was attending sport,
114 I heard a voice, a shrill one; and, attentive,
115 I gave my ear, when I might well perceive
116 ’Twas one that sung, and by the smallness of it
117 A boy or woman. I then left my angle
118 To his own skill, came near, but yet perceived not
119 Who made the sound, the rushes and the reeds
120 Had so encompassed it. I laid me down
121 And listened to the words she sung, for then,
122 Through a small glade cut by the fishermen,
123 I saw it was your daughter.
124 JAILER.
125 Pray, go on, sir.
126 WOOER.
127 She sung much, but no sense; only I heard her
128 Repeat this often: “Palamon is gone,
129 Is gone to th’ wood to gather mulberries;
130 I’ll find him out tomorrow.”
131 FIRST FRIEND.
132 Pretty soul!
133 WOOER.
134 “His shackles will betray him; he’ll be taken,
135 And what shall I do then? I’ll bring a bevy,
136 A hundred black-eyed maids that love as I do,
137 With chaplets on their heads of daffadillies,
138 With cherry lips and cheeks of damask roses,
139 And all we’ll dance an antic ’fore the Duke,
140 And beg his pardon.” Then she talked of you, sir;
141 That you must lose your head tomorrow morning,
142 And she must gather flowers to bury you,
143 And see the house made handsome. Then she sung
144 Nothing but “Willow, willow, willow,” and between
145 Ever was “Palamon, fair Palamon,”
146 And “Palamon was a tall young man.” The place
147 Was knee-deep where she sat; her careless tresses,
148 A wreath of bulrush rounded; about her stuck
149 Thousand fresh water-flowers of several colours,
150 That methought she appeared like the fair nymph
151 That feeds the lake with waters, or as Iris
152 Newly dropped down from heaven. Rings she made
153 Of rushes that grew by, and to ’em spoke
154 The prettiest posies: “Thus our true love’s tied,”
155 “This you may loose, not me,” and many a one;
156 And then she wept, and sung again, and sighed,
157 And with the same breath smiled and kissed her hand.
158 SECOND FRIEND.
159 Alas, what pity it is!
160 WOOER.
161 I made in to her.
162 She saw me, and straight sought the flood. I saved her
163 And set her safe to land, when presently
164 She slipped away, and to the city made
165 With such a cry and swiftness that, believe me,
166 She left me far behind her. Three or four
167 I saw from far off cross her—one of ’em
168 I knew to be your brother—where she stayed
169 And fell, scarce to be got away. I left them with her
170 And hither came to tell you.
171 Enter Jailer’s Brother, Jailer’s Daughter and others.
172 Here they are.
173 DAUGHTER.
174 [_Sings_.]
175 _May you never more enjoy the light, &c._
176 Is not this a fine song?
177 BROTHER.
178 O, a very fine one.
179 DAUGHTER.
180 I can sing twenty more.
181 BROTHER.
182 I think you can.
183 DAUGHTER.
184 Yes, truly can I. I can sing “The Broom”
185 and “Bonny Robin.” Are not you a tailor?
186 BROTHER.
187 Yes.
188 DAUGHTER.
189 Where’s my wedding gown?
190 BROTHER.
191 I’ll bring it tomorrow.
192 DAUGHTER.
193 Do, very rarely, I must be abroad else
194 To call the maids and pay the minstrels,
195 For I must lose my maidenhead by cocklight.
196 ’Twill never thrive else.
197 [_Sings_.] _O fair, O sweet, &c._
198 BROTHER.
199 [_To Jailer._] You must e’en take it patiently.
200 JAILER.
201 ’Tis true.
202 DAUGHTER.
203 Good ev’n, good men; pray, did you ever hear
204 Of one young Palamon?
205 JAILER.
206 Yes, wench, we know him.
207 DAUGHTER.
208 Is’t not a fine young gentleman?
209 JAILER.
210 ’Tis, love.
211 BROTHER.
212 By no means cross her; she is then distempered
213 Far worse than now she shows.
214 FIRST FRIEND.
215 Yes, he’s a fine man.
216 DAUGHTER.
217 O, is he so? You have a sister?
218 FIRST FRIEND.
219 Yes.
220 DAUGHTER.
221 But she shall never have him, tell her so,
222 For a trick that I know; you’d best look to her,
223 For if she see him once, she’s gone, she’s done,
224 And undone in an hour. All the young maids
225 Of our town are in love with him, but I laugh at ’em
226 And let ’em all alone. Is ’t not a wise course?
227 FIRST FRIEND.
228 Yes.
229 DAUGHTER.
230 There is at least two hundred now with child by him—
231 There must be four; yet I keep close for all this,
232 Close as a cockle; and all these must be boys
233 He has the trick on ’t; and at ten years old
234 They must be all gelt for musicians
235 And sing the wars of Theseus.
236 SECOND FRIEND.
237 This is strange.
238 DAUGHTER.
239 As ever you heard, but say nothing.
240 FIRST FRIEND.
241 No.
242 DAUGHTER.
243 They come from all parts of the dukedom to him.
244 I’ll warrant ye, he had not so few last night
245 As twenty to dispatch. He’ll tickle ’t up
246 In two hours, if his hand be in.
247 JAILER.
248 She’s lost
249 Past all cure.
250 BROTHER.
251 Heaven forbid, man!
252 DAUGHTER.
253 Come hither, you are a wise man.
254 FIRST FRIEND.
255 [_Aside._] Does she know him?
256 SECOND FRIEND.
257 [_Aside._] No, would she did.
258 DAUGHTER.
259 You are master of a ship?
260 JAILER.
261 Yes.
262 DAUGHTER.
263 Where’s your compass?
264 JAILER.
265 Here.
266 DAUGHTER.
267 Set it to th’ north.
268 And now direct your course to th’ wood, where Palamon
269 Lies longing for me. For the tackling,
270 Let me alone. Come, weigh, my hearts, cheerly.
271 ALL.
272 Owgh, owgh, owgh! ’Tis up, the wind’s fair!
273 Top the bowline; out with the mainsail;
274 Where’s your whistle, master?
275 BROTHER.
276 Let’s get her in.
277 JAILER.
278 Up to the top, boy.
279 BROTHER.
280 Where’s the pilot?
281 FIRST FRIEND.
282 Here.
283 DAUGHTER.
284 What kenn’st thou?
285 SECOND FRIEND.
286 A fair wood.
287 DAUGHTER.
288 Bear for it, master. Tack about!
289 [_Sings_.]
290 _When Cinthia with her borrowed light, &c._
291 [_Exeunt._]