[Enter Iailor, and Wooer.]
IAILOR.
I may depart with little, while I live; some thing I may cast to you,
not much: Alas, the Prison I keepe, though it be for great ones, yet
they seldome come; Before one Salmon, you shall take a number of
Minnowes. I am given out to be better lyn’d then it can appeare to me
report is a true Speaker: I would I were really that I am deliverd to
be. Marry, what I have (be it what it will) I will assure upon my
daughter at the day of my death.
WOOER.
Sir, I demaund no more then your owne offer, and I will estate
your
Daughter in what I have promised.
IAILOR.
Wel, we will talke more of this, when the solemnity is past. But have
you a full promise of her? When that shall be seene, I tender my
consent.
[Enter Daughter.]
WOOER.
I have Sir; here shee comes.
IAILOR.
Your Friend and I have chanced to name you here, upon the old busines:
But no more of that now; so soone as the Court hurry is over, we will
have an end of it: I’th meane time looke tenderly to the two Prisoners.
I can tell you they are princes.
DAUGHTER.
These strewings are for their Chamber; tis pitty they are in prison,
and twer pitty they should be out: I doe thinke they have patience to
make any adversity asham’d; the prison it selfe is proud of ’em; and
they have all the world in their Chamber.
IAILOR.
They are fam’d to be a paire of absolute men.
DAUGHTER.
By my troth, I think Fame but stammers ’em; they stand a greise above
the reach of report.
IAILOR.
I heard them reported in the Battaile to be the only doers.
DAUGHTER.
Nay, most likely, for they are noble suffrers; I mervaile how they
would have lookd had they beene Victors, that with such a constant
Nobility enforce a freedome out of Bondage, making misery their Mirth,
and affliction a toy to jest at.
IAILOR.
Doe they so?
DAUGHTER.
It seemes to me they have no more sence of their Captivity, then I of
ruling Athens: they eate well, looke merrily, discourse of many things,
but nothing of their owne restraint, and disasters: yet sometime a
devided sigh, martyrd as ’twer i’th deliverance, will breake from one
of them; when the other presently gives it so sweete a rebuke, that I
could wish my selfe a Sigh to be so chid, or at least a Sigher to be
comforted.
WOOER.
I never saw ’em.
IAILOR.
The Duke himselfe came privately in the night,
[Enter Palamon, and Arcite, above.]
and so did they: what the reason of it is, I know not: Looke, yonder
they are! that’s Arcite lookes out.
DAUGHTER.
No, Sir, no, that’s Palamon: Arcite is the lower of the twaine; you may
perceive a part of him.
IAILOR.
Goe too, leave your pointing; they would not make us their object; out
of their sight.
DAUGHTER.
It is a holliday to looke on them: Lord, the diffrence of men!
[Exeunt.]