SCENE II
Mytilene. A room in a brothel.Enter PANDAR, Bawd, and BOULT.
Pand.
Boult! Boult.
Sir? Pand.
Search the market narrowly; Mytilene
is full of gallants. We lost too much
money this mart by being too wenchless. Bawd.
We were never so much out of
creatures. We have but poor three, and they
can do no more than they can do; and they
with continual action are even as good as
rotten. Pand.
Therefore let's have fresh ones,
whate'er we pay for them. If there be not a
conscience to be used in every trade, we shall
never prosper. Bawd.
Thou sayest true: 'tis not our bringing
up of poor bastards,--as, I think, I have
brought up some eleven-- Boult.
Ay, to eleven; and brought them
down again. But shall I search the market? Bawd.
What else, man? The stuff we
have, a strong wind will blow it to pieces, they
are so pitifully sodden. Pand.
Thou sayest true; they're too unwholesome,
o' conscience. The poor Transylvanian
is dead, that lay with the little baggage. Boult.
Ay, she quickly pooped him; she
made him roast-meat for worms. But I'll go
search the market. [Exit. Pand.
Three or four thousand chequins
were as pretty a proportion to live quietly,
and so give over. Bawd.
Why to give over, I pray you? is it
a shame to get when we are old? Pand.
O, our credit comes not in like the
commodity, nor the commodity wages not
with the danger: therefore, if in our youths
we could pick up some pretty estate, 'twere
not amiss to keep our door hatched. Besides,
the sore terms we stand upon with the gods
will be strong with us for giving over. Bawd.
Come, others sorts offend as well as we. Pand.
As well as we! ay, and better too;
we offend worse. Neither is our profession
any trade; it's no calling. But here comes
Boult. Re-enter BOULT, with the Pirates and MARINA. Boult.
[To Marina]
Come your ways. My
My masters, you say she's a virgin? First Pirate.
O, sir, we doubt it not. Boult.
Master, I have gone through for
this piece, you see: if you like her, so; if not,
I have lost my earnest. Bawd.
Boult, has she any qualities? Boult.
She has a good face, speaks well,
and has excellent good clothes: there's no
further necessity of qualities can make her be
refused. Bawd.
What's her price, Boult? Boult.
I cannot be baited one doit of a
thousand pieces. Pand.
Well, follow me, my masters, you
shall have your money presently. Wife, take
her in; instruct her what she has to do, that
she may not be raw in her entertainment. Exeunt Pandar and Pirates. Bawd.
Boult, take you the marks of her,
the color of her hair, complexion, height, age,
with warrant of her virginity; and cry 'He
that will give most shall have her first.' Such
a maidenhead were no cheap thing, if men
were as they have been. Get this done as I
command you. Boult.
Performance shall follow. [Exit. Mar.
Alack that Leonine was so slack, so slow!
He should have struck, not spoke; or that these pirates,
70Not enough barbarous, had not o'erboard thrown me
For to seek my mother!
Bawd.
Why lament you, pretty one? Mar.
That I am pretty. Bawd.
Come, the gods have done their part in you. Mar.
I accuse them not. Bawd.
You are light into my hands, where you are like to live. Mar.
The more my fault
To scape his hands where I was like to die. Bawd.
Ay, and you shall live in pleasure. Mar.
No. Bawd.
Yes, indeed shall you, and taste
gentlemen of all fashions: you shall fare well;
you shall have the difference of all complexions.
What! do you stop your ears? Mar.
Are you a woman? Bawd.
What would you have me be, an I
be not a woman? Mar.
An honest woman, or not a woman. Bawd.
Marry, whip thee, gosling: I think
I shall have something to do with you. Come,
you're a young foolish sapling, and must be
bowed as I would have you. Mar.
The gods defend me! Bawd.
If it please the gods to defend you
by men, then men must comfort you, men
must feed you, men must stir you up. Boult's
returned. Re-enter BOULT.
Now, sir, hast thou cried her through the market? Boult.
I have cried her almost to the number
of her hairs; I have drawn her picture
with my voice. Bawd.
And I prithee tell me, how dost
thou find the inclination of the people,
especially of the younger sort? Boult.
'Faith, they listened to me as they
would have hearkened to their father's testament.
There was a Spaniard's mouth so watered,
that he went to bed to her very description. Bawd.
We shall have him here to-morrow
with his best ruff on. Boult.
To-night, to-night. But, mistress, do
you know the French knight that cowers i' the
hams? Bawd.
Who, Monsieur Veroles? Boult.
Ay, he: he offered to cut a caper
at the proclamation; but he made a groan at
it, and swore he would see her to-morrow. Bawd.
Well, well; as for him, he brought
his disease hither: here he does but repair it.
I know he will come in our shadow, to scatter
his crowns in the sun. Boult.
Well, if we had of every nation a
traveller, we should lodge them with this sign. Bawd.
[To Mar.]
Pray you, come hither
awhile. You have fortunes coming upon you.
Mark me: you must seem to do that fearfully
which you commit willingly, despise
profit where you have most gain. To weep that
you live as ye do makes pity in your lovers:
seldom but that pity begets you a good opinion,
and that opinion a mere profit. Mar.
I understand you not. Boult.
O, take her home, mistress, take
her home: these blushes of hers must be
quenched with some present practice. Bawd.
Thou sayest true, i' faith so they
must; for your bride goes to that with shame
which is her way to go with warrant. Boult.
'Faith, some do, and some do not.
But, mistress, if I have bargained for the
joint,-- Bawd.
Thou mayst cut a morsel off the
spit. Boult.
I may so. Bawd.
Who should deny it? Come, young
one, I like the manner of your garments well. Boult.
Ay, by my faith, they shall not be
changed yet. Bawd.
Boult, spend thou that in the town:
report what a sojourner we have; you'll lose
nothing by custom. When nature framed this
piece, she meant thee a good turn; therefore
say what a paragon she is, and thou hast the
harvest out of thine own report. Boult.
I warrant you, mistress, thunder
shall not so awake the beds of eels as my giving
out her beauty stir up the lewdly-inclined.
I'll bring home some to-night. Bawd.
Come your ways; follow me. Mar.
If fires be hot, knives sharp, or waters deep,
160Untied I still my virgin knot will keep.
Diana, aid my purpose!
Bawd.
What have we to do with Diana?
Pray you, will you go with us? [Exeunt.
