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Mytilene. A room in a brothel.
[Enter Pandar, Bawd, and BOULT]
PANDAR
Boult.
BOULT
Sir.
PANDAR
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.
PANDAR
Therefore let's have fresh ones whatere we pay for them, if there be not a
conscience to be used in every trade, we shall never prosper.
BAWD
Thou sayst true, 'tis not our bringing up of poor bastards, as I think, I
have brought up some eleven.
BOULT
Aye 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.
PANDAR
Thou sayst true, there's two unwholesome in conscience, the poor
Transylvanian is dead that lay with the little baggage.
BOULT
Aye, she quickly pooped him, she made him roast meat for worms, but I'll go
search the market.
[Exit]
PANDAR
Three or four thousand chickens 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?
PANDAR
Oh 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 ore.
BAWD
Come, other sorts offend as well as we.
PANDAR
As well as we, aye, and better too, we offend worse, neither is our
profession any trade, it's no calling: but here comes Boult.
[Enter BOULT, with the Pirates and MARINA]
BOULT
Come your ways, 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 bated one doit of a thousand pieces.
PANDAR
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]
MARINA
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, ,
Alack | that Le|onine | was so slack,| so slow:
,
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He should | have struck,| not spoke; \\
,
, ,
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Or that | these pir|ates, not | enough |
barbarous,
,
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2 ,
x
Had not | oreboard | thrown me,| for to seek | my
mother.
BAWD
Why weep you, pretty one?
MARINA
That I am pretty.
BAWD
Come, the gods have done their part in you.
MARINA
I accuse them not.
BAWD
You are light into my hands, where you are like to live.
MARINA
The more's my fault, to scape his hands,
Where I was like to die.
BAWD
Aye, and you shall live in pleasure.
MARINA
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?
MARINA
Are you a woman?
BAWD
What would you have me to be, if I be not a woman?
MARINA
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 ye.
MARINA
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. 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 tomorrow with his best ruff on.
BOULT
Tonight, tonight, but mistress, do you know the French knight that cowers in
the hams?
BAWD
Who, Monsieur Veroles?
BOULT
Aye, he offered to cut a caper at the proclamation, but he made a groan at
it, and swore he would see her tomorrow.
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
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 you do, makes pity in
your lovers seldom, but that pity begets you a good opinion, and that
opinion a mere profit.
MARINA
I understand you not.
BOULT
O take her home, mistress, take her home, these blushes of hers must be
quenched with some present practise.
BAWD
Thou sayest true in 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
Aye 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
tonight.
BAWD
Come your ways, follow me.
MARINA
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If fires | be hot,| knives sharp, or wat|ers
deep,
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Untied | I still | my vir|gin knot | will keep.
, ,
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Dian|a aid | my purp|ose. \\
BAWD
What have we to do with Diana? Pray you go with us.
[Exeunt]