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The Two Noble Kinsmen: Act IV, Scene 1

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The Two Noble Kinsmen
Act IV, Scene 1

Athens. A room in the prison.

Through a small glade cut by the fishermen, I saw it was your daughter.

W. J. Rolfe, 1898

  1. Enter Jailer and his Friend.

Jailer

1 - 3
  1. Hear you no more? Was nothing said of me
  2. Concerning the escape of Palamon?
  3. Good sir, remember.

Jailer’s First Friend

4 - 17
  1.                     Nothing that I heard,
  2. For I came home before the business
  3. Was fully ended. Yet I might perceive,
  4. Ere I departed, a great likelihood
  5. Of both their pardons; for Hippolyta,
  6. And fair-ey’d Emily, upon their knees
  7. Begg’d with such handsome pity, that the Duke
  8. Methought stood staggering whether he should follow
  9. His rash oath, or the sweet compassion
  10. Of those two ladies; and to second them,
  11. That truly noble prince Pirithous,
  12. Half his own heart, set in too, that I hope
  13. All shall be well. Neither heard I one question
  14. Of your name, or his scape.

Jailer

18
  1.                             Pray heaven it hold so!
  1. Enter Second Friend.

Jailer’s Second Friend

19 - 20
  1. Be of good comfort, man; I bring you news,
  2. Good news.

Jailer

21
  1.            They are welcome.

Jailer’s Second Friend

22 - 28
  1.                   Palamon has clear’d you,
  2. And got your pardon, and discover’d how
  3. And by whose means he escap’d, which was your daughter’s,
  4. Whose pardon is procur’d too; and the prisoner—
  5. Not to be held ungrateful to her goodness—
  6. Has given a sum of money to her marriage,
  7. A large one, I’ll assure you.

Jailer

29 - 30
  1.                               Ye are a good man
  2. And ever bring good news.

Jailer’s First Friend

31
  1.                           How was it ended?

Jailer’s Second Friend

32 - 34
  1. Why, as it should be: they that nev’r begg’d
  2. But they prevail’d, had their suits fairly granted:
  3. The prisoners have their lives.

Jailer’s First Friend

35
  1.                                 I knew ’twould be so.

Jailer’s Second Friend

36 - 37
  1. But there be new conditions, which you’ll hear of
  2. At better time.

Jailer

38
  1. I hope they are good.

Jailer’s Second Friend

39 - 40
  1.                       They are honorable,
  2. How good they’ll prove, I know not.

Jailer’s First Friend

41
  1.                                     ’Twill be known.
  1. Enter Wooer.

Wooer

42
  1. Alas, sir, where’s your daughter?

Jailer

43
  1.                                   Why do you ask?

Wooer

44
  1. O sir, when did you see her?

Jailer’s Second Friend

45
  1.                              How he looks!

Jailer

46
  1. This morning.

Wooer

47 - 48
  1.               Was she well? Was she in health?
  2. Sir, when did she sleep?

Jailer’s First Friend

49
  1.                          These are strange questions.

Jailer

50 - 56
  1. I do not think she was very well, for, now
  2. You make me mind her, but this very day
  3. I ask’d her questions, and she answered me
  4. So far from what she was, so childishly,
  5. So sillily, as if she were a fool,
  6. An innocent, and I was very angry.
  7. But what of her, sir?

Wooer

57 - 59
  1.                       Nothing but my pity.
  2. But you must know it, and as good by me
  3. As by another that less loves her.

Jailer

60
  1.                                    Well, sir?

Jailer’s First Friend

61
  1. Not right?

Jailer’s Second Friend

62
  1.            Not well?

Wooer

63 - 64
  1.           No, sir, not well:
  2. ’Tis too true, she is mad.

Jailer’s First Friend

65
  1.                            It cannot be.

Wooer

66
  1. Believe you’ll find it so.

Jailer

67 - 71
  1.                            I half suspected
  2. What you told me. The gods comfort her!
  3. Either this was her love to Palamon,
  4. Or fear of my miscarrying on his scape,
  5. Or both.

Wooer

72
  1.          ’Tis likely.

Jailer

73
  1.              But why all this haste, sir?

Wooer

74 - 87
  1. I’ll tell you quickly. As I late was angling
  2. In the great lake that lies behind the palace,
  3. From the far shore, thick set with reeds and sedges,
  4. As patiently I was attending sport,
  5. I heard a voice, a shrill one; and attentive
  6. I gave my ear, when I might well perceive
  7. ’Twas one that sung, and by the smallness of it,
  8. A boy or woman. I then left my angle
  9. To his own skill, came near, but yet perceiv’d not
  10. Who made the sound, the rushes and the reeds
  11. Had so encompass’d it. I laid me down
  12. And list’ned to the words she sung, for then
  13. Through a small glade cut by the fishermen,
  14. I saw it was your daughter.

Jailer

88
  1.                             Pray go on, sir.

Wooer

89 - 92
  1. She sung much, but no sense; only I heard her
  2. Repeat this often, “Palamon is gone,
  3. Is gone to th’ wood to gather mulberries.
  4. I’ll find him out tomorrow.”

Jailer’s First Friend

93
  1.                              Pretty soul!

Wooer

94 - 117
  1. “His shackles will betray him, he’ll be taken,
  2. And what shall I do then? I’ll bring a bevy,
  3. A hundred black-ey’d maids that love as I do,
  4. With chaplets on their heads of daffadillies,
  5. With cherry lips and cheeks of damask roses,
  6. And all we’ll dance an antic ’fore the Duke,
  7. And beg his pardon.” Then she talk’d of you, sir:
  8. That you must lose your head tomorrow morning,
  9. And she must gather flowers to bury you,
  10. And see the house made handsome. Then she sung
  11. Nothing but “Willow, willow, willow,” and between
  12. Ever was “Palamon, fair Palamon,”
  13. And “Palamon was a tall young man.” The place
  14. Was knee-deep where she sat; her careless tresses
  15. A wreath of bulrush rounded; about her stuck
  16. Thousand fresh water-flowers of several colors,
  17. That methought she appear’d like the fair nymph
  18. That feeds the lake with waters, or as Iris
  19. Newly dropp’d down from heaven. Rings she made
  20. Of rushes that grew by, and to ’em spoke
  21. The prettiest posies—“Thus our true love’s tied,”
  22. “This you may loose, not me,” and many a one;
  23. And then she wept, and sung again, and sigh’d,
  24. And with the same breath smil’d, and kiss’d her hand.

Jailer’s Second Friend

118
  1. Alas, what pity it is!

Wooer

119 - 129
  1.                        I made in to her.
  2. She saw me, and straight sought the flood. I sav’d her,
  3. And set her safe to land; when presently
  4. She slipp’d away, and to the city made
  5. With such a cry and swiftness that, believe me,
  6. She left me far behind her. Three or four
  7. I saw from far off cross her—one of ’em
  8. I knew to be your brother; where she stay’d,
  9. And fell, scarce to be got away. I left them with her,
  10. And hither came to tell you.
  11. Enter Jailer’s Brother, Daughter, and others.
  12.                              Here they are.

Daughter

130 - 131
  1. Sings.
  2. “May you never more enjoy the light,” etc.
  3. Is not this a fine song?

Jailer’s Brother

132
  1.                          O, a very fine one!

Daughter

133
  1. I can sing twenty more.

Jailer’s Brother

134
  1.                         I think you can.

Daughter

135 - 136
  1. Yes, truly, can I. I can sing “The Broom,”
  2. And “Bonny Robin.” Are not you a tailor?

Jailer’s Brother

137
  1. Yes.

Daughter

138
  1.      Where’s my wedding gown?

Jailer’s Brother

139
  1.                          I’ll bring it tomorrow.

Daughter

140 - 144
  1. Do, very rearly, I must be abroad else,
  2. To call the maids and pay the minstrels,
  3. For I must lose my maidenhead by cocklight,
  4. ’Twill never thrive else.
  5. Sings.
  6. “O fair, O sweet,” etc.

Jailer’s Brother

145
  1. You must ev’n take it patiently.

Jailer

146
  1.                                  ’Tis true.

Daughter

147 - 148
  1. Good ev’n, good men. Pray did you ever hear
  2. Of one young Palamon?

Jailer

149
  1.                       Yes, wench, we know him.

Daughter

150
  1. Is’t not a fine young gentleman?

Jailer

151
  1.                                  ’Tis, love.

Jailer’s Brother

152 - 153
  1. By no mean cross her, she is then distemper’d
  2. Far worse than now she shows.

Jailer’s First Friend

154
  1.                               Yes, he’s a fine man.

Daughter

155
  1. O, is he so? You have a sister?

Jailer’s First Friend

156
  1.                                 Yes.

Daughter

157 - 162
  1. But she shall never have him, tell her so,
  2. For a trick that I know. Y’ had best look to her,
  3. For if she see him once, she’s gone—she’s done,
  4. And undone in an hour. All the young maids
  5. Of our town are in love with him, but I laugh at ’em
  6. And let ’em all alone. Is’t not a wise course?

Jailer’s First Friend

163
  1. Yes.

Daughter

164 - 169
  1. There is at least two hundred now with child by him—
  2. There must be four. Yet I keep close for all this,
  3. Close as a cockle. And all these must be boys,
  4. He has the trick on’t; and at ten years old
  5. They must be all gelt for musicians,
  6. And sing the wars of Theseus.

Jailer’s Second Friend

170
  1.                               This is strange.

Daughter

171
  1. As ever you heard, but say nothing.

Jailer’s First Friend

172
  1.                                     No.

Daughter

173 - 176
  1. They come from all parts of the dukedom to him.
  2. I’ll warrant ye he had not so few last night
  3. As twenty to dispatch. He’ll tickle’t up
  4. In two hours, if his hand be in.

Jailer

177 - 178
  1.                                  She’s lost
  2. Past all cure.

Jailer’s Brother

179
  1.                Heaven forbid, man!

Daughter

180
  1. To the Jailer.
  2. Come hither, you are a wise man.

Jailer’s First Friend

181
  1.                                  Does she know him?

Jailer’s Second Friend

182
  1. No, would she did!

Daughter

183
  1.                    You are master of a ship?

Jailer

184
  1. Yes.

Daughter

185
  1.      Where’s your compass?

Jailer

186
  1.                       Here.

Daughter

187 - 190
  1.       Set it to th’ north.
  2. And now direct your course to th’ wood, where Palamon
  3. Lies longing for me. For the tackling
  4. Let me alone. Come weigh, my hearts, cheerly!

All

191 - 193
  1. Owgh, owgh, owgh! ’Tis up! The wind’s fair.
  2. Top the bowling! Out with the mainsail!
  3. Where’s your whistle, master?

Jailer’s Brother

194
  1.                               Let’s get her in.

Jailer

195
  1. Up to the top, boy!

Jailer’s Brother

196
  1.                     Where’s the pilot?

Jailer’s First Friend

197
  1.                    Here.

Daughter

198
  1. What ken’st thou?

Jailer’s Second Friend

199
  1.                   A fair wood.

Daughter

200 - 202
  1.              Bear for it, master.
  2. Tack about!
  3. Sings.
  4. “When Cynthia with her borrowed light,” etc.
  1. Exeunt.
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