Mytilene. A room in a brothel.
Enter Pandar, Bawd, and BOULT
Pandar
Boult!
BOULT
2 Sir?
Pandar
Search 3 the market narrowly; Mytilene is full of
gallants. We lost too much money this mart by being
5 too wenchless.
Bawd
6 We were never so much out of creatures. We have but
7 poor three, and they can do no more than they can
do; and they with continual action are even as good as rotten.
Pandar
9 Therefore let's have fresh ones, whate'er we pay for
them. If there be not a conscience to be used in
11 every trade, we shall never prosper.
Bawd
12 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
15 shall I search the market?
Bawd
16 What else, man? The stuff we have, a strong wind
17 will blow it to pieces, they are so pitifully sodden.
Pandar
18 Thou sayest true; they're too unwholesome, o'
conscience. The poor Transylvanian is dead, that
lay 20 with the little baggage.
BOULT
Ay, she quickly pooped him; she made him roast-meat
22 for worms. But I'll go search the market.
Exit
Pandar
23 Three or four thousand chequins were as pretty a
24 proportion to live quietly, and so give over.
Bawd
25 Why to give over, I pray you? is it a shame to get
26 when we are old?
Pandar
O, our credit comes not in like the commodity, nor
28 the commodity wages not with the danger: therefore,
29 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
32 will be strong with us for giving over.
Bawd
Come, other sorts offend as well as we.
Pandar
34 As well as we! ay, and better too; we offend worse.
35 Neither is our profession any trade; it's no
36 calling. But here comes Boult.
Re-enter BOULT, with the Pirates and MARINA
BOULT
To MARINA Come your ways. My masters, you say
38 she's a virgin?
First Pirate
O, sir, we doubt it not.
BOULT
Master, I have gone through for this piece, you see:
41 if you like her, so; if not, I have lost my earnest.
Bawd
Boult, has she any qualities?
BOULT
43 She has a good face, speaks well, and has excellent
44 good clothes: there's no further necessity of
45 qualities can make her be refused.
Bawd
46 What's her price, Boult?
BOULT
47 I cannot be bated one doit of a thousand pieces.
Pandar
Well, follow me, my masters, you shall have your
49 money presently. Wife, take her in; instruct her
50 what she has to do, that she may not be raw in her
<51 entertainment.
Exeunt Pandar and Pirates
Bawd
Boult, take you the marks of her, the colour of her
hair, complexion, height, age, with warrant of her
virginity; and cry 'He that will give most shall
55 have her first.' Such a maidenhead were no cheap
thing, if men were as they have been. Get this done
57 as I command you.
BOULT
58 Performance shall follow.
Exit
MARINA
59 Alack that Leonine was so slack, so slow!
60 He should have struck, not spoke; or that these pirates,
61 Not enough barbarous, had not o'erboard thrown me
62 For to seek my mother!
Bawd
63 Why lament you, pretty one?
MARINA
64 That I am pretty.
Bawd
Come, the gods have done their part in you.
MARINA
66 I accuse them not.
Bawd
67 You are light into my hands, where you are like to live.
MARINA
68 The more my fault
69 To scape his hands where I was like to die.
Bawd
Ay, 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
74 difference of all complexions. What! do you stop your ears?
MARINA
75 Are you a woman?
Bawd
76 What would you have me be, an I be not a woman?
MARINA
77 An honest woman, or not a woman.
Bawd
Marry, whip thee, gosling: I think I shall have
79 something to do with you. Come, you're a young
80 foolish sapling, and must be bowed as I would have
you.
MARINA
82 The gods defend me!
Bawd
83 If it please the gods to defend you by men, then men
84 must comfort you, men must feed you, men must stir
85 you up. Boult's returned.
Re-enter BOULT
Now, sir, hast thou cried her through the market?
BOULT
87 I have cried her almost to the number of her hairs;
88 I have drawn her picture with my voice.
Bawd
89 And I prithee tell me, how dost thou find the
90 inclination of the people, especially of the younger sort?
BOULT
'Faith, they listened to me as they would have
92 hearkened to their father's testament. There was a
93 Spaniard's mouth so watered, that he went to bed to
94 her very description.
Bawd
95 We shall have him here to-morrow with his best ruff on.
BOULT
To-night, to-night. But, mistress, do you know the
97 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
101 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
104 come in our shadow, to scatter his crowns in the
sun.
BOULT
Well, if we had of every nation a traveller, we
107 should lodge them with this sign.
Bawd
To MARINA Pray you, come hither awhile. You
109 have fortunes coming upon you. Mark me: you must
110 seem to do that fearfully which you commit
willingly, despise profit where you have most gain.
112 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.
MARINA
115 I understand you not.
BOULT
O, take her home, mistress, take her home: these
117 blushes of hers must be quenched with some present practise.
Bawd
118 Thou sayest true, i' faith, so they must; for your
119 bride goes to that with shame which is her way to go
120 with warrant.
BOULT
'Faith, some do, and some do not. But, mistress, if
122 I have bargained for the joint,--
Bawd
123 Thou mayst cut a morsel off the spit.
BOULT
124 I may so.
Bawd
125 Who should deny it? Come, young one, I like the
126 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
129 sojourner we have; you'll lose nothing by custom.
130 When nature flamed this piece, she meant thee a good
turn; therefore say what a paragon she is, and thou
132 hast the harvest out of thine own report.
BOULT
133 I warrant you, mistress, thunder shall not so awake
134 the beds of eels as my giving out her beauty stir up
135 the lewdly-inclined. I'll bring home some to-night.
Bawd
136 Come your ways; follow me.
MARINA
137 If fires be hot, knives sharp, or waters deep,
138 Untied I still my virgin knot will keep.
Diana, aid my purpose!
Bawd
140 What have we to do with Diana? Pray you, will you go with us?
Exeunt
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