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The Two Noble Kinsmen - Act 4, scene 1
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The Two Noble Kinsmen - Act 4, scene 1Act 4, scene 1
Scene 1
Synopsis:
The jailer receives the news that he and his daughter have been pardoned for Palamon’s escape, but that his daughter has gone mad. She enters and the others pacify her by going along with her delusions.
Enter Jailer and his Friend.JAILER
2174 ⌜Heard⌝ you no more? Was nothing said of me
2175 Concerning the escape of Palamon?
2176 Good sir, remember!
FIRST FRIEND 2177 Nothing that I heard,
2178 5 For I came home before the business
2179 Was fully ended. Yet I might perceive,
2180 Ere I departed, a great likelihood
2181 Of both their pardons; for Hippolyta
2182 And fair-eyed Emily, upon their knees,
2183 10 Begged with such handsome pity that the Duke,
2184 Methought, stood staggering whether he should
2185 follow
2186 His rash oath or the sweet compassion
2187 Of those two ladies. And, to second them,
2188 15 That truly noble prince, Pirithous—
2189 Half his own heart—set in too, that I hope
2190 All shall be well. Neither heard I one question
2191 Of your name or his ’scape.
JAILER 2192 Pray heaven it hold so.
Enter Second Friend.
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165
SECOND FRIEND 2193 20 Be of good comfort, man; I bring you news,
2194 Good news.
JAILER 2195 They are welcome.
SECOND FRIEND 2196 Palamon has cleared
2197 you
2198 25 And got your pardon, and discovered how
2199 And by whose means he escaped, which was your
2200 daughter’s,
2201 Whose pardon is procured too; and the prisoner,
2202 Not to be held ungrateful to her goodness,
2203 30 Has given a sum of money to her marriage—
2204 A large one, I’ll assure you.
JAILER 2205 You are a good man
2206 And ever bring good news.
FIRST FRIEND 2207 How was it ended?
SECOND FRIEND
2208 35 Why, as it should be: they that ne’er begged
2209 But they prevailed had their suits fairly granted;
2210 The prisoners have their lives.
FIRST FRIEND 2211 I knew ’twould be so.
SECOND FRIEND
2212 But there be new conditions, which you’ll hear of
2213 40 At better time.
JAILER 2214 I hope they are good.
SECOND FRIEND 2215 They are
2216 honorable;
2217 How good they’ll prove I know not.
FIRST FRIEND 2218 45 ’Twill be known.
Enter Wooer.
WOOER
2219 Alas, sir, where’s your daughter?
JAILER 2220 Why do you ask?
WOOER
2221 O, sir, when did you see her?
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167
SECOND FRIEND, ⌜aside⌝
2222
How he looks!JAILER
2223 50 This morning.
WOOER 2224 Was she well? Was she in health?
2225 Sir, when did she sleep?
FIRST FRIEND, ⌜aside⌝ 2226 These are strange questions.
JAILER
2227 I do not think she was very well—for now
2228 55 You make me mind her; but this very day
2229 I asked her questions, and she answered me
2230 So far from what she was, so childishly,
2231 So sillily, as if she were a fool,
2232 An innocent, and I was very angry.
2233 60 But what of her, sir?
WOOER 2234 Nothing but my pity;
2235 But you must know it, and as good by me
2236 As by another that less loves her.
JAILER 2237 Well, sir?
WOOER
2238 65 No, sir, not well.
FIRST FRIEND 2239 Not right?
SECOND FRIEND 2240 Not well?
WOOER
2241 ’Tis too true; she is mad.
FIRST FRIEND 2242 It cannot be.
WOOER
2243 70 Believe you’ll find it so.
JAILER 2244 I half suspected
2245 What you told me. The gods comfort her!
2246 Either this was her love to Palamon,
2247 Or fear of my miscarrying on his ’scape,
2248 75 Or both.
WOOER 2249 ’Tis likely.
JAILER 2250 But why all this haste, sir?
WOOER
2251 I’ll tell you quickly. As I late was angling
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169
2252
In the great lake that lies behind the palace,2253 80 From the far shore—thick set with reeds and
2254 sedges—
2255 As patiently I was attending sport,
2256 I heard a voice, a shrill one; and, attentive,
2257 I gave my ear, when I might well perceive
2258 85 ’Twas one that sung, and by the smallness of it
2259 A boy or woman. I then left my angle
2260 To his own skill, came near, but yet perceived not
2261 Who made the sound, the rushes and the reeds
2262 Had so encompassed it. I laid me down
2263 90 And listened to the words she ⌜sung,⌝ for then,
2264 Through a small glade cut by the fishermen,
2265 I saw it was your daughter.
JAILER 2266 Pray go on, sir.
WOOER
2267 She sung much, but no sense; only I heard her
2268 95 Repeat this often: “Palamon is gone,
2269 Is gone to th’ wood to gather mulberries;
2270 I’ll find him out tomorrow.”
FIRST FRIEND 2271 Pretty soul!
WOOER
2272 “His shackles will betray him; he’ll be taken,
2273 100 And what shall I do then? I’ll bring a bevy,
2274 A hundred black-eyed maids that love as I do,
2275 With chaplets on their heads of daffadillies,
2276 With cherry lips and cheeks of damask roses,
2277 And all we’ll dance an antic ’fore the Duke,
2278 105 And beg his pardon.” Then she talked of you, sir—
2279 That you must lose your head tomorrow morning,
2280 And she must gather flowers to bury you,
2281 And see the house made handsome. Then she sung
2282 Nothing but “Willow, willow, willow,” and between
2283 110 Ever was “Palamon, fair Palamon,”
2284 And “Palamon was a tall young man.” The place
2285 Was knee-deep where she sat; her careless tresses,
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171
2286
A ⌜wreath⌝ of bulrush rounded; about her stuck2287 Thousand freshwater flowers of several colors,
2288 115 That methought she appeared like the fair nymph
2289 That feeds the lake with waters, or as Iris
2290 Newly dropped down from heaven. Rings she made
2291 Of rushes that grew by, and to ’em spoke
2292 The prettiest posies: “Thus our true love’s tied,”
2293 120 “This you may lose, not me,” and many a one;
2294 And then she wept, and sung again, and sighed,
2295 And with the same breath smiled and kissed her
2296 hand.
SECOND FRIEND
2297 Alas, what pity it is!
WOOER 2298 125 I made in to her.
2299 She saw me, and straight sought the flood. I saved
2300 her
2301 And set her safe to land, when presently
2302 She slipped away, and to the city made
2303 130 With such a cry and swiftness that, believe me,
2304 She left me far behind her. Three or four
2305 I saw from far off cross her—one of ’em
2306 I knew to be your brother—where she stayed
2307 And fell, scarce to be got away. I left them with her
2308 135 And hither came to tell you.
Enter ⌜Jailer’s⌝ Brother, ⌜Jailer’s⌝ Daughter, and others.
2309 Here they are.
DAUGHTER, ⌜sings⌝
2310 May you never more enjoy the light, etc.
2311 Is not this a fine song?
BROTHER 2312 O, a very fine one.
DAUGHTER 2313 140I can sing twenty more.
BROTHER 2314 I think you can.
DAUGHTER 2315 Yes, truly can I. I can sing “The Broom”
2316 and “Bonny Robin.” Are not you a tailor?
BROTHER 2317 Yes.
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173
DAUGHTER
2318
145Where’s my wedding gown?BROTHER 2319 I’ll bring it tomorrow.
DAUGHTER 2320 Do, very rarely, I must be abroad else to
2321 call the maids and pay the minstrels, for I must
2322 lose my maidenhead by cocklight. ’Twill never
2323 150 thrive else.
Sings. 2324 O fair, O sweet, etc.
BROTHER, ⌜to Jailer⌝ 2325 You must e’en take it patiently.
JAILER 2326 ’Tis true.
DAUGHTER 2327 Good e’en, good men. Pray, did you ever
2328 155 hear of one young Palamon?
JAILER 2329 Yes, wench, we know him.
DAUGHTER 2330 Is ’t not a fine young gentleman?
JAILER 2331 ’Tis, love.
BROTHER, ⌜aside to others⌝ 2332 By no mean cross her; she
2333 160 is then distempered ⌜far⌝ worse than now she
2334 shows.
FIRST FRIEND, ⌜to Daughter⌝ 2335 Yes, he’s a fine man.
DAUGHTER 2336 O , is he so? You have a sister.
FIRST FRIEND 2337 Yes.
DAUGHTER 2338 165But she shall never have him—tell her so—
2339 for a trick that I know; you’d best look to her, for
2340 if she see him once, she’s gone, she’s done and
2341 undone in an hour. All the young maids of our
2342 town are in love with him, but I laugh at ’em and
2343 170 let ’em all alone. Is ’t not a wise course?
FIRST FRIEND 2344 Yes.
DAUGHTER 2345 There is at least two hundred now with
2346 child by him—there must be four; yet I keep close
2347 for all this, close as a cockle; and all these must be
2348 175 boys—he has the trick on ’t—and at ten years old
2349 they must be all gelt for musicians and sing the
2350 wars of Theseus.
SECOND FRIEND 2351 This is strange.
DAUGHTER 2352 As ever you heard, but say nothing.
FIRST FRIEND 2353 180No.
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175
DAUGHTER
2354
They come from all parts of the dukedom2355 to him; I’ll warrant you, he had not so few last
2356 night as twenty to dispatch. He’ll tickle ’t up in two
2357 hours, if his hand be in.
JAILER, ⌜aside⌝ 2358 185She’s lost past all cure.
BROTHER 2359 Heaven forbid, man!
DAUGHTER, ⌜to Jailer⌝ 2360 Come hither; you are a wise
2361 man.
FIRST FRIEND, ⌜aside⌝ 2362 Does she know him?
⌜SECOND⌝ FRIEND 2363 190No; would she did.
DAUGHTER 2364 You are master of a ship?
JAILER 2365 Yes.
DAUGHTER 2366 Where’s your compass?
JAILER 2367 Here.
DAUGHTER 2368 195Set it to th’ north. And now direct your
2369 course to th’ wood, where Palamon lies longing for
2370 me. For the tackling, let me alone.—Come, weigh,
2371 my hearts, cheerly.
ALL, ⌜as if sailing a ship⌝ 2372 Owgh, owgh, owgh!—’Tis up!
2373 200 The wind’s fair!—Top the bowline!—Out with the
2374 main sail! Where’s your whistle, master?
BROTHER 2375 Let’s get her in!
JAILER 2376 Up to the top, boy!
BROTHER 2377 Where’s the pilot?
FIRST FRIEND 2378 205Here.
DAUGHTER 2379 What kenn’st thou?
SECOND FRIEND 2380 A fair wood.
DAUGHTER 2381 Bear for it, master. ⌜Tack⌝ about!
Sings.
2382 When Cynthia with her borrowed light, etc.
They exit.