His kingly hands with hauling of the ropes; That almost burst the deck, and from the ladder-tackle Wilt out? and, with a dropping industry, They skip from stem to stern: the boatswain whistles, The master calls, and trebles their confusion. Leon. And when was this? Mar. It was when I was born: Never was waves nor wind more violent. Leon. If you require a little space for prayer, For the gods are quick of ear, and I am sworn Mar Why, will you kill me? Mar. Why would she have me kill'd? Leon. My commission Is not to reason of the deed, but do it. Mar. You will not do't for all the world, I hope. When you caught hurt in parting two that fought : Leon. I am sworn, And will despatch. Enter Pirates, whilst MARINA is struggling. 1 Pirate. Hold, villain! [LEONINE runs away. [7] A canvas climber is one who climbs the mast, to furl, or unfurl, the canvas or sails. So, in King Henry V : "and in them behold "Upon the hempen-tackle ship-boys climbing," STEEVENS 2 Pirate. A prize! a prize! 3 Pirate. Half-part, mates, half-part. Come, let's have her aboard suddenly. The same. [Exeunt Pirates, with MARINA. SCENE II. Re-enter LEONINE. Leon. These roving thieves serve the great pirate Valdes ; And they have seiz'd Marina. There's no hope she'll return. Let her go: I'll swear she's dead, And thrown into the sea. But I'll see further; Perhaps they will but please themselves upon her, Not carry her aboard. If she remain, Whom they have ravish'd, must by me be slain. [Exit. SCENE III. Mitylene. A Room in a Brothel. Enter PANDER, Bawd, and BOULT. Pand. Boult. Pand, Search the market narrowly; Mitylene 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 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 say'st true: 'tis not the 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 say'st true; they are too unwholesome o'conscience. The poor Transilvanian 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. [Ex› 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, other 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. Enter the Pirates, and BoULT, dragging in MARINA. Boult. Come your ways. [To MARINA.]-My masters, you say she's a virgin? 1 Pirate. O, sir, we doubt it not. Boult. Master, I have gone thorough 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. Pand. Well, follow me, my masters; you shall have your money presently. Wife, take her in; instruct [8] A hatch is a half-door, usually placed within a street-door, admitting people into the entry of a house, but preventing their access to its lower apartments, or its stair case. Thus says the Syracusan Dromio in The Comedy of Errors, to the Dromio of Ephesus : Either get thee from the door, or sit down at the hatch." When the top of a hatch was guarded by a row of pointed iron spikes, no person could reach over and undo its fastening, which was always withinside, and near its bottom. This domestic portcullis perhaps was necessary to our ancient brothels. Secured within such a barrier, Mrs. Overdone could parley with her customers; refuse admittance to the shabby visitor, bargain with the rich gallant, defy the beadle, or keep the constable at bay. From having been therefore her usual defence, the hatch at last became an unequivocal denotement of her trade; for though the hatch with a flat top was a constant attendant on butteries in great families, colleges, &c. the hatch with spikes on it was peculiar to our early houses of amorous entertainment.-Nay, as I am assured by Mr. Walsh, (a native of Ireland, and one of the compositors engaged on the present edition of Shakspeare,) the entries to the Royal, Halifax, and Dublin bagnios in the city of Dublin, still derive convenience or security from hatches, the spikes of which are unsurmountable. STEEVENS. her what she has to do, that she may not be raw in her entertainment. [Exeunt PANDER 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 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 BOULT. Mar. Alack, that Leonine was so slack, so slow ! (He should have struck, not spoke;) or that these pirates, (Not enough barbarous,) had not overboard Thrown me, 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 lit into my hands, where you are like to live. Mar. The more my fault, To 'scape his hands, where I was like to die. 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 are 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. Enter BOULT. Now, sir, hast thou cried her through the market ? the inclination of the people, especiall sort? the younger Boult. 'Faith, they listened to ens, as they would have hearkened to their father's ment. 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 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. Pray you, come hither awhile. You have fortunes coming upon you. Mark me; you must seem to do that fearfully, which you commit willingly; to 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. Mar. I understand you not. Boult. O, take her home, mistress, take her home : these blushes of her's must be quenched with some present practice. Bawd. Thou say'st 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 may'st 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. |