The Two Noble Kinsmen

epub:type="z3998:persona">Arcite

Fear me not. You are now too foul; farewell:
Get off your trinkets; you shall want nought.

Palamon Sirrah⁠— Arcite I’ll hear no more. Exit. Palamon If he keep touch, he dies for’t. Exit.

Scene IV

Another part of the forest.

Enter Gaoler’s Daughter.

Daughter

I am very cold; and all the stars are out too, The little stars, and all that look like aglets: The sun has seen my folly. Palamon! Alas, no! he’s in heaven.⁠—Where am I now?⁠— Yonder’s the sea, and there’s a ship; how’t tumbles! And there’s a rock lies watching under water; Now, now, it beats upon it; now, now, now, There’s a leak sprung, a sound one; how they cry! Spoon her before the wind, you’ll lose all else; Up with a course or two, and tack about, boys: Good night, good night; ye’re gone.⁠—I’m very hungry: Would I could find a fine frog! he would tell me News from all parts o’ the world; then would I make A careck of a cockle-shell, and sail By east and north-east to the king of Pigmies, For he tells fortunes rarely. Now, my father, Twenty to one, is truss’d up in a trice To-morrow morning: I’ll say never a word. Sings. For I’ll cut my green coat a foot above my knee; And I’ll clip my yellow locks an inch below mine e’e: Hey, nonny, nonny, nonny. He s’ buy me a white cut, forth for to ride, And I’ll go seek him through the world that is so wide: Hey nonny, nonny, nonny. O for a prick now, like a nightingale, To put my breast against! I shall sleep like a top else. Exit.

Scene V

Another part of the forest.

	Enter Gerrold, four Countrymen as Morris-dancers, another as the Bavian, five Wenches, and a Taborer.
Gerrold	Fie, fie! What tediosity and disensanity Is here among ye! Have my rudiments Been labour’d so long with ye, milk’d unto ye, And, by a figure, even the very plum-broth And marrow of my understanding laid upon ye, And do you still cry “Where,” and “How,” and “Wherfore?” You most coarse freeze capacities, ye jane judgements, Have I said “Thus let be,” and “There let be,” And “Then let be,” and no man understand me? Proh Deum, medius fidius, ye are all dunces! For why here stand I; here the duke comes; there are you, Close in the thicket; the duke appears; I meet him, And unto him I utter learned things And many figures; he hears, and nods, and hums, And then cries “Rare!” and I go forward; at length I fling my cap up; mark there! then do you, As once did Meleager and the boar, Break comely out before him, like true lovers Cast yourselves in a body decently, And sweetly, by a figure, trace and turn, boys.
First Countryman	And sweetly we will do it, Master Gerrold.
Second Countryman	Draw up the company. Where’s the taborer?
Third Countryman	Why, Timothy!
Taborer	Here, my mad boys; have at ye!
Gerrold	But I say where’s their women?
Fourth Countryman	Here’s Friz and Maudlin.
Second Countryman	And little Luce with the white legs, and bouncing Barbary.
First Countryman	And freckled Nell, that never fail’d her master.
Gerrold	Where be your ribands, maids? swim with your bodies, And carry it sweetly and deliverly; And now and then a favour and a frisk.
Nell	Let us alone, sir.
Gerrold	Where’s the rest o’ the music?
Third Countryman	Dispers’d as you commanded.
Gerrold	Couple, then, And see what’s wanting. Where’s the Bavian? My friend, carry your tail without offence Or scandal to the ladies; and be sure You tumble with audacity and manhood; And when you bark, do it with judgement.
Bavian	Yes, sir.
Gerrold	Quo usque tandem? here’s a woman wanting.
Fourth Countryman	We may go whistle; all the fat’s i’ the fire.
Gerrold	We have, As learned authors utter, wash’d a tile; We have been fatuus, and labour’d vainly.
Second Countryman	This is that scornful piece, that scurvy hilding, That gave her promise faithfully she would Be here, Cicely the sempster’s daughter: The next gloves that I give her shall be dog-skin; Nay, an she fail me once⁠—You can tell, Arcas, She swore, by wine and bread, she would not break.
Gerrold	An eel and woman, A learned poet says, unless by the tail And with thy teeth thou hold, will either fail. In manners this was false position.
First Countryman	A fire ill take her! does she flinch now?
Third Countryman	What Shall we determine, sir?
Gerrold	Nothing; Our business is become a nullity, Yea, and a woful and a piteous nullity.
Fourth Countryman	Now, when the credit of our town lay on it, Now to be frampal, now to piss o’ the nettle! Go thy ways; I’ll remember thee, I’ll fit thee!
	Enter Gaoler’s Daughter, and sings.
	The George, holla! came from the south, From the coast of Barbary-a; And there he met with brave gallants of war, By one, by two, by three-a. Well hail’d, well hail’d, you jolly gallants! And whither now are you bound-a? O, let me have your company Till I come to the Sound-a! There was three fools fell out about an howlet: The one said it was an owl; The other he said nay; The third he said it was a hawk, And her bells were cut away.
Third Countryman	There’s a dainty mad woman, master, Come i’ the nick; as mad as a March hare: If we can get her dance, we’re made again; I warrant her she’ll do the rarest gambols.
First Countryman	A mad woman! we are made, boys.
Gerrold	And are you mad, good woman?
Daughter	I’d be sorry else. Give me your hand.
Gerrold	Why?
Daughter	I can tell your fortune: You are a fool. Tell ten. I’ve pos’d him. Buzz! Friend, you must eat no white bread; if you do, Your teeth will bleed extremely. Shall we dance, ho? I know you; you’re a tinker; sirrah tinker, Stop no more holes but what you should.
Gerrold	Dii boni! A tinker, damsel!
Daughter	Or a conjurer: Raise me a devil now, and let him play Qui passa o’ the bells and bones.
Gerrold	Go, take her, And fluently persuade her to a peace; Et opus exegi, quod nec Jovis ira, nec ignis⁠— Strike up, and lead her in.
Second Countryman	Come, lass, let’s trip it.
Daughter	I’ll lead.
Third Countryman	Do,