been
hallowed and brought a benediction to the buyer:
by which means I saw whose purse was best in
picture; and what I saw, to my good use I
remembered. My clown, who wants but something to
be a reasonable man, grew so in love with the
wenches' song, that he would not stir his pettitoes
till he had both tune and words; which so drew the
rest of the herd to me that all their other senses
stuck in ears: you might have pinched a placket, it
was senseless; 'twas nothing to geld a codpiece of a
purse; I could have filed keys off that hung in
chains: no hearing, no feeling, but my sir's song,
and admiring the nothing of it. So that in this
time of lethargy I picked and cut most of their
festival purses; and had not the old man come in
with a whoo-bub against his daughter and the king's
son and scared my choughs from the chaff, I had not
left a purse alive in the whole army.
Nay, but my letters, by this means being there
So soon as you arrive, shall clear that doubt.
And those that you'll procure from King Leontes--
Shall satisfy your father.
Happy be you!
All that you speak shows fair.
Who have we here?
We'll make an instrument of this, omit
Nothing may give us aid.
If they have overheard me now, why, hanging.
How now, good fellow! why shakest thou so? Fear
not, man; here's no harm intended to thee.
I am a poor fellow, sir.
Why, be so still; here's nobody will steal that from
thee: yet for the outside of thy poverty we must
make an exchange; therefore discase thee instantly,
--thou must think there's a necessity in't,--and
change garments with this gentleman: though the
pennyworth on his side be the worst, yet hold thee,
there's some boot.
I am a poor fellow, sir.
I know ye well enough.
Nay, prithee, dispatch: the gentleman is half
flayed already.
Are you in earnest, sir?
I smell the trick on't.
Dispatch, I prithee.
Indeed, I have had earnest: but I cannot with
conscience take it.
Unbuckle, unbuckle.
Fortunate mistress,--let my prophecy
Come home to ye!--you must retire yourself
Into some covert: take your sweetheart's hat
And pluck it o'er your brows, muffle your face,
Dismantle you, and, as you can, disliken
The truth of your own seeming; that you may--
For I do fear eyes over--to shipboard
Get undescried.
I see the play so lies
That I must bear