Scene + 

IV + 

Athens. A room in the prison. + 

Enter Gaoler’s Daughter. + 

Daughter + 

Why should I love this gentleman? ’tis odds + 

He never will affect me: I am base, + 

My father the mean keeper of his prison, + 

And he a prince: to marry him is hopeless, + 

To be his whore is witless. Out upon’t! + 

What pushes are we wenches driven to, + 

When fifteen once has found us! First, I saw him; + 

I, seeing, thought he was a goodly man; + 

He has as much to please a woman in him⁠— + 

If he please to bestow it so⁠—as ever + 

These eyes yet look’d on: next I pitied him; + 

And so would any young wench, o’ my conscience, + 

That ever dream’d, or vow’d her maidenhead + 

To a young handsome man: then I lov’d him, + 

Extremely lov’d him, infinitely lov’d him; + 

And yet he had a cousin, fair as he too; + 

But in my heart was Palamon, and there, + 

Lord, what a coil he keeps! To hear him + 

Sing in an evening, what a heaven it is! + 

And yet his songs are sad ones. Fairer spoken + 

Was never gentleman: when I come in + 

To bring him water in a morning, first + 

He bows his noble body, then salutes me thus, + 

“Fair, gentle maid, good morrow: may thy goodness + 

Get thee a happy husband!” Once he kiss’d me; + 

I lov’d my lips the better ten days after: + 

Would he would do so every day! He grieves much, + 

And me as much to see his misery: + 

What should I do, to make him know I love him? + 

For I would fain enjoy him say I ventur’d + 

To set him free? what says the law, then? Thus much + 

For law, or kindred! I will do it; + 

And this night or to-morrow he shall love me. Exit. + 