The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1646]
Peace husband (quoth his wife) take heede what you say: speake no more than you shoulde, least you heare what you would not, great streames are to bee stopped by sleight, not by force: and princes to be perswaded by submission, not by rigor: do what you can, but no more than you may, least in sauing Fawnias maidenhead, you loose your owne head. Take heede I say, it is ill iesting with edged tooles, and bad sporting with Kings. The Wolfe had his skinne pulled over his eares for but looking into the Lions den. Tush wife (quoth he) thou speakest like a foole, if the King should knowe that Dorastus had begotten our daughter with childe (as I feare it will fall out little better) the Kings furie would be such, as no doubt wee should both loose our goods and lives: necessitie therefore hath no lawe, and I will preuent this mischiefe with a new deuise that is come in my head, which shall neither offende the King, nor displease Dorastus. I meane to take the chaine and the iewels that I found with Fawnia, and carrie them to the King, letting him then to vnderstand how she is none of my daughter, but that I found her beaten vp with the water alone in a little boat wrapped in a rich Mantle, wherein was inclosed this treasure. By this meanes I hope the King will take Fawnia into his seruice, and wee whatsoever chaunceth shall be blamelesse. This deuice pleased the good wife very well, so that they determined assoone as they might knowe the King at leasure, to make him priuie to this case. In the meane time Dorastus was not slacke in his affaires, but applied his matters with such diligence, that he prouided all thinges fit for their iourney. Treasure and iewels he had gotten great store, thinking there was no better friend than money in a straunge countrey: rich attire he had provided for Fawnia, and, because he could not bring the matter to passe without the helpe and aduice of some one, he made an olde seruant of his called Capnio, who had serued him from his childhoode, priuie to his affaires: who seeing no perswasions could prevaile to diuert him from his setled determination, gave his consent, and dealt so secretly in the cause, that within short space he had gotten a ship readie for their passage: the Mariners seeing a fit gale of winde for their purpose, wished Capnio to make no delayes, least if they pretermitted this good weather, they might stay long ere they had such a faire winde. Capnio fearing that his negligence should hinder the iourney, in the night time conueyed the trunkes full of treasure into the shippe, and by secret meanes let Fawnia vnderstande, that the next morning they meant to depart: shee vpon this newes slept very little that night, but got her vp very early, and wente to her sheepe, looking euery minute when she should see Dorastus, who taried not long, for feare delay might breede daunger, but came as fast as he could gallop, and without any great circumstance tooke Fawnia vp behinde him, and rode to the n where the ship lay, which was not three quarters of a mile distant from that place. He no sooner came there, but the Marriners were readie with their cockeboate to set them aboord, where beeing coucht togither in a Cabben, they past away the time in recounting their olde loues, till their man Capnio could come. Porrus who had heard that this morning the King would goe abroad to take the aire, called in haste to his wife to bring him his holy day hose, and his best Jacket, that he might goe like an honest substantiall man to tell his tale. His wife a good cleanly wench, brought him all things fitte, and spunged him vp very handsomlie, giuing him the chaine and