Queen:  This is a great honour.  Will you take a chair?

First Aunt:  Leave that for the Prince of the Marshes.  It is away from the draught of the window.

Second Aunt:  We ourselves are in charge of his health.  I have here his eel-skin boots for the days that will be wet under foot.

First Aunt:  And I have here my little bag of cures, with a cure in it that would rise the body out of the grave as whole and as sound as the time you were born.

(Lays it down.)

King:  (To Prince.) It is many a day your father and myself were together in our early time.  What way is he?  He was farther out in age than myself.

Prince:  He is ...

First Aunt:  (Interrupting.) He is only middling these last years.  The doctors have taken him in hand.

King:  He was more for fowling, and I was more for horses—­before I increased so much in girth.  Is it for horses you are, Prince?

Prince:  I didn’t go up on one up to this.

First Aunt:  Kings and princes are getting scarce.  They are the most class is wearing away, and it is right for them keep in mind their safety.

Second Aunt:  The Prince has no need to go upon a horse, where he has always a coach at his command.

King:  It is fowling that suits you so?

Prince:  I would be well pleased ...

First Aunt:  There is great danger going out fowling with a gun that might turn on you after and take your life.

Second Aunt:  Why would the Prince go into danger, having servants that will go following after birds?

Queen:  He is likely waiting till his enemies will make an attack upon the country to defend it.

First Aunt:  There is a good dyke around about the marshes, and a sort of quaking bog.  It is not likely war will come till such time as it will be made by the birds of the air.

King:  Well, we must strive to knock out some sport or some pleasure.

Prince:  It was not on pleasure I was sent.

First Aunt:  That’s so, but on business.

Second Aunt:  Very weighty business.

King:  Let the lad tell it out himself.

Prince:  I hope there is no harm in me coming hither.  I would be loth to push on you ...

First Aunt:  We thought it was right, as he was come to sensible years ...

King:  Stop a minute, ma’am, give him his time.

Prince:  My father ... and his counsellors ... and my seven aunts ...that said it would be right for me to join with a wife.

Queen:  They showed good sense in that.

Prince:  (Rapidly.) They bade me come and take a look at your young lady of a Princess to see would she be likely to be pleasing to them.