VINCENT:  What question is it, uncle, but that they are both prisoners, as I said myself before, although the one lay fast locked in the stocks and the other had all the whole castle to walk in?

ANTHONY:  Methinketh verily, cousin, that you say the truth.  And then, if imprisonment be such a thing as you yourself here agree it is—­that is, but a lack of liberty to go whither we please—­now would I fain know of you what one man you know who is at this day out of prison?

VINCENT:  What one man, uncle?  Marry, I know almost none other!  For surely I am acquainted with no prisoner, that I remember.

ANTHONY:  Then I see well that you visit poor prisoners seldom.

VINCENT:  No, by my troth, uncle, I cry God mercy.  I send them sometimes mine alms, but by my troth I love not to come myself where I should see such misery.

ANTHONY:  In good faith, Cousin Vincent (though I say it before you) you have many good qualities, but surely (though I say that before you, too) that is not one of them.  If you would amend it, then should you have yet the more good qualities by one—­and peradventure the more by three or four.  For I assure you it is hard to tell how much good it doth to a man’s soul, the personal visiting of poor prisoners.

But now, since you can name me none of them that are in prison, I pray you name me some one of all those whom you are, you say, better acquainted with—­men, I mean, who are out of prison.  For I know, methinketh, as few of them as you know of the others.

VINCENT:  That would, uncle, be a strange case.  For every man is out of prison who may go where he will, though he be the poorest beggar in the town.  And, in good faith, uncle (because you reckon imprisonment so small a matter of itself) meseemeth the poor beggar who is at his liberty and may walk where he will is in better case than is a king kept in prison, who cannot go but where men give him leave.

ANTHONY:  Well, cousin, whether every way-walking beggar be, by this reason, out of prison or no, we shall consider further when you will.  But in the meanwhile I can by this reason see no prince who seemeth to be out of prison.  For if the lack of liberty to go where a man will, be imprisonment, as you yourself say it is, then is the great Turk, by whom we fear to be put in prison, in prison already himself, for he may not go where he will.  For if he could he would go into Portugal, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and England, and as far in the other direction too—­both into Prester John’s land and into the Grand Cham’s too.

Now, the beggar that you speak of, if he be (as you say he is) by reason of his liberty to go where he will, in much better case than a king kept in prison, because he cannot go but where men give him leave; then is that beggar in better case, not only than a prince in prison but also than many a prince out of prison too.  For I am sure there is many a beggar who may without hindrance walk further upon other men’s ground than many a prince at his best liberty may walk upon his own.  And as for walking out abroad upon other men’s, that prince might be withstood and held fast, where that beggar, with his bag and staff, might be suffered to go forth and keep on his way.