PERICLES Most honoured Cleon, I must needs be gone:
My twelve months are expired, and Tyrus stands
In a litigious3 peace. You and your lady
Take from my heart all thankfulness, the gods4
Make up the rest upon you.
CLEON Your shakes of fortune, though they haunt you mortally6
Yet glance full wond’ringly on us7.
DIONYZA O, your sweet queen!
That the strict fates had pleased you had brought her
Hither to have blessed mine eyes with her.
PERICLES We cannot but obey the powers above us.
Could I rage and roar as doth the sea she lies in,
Yet the end must be as ’tis. My gentle babe Marina13,
Whom, for she was born at sea, I have named so,
Here I charge your charity withal15, leaving her
The infant of16 your care, beseeching you to give her
Princely training, that she may be mannered as she is born17.
CLEON Fear not, my lord, but think
Your grace that fed my country with your corn —
For which the people’s prayers still fall20 upon you —
Must in your child be thought on. If neglection21
Should therein make me vile, the common body22
By you relieved, would force me to my duty,
But if to that my nature need a spur24,
The gods revenge it upon me and mine,
To the end of generation26.
PERICLES I believe you: your honour and your goodness
Teach me to’t28 without your vows. Till she be married,
Madam, by bright Diana whom we honour all,
Unscissored shall this hair of mine remain,
Though I show ill in’t31. So I take my leave:
Good madam, make me blessèd32 in your care
In bringing up my child.
DIONYZA I have one myself,
Who shall not be more dear to my respect35
Than yours, my lord.
PERICLES Madam, my thanks and prayers.
CLEON We’ll bring your grace e’en to the edge o’th’shore,
Then give you up to the masked39 Neptune, and
The gentlest winds of heaven.
PERICLES I will embrace your offer. Come, dearest madam.—
To Lychorida
O, no tears, Lychorida, no tears!
Look to your little mistress, on whose grace
You may depend hereafter.— Come, my lord.
[Exeunt]
[Act 3 Scene 4]
running scene 13
Enter Cerimon and Thaisa
CERIMON Madam, this letter and some certain jewels
Lay with you in your coffer2, which are
Shows the letter
At your command. Know you the character3?
THAISA It is my lord’s. That I was shipped at4 sea
I well remember, even on my eaning time5,
But whether there delivered6, by the holy gods
I cannot rightly7 say. But since King Pericles,
My wedded lord, I ne’er shall see again,
A vestal livery9 will I take me to
And never more have joy.
CERIMON Madam, if this you purpose as ye speak11,
Diana’s temple is not distant far,
Where you may abide till your date expire13.
Moreover, if you please, a niece of mine
Shall there attend you.
THAISA My recompense16 is thanks, that’s all,
Yet my good will is great, though the gift small.
Exeunt
[Act 4 Chorus]
running scene 14
Enter Gower
GOWER Imagine Pericles arrived at Tyre,
Welcomed and settled to2 his own desire.
His woeful queen we leave at Ephesus,
Unto Diana there’s a votaress4.
Now to Marina bend5 your mind,
Whom our fast-growing6 scene must find
At Tarsus, and by Cleon trained
In music’s letters8, who hath gained
Of education all the grace,
Which makes her both the heart and place10
Of general wonder. But, alack,
That monster envy, oft the wrack12
Of earnèd13 praise, Marina’s life
Seeks to take off by treason’s knife,
And in this kind15: our Cleon hath
One daughter and a full grown wench
Even ripe17 for marriage-rite. This maid
Hight Philoten18, and it is said
For certain19 in our story she
Would ever with Marina be,
Be’t when they weaved the sleided21 silk,
With fingers long, small22, white as milk,
Or when she would with sharp nee’le23 wound
The cambric24 which she made more sound
By hurting it, or when to th’lute
She sung, and made the night-bird26 mute
That still records with moan27, or when
She would with rich and constant28 pen,
Vail29 to her mistress Dian. Still
This Philoten contends in skill
With absolute31 Marina: so
With dove of Paphos32 might the crow
Vie feathers white33. Marina gets
All praises, which are paid as debts
And not as given. This so darks35
In Philoten all graceful marks36
That Cleon’s wife with envy rare37
A present38 murder does prepare
For good Marina, that her daughter
Might stand peerless by this slaughter.
The sooner her vile thoughts to stead41,
Lychorida, our nurse, is dead,
And cursèd Dionyza hath
The pregnant44 instrument of wrath
Pressed45 for this blow. The unborn event
I do commend to your content46,
Only I carry wingèd Time47,
Post on the lame feet48 of my rhyme,
Which never could I so convey
Unless your thoughts went on my way50.
Dionyza does appear
With Leonine a murderer.
Exit
[Act 4 Scene 1]
running scene 15
Enter Dionyza with Leonine
DIONYZA Thy oath remember, thou hast sworn to do’t.
’Tis but a blow, which never shall be known,
Thou canst not do a thing in the world so soon3
To yield thee so much profit. Let not conscience,
Which is but cold, inflame love5 in thy bosom,
Nor let pity, which even women have cast off,
Melt thee, but be a soldier to thy purpose7.
LEONINE I will do’t, but yet she is a goodly8 creature.
DIONYZA The fitter9 then the gods should have her.
Here she comes weeping for her only10 mistress’ death —
Thou art resolved11?
LEONINE I am resolved.
Enter Marina with a basket of flowers
MARINA No: I will rob Tellus of her weed13
To strew thy green14 with flowers, the yellows, blues,
The purple violets, and marigolds,
Shall as a carpet hang upon thy grave
While summer days doth last. Ay me17, poor maid,
Born in a tempest when my mother died,
This world to me is as a lasting19 storm,
Whirring20 me from my friends.
DIONYZA How now, Marina, why do you keep21 alone?
How chance22 my daughter is not with you?
Do not consume your blood with sorrowing23,
Have you a nurse of me! Lord, how your favour’s24
Changed with this unprofitab
le woe!
Come, give me your flowers, o’er the sea margent26
Walk with Leonine. The air is quick27 there
And it pierces and sharpens the stomach28.
Come, Leonine, take her by the arm, walk with her.
MARINA No, I pray you, I’ll not bereave you of your servant.
I love the king your father and yourself
With more than foreign heart33. We every day
Expect him here: when he shall come and find
Our paragon, to all reports, thus blasted35,
He will repent the breadth of his great voyage,
Blame both my lord and me, that we have taken
No care to your best courses38. Go, I pray you,
Walk and be cheerful once again, reserve39
That excellent complexion, which did steal
The eyes of young and old. Care not for me,
I can go home alone.
MARINA Well, I will go,
But yet I have no desire to it.
DIONYZA Come, come, I know ’tis good for you.
Walk half an hour, Leonine, at the least.
Remember what I have said.
LEONINE I warrant48 you, madam.
DIONYZA I’ll leave you, my sweet lady, for a while.
Pray walk softly, do not heat your blood50.
What, I must have care of you!
MARINA My thanks, sweet madam.—
[Exit Dionyza]
Is this wind westerly that blows?
LEONINE South-west.
MARINA When I was born the wind was north.
LEONINE Was’t so?
MARINA My father, as nurse says, did never fear,
But cried ‘Good seamen’ to the sailors,
Galling his kingly hands haling59 ropes,
And clasping to the mast endured a sea
That almost burst the deck.
LEONINE When was this?
MARINA When I was born.
Never was waves nor wind more violent,
And from the ladder tackle65 washes off
A canvas climber. ‘Ha,’ says one, ‘wolt out?66’
And with a dropping industry67 they skip
From stem to stern, the boatswain68 whistles, and
The master calls and trebles their confusion.
LEONINE Come, say your prayers.
MARINA What mean you?
LEONINE If you require a little space for prayer,
I grant it. Pray, but be not tedious,
For the gods are quick of ear and I am sworn
To do my work with haste.
MARINA Why will you kill me?
LEONINE To satisfy my lady.
MARINA Why, would she have me killed, now?
As I can remember, by my troth79,
I never did her hurt in all my life.
I never spake bad word, nor did ill turn
To any living creature. Believe me, la82,
I never killed a mouse nor hurt a fly.
I trod upon a worm against my will,
But I wept for’t. How have I offended,
Wherein my death might yield her any profit
Or my life imply her any danger?
LEONINE My commission88
Is not to reason of the deed, but do’t.
MARINA You will not do’t for all the world, I hope.
You are well favoured, and your looks foreshow91
You have a gentle heart. I saw you lately
When you caught hurt93 in parting two that fought.
Good sooth94, it showed well in you. Do so now:
Your lady seeks my life, come you between
And save poor me, the weaker.
Seizes her Leonine runs away
LEONINE I am sworn and will dispatch.
Enter Pirates
FIRST PIRATE Hold, villain!
SECOND PIRATE A prize99, a prize!
THIRD PIRATE Half part, mates, half part! Come, let’s have100 her
aboard suddenly101.
Exeunt [Pirates with Marina]
Enter Leonine
LEONINE These roguing thieves serve the great pirate Valdes102,
And they have seized Marina. Let her go,
There’s no hope she will return — I’ll swear she’s dead,
Perhaps they will but please themselves upon106 her,
Not carry her aboard. If she remain,
Whom they have ravished108 must by me be slain.
Exit
[Act 4 Scene 2]
running scene 16
Enter the three bawds: [Pander, Bawd and Bolt]
PANDER Bolt.
BOLT Sir.
PANDER Search the market narrowly. Mytilene3 is full of
gallants, we lost too much money this mart4 by being too
wenchless.
BAWD We were never so much out of creatures6. We have
but poor three7, and they can do no more than they can do,
and they with continual action are even as good as rotten8.
PANDER Therefore let’s have fresh9 ones, whate’er we pay for
them. If there be not a conscience to be used in every trade10,
we shall never prosper.
BAWD Thou say’st true. ’Tis not our bringing up of poor12
bastards — as I think, I have brought up some eleven—
BOLT Ay, to eleven, and brought them down again14. But
shall I search the market?
BAWD What else, man? The stuff16 we have, a strong wind
will blow it to pieces, they are so pitifully sodden17.
PANDER Thou say’st true, they’re too unwholesome18,
o’conscience19: the poor Transylvanian is dead that lay with
the little baggage20.
BOLT Ay, she quickly pooped him, she made him roast
meat for worms22. But I’ll go search the market.
Exit
PANDER Three or four thousand chequins23 were as pretty a
proportion to live quietly, and so give over24.
BAWD Why to give over, I pray you? Is it a shame to get25
when we are old?
PANDER O, our credit comes not in like the commodity, nor
the commodity wages not with the danger28. Therefore, if in our
youths we could pick up some pretty estate, ’twere not amiss
to keep our door hatched. Besides, the sore30 terms we stand
upon with the gods will be strong with us for giving o’er31.
BAWD Come, other sorts offend as well as we32.
PANDER As well as we, ay, and better too. We offend worse:
neither is our profession any trade, it’s no calling34. But here
comes Bolt.
Enter Bolt with the Pirates and Marina
BOLT Come your ways36, my masters. You say she’s a virgin?
FIRST PIRATE O, sir, we doubt it not.
BOLT Master, I have gone through for this piece38 you see. If
you like her, so. If not, I have lost my earnest39.
BAWD Bolt, has she any qualities40?
BOLT She has a good face, speaks well, and has excellent
good clothes: there’s no further necessity of qualities can42
make her be refused.
BAWD What’s her price, Bolt?
BOLT I cannot be bated one doit of a thousand pieces45.
PANDER Well, follow me, my masters, you shal
l have your
money presently47. Wife, take her in, instruct her what she has
to do, that she may not be raw in her entertainment48.
[Exeunt Pander and the Pirates]
BAWD Bolt, take you the marks49 of her — the colour of her
hair, complexion, height, her age — with warrant50 of her
virginity, and cry: ‘He that will give most shall have her first.’
Such a maidenhead were no cheap thing, if men were as
they have been. Get this done as I command you.
BOLT Performance shall follow54.
Exit
MARINA Alack that Leonine was so slack, so slow:
He should have struck, not spoke. Or that these pirates,
Not enough barbarous, had but o’erboard thrown me,
For to seek my mother.
BAWD Why lament you, pretty one?
MARINA That I am pretty.
BAWD Come, the gods have done their part61 in you.
MARINA I accuse them not.
BAWD You are light into my hands, where you are like63 to live.
MARINA The more my fault64,
To scape his hands, where I was like to die.