BAWD Ay, and you shall live in pleasure.
MARINA No.
BAWD Yes indeed shall you, and taste gentlemen of all68
fashions. You shall fare well, you shall have the difference69 of
all complexions70. What, do you stop your ears?
MARINA Are you a woman?
BAWD What would you have me be, an72 I be not a woman?
MARINA An honest73 woman, or not a woman.
BAWD Marry, whip the gosling74! I think I shall have
something to do with you.75 Come, you’re a young foolish
sapling and must be bowed76 as I would have you.
MARINA The gods defend me!
BAWD If it please the gods to defend you by78 men, then men
must comfort you, men must feed you, men stir you up79.
[Enter Bolt]
Bolt’s returned. Now, sir, hast thou cried her80 through the
market?
BOLT I have cried her almost to the number of her hairs82, I
have drawn her picture with my voice.
BAWD And I prithee tell me, how dost thou find the
inclination of the people, especially of the younger sort?
BOLT Faith, they listened to me as they would have
hearkened to their fathers’ testament87. There was a Spaniard’s
mouth watered, and he went to bed to88 her very description.
BAWD We shall have him here tomorrow with his best89
ruff on.
BOLT Tonight, tonight!91 But mistress, do you know the
French knight, that cowers i’th’hams92?
BAWD Who, Monsieur Veroles93?
BOLT Ay, he. He offered to cut a caper94 at the proclamation,
but he made a groan at it95, and swore he would see her
tomorrow.
BAWD Well, well. As for him, he brought his disease hither97,
here he does but repair it. I know he will come in our shadow98
to scatter his crowns in the sun99.
BOLT Well, if we had of every nation a traveller100, we
should lodge them with this sign101.
To Marina
BAWD Pray you, come hither awhile. You have102
fortunes coming upon you. Mark me, you must seem to do
that fearfully which you commit willingly, despise104 profit
where you have most gain. To weep that you live as ye do
makes106 pity in your lovers. Seldom but that pity begets you a
good opinion, and that opinion a mere107 profit.
MARINA I understand you not.
BOLT O, take her home109, mistress, take her home! These
blushes of hers must be quenched with some present practice110.
BAWD Thou say’st true, i’faith, so they must, for your bride
goes to that with shame which is her way to go with warrant112.
BOLT Faith, some do, and some do not113. But mistress, if I
have bargained for the joint—
BAWD Thou mayst cut a morsel off the spit115.
BOLT I may so.
To Marina
BAWD Who should deny it?— Come, young one,
I like the manner118 of your garments well.
BOLT Ay, by my faith, they shall not be changed yet.
Gives money
BAWD Bolt, spend thou that in the town.
Report what a sojourner we have, you’ll lose nothing by121
custom. When Nature framed this piece122, she meant thee a
good turn, therefore say what a paragon123 she is, and thou
hast the harvest out of thine own report.
BOLT I warrant you, mistress, thunder shall not so awake125
the beds of eels as my giving out her beauty stirs up126 the
lewdly inclined127. I’ll bring home some tonight. [Exit]
To Marina
BAWD Come your ways128, follow me.
MARINA If fires be hot, knives sharp or waters deep,
Untried I still my virgin knot will keep130.
Diana, aid my purpose131!
BAWD What have we to do with Diana? Pray you, will you
go with us?
Exeunt
running scene 17
Enter Cleon and Dionyza
DIONYZA Why, are you foolish, can it be undone?
CLEON O Dionyza, such a piece of slaughter
The sun and moon ne’er looked upon.
DIONYZA I think you’ll turn a child again.
CLEON Were I chief lord of all this spacious world,
I’d give it to undo the deed. O lady,
Much less in blood7 than virtue, yet a princess
To equal any single crown8 o’th’earth
I’th’justice of compare9. O villain
Leonine, whom thou hast poisoned too,
If thou hadst drunk to him ’t’ad been a kindness11
Becoming well thy face. What canst thou say
When noble Pericles shall demand his child?
DIONYZA That she is dead. Nurses are not the Fates,
To foster it, not ever to preserve15.
She died at night, I’ll say so — who can cross16 it
Unless you play the impious innocent,
And for an honest attribute18, cry out
‘She died by foul play.’
CLEON O, go to20! Well, well,
Of all the faults beneath the heavens, the gods
Do like this worst.
DIONYZA Be one of those that thinks
The petty wrens of Tarsus will fly hence24
And open25 this to Pericles. I do shame
To think of what a noble strain you are,
And of how coward a spirit.
CLEON To such proceeding
Whoever but his approbation29 added,
Though not his prime consent, he did not flow30
From honourable courses.
DIONYZA Be it so, then.
Yet none does know but you how she came dead33,
Nor none can know, Leonine being gone.
She did disdain my child, and stood between
Her and her fortunes: none would look on her,
But cast their gazes on Marina’s face,
Whilst ours was blurted at and held a malkin38
Not worth the time of day39. It pierced me through,
And though you call my course40 unnatural,
You not your child well loving41, yet I find
It greets me as an enterprise of kindness42
Performed to your sole daughter.
CLEON Heavens forgive it!
DIONYZA And as for Pericles, what should he say?
We wept after her hearse, and yet46 we mourn.
Her monument is almost finished, and her epitaphs47
In glitt’ring golden characters48 express
A general49 praise to her, and care in us
At whose expense ’tis done.
CLEON Thou art like the harpy51,
Which to betray, dost with thine angel’s face
Seize with thine eagle’s talons.
DIONYZA Ye’re like one that superstitiously
Do swear to th’gods that winter kills the flies55.
But yet I know, you’ll do as I advise.
[Exeunt]
[Act 4 Second Chorus]
running scene 18
Enter Gower
GOWER Thus time we waste and long leagues1 make short,
Sail seas in cockles, have and wish but for’t2,
Making to3 t
ake our imagination,
From bourn4 to bourn, region to region.
By you being pardoned we commit no crime
To use one language in each several6 clime
Where our scenes seems to live. I do beseech you
To learn of me, who stand i’th’gaps8 to teach you
The stages of our story9. Pericles
Is now again thwarting the wayward10 seas,
To see his daughter, all his life’s delight.
Old Helicanus goes along: behind
Is left to govern, if you bear in mind,
Old Escanes, whom Helicanus late15
Advanced in time16 to great and high estate.
Well-sailing ships and bounteous winds have brought
This king to Tarsus. Think his pilot thought,18
So with his steerage shall your thoughts go on
To fetch his daughter home, who first is gone.
Like motes and shadows21 see them move awhile,
Your ears unto your eyes I’ll reconcile22.
Dumb show
Enter Pericles at one door with all his train, Cleon and Dionyza at the other. Cleon shows Pericles the tomb, whereat Pericles makes lamentation, puts on sack-cloth, and in a mighty passion departs.
[Exeunt Cleon and Dionyza]
GOWER See how belief may suffer by foul show23:
This borrowed passion stands for24 true old woe.
And Pericles in sorrow all devoured,
With sighs shot through and biggest tears o’ershowered,
Leaves Tarsus and again embarks. He swears
Never to wash his face nor cut his hairs.
He puts on sackcloth, and to sea he bears29
A tempest which his mortal vessel30 tears,
And yet he rides it out. Now please you wit31
The epitaph is32 for Marina writ
By wicked Dionyza:
Reads
‘The fairest, sweetest and best lies here,
Who withered in her spring of year:
She was of Tyrus the king’s daughter
On whom foul death hath made this slaughter.
Marina was she called, and at her birth
Thetis, being proud, swallowed some part o’th’earth39.
Therefore the earth, fearing to be o’erflowed,
Hath Thetis’ birth-child on the heavens bestowed.
Wherefore she does, and swears she’ll never stint42,
Make raging batt’ry upon shores of flint43.’
No visor44 does become black villainy
So well as soft and tender flattery.
Let Pericles believe his daughter’s dead,
And bear his courses to be orderèd47
By Lady Fortune, while our scene48 must play
His daughter’s woe and heavy well-a-day49
In her unholy service. Patience, then,
And think you now are all in Mytilene.
Exit
[Act 4 Scene 4]
running scene 19
Enter two Gentlemen From the brothel
FIRST GENTLEMAN Did you ever hear the like?
SECOND GENTLEMAN No, nor never shall do in such a place as
this, she being once gone.
FIRST GENTLEMAN But to have divinity4 preached there — did you
ever dream of such a thing?
SECOND GENTLEMAN No, no. Come, I am for no more bawdy6
houses, shall’s go hear the vestals7 sing?
FIRST GENTLEMAN I’ll do anything now that is virtuous, but I am
Exeunt
out of the road of rutting9 for ever.
[Act 4 Scene 5]
running scene 19 continues
Enter three bawds [Pander, Bawd and Bolt]
PANDER Well, I had rather than twice the worth of her she
had ne’er come here2.
BAWD Fie, fie upon her, she’s able to freeze the god Priapus3
and undo a whole generation4! We must either get her
ravished or be rid of her. When she should do for clients her5
fitment, and do me the kindness6 of our profession, she has
me her quirks, her reasons, her master7 reasons, her prayers,
her knees, that she would make a puritan8 of the devil if he
should cheapen9 a kiss of her.
BOLT Faith, I must ravish her, or she’ll disfurnish10 us of all
our cavalleria and make our swearers11 priests.
PANDER Now the pox upon her green-sickness for me12.
BAWD Faith, there’s no way to be rid on’t but by the way to13
the pox — here comes the lord Lysimachus disguised.
BOLT We should have both lord and loon, if the peevish15
baggage would but give way16 to customers.
Enter Lysimachus
LYSIMACHUS How17 now, how a dozen of virginities?
BAWD Now the gods to bless18 your honour!
BOLT I am glad to see your honour in good health.
LYSIMACHUS You may, so: ’tis the better for you that your20
resorters stand upon sound legs. How now? Wholesome21
iniquity have you, that a man may deal withal22 and defy the
surgeon?
BAWD We have here one, sir, if she would — but there
never came her like in Mytilene.
LYSIMACHUS If she’d do the deeds of darkness26, thou wouldst say.
BAWD Your honour knows what ’tis to say27 well enough.
LYSIMACHUS Well, call forth, call forth.
[Exit Pander]
BOLT For flesh and blood, sir, white and red29, you shall see
a rose, and she were a rose indeed, if she had but —30
LYSIMACHUS What, prithee?
BOLT O, sir, I can be modest32.
LYSIMACHUS That dignifies the renown of a bawd, no less than33
it gives a good report to a number to be chaste.
[Enter Pander with Marina]
BAWD Here comes that which grows to the stalk — never35
plucked yet, I can assure you. Is she not a fair creature?
LYSIMACHUS Faith, she would serve after a long voyage at sea37.
Gives money
Well, there’s for you. Leave us.
BAWD I beseech your honour, give me leave: a word, and
I’ll have done presently40.
LYSIMACHUS I beseech you, do.
To Marina
BAWD First, I would have you note42 this is an
honourable man.
MARINA I desire to find him so, that I may worthily note44 him.
BAWD Next, he’s the governor of this country, and a man
whom I am bound46 to.
MARINA If he govern the country you are bound47 to him
indeed, but how honourable he is in that48, I know not.
BAWD Pray you, without any more virginal fencing49, will
you use him kindly? He will line your apron with gold50.
MARINA What he will do graciously51, I will thankfully receive.
LYSIMACHUS Ha’ you done?
BAWD My lord, she’s not paced53 yet, you must take some
pains to work her to your manage54.— Come, we will leave his
To Bolt and Pander
honour and her together. Go thy ways55.
[Exeunt Bawd, Bolt and Pander]
LYSIMACHUS Now, pretty one, how long have you been at this
trade57?
MARINA What trade, sir?
LYSIMACHUS Why, I cannot name’t but I shall offend.
MARINA I
cannot be offended with my trade. Please you to
name it.
LYSIMACHUS How long have you been of this profession?
MARINA E’er since I can remember.
LYSIMACHUS Did you go to’t so young? Were you a gamester64 at
five, or at seven?
MARINA Earlier too, sir, if now I be one.
LYSIMACHUS Why, the house you dwell in proclaims you to be a
creature of sale68.
MARINA Do you know this house to be a place of such resort69,
and will come into’t? I hear say you’re of honourable parts70,
and are the governor of this place.
LYSIMACHUS Why, hath your principal72 made known unto you
who I am?
MARINA Who is my principal?
LYSIMACHUS Why, your herb-woman75, she that sets seeds and