William Shakespeare - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Dionyza, at the other. Cleon shows Pericles the tomb; whereat

Pericles makes lamentation, puts on sackcloth, and in a

mighty passion departs. Then exeunt Cleon and Dionyza.]

See how belief may suffer by foul show;

This borrow’d passion stands for true old woe;

And Pericles, in sorrow all devour’d,

With sighs shot through; and biggest tears o’ershower’d,

Leaves Tarsus and again embarks. He swears

Never to wash his face, nor cut his hairs:

He puts on sackcloth, and to sea. He bears

A tempest, which his mortal vessel tears,

And yet he rides it out. Now please you wit

The epitaph is for Marina writ

By wicked Dionyza.

[Reads the inscription on Marina’s monument.]

‘The fairest, sweet’st, and best lies here,

Who wither’d in her spring of year.

She was of Tyrus the king’s daughter,

On whom foul death hath made this slaughter;

Marina was she call’d; and at her birth,

Thetis, being proud, swallow’d some part o’ the earth:

Therefore the earth, fearing to be o’erflow’d,

Hath Thetis’ birth-child on the heavens bestow’d:

Wherefore she does, and swears she’ll never stint,

Make raging battery upon shores of flint.’

No visor does become black villany

So well as soft and tender flattery.

Let Pericles believe his daughter’s dead,

And bear his courses to be ordered

By Lady Fortune; while our scene must play

His daughter’s woe and heavy well-a-day

In her unholy service. Patience, then,

And think you now are all in Mytilene.

[Exit.]

SCENE V. Mytilene. A street before the brothel.

[Enter, from the brothel, two Gentlemen.]

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 divinity preached there! did you ever dream of such a thing?

SECOND GENTLEMAN. No, no. Come, I am for no more bawdy-houses: shall’s go hear the vestals sing?

FIRST GENTLEMAN. I’ll do any thing now that is virtuous; but I am out of the road of rutting for ever.

[Exeunt.]

SCENE VI. The same. A room in the brothel.

[Enter Pandar, Bawd, and Boult.]

PANDAR. Well, I had rather than twice the worth of her she had ne’er come here.

BAWD. Fie, fie upon her! she’s able to freeze the god Priapus, and undo a whole generation. We must either get her ravished, or be rid of her. When she should do for clients her fitment, and do me the kindness of our profession, she has me her quirks, her reasons, her master reasons, her prayers, her knees; that she would make a puritan of the devil, if he should cheapen a kiss of her.

BOULT. ‘Faith, I must ravish her, or she’ll disfurnish us of all our cavaliers, and make our swearers priests.

PANDAR.

Now, the pox upon her green-sickness for me!

BAWD.

‘Faith, there’s no way to be rid on’t but by the way to the pox.

Here comes the Lord Lysimachus disguised.

BOULT. We should have both lord and lown, if the peevish baggage would but give way to customers.

[Enter Lysimachus.]

LYSIMACHUS.

How now! How a dozen of virginities?

BAWD.

Now, the gods to bless your honour!

BOULT.

I am glad to see your honour in good health.

LYSIMACHUS. You may so; ‘tis the better for you that your resorters stand upon sound legs. How now! wholesome iniquity have you that a man may deal withal, and defy the surgeon?

BAWD. We have here one, sir, if she would — but there never came her like in Mytilene.

LYSIMACHUS.

If she’ld do the deed of darkness, thou wouldst say.

BAWD.

Your honour knows what ‘tis to say well enough.

LYSIMACHUS.

Well, call forth, call forth.

BOULT. For flesh and blood, sir, white and red, you shall see a rose; and she were a rose indeed, if she had but —

LYSIMACHUS.

What, prithee?

BOULT.

O, sir, I can be modest.

LYSIMACHUS. That dignifies the renown of a bawd, no less than it gives a good report to a number to be chaste.

[Exit Boult.]

BAWD. Here comes that which grows to the stalk; never plucked yet, I can assure you.

[Re-enter Boult with Marina.]

Is she not a fair creature?

LYSIMACHUS. ‘Faith, she would serve after a long voyage at sea. Well, there’s for you: leave us.

BAWD. I beseech your honour, give me leave: a word, and I’ll have done presently.

LYSIMACHUS.

I beseech you, do.

BAWD.

[To Marina.]

First, I would have you note, this is an honourable man.

MARINA.

I desire to find him so, that I may worthily note him.

BAWD. Next, he’s the governor of this country, and a man whom I am bound to.

MARINA. If he govern the country, you are bound to him indeed; but how honourable he is in that, I know not.

BAWD. Pray you, without any more virginal fencing, will you use him kindly? He will line your apron with gold.

MARINA.

What he will do graciously, I will thankfully receive.

LYSIMACHUS.

Ha’ you done?

BAWD. My lord, she’s not paced yet: you must take some pains to work her to your manage. Come, we will leave his honour and her together. Go thy ways.

[Exeunt Bawd, Pandar, and Boult.]

LYSIMACHUS.

Now, pretty one, how long have you been at this trade?

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 gamester 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 sale.

MARINA. Do you know this house to be a place of such resort, and will come into ‘t? I hear say you are of honourable parts, and are the governor of this place.

LYSIMACHUS.

Why, hath your principal made known unto you who I am?

MARINA.

Who is my principal?

LYSIMACHUS. Why, your herb-woman; she that sets seeds and roots of shame and iniquity. O, you have heard something of my power, and so stand aloof for more serious wooing. But I protest to thee, pretty one, my authority shall not see thee, or else look friendly upon thee. Come, bring me to some private place: come, come.

MARINA.

If you were born to honour, show it now;

If put upon you, make the judgement good

That thought you worthy of it.

LYSIMACHUS.

How ‘s this? how ‘s this? Some more; be sage.

MARINA.

For me,

That am a maid, though most ungentle fortune

Have placed me in this sty, where, since I came,

Diseases have been sold dearer than physic,

O, that the gods

Would set me free from this unhallow’d place,

Though they did change me to the meanest bird

That flies i’ the purer air!

LYSIMACHUS.

I did not think

Thou couldst have spoke so well; ne’er dream’d thou couldst.

Had I brought hither a corrupted mind,

Thy speech had alter’d it. Hold, here ‘s gold for thee:

Persever in that clear way thou goest,

And the gods strengthen thee!

MARINA.

The good gods preserve you!

LYSIMACHUS.

For me, be you thoughten

That I came with no ill intent; for to me

The very doors and windows savour vilely.

Fare thee well. Thou art a piece of virtue, and

I doubt not but thy training hath been noble.

Hold, here’s more gold for thee.

A curse upon him, die he like a thief,

That robs thee of thy goodness! If thou dost