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Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Modern)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Tom Bishop
Not Peer Reviewed
1422.1

[4.1]

Enter Dionyza with Leonine.
Dionyza Thy oath remember: thou hast sworn to do't.
1425'Tis but a blow which never shall be known.
Thou
canst not do a thing in the world so soon
To yield
thee so much profit. Let not conscience,
Which is but
cold in flaming, thy lone bosom
Inflame too nicely;
nor let pity, which
Even women have cast off, melt thee,
1430but be
A soldier to thy purpose.
Leonine
I will do't,
But yet she is a goodly creature.
Dionyza The fitter then the gods should have her.
Here she comes weeping for her only mistress' death.
Thou art resolved?
1435Leonine I am resolved.
Enter Marina with a basket of flowers.
Marina No, I will rob Tellus of her weed
To strew
thy green with flowers: the yellows, blues,
The purple
violets, and marigolds
Shall as a carpet hang upon thy
1440grave
While summer days doth last. Ay me, poor maid,
Born in a tempest when my mother died!
This world to me
is as a lasting storm,
Whirring me from my friends.
Dionyza How now, Marina. Why do you keep alone?
How chance my daughter is not with you?
1445Do not consume your blood with sorrowing:
Have you a nurse of me. Lord, how your favor's
Changed with this unprofitable woe!
Come, give me your flowers. O'er the sea margent
Walk with Leonine. The air is quick there,
1450And it pierces and sharpens the stomach.
Come Leonine; take her by the arm, walk with her.
Marina No, I pray you,
I'll not bereave you of your servant.
Dionyza Come, come.
I love the king your father, and your
self
With more than foreign heart. We every day
Expect
1455him here. When he shall come and find
Our paragon to all
reports thus blasted,
He will repent the breadth of his great voyage,
Blame both
my lord and me, that we have taken
No care to your best
courses. Go I pray you,
Walk and be cheerful once again.
1460Reserve
That excellent complexion, which did steal
The
eyes of young and old. Care not for me,
I can go home a
lone.
Marina
Well, I will go;
But yet I have no desire to it.
Dionyza Come, come, I know 'tis good for you.
Walk half
1465an hour, Leonine, at the least.
Remember what I have said.
Leonine
I warrant you, madam.
Dionyza I'll leave you, my sweet lady, for a while.
Pray
walk softly, do not heat your blood.
What, I must have
care of you.
1470Marina My thanks, sweet madam.
[Exit Dionyza.]
Is this wind westerly that blows?
Leonine
Southwest.
Marina
When I was born the wind was north.
Leonine
Was't so?
1475Marina My father, as nurse says, did never fear,
But cried
"Good seamen!" to the sailors, galling
His kingly hands
haling ropes,
And, clasping to the mast, endured a sea
That al
most burst the deck.
Leonine
When was this?
1480Marina When I was born.
Never was waves nor wind
more violent,
And from the ladder tackle washes off
A can
vas-climber, "Ha!" says one "Wolt out?"
And with a dropping in
dustry they skip
From stem to stern. The boatswain
whistles, and
The master calls and trebles their confusion.
1485Leonine 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.
1490Marina
Why will you kill me?
Leonine
To satisfy my lady.
Marina
Why would she have me killed?
Now as I can re
member, by my troth,
I never did her hurt in all my life.
I
never spake bad word, nor did ill turn
To any living crea
1495ture. Believe me, la!
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 commission
Is not to reason of the deed, but
1500do't.
Marina You will not do't for all the world I hope.
You
are well-favored, and your looks foreshow
You have a
gentle heart. I saw you lately
When you caught hurt in par
ting two that fought.
Good sooth, it showed well in you. Do
1505so now:
Your lady seeks my life. Come you between,
And
save poor me, the weaker.
Leonine I am sworn and will dispatch. [He seizes Marina.]
Enter Pirates. [Leonine releases Marina and flees.]
1 Pirate Hold, villain!
2 Pirate A prize, a prize!
15103 Pirate Half part, mates, half part. Come let's have her aboard suddenly.
Exeunt [with Marina.]
Leonine [reappears].
Leonine These roguing thieves serve the great pirate
1515Valdes,
And they have seized Marina. Let her go!
There's no
hope she will return. I'll swear she's dead
And thrown
into the sea. But I'll see further.
Perhaps they will but
please themselves upon her,
Not carry her aboard. If she
remain,
1520Whom they have ravished must by me be slain.
Exit.