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Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Modern)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Tom Bishop
Not Peer Reviewed
1785.1

[4.6]

Enter Pander, Bawd and Bolt.
Pander 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 1790Priapus 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 puri1795tan of the devil, if he should cheapen a kiss of her.
Bolt Faith, I must ravish her, or she'll disfurnish us of all our cavalleria and make our swearers priests.
Pander Now, the pox upon her greensickness for me.
Bawd Faith, there's no way to be rid on't but by the 1800way to the pox.
1800.1
Enter Lysimachus [in disguise].
Here comes the Lord Lysimachus disguised.
Bolt We should have both lord and loon, if the peevish baggage would but give way to customers.
Lysimachus How now? How a dozen of virginities?
1805Bawd Now the gods to bless your honor!
Bolt I am glad to see your honor 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 defy1810 the surgeon?
Bawd We have here one, sir, if she would -- Butthere never came her like in Metalin!
Lysimachus If she'd do the deeds of darkness, thou wouldst say.
Bawd Your honor knows what 'tis to say, well enough.
1815Lysimachus Well, call forth, call forth.[Exit Pander.]
Bolt 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?
Bolt Oh, sir, I can be modest.
1820Lysimachus That dignifies the renown of a bawd no less than it gives a good report to a number to be chaste.
1821.1
[Enter Pander with Marina.]
Bawd Here comes that which grows to the stalk. Never plucked yet I can assure you. Is she not a fair creature?
1825Lysimachus Faith, she would serve after a long voyage at sea. Well, there's for you. [He gives the Bawd money.] Leave us.
Bawd I beseech your honor: give me leave a word and I'll have done presently.
Lysimachus I beseech you, do.
1830Bawd [Taking Marina aside] First, I would have you note: this is an honorable 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.
1835Marina If he govern the country, you are bound to him indeed, but how honorable 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 1840receive.
Lysimachus Ha'you done?
Bawd My lord, she's not paced yet; you must take some pains to work her to your manage. [To Pander] Come, we will leave his honor and her together. [To Bolt?]Go thy ways!
[Exeunt Pander, Bawd and Bolt.]
1845Lysimachus 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?
1850Marina 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 1855be 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're of honorable parts and are the governor of this place.
Lysimachus Why, hath your principal made known unto1860you who I am?
Marina Who is my principal?
Lysimachus Why, your herb-woman, she that sets seeds and roots of shame and iniquity. Oh, you have heard something of my power, and so 1865stand 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. [He begins to force her offstage.]
Marina If you were born to honor, show it now;
If put
1870upon you, make the judgment 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,
1875Diseases have been sold dearer than physic --
Oh, that the
gods would set me free from this
Unhallowed place, though
they did change me to
The meanest bird that flies i'th'
purer air!
Lysimachus I did not think thou couldst have spoke so well.
1880Ne'er dreamt thou couldst.
Had I brought hither a cor
rupted mind,
Thy speech had altered it. Hold, here's gold for thee. [He gives her money.]
Persever in that clear way thou goest,
And
the gods strengthen thee.
Marina The good gods preserve you!
1885Lysimachus For me, be you thoughten
That I came with no ill
intent, for to me
The very doors and windows savor 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. [He gives her more money.]
A curse upon him, die he like a thief
That robs thee of
1890thy goodness.
If though dost hear from me, it shall be for thy
good.
[Lysimachus starts to leave and meets Bolt in the doorway.]
Bolt I beseech your honor, one piece for me!
Lysimachus Avaunt, thou damned door-keeper!
Your house, but
for this virgin that doth prop it,
Would sink and over
1895whelm you. Away!
[Exit.]
Bolt [Coming forward, to Marina] How's this? We must take another course with you. If your peevish chastity, which is not worth a breakfast in the cheapest country under the cope, shall undo a whole household, let me be gelded like a spaniel. Come your ways!
1900Marina Whither would you have me?
Bolt I must have your maidenhead taken off, or the common hangman shall execute it. Come your ways! We'll have no more gentlemen driven away. Come your ways, I say! [He starts to drag her off.]
Enter Bawd and Pander.
1905Bawd How now? What's the matter?
Bolt Worse and worse, mistress! She has here spoken holy words to the Lord Lysimachus.
Bawd Oh, abominable!
Bolt She makes our profession as it were to stink a1910fore the face of the gods.
Bawd Marry, hang her up for ever!
Bolt The nobleman would have dealt with her like a nobleman, and she sent him away as cold as a snowball. Saying his prayers too!
1915Bawd Bolt, take her away. Use her at thy pleasure. Crack the glass of her virginity, and make the rest malleable.
Bolt An if she were a thornier piece of ground than she is, she shall be plowed.
Marina Hark, hark, you gods!
1920Bawd She conjures! Away with her! Would she had never come within my doors. [To Marina] Marry, hang you! [To Pander and Bolt] She's born to undo us. [To Marina] Will you not go the way of womenkind? Marry, come up, my dish of chastity with rosemary & bays.
[Exeunt Pander and Bawd.]
Bolt Come, mistress! Come your way with me.
1925Marina Whither wilt thou have me ?
Bolt To take from you the jewel you hold so dear.
Marina Prithee, tell me one thing first.
Bolt Come now, your one thing.
Marina What canst thou wish thine enemy to be?
1930Bolt Why, I could wish him to be my master, or rather my mistress.
Marina Neither of these are so bad as thou art,
Since they
do better thee in their command.
Thou hold'st a place for
which the painèdst fiend
Of hell would not in reputation
1935change.
Thou art the damnèd door-keeper to every
Cu
strel that comes enquiring for his Tib.
To the choleric
fisting of every rogue
Thy ear is liable. Thy food is such
As hath been belched on by infected lungs.
Bolt What would you have me do? Go to the wars, would you? 1940Where a man may serve seven years for the loss of a leg and have not money enough in the end to buy him a wooden one?
Marina Do anything but this thou dost. Empty
Old re
ceptacles or common-shores of filth;
Serve by indenture
to the common hangman.
Any of these ways are yet
1945better than this.
For what thou professest, a baboon, could
he speak,
Would own a name too dear. Oh, that the gods
Would
safely deliver me from this place!
Here; here's gold for thee.
[She gives him the gold.]
If that thy master would make gain by me,
Proclaim that I can
sing, weave, sew, and dance,
With other virtues which I'll keep
1950from boast,
And I will undertake all these to teach.
I doubt
not but this populous city will
Yield many scholars.
Bolt But can you teach all this you speak of?
Marina Prove that I cannot, take me home again
And prostitute me to the basest groom
That doth fre
1955quent your house.
Bolt Well, I will see what I can do for thee. If I can place thee, I will.
Marina But amongst honest women.
Bolt Faith, my acquaintance lies little amongst them. 1960But since my master and mistress hath bought you, there's no going but by their consent. Therefore, I will make them acquainted with your purpose, and I doubt not but I shall find them tractable enough. Come, I'll do for thee what I can. Come your ways.
Exeunt.