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Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Quarto)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Tom Bishop
Not Peer Reviewed
Enter Bawdes 3.
Pand. Well, I had rather then twice the worth of her
shee had nere come heere.
Bawd. Fye, fye, vpon her, shee's able to freze the god
1790Priapus, and vndoe a whole generation, we must either get
her rauished, or be rid of her, when she should doe for Cly-
ents her fitment, and doe mee the kindenesse of our pro-
fession, shee has me her quirks, her reasons, her master rea-
sons, her prayers, her knees, that shee would make a Puri-
1795taine of the diuell, if hee should cheapen a kisse of her.
Boult. Faith I must rauish her, or shee'le disfurnish vs
of all our Caualereea, and make our swearers priests.
Pand. Now the poxe vpon her greene sicknes for mee.
Bawd. Faith ther's no way to be ridde on't but by the
1800way to the pox. Here comes the Lord Lysimachus disguised.
Boult. Wee should haue both Lorde and Lowne, if the
peeuish baggadge would but giue way to customers.
Enter Lysimachus.
Lysim. How now, how a douzen of virginities?
1805Bawd. Now the Gods to blesse your Honour.
Boult. I am glad to see your Honour in good health.
Li. You may , so t'is the better for you that your re-
sorters stand vpon sound legges, how now? wholsome ini-
quitie haue you, that a man may deale withall , and defie
1810the Surgion?
Bawd. Wee haue heere one Sir, if shee would, but
there neuer came her like in Meteline.
Li. If shee'd doe the deedes of darknes thou wouldst
Bawd. Your Honor knows what t'is to say wel enough.
1815Li. Well, call forth, call forth.
Boult. For flesh and bloud Sir, white and red, you shall
see a rose, and she were a rose indeed, if shee had but.
Li. What prithi?
Boult. O Sir, I can be modest.
1820Li. That dignities the renowne of a Bawde, no lesse
then it giues a good report to a number to be chaste.
Bawd. Heere comes that which growes to the stalke,
Neuer pluckt yet I can assure you.
Is shee not a faire creature?
1825Ly. Faith shee would serue after a long voyage at Sea,
Well theres for you, leaue vs.
Bawd. I beseeche your Honor giue me leaue a word,
And Ile haue done presently.
Li. I beseech you doe.
1830Bawd. First, I would haue you note, this is an Hono-
rable man.
Mar. I desire to finde him so, that I may worthilie
Bawd. Next hees the Gouernor of this countrey, and
a man whom I am bound too.
1835Ma. If he gouerne the countrey you are bound to him
indeed, but how honorable hee is in that, I knowe not.
Bawd. Pray you without anie more virginall fencing,
will you vse him kindly? he will lyne your apron with gold.
Ma. What hee will doe gratiously, I will thankfully
1840receiue.
Li. Ha you done?
Bawd. My Lord shees not pac'ste yet, you must take
some paines to worke her to your mannage, come wee will
leaue his Honor, and her together, goe thy wayes.
1845Li. Now prittie one, how long haue you beene at this
Ma. What trade Sir?
Li. Why, I cannot name but I shall offend.
Ma. I cannot be offended with my trade, please you to
Li. How long haue you bene of this profession?
1850Ma. Ere since I can remember.
Li. Did you goe too't so young, were you a gamester
at fiue, or at seuen?
Ma. Earlyer too Sir, if now I bee one.
Ly. Why? the house you dwell in proclaimes you to
1855be a Creature of sale.
Ma. Doe you knowe this house to be a place of such
resort, and will come intoo't? I heare say you're of honou-
rable parts, and are the Gouernour of this place.
Li. Why, hath your principall made knowne vnto
1860you who I am?
Ma. Who is my principall?
Li. Why, your hearbe-woman, she that sets seeds and
rootes of shame and iniquitie.
O you haue heard something of my power, and so
1865stand aloft for more serious wooing, but I protest to thee
prettie one, my authoritie shall not see thee, or else looke
friendly vpon thee, come bring me to some priuate place:
Come, come.
Ma. If you were borne to honour, shew it now, if put
1870vpon you, make the iudgement good, that thought you
worthie of it.
Li. How's this? how's this? some more, be sage.
Mar. For me that am a maide, though most vngentle
Fortune haue plac't mee in this Stie , where since I came,
1875diseases haue beene solde deerer then Phisicke, that the
gods would set me free from this vnhalowed place, though
they did chaunge mee to the meanest byrd that flyes i'th
purer ayre.
Li. I did not thinke thou couldst haue spoke so well,
1880nere dremp't thou could'st, had I brought hither a cor-
rupted minde, thy speeche had altered it, holde, heeres
golde for thee, perseuer in that cleare way thou goest and
the gods strengthen thee.
Ma. The good Gods preserue you.
1885Li. For me be you thoughten, that I came with no ill
intent, for to me the very dores and windows sauor vilely,
fare thee well, thou art a peece of vertue, & I doubt not but
thy training hath bene noble, hold, heeres more golde for
thee, a curse vpon him, die he like a theefe that robs thee of
1890thy goodnes, if thou doest heare from me it shalbe for thy
good.
Boult. I beseeche your Honor one peece for me.
Li. Auaunt thou damned dore-keeper, your house but
for this virgin that doeth prop it, would sincke and ouer-
1895whelme you. Away.
Boult. How's this? wee must take another course with
you? if your peeuish chastitie, which is not worth a breake-
fast in the cheapest countrey vnder the coap, shall vndoe a
whole houshold, let me be gelded like a spaniel, come your
1900Ma. Whither would you haue mee?
Boult. I must haue your mayden-head taken off, or the
cõmonhãg-man shal execute it, come your way, weele haue
no more Gentlemen driuen away, come your wayes I say.
Enter Bawdes.
1905Bawd. How now, whats the matter?
Boult. Worse and worse mistris, shee has heere spoken
holie words to the Lord Lisimachus.
Bawd. O abhominable.
Boult. He makes our profession as it were to stincke a-
1910fore the face of the gods.
Bawd. Marie hang her vp for euer.
Boult. The Noble man would haue dealt with her like
a Noble man, and shee sent him away as colde as a Snowe-
ball, saying his prayers too.
1915Bawd. Boult take her away, vse her at thy pleasure, crack
the glasse of her virginitie, and make the rest maliable.
Boult. And if shee were a thornyer peece of ground
then shee is, shee shall be plowed.
Ma. Harke, harke you Gods.
1920Bawd. She coniures, away with her, would she had ne-
uer come within my doores, Marrie hang you: shees borne
to vndoe vs, will you not goe the way of wemen-kinde?
Marry come vp my dish of chastitie with rosemary & baies.
Boult. Come mistris, come your way with mee.
1925Ma. Whither wilt thou haue mee?
Boult. To take from you the Iewell you hold so deere.
Ma. Prithee tell mee one thing first.
Boult. Come now your one thing.
Ma. What canst thou wish thine enemie to be.
1930Boult. Why, I could wish him to bee my master, or ra-
ther my mistris.
Ma. Neither of these are so bad as thou art, since they
doe better thee in their command, thou hold'st a place for
which the painedst feende of hell would not in reputation
1935change: Thou art the damned doore-keeper to euery cu-
sterell that comes enquiring for his Tib. To the cholerike
fisting of euery rogue, thy eare is lyable, thy foode is such
as hath beene belch't on by infected lungs.
Bo. What wold you haue me do? go to the wars, wold you?
1940wher a man may serue 7. yeers for the losse of a leg, & haue
not money enough in the end to buy him a woodden one?
Ma. Doe any thing but this thou doest, emptie olde re-
ceptacles, or common-shores of filthe, serue by indenture,
to the common hang-man, anie of these wayes are yet
1945better then this: for what thou professest, a Baboone could
he speak, would owne a name too deere, that the gods wold
safely deliuer me from this place: here, heers gold for thee,
if that thy master would gaine by me, proclaime that I can
sing, weaue, sow, & dance, with other vertues, which Ile keep
1950from boast, and will vndertake all these to teache. I doubt
not but this populous Cittie will yeelde manie schollers.
Boult. But can you teache all this you speake of?
Ma. Prooue that I cannot, take mee home againe,
And prostitute mee to the basest groome that doeth fre-
1955quent your house.
Boult. Well I will see what I can doe for thee: if I can
place thee I will.
Ma. But amongst honest woman.
Boult. Faith my acquaintance lies little amongst them,
1960But since my master and mistris hath bought you, theres
no going but by their consent : therefore I will make them
acquainted with your purpose , and I doubt not but I shall
finde them tractable enough. Come, Ile doe for thee what
I can, come your wayes.
Exeunt.