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  • Title: Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Quarto)
  • Editor: Tom Bishop

    • Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Tom Bishop
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Quarto)

    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(say.
    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(note him.
    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 (trade?
    Ma. What trade Sir?
    Li. Why, I cannot name but I shall offend.
    Ma. I cannot be offended with my trade, please you to (name it.
    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(wayes.
    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.
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