This Philoten contends in skill

With absolute Marina; so

With dove of Paphos might the crow

Vie feathers white. Marina gets

All praises which are paid as debts,

And not as given. This so darks

In Philoten all graceful marks

That Cleon’s wife with envy rare

A present murder does prepare

For good Marina, that her daughter

Might stand peerless by this slaughter.

The sooner her vile thoughts to stead

Lychorida, our nurse, is dead,

⌈A tomb is revealed⌉

And cursed Dionyza hath

The pregnant instrument of wrath

Pressed for this blow. Th’unborn event

I do commend to your content,

Only I carry winged Time

Post on the lame feet of my rhyme,

Which never could I so convey

Unless your thoughts went on my way.

⌈Enter Dionyza with Leonine⌉

Dionyza does appear,

With Leonine, a murderer. Exit

DIONYZA

Thy oath remember. Thou hast sworn to do’t.

‘Tis but a blow, which never shall be known.

Thou canst not do a thing i’th’ world so soon

To yield thee so much profit. Let not conscience,

Which is but cold, or fanning love thy bosom

Unflame too nicely, nor let pity, which

E’en women have cast off, melt thee; but 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.

Enter Marina ⌈to the tomb⌉ with a basket of flowers

Here she comes, weeping her only nurse’s death.

Thou art resolved.

LEONINE I am resolved.

MARINA

No, I will rob Tellus of her weed

To strew thy grave with flow’rs. The yellows, blues,

The purple violets and marigolds

Shall as a carpet hang upon thy tomb

While summer days doth last. Ay me, poor maid,

Born in a tempest when my mother died,

This world to me is but a ceaseless storm

Whirring me from my friends.

DIONYZA

How now, Marina, why do you keep alone?

How chance my daughter is not with you?

Do not consume your blood with sorrowing.

Have you a nurse of me. Lord, how your favour

Is changed with this unprofitable woe!

Give me your flowers. Come, o’er the sea margin

Walk with Leonine. The air is piercing there,

And quick; it sharps the stomach. Come, Leonine,

Take her by th’ 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 yourself

With more than foreign heart. We ev’ry day

Expect him 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; resume

That excellent complexion which did steal

The eyes of young and old. Care not for me.

I can go home alone.

MARINA Well, I will go,

But truly I have no desire to it.

DIONYZA

Nay, I know ’tis good for you. Walk half an hour,

Leonine, at the least; remember

What I have said.

LEONINE I warr’nt you, madam.

DIONYZA (to Marina)

I’ll leave you, my sweet lady, for a while.

Pray you walk softly, do not heat your blood.

What, I must have care of you!

MARINA My thanks, sweet madam.

Exit Dionyza

Is this wind westerly that blows?

LEONINE South-west.

MARINA

When I was born the wind was north.

LEONINE Was’t SO? MARINA

My father, as nurse says, did never fear,

But cried ’Good seamen’ to the mariners,

Galling his kingly hands with haling ropes,

And, clasping to the mast, endured a sea

That almost burst the deck.

LEONINE When was this?

MARINA When I was born.

Never was waves nor wind more violent.

Once from the ladder tackle washes off

A canvas-climber. ‘Ha!’ says one, ‘wolt out?’

And with a dropping industry they skip

From stem to stern. The boatswain whistles, and

The master calls and trebles their confusion.

LEONINE 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.

The gods are quick of ear, and I am sworn

To do my work with haste.

MARINA Why would you kill me?

LEONINE

To satisfy my lady.

MARINA

Why would she have me killed? Now, as I can remember, by my troth

I never did her hurt in all my life.

I never spake bad word, nor did ill turn

To any living creature. Believe me, la.

I never killed a mouse nor hurt a fly.

I trod once on a worm against my will,

But I wept for it. How have I offended

Wherein my death might yield her any profit

Or my life imply her danger?

LEONINE My commission

Is not to reason of the deed, but do’t.

MARINA

You will not do’t for all the world, I hope.