Who withered in her spring of year.

In nature’s garden, though by growth a bud,

She was the chiefest flower: she was good.’

No visor does become black villainy

So well as soft and tender flattery.

Let Pericles believe his daughter’s dead

And bear his courses to be ordered

By Lady Fortune, while our scene must play

His daughter’s woe and heavy well-a-day

In her unholy service. Patience then,

And think you now are all in Mytilene. Exit

Sc. 19 ⌈A brothel sign.⌉ Enter two Gentlemen

FIRST GENTLEMAN Did you ever hear the like?

SECOND GENTLEMAN No, nor never shall do in such a place as this, she being once gone.

FIRST GENTLEMAN But to have divinity preached there—did you ever dream of such a thing?

SECOND GENTLEMAN No, no. Come, I am for no more bawdy houses. Shall ’s go hear the vestals sing?

FIRST GENTLEMAN I’ll do anything now that is virtuous, but I am out of the road of rutting for ever. Exeunt

Enter Pander, Bawd, and Boult

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 Priapus and undo the whole of 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 puritan of the devil if he should cheapen a kiss of her.

BOULT 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 green-sickness for me. BAWD Faith, there’s no way to be rid on’t but by the way to the pox.

Enter Lysimachus, disguised

Here comes the Lord Lysimachus, disguised.

BOULT We should have both lord and loon if the peevish baggage would but give way to custom.

LYSIMACHUS How now, how a dozen of virginities? BAWD Now, the gods to-bless your honour!

BOULT I am glad to see your honour 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 defy the surgeon?

BAWD We have here one, sir, if she woutd—but there never came her like in Mytilene.

LYSIMACHUS If she’d do the deed of darkness, thou wouldst say.

BAWD Your honour knows what ’tis to say well enough. LYSIMACHUS Well, call forth, call forth. ⌈Exit Pander⌉ BOULT 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?

BOULT O sir, I can be modest.

LYSIMACHUS That dignifies the renown of a bawd no less than it gives a good report to a noble to be chaste.

⌈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?

LYSIMACHUS Faith, she would serve after a long voyage at sea. Well, there’s for you. Leave us.

⌈He pays the Bawd⌉

BAWD I beseech your honour give me leave: a word, and I’ll have done presently.

LYSIMACHUS I beseech you, do.

BAWD (aside to Marina) First, I would have you note this is an honourable man.

MARINA I desire to find him so, that I may honourably know him.

BAWD Next, he’s the governor of this country, and a man whom I am bound to.

MARINA If he govern the country you are bound to him indeed, but how honourable 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 receive. LYSIMACHUS (to Bawd) Ha’ you done?

BAWD My lord, she’s not paced yet. You must take some pains to work her to your manège. (To Boult and Pander) Come, we will leave his honour and hers together. Go thy ways. Exeunt Pander, Bawd, and Boult

LYSIMACHUS

Fair one, how long have you been at this trade? MARINA What trade, sir?

LYSIMACHUS

I cannot name it 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?

MARINA E’er since I can remember.

LYSIMACHUS

Did you go to’t so young? Were you a gamester

At five, or seven?

MARINA Earlier too, sir,

If now I be one.

LYSIMACHUS Why, the house you dwell in

Proclaimeth you a creature of sale.

MARINA

And do you know this house to be a place

Of such resort and will come into it?

I hear say you’re of honourable blood,

And are the governor of this whole province.

LYSIMACHUS

What, hath your principal informed you who I am?

MARINA

Who is my principal?

LYSIMACHUS Why, your herb-woman;

She that sets seeds of shame, roots of iniquity.

⌈Marina weeps⌉

O, you’ve heard something of my pow‘r, and so

Stand off aloof for a more serious wooing.

But I protest to thee,

Pretty one, my authority can wink

At blemishes, or can on faults look friendly;

Or my displeasure punish at my pleasure,

From which displeasure, not thy beauty shall

Privilege thee, nor my affection, which

Hath drawn me here, abate with further ling’ring.

Come bring me to some private place. Come, come.

MARINA

Let not authority, which teaches you

To govern others, be the means to make you

Misgovern much yourself.

If you were born to honour, show it now;

If put upon you, make the judgement good

That thought you worthy of it. What reason’s in

Your justice, who hath power over all,

To undo any? If you take from me

Mine honour, you’re like him that makes a gap

Into forbidden ground, whom after

Too many enter, and of all their evils

Yourself are guilty. My life is yet unspotted;

My chastity unstained ev’n in thought.

Then if your violence deface this building,

The workmanship of heav‘n, you do kill your honour,

Abuse your justice, and impoverish me.

My yet good lord, if there be fire before me,

Must I straight fly and burn myself? Suppose this

house—

Which too too many feel such houses are—