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Pericles - Act 4, scene 6
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Pericles - Act 4, scene 6Act 4, scene 6
⌜Scene 6⌝
Synopsis:
Lysimachus, the governor of Mytilene, arrives at the brothel and is so moved (or shamed) by Marina’s eloquence that he gives her money, thus enabling her to buy her way out of the brothel.
Enter ⌜Bawd, Pander, and Bolt.⌝PANDER 1835 Well, I had rather than twice the worth of her
1836 she had ne’er come here.
BAWD 1837 Fie, fie upon her! She’s able to freeze the god
1838 Priapus and undo a whole generation. We must
1839 5 either get her ravished or be rid of her. When she
1840 should do for clients her fitment and do me the
1841 kindness of our profession, she has me her quirks,
1842 her reasons, her master reasons, her prayers, her
1843 knees, that she would make a puritan of the devil if
1844 10 he should cheapen a kiss of her.
BOLT 1845 Faith, I must ravish her, or she’ll disfurnish us of
1846 all our cavalleria, and make our swearers priests.
PANDER 1847 Now the pox upon her greensickness for me!
BAWD 1848 Faith, there’s no way to be rid on ’t but by the
1849 15 way to the pox.
Enter Lysimachus.
1850 Here comes the Lord Lysimachus disguised.
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BOLT
1851
We should have both lord and lown, if the peevish1852 baggage would but give way to customers.
LYSIMACHUS, ⌜removing his disguise⌝ 1853 How now! How a
1854 20 dozen of virginities?
BAWD 1855 Now the gods to-bless your Honor!
BOLT 1856 I am glad to see your Honor in good health.
LYSIMACHUS 1857 You may so. ’Tis the better for you that
1858 your resorters stand upon sound legs. How now?
1859 25 Wholesome iniquity have you that a man may deal
1860 withal and defy the surgeon?
BAWD 1861 We have here one, sir, if she would—but there
1862 never came her like in Mytilene.
LYSIMACHUS 1863 If she’d do the deeds of darkness, thou
1864 30 wouldst say?
BAWD 1865 Your Honor knows what ’tis to say, well enough.
LYSIMACHUS 1866 Well, call forth, call forth.⌜Pander exits.⌝
BOLT 1867 For flesh and blood, sir, white and red, you shall
1868 see a rose; and she were a rose indeed, if she had
1869 35 but—
LYSIMACHUS 1870 What, prithee?
BOLT 1871 O, sir, I can be modest.
LYSIMACHUS 1872 That ⌜dignifies⌝ the renown of a bawd no
1873 less than it gives a good report to a number to be
1874 40 chaste.
⌜Enter Pander with Marina.⌝
BAWD 1875 Here comes that which grows to the stalk, never
1876 plucked yet, I can assure you. Is she not a fair
1877 creature?
LYSIMACHUS 1878 Faith, she would serve after a long voyage
1879 45 at sea. Well, there’s for you.⌜He gives money.⌝
1880 Leave us.
BAWD 1881 I beseech your Honor, give me leave a word, and
1882 I’ll have done presently.
LYSIMACHUS 1883 I beseech you, do.⌜He moves aside.⌝
BAWD, ⌜to Marina⌝ 1884 50First, I would have you note this is
1885 an honorable man.
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MARINA
1886
I desire to find him so, that I may worthily1887 note him.
BAWD 1888 Next, he’s the governor of this country and a
1889 55 man whom I am bound to.
MARINA 1890 If he govern the country, you are bound to him
1891 indeed, but how honorable he is in that I know
1892 not.
BAWD 1893 Pray you, without any more virginal fencing,
1894 60 will you use him kindly? He will line your apron
1895 with gold.
MARINA 1896 What he will do graciously, I will thankfully
1897 receive.
LYSIMACHUS, ⌜coming forward⌝ 1898 Ha’ you done?
BAWD 1899 65My lord, she’s not paced yet. You must take some
1900 pains to work her to your manage.—Come, we will
1901 leave his Honor and her together. Go thy ways.
⌜Bawd, Pander, and Bolt exit.⌝
LYSIMACHUS 1902 Now, pretty one, how long have you been
1903 at this trade?
MARINA 1904 70What trade, sir?
LYSIMACHUS 1905 Why, I cannot ⌜name ’t⌝ but I shall offend.
MARINA 1906 I cannot be offended with my trade. Please
1907 you to name it.
LYSIMACHUS 1908 How long have you been of this profession?
MARINA 1909 75E’er since I can remember.
LYSIMACHUS 1910 Did you go to ’t so young? Were you a
1911 gamester at five or at seven?
MARINA 1912 Earlier too, sir, if now I be one.
LYSIMACHUS 1913 Why, the house you dwell in proclaims
1914 80 you to be a creature of sale.
MARINA 1915 Do you know this house to be a place of such
1916 resort, and will come into ’t? I hear say you’re of
1917 honorable parts and are the governor of this place.
LYSIMACHUS 1918 Why, hath your principal made known
1919 85 unto you who I am?
MARINA 1920 Who is my principal?
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LYSIMACHUS
1921
Why, your herbwoman, she that sets1922 seeds and roots of shame and iniquity. O, you have
1923 heard something of my power, and so stand ⌜aloof⌝
1924 90 for more serious wooing. But I protest to thee,
1925 pretty one, my authority shall not see thee, or else
1926 look friendly upon thee. Come, bring me to some
1927 private place. Come, come.
MARINA
1928 If you were born to honor, show it now;
1929 95 If put upon you, make the judgment good
1930 That thought you worthy of it.
LYSIMACHUS
1931 How’s this? How’s this? Some more. Be sage.
MARINA 1932 For me
1933 That am a maid, though most ungentle Fortune
1934 100 Have placed me in this sty, where, since I came,
1935 Diseases have been sold dearer than physic—
1936 That the gods
1937 Would set me free from this unhallowed place,
1938 Though they did change me to the meanest bird
1939 105 That flies i’ the purer air!
LYSIMACHUS 1940 I did not think
1941 Thou couldst have spoke so well, ne’er dreamt thou
1942 couldst.
1943 Had I brought hither a corrupted mind,
1944 110 Thy speech had altered it. Hold, here’s gold for thee.
1945 Persevere in that clear way thou goest
1946 And the gods strengthen thee!⌜He gives her money.⌝
MARINA 1947 The good gods preserve you.
LYSIMACHUS 1948 For me, be you thoughten
1949 115 That I came with no ill intent, for to me
1950 The very doors and windows savor vilely.
1951 Fare thee well. Thou art a piece of virtue,
1952 And I doubt not but thy training hath been noble.
1953 Hold, here’s more gold for thee.⌜He gives her money.⌝
1954 120 A curse upon him, die he like a thief,
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151
1955
That robs thee of thy goodness! If thou dost1956 Hear from me, it shall be for thy good.
⌜He begins to exit.⌝
BOLT, ⌜at the door⌝ 1957 I beseech your Honor, one piece
1958 for me.
LYSIMACHUS 1959 125Avaunt, thou damnèd doorkeeper!
1960 Your house, but for this virgin that doth prop it,
1961 Would sink and overwhelm you. Away!⌜He exits.⌝
BOLT 1962 How’s this? We must take another course with
1963 you! If your peevish chastity, which is not worth a
1964 130 breakfast in the cheapest country under the cope,
1965 shall undo a whole household, let me be gelded
1966 like a spaniel. Come your ways.
MARINA 1967 Whither would you have me?
BOLT 1968 I must have your maidenhead taken off, or the
1969 135 common hangman shall execute it. Come your
1970 way. We’ll have no more gentlemen driven away.
1971 Come your ways, I say.
Enter ⌜Bawd and Pander.⌝
BAWD 1972 How now, what’s the matter?
BOLT 1973 Worse and worse, mistress. She has here spoken
1974 140 holy words to the Lord Lysimachus!
BAWD 1975 O, abominable!
BOLT 1976 He makes our profession as it were to stink afore
1977 the face of the gods.
BAWD 1978 Marry, hang her up forever.
BOLT 1979 145The nobleman would have dealt with her like a
1980 nobleman, and she sent him away as cold as a
1981 snowball, saying his prayers too.
BAWD 1982 Bolt, take her away, use her at thy pleasure,
1983 crack the glass of her virginity, and make the rest
1984 150 malleable.
BOLT 1985 An if she were a thornier piece of ground than
1986 she is, she shall be plowed.
MARINA 1987 Hark, hark, you gods!
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BAWD
1988
She conjures. Away with her! Would she had1989 155 never come within my doors.—Marry, hang you!—
1990 She’s born to undo us.—Will you not go the way of
1991 womenkind? Marry come up, my dish of chastity
1992 with rosemary and bays!⌜Bawd and Pander exit.⌝
BOLT 1993 Come, mistress, come your way with me.
MARINA 1994 160Whither wilt thou have me?
BOLT 1995 To take from you the jewel you hold so dear.
MARINA 1996 Prithee, tell me one thing first.
BOLT 1997 Come, now, your one thing.
MARINA
1998 What canst thou wish thine enemy to be?
BOLT 1999 165Why, I could wish him to be my master, or
2000 rather, my mistress.
MARINA
2001 Neither of these are so bad as thou art,
2002 Since they do better thee in their command.
2003 Thou hold’st a place for which the pained’st fiend
2004 170 Of hell would not in reputation change.
2005 Thou art the damnèd doorkeeper to every
2006 Coistrel that comes enquiring for his Tib.
2007 To the choleric fisting of every rogue
2008 Thy ear is liable. Thy food is such
2009 175 As hath been belched on by infected lungs.
BOLT 2010 What would you have me do? Go to the wars,
2011 would you, where a man may serve seven years for
2012 the loss of a leg, and have not money enough in the
2013 end to buy him a wooden one?
MARINA
2014 180 Do anything but this thou dost. Empty
2015 Old receptacles, or common shores, of filth;
2016 Serve by indenture to the common hangman.
2017 Any of these ways are yet better than this.
2018 For what thou professest, a baboon, could he speak,
2019 185 Would own a name too dear. That the gods
2020 Would safely deliver me from this place!
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155
2021
Here, here’s gold for thee.⌜She gives him money.⌝2022 If that thy master would gain by me,
2023 Proclaim that I can sing, weave, sew, and dance,
2024 190 With other virtues which I’ll keep from boast,
2025 And will undertake all these to teach.
2026 I doubt not but this populous city
2027 Will yield many scholars.
BOLT 2028 But can you teach all this you speak of?
MARINA
2029 195 Prove that I cannot, take me home again
2030 And prostitute me to the basest groom
2031 That doth frequent your house.
BOLT 2032 Well, I will see what I can do for thee. If I can
2033 place thee, I will.
MARINA 2034 200But amongst honest ⌜women.⌝
BOLT 2035 Faith, my acquaintance lies little amongst them.
2036 But since my master and mistress hath bought
2037 you, there’s no going but by their consent. Therefore
2038 I will make them acquainted with your
2039 205 purpose, and I doubt not but I shall find them
2040 tractable enough. Come, I’ll do for thee what I can.
2041 Come your ways.
They exit.