Be't when she weaved the sleided* silk She sung, and made the night-bird mute, With the dove of Paphos might the crow The pregnant instrument of wrath 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. Dionyza does appear, With Leonine, a murderer. [Exit. SCENE I-Tharsus. An open place near the Seashore. Enter DIONYZA and LEONINE. Dion. Thy oath remember; thou hast sworn to do it: "Tis but a blow, which never shall be known. Thou canst not do a thing i' the world so soon, To yield thee so much profit. Let not conscience, Even women have cast off, melt thee; but be A soldier to thy purpose. Leon. I'll do't; but yet she is a goodly creature. Dion. The fitter then the gods should have her. Here Weeping she comes for her old nurse's death. Thou art resolved? Leon. I am resolved. * Untwisted. § Accomplished, perfect. + Needle. Prepared. Sings. Ready. Enter MARINA, with a Basket of Flowers. Shall, as a chaplet, hang upon thy grave, While summer days do last. Ah me! poor maid, Whirring me from my friends. Dion. How now, Marina? Why do you keep alone? A nurse of me. Lord! how your favour 'st changed Give me your wreath of flowers. Ere the sea mar it, ‡ I'll not bereave you of your servant. I love the king your father, and yourself, Mar. Well, I will go; But yet I have no desire to it. Dion. Come, come, I know 'tis good for you. Walk half an hour, Leonine, at the least; Remember what I have said. Leon. I warrant you, madam. Dion. I'll leave you, my sweet lady, for a while; Pray you walk softly, do not heat your blood: What! I must have a care of you. Mar. Thanks, sweet madam. Is this wind westerly that blows? Mar. When I was born, the wind was north. Mar. My father, as nurse said, did never fear, [Exit DIONYZA. The earth. walk. And, clasping to the mast, endured a sea That almost burst the deck, and from the ladder-tackle Wilt out? and, with a dropping industry, They skip from stem to stern: the boatswain whistles, Leon. And when was this? Mar. It was when I was born: Never was waves nor wind more violent. Leon. If you require a little space for prayer, For the gods are quick of ear, and I am sworn Mar. Why will you kill me? Leon. To satisfy my lady. Mar. Why would she have me kill'd? Leon. My commission Is not to reason of the deed, but do it. Mar. You will not do't for all the world, I hope. When you caught hurt in parting two that fought: Leon. I am sworn, And will despatch. Enter PIRATES, whilst MARINA is struggling. 1 Pirate. Hold, villain! 2 Pirate. A prize! a prize! 3 Pirate. Half-part, mates, half-part. aboard suddenly. [LEONINE runs away. Come, let's have her [Exeunt PIRATES with MARINA. SCENE II.-The same. Re-enter LEONINE. Leon. These roving thieves serve the great pirate Valdes; And they have seized Marina. Let her go: There's no hope she'll return. I'll swear she's dead, * A ship-boy. And thrown into the sea.-But I'll see further; Whom they have ravish'd, must by me be slain. SCENE III.-Mitylene. A Room in a Brothel. Pand. Boult. [Exit Pand. Search the market narrowly; Mitylene is full of gallants. We lost too much money this mart, by being too wenchless. Bawd. We were never so much out of creatures. We have but poor three, and they can do no more than they can do; and with continual action are even as good as rotten. Pand. Therefore let's have fresh ones, whate'er we pay for them. If there be not a conscience to be used in every trade, we shall never prosper. Bawd. Thou say'st true: 'tis not the bringing up of poor bastards, as I think I have brought up some eleven Boult. Ay, to eleven, and brought them down again. But shall I search the market? Bawd. What else, man? The stuff we have, a strong wind will blow it to pieces, they are so pitifully sodden. Pand. Thou say'st true; they are too unwholesome o' conscience. The poor Transylvanian is dead, that lay with the little baggage. Boult. Ay, she quickly poop'd him; she made him roast meat for worms: but I'll go search the market. [Exit BOULT. Pand. Three or four thousand chequins were as pretty a proportion to live quietly, and so give over. Bawd. Why, to give over, I pray you? Is it a shame to get when we are old? Pand. O, our credit comes not in like the commodity; nor the commodity wages not* with the danger; therefore, if in our youths we could pick up some pretty estate, 'twere not amiss to keep our door hatch'd. Besides the sore terms we stand upon with the gods, will be strong with us for giving over. Bawd. Come, other sorts offend as well as we. Pand. As well as we! ay, and better too; we offend worse. Neither is our profession any trade; it's no calling :-but here comes Boult. Enter the PIRATES and BOULT, dragging in MARINA. Boult. Come your ways. [To MARINA.]-My masters, you say she's a virgin? 1 Pirate. O, Sir, we doubt it not. Boult. Master, I have gone thorough for this piece,‡ you see: if you like her, so; if not, I have lost my earnest. Bawd. Boult, has she any qualities? * Is not equal to. † I. e. half open. Bid a high price for her. Boult. She has a good face, speaks well, and has excellent good clothes; there's no further necessity of qualities can make her be refused. Bawd. What's her price, Boult? Boult. I cannot be bated one doit of a thousand pieces. Pand. Well, follow me, my masters; you shall have your money presently. Wife, take her in; instruct her what she has to do, that she may not be raw in her entertainment.* [Exeunt PANDER and PIRATES. Bawd. Boult, take you the marks of her; the colour of her hair, complexion, height, age, with warrant of her virginity, and cry, He that will give most, shall have her first. Such a maidenhead were no cheap thing, if men were as they have been. Get this done as I command you. Boult. Performance shall follow. Mar. Alack, that Leonine was so slack, so slow! [Exit BOULT. (He should have struck, not spoke ;) or that these pirates (Not enough barbarous) had not overboard Thrown me, to seek my mother! Bawd. Why lament you, pretty one? Mar. That I am pretty. Bawd. Come, the gods have done their part in you. Mar. I accuse them not. Bawd. You are lit into my hands, where you are like to live. Mar. The more my fault,+ To 'scape his hands, where I was like to die. Bawd. Ay, and you shall live in pleasure. Mar. No. Bawd. Yes, indeed, shall you, and taste gentlemen of all fashions. You shall fare well; you shall have the difference of all complexions. What! do you stop your ears? Mar. Are you a woman? Bawd. What would you have me be, an I be not a woman? Mar. An honest woman, or not a woman. Bawd. Marry, whip thee, gosling: I think I shall have something to do with you. Come, you are a young foolish sapling, and must be bowed as I would have you. Mar. The gods defend me! Bawd. If it please the gods to defend you by men, then men must comfort you, men must feed you, men must stir you up.― Boult's returned. Enter BOULT. Now, Sir, hast thou cried her through the market? Boult. I have cried her almost to the number of her hairs; I have drawn her picture with my voice. Bawd. And I pr'ythee tell me, how dost thou find the inclination of the people, especially of the younger sort? Boult. 'Faith, they listened to me, as they would have hearkened to their father's testament. There was a Spaniard's mouth so watered, that he went to bed to her very description.. * Green in her business. † Misfortune. |