Pericles, Prince of Tyre: Act 4, Scene 6 Translation

Enter Bawd, Pander, and Bolt.

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 a whole generation. We must
either get her ravished or be rid of her. When she 5
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. 10

BOLT 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 greensickness for me!

BAWD Faith, there’s no way to be rid on ’t but by the
way to the pox. 15

Enter Lysimachus.

Here comes the Lord Lysimachus disguised.

BOLT We should have both lord and lown, if the peevish
baggage would but give way to customers.

LYSIMACHUS, removing his disguise How now! How a
dozen of virginities? 20

BAWD Now the gods to-bless your Honor!

BOLT I am glad to see your Honor 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 25
withal and defy the surgeon?

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

LYSIMACHUS If she’d do the deeds of darkness, thou
wouldst say? 30

BAWD Your Honor knows what ’tis to say, well enough.

LYSIMACHUS Well, call forth, call forth. Pander exits.

BOLT For flesh and blood, sir, white and red, you shall
see a rose; and she were a rose indeed, if she had
but— 35

LYSIMACHUS What, prithee?

BOLT O, sir, I can be modest.

LYSIMACHUS That dignifies the renown of a bawd no
less than it gives a good report to a number to be
chaste. 40

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. He gives money. 45
Leave us.

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

LYSIMACHUS I beseech you, do. He moves aside.

BAWD, to Marina First, I would have you note this is 50
an honorable man.

MARINA I desire to find him so, that I may worthily
note him.

BAWD Next, he’s the governor of this country and a
man whom I am bound to. 55

MARINA If he govern the country, you are bound to him
indeed, but how honorable 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 60
with gold.

MARINA What he will do graciously, I will thankfully
receive.

LYSIMACHUS, coming forward Ha’ you done?

BAWD My lord, she’s not paced yet. You must take some 65
pains to work her to your manage.—Come, we will
leave his Honor and her together. Go thy ways.

Bawd, Pander, and Bolt exit.

LYSIMACHUS Now, pretty one, how long have you been
at this trade?

MARINA What trade, sir? 70

LYSIMACHUS Why, I cannot name ’t 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. 75

LYSIMACHUS Did you go to ’t so young? Were you a
gamester at five or at seven?

MARINA Earlier too, sir, if now I be one.

LYSIMACHUS Why, the house you dwell in proclaims
you to be a creature of sale. 80

MARINA Do you know this house to be a place of such
resort, and will come into ’t? I hear say you’re of
honorable parts and are the governor of this place.

LYSIMACHUS Why, hath your principal made known
unto you who I am? 85

MARINA Who is my principal?

LYSIMACHUS Why, your herbwoman, she that sets
seeds and roots of shame and iniquity. O, you have
heard something of my power, and so stand aloof
for more serious wooing. But I protest to thee, 90
pretty one, my authority shall not see thee, or else
look friendly upon thee. Come, bring me to some
private place. Come, come.

MARINA
If you were born to honor, show it now;
If put upon you, make the judgment good 95
That thought you worthy of it.

LYSIMACHUS
How’s this? How’s this? Some more. Be sage.

MARINA For me
That am a maid, though most ungentle Fortune
Have placed me in this sty, where, since I came, 100
Diseases have been sold dearer than physic—
That the gods
Would set me free from this unhallowed place,
Though they did change me to the meanest bird
That flies i’ the purer air! 105

LYSIMACHUS I did not think
Thou couldst have spoke so well, ne’er dreamt thou
couldst.
Had I brought hither a corrupted mind,
Thy speech had altered it. Hold, here’s gold for thee. 110
Persevere in that clear way thou goest
And the gods strengthen thee! He gives her money.

MARINA The good gods preserve you.

LYSIMACHUS For me, be you thoughten
That I came with no ill intent, for to me 115
The very doors and windows savor vilely.
Fare thee well. Thou art a piece of virtue,
And I doubt not but thy training hath been noble.
Hold, here’s more gold for thee. He gives her money.
A curse upon him, die he like a thief, 120
That robs thee of thy goodness! If thou dost
Hear from me, it shall be for thy good.
He begins to exit.

BOLT, at the door I beseech your Honor, one piece
for me.

LYSIMACHUS Avaunt, thou damnèd doorkeeper! 125
Your house, but for this virgin that doth prop it,
Would sink and overwhelm you. Away! He exits.

BOLT How’s this? We must take another course with
you! If your peevish chastity, which is not worth a
breakfast in the cheapest country under the cope, 130
shall undo a whole household, let me be gelded
like a spaniel. Come your ways.

MARINA Whither would you have me?

BOLT I must have your maidenhead taken off, or the
common hangman shall execute it. Come your 135
way. We’ll have no more gentlemen driven away.
Come your ways, I say.

Enter Bawd and Pander.

BAWD How now, what’s the matter?

BOLT Worse and worse, mistress. She has here spoken
holy words to the Lord Lysimachus! 140

BAWD O, abominable!

BOLT He makes our profession as it were to stink afore
the face of the gods.

BAWD Marry, hang her up forever.

BOLT The nobleman would have dealt with her like a 145
nobleman, and she sent him away as cold as a
snowball, saying his prayers too.

BAWD Bolt, take her away, use her at thy pleasure,
crack the glass of her virginity, and make the rest
malleable. 150

BOLT An if she were a thornier piece of ground than
she is, she shall be plowed.

MARINA Hark, hark, you gods!

BAWD She conjures. Away with her! Would she had
never come within my doors.—Marry, hang you!— 155
She’s born to undo us.—Will you not go the way of
womenkind? Marry come up, my dish of chastity
with rosemary and bays! Bawd and Pander exit.

BOLT Come, mistress, come your way with me.

MARINA Whither wilt thou have me? 160

BOLT To take from you the jewel you hold so dear.

MARINA Prithee, tell me one thing first.

BOLT Come, now, your one thing.

MARINA
What canst thou wish thine enemy to be?

BOLT Why, I could wish him to be my master, or 165
rather, my mistress.

MARINA
Neither of these are so bad as thou art,
Since they do better thee in their command.
Thou hold’st a place for which the pained’st fiend
Of hell would not in reputation change. 170
Thou art the damnèd doorkeeper to every
Coistrel that comes enquiring for his Tib.
To the choleric fisting of every rogue
Thy ear is liable. Thy food is such
As hath been belched on by infected lungs. 175

BOLT What would you have me do? Go to the wars,
would you, where a man may serve seven years for
the loss of a leg, and have not money enough in the
end to buy him a wooden one?

MARINA
Do anything but this thou dost. Empty 180
Old receptacles, or common shores, of filth;
Serve by indenture to the common hangman.
Any of these ways are yet better than this.
For what thou professest, a baboon, could he speak,
Would own a name too dear. That the gods 185
Would safely deliver me from this place!
Here, here’s gold for thee. She gives him money.
If that thy master would gain by me,
Proclaim that I can sing, weave, sew, and dance,
With other virtues which I’ll keep from boast, 190
And will undertake all these to teach.
I doubt not but this populous city
Will yield many scholars.

BOLT But can you teach all this you speak of?

MARINA
Prove that I cannot, take me home again 195
And prostitute me to the basest groom
That doth frequent your house.

BOLT Well, I will see what I can do for thee. If I can
place thee, I will.

MARINA But amongst honest women. 200

BOLT Faith, my acquaintance lies little amongst them.
But since my master and mistress hath bought
you, there’s no going but by their consent. Therefore
I will make them acquainted with your
purpose, and I doubt not but I shall find them 205
tractable enough. Come, I’ll do for thee what I can.
Come your ways.

They exit.