ACT IV.

Enter GOWER.

Gow. Imagine Pericles arrived at Tyrc,
Welcomed and settled to his own desire.
His woeful Queen we leave at Ephesus,
Unto Diana there a votaress.

Now to Marina bend your mind,
Whom our fast-growing scene must find
At Tarsus, and by Cleon train'd

In music, letters; who hath gain'd
Of education all the grace,

Which makes her both the heart and place
Of general wonder. But, alack,

That monster envy, oft the wrack
Of earned praise, Marina's life
Seeks to take off by treason's knife,
And in his kind. Cleon doth own
One daughter, and a wench full grown,
Even ripe for marriage-rite; this maid
Hight2 Philoten: and it is said
For certain in our story, she

Would ever with Marina be:

Be't when she weaved the sleided silk 3
With fingers long, small, white as milk;
Or when she would with sharp neeld wound

1 His for its, referring to envy. In his kind means, apparently, as its manner is, or according to its nature. Kind in the sense of nature occurs repeatedly. See vol. xvi. page 156, note 31.

2 Hight is an old word for is called. See vol. iii. page 82, note 13.

3 Sleided silk, according to Percy, is " untwisted silk, prepared to be used in the weaver's sley or slay."

The cambric, which she made more sound
By hurting it; or when to th' lute

She sung, and made the night-bird mute,
That still records 4 with moan; or when

She would with rich and' constant pen
Vail 5 to her mistress Dian; still

This Philoten contends in skill
With absolute 6 Marina: so

With the 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 murderer 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:
And cursed Dionyza hath

7

The pregnant instrument of wrath
Prest for this blow. Th' unborn event

I do commend to your content: 8

Only I carry wingèd time.

Post on the lame feet of my rhyme ;

* The reference is to the nightingale; and records is sings, or warbles. See vol. i. page 239, note I.

5 Vail, here, probably means do homage; a sense kindred to that in which it has occurred before. See page 42, note 2.

"That is, highly accomplished, perfect. So in Green's Tu Quoque : “From an absolute and most complete gentleman, to a most absurd, ridiculous, and

fond lover."

7 Pregnant here means prompt or apt. Prest is ready.

8 Content for contentment. The meaning seems to be," I recommend you to be satisfied with the final result."

Which never could I so convey,

Unless your thoughts went on my way.

Dionyza does appear,

With Leonine, a murderer.

[Exit.

Tarsus. An open Place near the Sea-shore.

*Enter DIONYZA and LEONINE.

*Dion. 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' the world so soon, *To yield thee so much profit. Let not conscience, *Which is but cold, enforcing law, thy bosom

*Inform too nicely; nor let pity, which

*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

*She comes still weeping her old nurse's death.

*Thou art resolved?

*Leon. I am resolved.

*Enter MARINA, with a basket of flowers.

*Mar. No, no, I will rob Tellus of her weed,2 *To strew thy green with flowers; the yellows, blues, *The purple violets, and marigolds,

*Shall, as a chaplet, hang upon thy grave,

*While summer-days do last. - Ah me! poor maid,
*Born in a tempest, when my mother died,
*This world to me is like a lasting storm,

1 "Too nicely" is too scrupulously, or too squeamishly.
2 Weed is garment or dress; meaning the flowers.

*Whirring 3 me from my friends.

*Dion. How now, Marina! why keep you alone? *How chance my daughter is not with you? Do not *Consume your blood with sorrowing: you have

*A nurse of me. Lord, how your favour's 4 changed
*With this unprofitable woe! Come, come,
*Give me your flowers: on the sea-margent walk
*With Leonine; the air is quick there, and
*It pierces, and will sharp the stomach. - Come,
*Leonine, take her by the arm, walk with her.

*Mar. No, I pray you;

*I'll not bereave you of your servant.

*Dion.

Come, come; *I love the King your father and yourself *With more than foreign heart. We every day *Expect him here: when he shall come, and find *Our paragon to all reports thus blasted,

6

*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; reserve 7
*That excellent complexion, which did steal
*The eyes of young and old.

*I can go home alone.

*Mar.

Care not for me;

Well, I will go ;

Come, come,

*But yet I've no desire to it.

*Dion.

3 Whirring, whirrying, formerly meant the same as hurrying. A bird

that flies swiftly is still said to whirr away.

4 Favour is countenance, look, or features.

5 Here, as often, stomach is put for appetite.

6 One that equals or rivals all that fame reports of her.

Reserve has the same sense as preserve, only somewhat stronger: preserve carefully.

*Walk half an hour, Leonine, at the least: *Remember what I've 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. When I was born, the wind was north. *Leon.

*Mar. My father, as nurse said, did never fear, *But cried Good seamen! to the sailors, galling *His kingly hands with haling of the ropes;

*

And, clasping to the mast, endured a sea

*That almost burst the deck.

*Leon. When was this?

Mar. When I was born:

*Never was waves nor wind more violent;
*And from the ladder-tackle washes off
*A canvas-climber.8 Ha! says one, wilt out?
*And with a dropping industry they skip

*From stem to stern: the boatswain whistles, and

*The master calls, and trebles their confusion.

*Leon. Come, say your prayers.

*Mar. What mean you?

Leon. If you require a little space

for

prayer,

*I grant it: pray; but be not tedious, for

The gods are quick of ear, and I am sworn

*To do my work with haste.

Was't so?

8 A sailor; one who climbs the mast to furl or unfurl the canvas.