SCENE I. Tarsus. An open place near the sea-shore. Pericles, Prince of Tyre  Shakespeare homepage  |  Pericles  | Act 4, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. Tarsus. An open place near the sea-shore. 

 Enter DIONYZA and LEONINE  DIONYZA  Thy oath remember; thou hast sworn to do't: 

 'Tis but a blow, which never shall be known. 

 Thou canst not do a thing in the world so soon, 

 To yield thee so much profit. Let not conscience, 

 Which is but cold, inflaming love i' thy bosom, 

 Inflame too nicely; nor let pity, which 

 Even women have cast off, melt thee, but be 

 A soldier to thy purpose. 

 LEONINE  I will do't; but yet she is a goodly creature. 

 DIONYZA  The fitter, then, the gods should have her. Here 

 she comes weeping for her only mistress' death. 

 Thou art resolved? 

 LEONINE  I am resolved. 



 Enter MARINA, with a basket of flowers  MARINA  No, I will rob Tellus of her weed, 

 To strew thy green with flowers: the yellows, blues, 

 The purple violets, and marigolds, 

 Shall as a carpet hang upon thy grave, 

 While summer-days do last. Ay me! poor maid, 

 Born in a tempest, when my mother died, 

 This world to me is like a lasting storm, 

 Whirring me from my friends. 

 DIONYZA  How now, Marina! why do you keep 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 changed 

 With this unprofitable woe! 

 Come, give me your flowers, ere the sea mar it. 

 Walk with Leonine; the air is quick there, 

 And it pierces and sharpens the stomach. Come, 

 Leonine, take her by the arm, walk with her. 

 MARINA  No, I pray you; 

 I'll not bereave you of your servant. 

 DIONYZA  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, 

 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 

 That excellent complexion, which did steal 

 The eyes of young and old. Care not for me 

 I can go home alone. 

 MARINA  Well, I will go; 

 But yet I have no desire to it. 

 DIONYZA  Come, come, I know 'tis good for you. 

 Walk half an hour, Leonine, at the least: 

 Remember what I have said. 

 LEONINE  I warrant you, madam. 

 DIONYZA  I'll leave you, my sweet lady, for a while: 

 Pray, walk softly, do not heat your blood: 

 What! I must have a care of you. 

 MARINA  My thanks, sweet madam. 



 Exit DIONYZA  Is this wind westerly that blows? 

 LEONINE  South-west. 

 MARINA  When I was born, the wind was north. 

 LEONINE  Was't so? 

 MARINA  My father, as nurse said, did never fear, 

 But cried 'Good seaman!' to the sailors, galling 

 His kingly hands, haling ropes; 

 And, clasping to the mast, endured a sea 

 That almost burst the deck. 

 LEONINE  When was this? 

 MARINA  When I was born: 

 Never was waves nor wind more violent; 

 And from the ladder-tackle washes off 

 A canvas-climber. '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. 

 LEONINE  Come, say your prayers. 

 MARINA  What mean you? 

 LEONINE  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. 

 MARINA  Why will you kill me? 

 LEONINE  To satisfy my lady. 

 MARINA  Why would she have me kill'd? 

 Now, as I can remember, by my troth, 

 I never did her hurt in all my life: 

 I never spake bad word, nor did ill turn 

 To any living creature: believe me, la, 

 I never kill'd a mouse, nor hurt a fly: 

 I trod upon a worm against my will, 

 But I wept for it. How have I offended, 

 Wherein my death might yield her any profit, 

 Or my life imply her any danger? 

 LEONINE  My commission 

 Is not to reason of the deed, but do it. 

 MARINA  You will not do't for all the world, I hope. 

 You are well favour'd, and your looks foreshow 

 You have a gentle heart. I saw you lately, 

 When you caught hurt in parting two that fought: 

 Good sooth, it show'd well in you: do so now: 

 Your lady seeks my life; come you between, 

 And save poor me, the weaker. 

 LEONINE  I am sworn, 

 And will dispatch. 



 He seizes her 

 Enter Pirates  First Pirate  Hold, villain! 



 LEONINE runs away  Second Pirate  A prize! a prize! 

 Third Pirate  Half-part, mates, half-part. 

 Come, let's have her aboard suddenly. 



 Exeunt Pirates with MARINA 

 Re-enter LEONINE  LEONINE  These roguing thieves serve the great pirate Valdes; 

 And they have seized Marina. Let her go: 

 There's no hope she will return. I'll swear 

 she's dead, 

 And thrown into the sea. But I'll see further: 

 Perhaps they will but please themselves upon her, 

 Not carry her aboard. If she remain, 

 Whom they have ravish'd must by me be slain. 



 Exit  Shakespeare homepage  |  Pericles  | Act 4, Scene 1 

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