His woful queen leave at Ephess,
To Dian there a votaress.

Now to Marina bend your mind,

Whom our fast growing scene must find
At Tharsus, and by Cleon train'd
In musick, 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 this kind hath our Cleon
One daughter, and a wench full grown,
Even ripe for marriage fight; this maid
Hight Philoten: and it is said.
For certain in our story, she

Would ever with Marina be:

Be't when she weav'd the sleided silk2
With fingers, long, small, white as milk;
Or when she would with sharp neeld wound
The cambrick, which she made more sound
By hurting it; or when to the lute
She sung, and made the night-bird mute,
That still records with moan; or when
She would with rich and constant pen
Vail to her mistress Dian; still
This Philoten contends in skill

9 Which makes her both the heart and place

Of general wonder.] Such an education as rendered her the center and situation of general wonder.

oft the wrack

Of earned praise,] Praise that has been well deserved.

2 Be't when she wear'd the sleided silk-] Sleided silk is untwisted silk, prepared to be used in the weaver's sley or slay.

3 That still records with moan;] To record anciently signified to sing.

4 Vail to her mistress Dian ;] To vail is to bow, to do homage.

With absolute 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

The

6

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

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 apper,

With Leonine, a murderer.

[Exit.

SCENE I.

Tharsus. An open Place near the Sea-shore.
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,

5 With absolute Marina :] i. e. highly accomplished, perfect. • The pregnant instrument of wrath-] Pregnant, in this instance, means prepared, instructed; or perhaps ready.

7 Prest for this blow.] Prest is ready; pret. Fr.

To yield thee so much profit. Let not conscience,
Which is but cold, inflame love in thy bosom,
Inflame 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

Weeping she comes for her old nurse's death.
Thou art resolv'd?

Enter MARINA, with a Basket of Flowers.
Mar. No, 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 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,
Whirring me from my friends."

Dion. 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 chang'ds
With this unprofitable woe! Come, come;

Give me your wreath of flowers, ere the sea mar it. Walk forth with Leonine; the air is quick there,"

7 Whirring me from my friends.] Whirring or whirrying, had formerly the same meaning. A bird that flies with a quick motion, accompanied with noise, is said to whirr away.

8

9

your favour's chang'd-] i. e. countenance, look.

ere the sea mar it, &c.] i. e. ere the sea mar your walk upon the shore by the coming in of the tide, walk there with Leonine. We see plainly by the circumstance of the pirates, that Marina, when seized upon, was walking on the sea-shore; and Shakspeare was not likely to reflect that there is little or no tide in the Mediterranean. CHARLEMONT.

Piercing, and sharpens well 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,

He will repent the breadth of his great voyage;
Blame both my lord and me, that we have ta'en
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,

Mar.

But yet

Well, I will go ;

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.

[Exit DIONYZA,

Is this wind westerly that blows?

Leon. South-west. Mar. When I was born, the wind was north. Leon. Was't so? Mar. My father, as nurse said, did never fear, But cry'd, good seamen! to the sailors, galling

With more than foreign heart.] With the same warmth of af, fection as if I was his countryman.

2 Our paragon to all reports,] Our fair charge, whose beauty was once equal to all that fame said of it.

His kingly hands with hauling of the ropes;
And, clasping to the mast, endur'd a sea

That almost burst the deck, and from the laddertackle

3

Wash'd off a canvas-climber: Ha! says one,

Wilt out? and, with a dropping industry,

They skip from stem to stern: the boastswain whistles, The master calls, and trebles their confusion.

Leon. And when was this?

Mar.

It was when I was born:

Never was waves nor wind more violent.
Leon. Come, say your prayers speedily.
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.

Mar.

Why, will you kill me? Leon. To satisfy my lady.

Mar. 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 profit, or
My life imply her danger?

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. You are well-favour'd, and your looks foreshow You have a gentle heart. I saw you lately,

3 Wash'd off a canvas-climber:] A canvas-climber is one who climbs the mast, to furl, or unfurl, the canvas or sails.