The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 348
is a good reason to pack it in.
Bawd
Come, other sorts offend as well as we.
Come now, there are others who are just as bad as us.
Pandar
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.
Re-enter BOULT, with the Pirates and MARINA
As bad as us! Yes and better ones; we are the worst offenders.
And our profession is not a trade; it's not
a calling. But here comes Boult.
BOULT
[To MARINA] Come your ways. My masters, you say
she's a virgin?
Come along. My masters, you say
she is a virgin?
First Pirate
O, sir, we doubt it not.
No doubt about it, sir.
BOULT
Master, I have gone through for this piece, you see:
if you like her, so; if not, I have lost my earnest.
Master, I have made a deal for this piece here:
if you like her, good; if not, I have lost my deposit.
Bawd
Boult, has she any qualities?
Boult, does she have any accomplishments?
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.
She has a good face, speaks well, and has very
good clothes: no lack of accomplishment
would be grounds for turning her down.
Bawd
What's her price, Boult?
How much is she, Boult?
BOULT
I cannot be bated one doit of a thousand pieces.
I can't get her for a cent less than a thousand gold pieces.
Pandar
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 Pandar and Pirates
Well, follow me, my masters, you will have your
money shortly. Wife, take her inside; show her
what she has to do, so that she won't be inexperienced
when she starts work.
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, you make a note of her appearance, the colour of her
hair, complexion, height, age, and her guaranteed
virginity; go and announce, ‘Whoever pays the most
will have her first.' Such virginity will fetch a good
price, if men are the same as ever. Do as I
tell you.
BOULT
Performance shall follow.
Exit
I shall do so.
MARINA
Alack that Leonine was so slack, so slow!
He should have struck, not spoke; or that these pirates,
Not enough barbarous, had not o'erboard thrown me
For to seek my mother!
Alas that Leonine was so neglectful, so slow!
He should have stabbed me, not spoken; and alas
that these pirates were not more barbarous, that they
didn't throw me overboard to find my mother!
Bawd
Why lament you, pretty one?
Why are you so sad, pretty one?
MARINA
That I am pretty.
Because I am pretty.
Bawd
Come, the gods have done their part in you.
Come now, the gods have favoured you.
MARINA
I accuse them not.
I don't blame them.
Bawd
You are light into my hands, where you are like to live.
You have fallen into my hands, which is where you are going to live.
MARINA
The more my fault
To scape his hands where I was like to die.
The worse luck for me
that I escaped the hands whereby I was going to die.
Bawd
Ay, and you shall live in pleasure.
Yes, and you will have a life of pleasure.
MARINA
No.
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?
Yes, you certainly will, and sample gentlemen of all
types: you will do well; you'll have men of
every race. What's this! Are you blocking your ears?
MARINA
Are you a woman?
Are you a woman?
Bawd
What would you have me be, an I be not a woman?
What do you think I am, if I'm not a woman?
MARINA
An honest woman, or not a woman.
If you're not honest, you're not a woman.
Bawd
Marry, whip thee, gosling: I think I shall have
something to do with you. Come, you're a young
foolish sapling, and must be bowed as I would have
you.
Why, be damned to you, greenhorn: I can see
I'll have trouble with you. Come on, you're a young
foolish sapling, and I shall have to bend you
to the shape I desire.
MARINA
The gods defend me!
May 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.
Re-enter BOULT
Now, sir, hast thou cried her through the market?
If the gods decide to defend you through men, then men
must comfort you, men must feed you, men must
get you going. Boult's back.
Now, sir, have you advertised her in the market?
BOULT
I have cried her almost to the number of her hairs;
I have drawn her picture with my voice.
I have described her as minutely as you could wish;
I have painted a picture of her with my voice.
Bawd
And I prithee tell me, how dost thou find the
inclination of the people, especially of the younger sort?
So please, tell me, what sort of interest did you get
from the people, particularly the younger ones?
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.
By God, they listened to me as closely as they would have
listened to their father's will. There was a
Spaniard who was so hungry for her, he was almost
sleeping with her description.
Bawd
We shall have him here to-morrow with his best ruff on.
He'll be here tomorrow in his best outfit.
BOULT
To-night, to-night. But, mistress, do you know the
French knight that cowers i' the hams?
Tonight, tonight. But, mistress, you know the
French knight, the diseased one?
Bawd
Who, Monsieur Veroles?
Who, Monsieur Veroles?
BOULT
Ay, he: he offered to
cut a caper at the
proclamation; but he made a groan at it, and swore
he would see her to-morrow.
Yes, him: he danced with excitement at the
announcement; then he gave a groan, and swore
he would see her tomorrow.
Bawd
Well, well; as for him, he brought his disease
hither: here he does but repair it. I know he will
come in our shadow, to scatter his crowns in the
sun.
Good, good; as for him, he brought his disease
with him: he just tops it up here. I know he will
come into our house, and chuck his money around.
BOULT
Well, if we had of every nation a traveller, we
should lodge them with this sign.
Well, if we had a traveller from every nation on earth,
they would all want to have a go at her.
Bawd
[To MARINA] Pray you, come hither awhile. You
have fortunes coming upon you. Mark me: you must
seem to do that fearfully which you commit
willingly, despise profit where you have most gain.
To weep that you live as ye do makes pity in your
lovers: seldom but that pity begets you a good
opinion, and that opinion a mere profit.
Now you, come here for a moment. You
have a fortune coming to you. Mark my words: you must
pretend that you are reluctant to do what you do
willingly, and to hate the profits even as you make them.
You must weep about your life, which will create pity
in your lovers: it's not often that pity gets you
goodwill, and that goodwill will be sheer profit.
MARINA
I understand you not.
I don't understand you.
BOULT
O, take her home, mistress, take her home: these
blushes of hers must be quenched with some present practise.
Oh, take her home, mistress take her home: this
shyness must be knocked out of her with practice.
Bawd
Thou sayest true, i' faith, so they must; for your
bride goes to that with shame which is her way to go
with warrant.
By God you're telling the truth, it must; the
bride goes with shame to the thing that it is
lawful for her to do.
BOULT
'Faith, some do, and some do not. But, mistress, if
I have bargained for the joint,--
Well, some do and some do not. But, mistress, as
I have prepared the joint–
Bawd
Thou mayst cut a morsel off the spit.
Yes, you can have a slice.
BOULT
I may so.
I will do so.
Bawd
Who should deny it? Come, young one, I like the
manner of your garments well.
Who would refuse it you? Come on, young one, I like
the cut of your clothes.
BOULT
Ay, by my faith, they shall not be changed yet.
Yes, by God, they shall not be changed yet.
Bawd
Boult, spend thou that in the town: report what a
sojourner we have; you'll lose nothing by custom.
When nature framed this piece, she meant thee a good
turn; therefore say what a paragon she is, and thou
hast the harvest out of thine own report.
Boult, tell it all round the town: report who
we have staying here; you'll get a profit from the customers.
When nature made this girl, she did you a good
turn; so tell everyone how wonderful she is, and you
will get a reward from your reports.
BOULT
I warrant you, mistress, thunder shall not so awake
the beds of eels as my giving out her beauty stir up
the lewdly-inclined. I'll bring home some to-night.
I guarantee you, mistress, the dirty minded
will be more excited by my reports of her beauty
than a bed of eels stirred up by a storm. I'll bring some home tonight.
Bawd
Come your ways; follow me.
Come along; follow me.
MARINA
If fires be hot, knives sharp, or waters deep,
Untied I still my virgin knot will keep.
Diana, aid my purpose!
If I can find a hot fire, a sharp knife, or deep water,
I shall preserve my virginity.
Diana, help me!
Bawd
What have we to do with Diana? Pray you, will you go with us?
Exeunt
What's Diana got to do with us? You just come along with me.
Enter CLEON and DIONYZA
DIONYZA
Why are you foolish? Can it be undone?
Why are you being so stupid? Can it be changed?
CLEON
O Dionyza, such a piece of slaughter
The sun and moon ne'er look'd upon!
Oh Dionyza, there was never such a murder
in the history of the world!
DIONYZA
I think
You'll turn a child again.
I think
you're becoming like a child again.
CLEON
Were I chief lord of all this spacious world,
I'ld give it to undo the deed. O lady,
Much less in blood than virtue, yet a princess
To equal any single crown o' the earth
I' the justice of compare! O villain Leonine!
Whom thou hast poison'd too:
If thou hadst drunk to him, 't had been a kindness
Becoming well thy fact: what canst thou say
When noble Pericles shall demand his child?
If I ruled the whole wide world,
I'd give it up to undo this deed. Oh lady,
you were a princess, even more through your virtues
than your birth, who could stand comparison
with any king on earth! Leonine, you villain!
And now you have poisoned him too:
if you had drunk his health with that poison it would have been
an act which suited your deed: what will you say
when noble Pericles asks for his child?
DIONYZA
That she is dead. Nurses are not the fates,
To foster it, nor ever to preserve.
She died at night; I'll say so. Who can cross it?
Unless you play the pious innocent,
And for an honest attribute cry out
'She died by foul play.'
I'll tell him she is dead. Nurses are not the fates,
who have the power of life and death.
She died at night; that's what I'll say. Who can contradict it?
Unless you want to be a pious innocent,
and so you'll be thought of as honest cry out,
‘She died of foul play.’
CLEON
O, go to. Well, well,
Of all the faults beneath the heavens, the gods
Do like this worst.
Oh, get lost. Well, well,
of all the faults of mankind, the gods
hate this the most.
DIONYZA
Be one of those that think
The petty wrens of Tarsus will fly hence,
And open this to Pericles. I do shame
To think of what a noble strain you are,
And of how coward a spirit.
You're one of those who thinks
that the little birds of Tarsus will fly away
and reveal the truth to Pericles. I'm ashamed
to think what a noble family you come from,
when you have such a cowardly spirit.
CLEON
To such proceeding
Who ever but his approbation added,
Though not his prime consent, he did not flow
From honourable sources.
Anybody who ever approved
such an act,
even though he wasn't directly involved, he did not
come from honourable ancestry.
DIONYZA
Be it so, then:
Yet none does know, but you, how she came dead,
Nor none can know, Leonine being gone.
She did disdain my child, and stood between
Her and her fortunes: none would look on her,
But cast their gazes on Marina's face;
Whilst ours was blurted at and held a malkin
Not worth the time of day. It pierced me through;
And though you call my course unnatural,
You not your child well loving, yet I find
It greets me as an enterprise of kindness
Perform'd to your sole daughter.
So be it, then:
but nobody knows how she died apart from you,
and nobody can know, now that Leonine is dead.
She outshone my child, and stood between