Nature had with her best Arte placed vppon her face, compelled him to censure, that she was rather a deseruing bedfellow for a Prince, than a play-fellow for so rascally an assembly: so pittying awhile her misfortune, that it was so hard to be throwne into the laws of two such poisonous and deuouring serpents, a Pandar, and a Bawde, yet at last, being inflamed with alittle sinnefull concupiscence, by the power of her face, he resolued himselfe that since shee must fall, it were farre more fitter, into his owne armes, whose authoritie could stretch to doe her good, than into the hote imbracements of many, to her vtter ruine; so presently dismissing away a seruant of his, he gave him charge, to giue in charge to the Bawd, that at the returne home, of this new peece of merchandise of hers, as shee respected, or in time of neede would be beholding to his fauour, (and Heauens forfend but Bawdes nowe and then should stand in neede of authoritie) she should keepe her priuate from the conference of any, for hee himselfe that night late in the evening, in secret, and in some disguise, would (for her guests sake) visite her house. There needed no further incouragement to bid the Bawde stirre vp her damnable limbes to make all fit. It was enough in this, that the Gouernour had sent worde, it was he that was to come. But hauing given the best garnish she could to her sinnefull habitation: and Marina being returned home againe by the Pandar, who had ledde her vp and downe as Beare-heards leade beares for shew first, and to be baited after: Shee tooke her vp with her into a private Chamber, when the fruite of her instructions were, how she should now learne to behave her selfe, for she had fortunes comming vppon her, she was nowe to be received, respected, and regarded of a man that was honourable. Heaven graunt that I may finde him so, quoth Marina. Thou needest not doubt it sweete heart, quoth the Bawde, for though I tell it thee in priuate, which for a million he would not have to be knowne publikely: Hee is no woorse a man thou arte shortly to deale withall, than the Gouernour of this whole Citty, a Gentleman that is curteous, a fauourer of our calling, one that will as soone have his hand in his pocket, as such a pretty dilling as thou shalt come in his eye, and not as most of our Gentlemen doe, drawe it out empty, but filling it full of golde, will most Joue-like rayne it downe into his Danaes lap. In briefe, he is a Nobleman, and, which is a thing which we respect more than his nobilitie, he is liberall: he is curteous, and thou mayest commaund him, he is vertuous and thou mayest learne of him. All these indeede, answered Marina, are properties, due vnto so worthy a Gentleman, whom you picture him to be: and if he be liberall in good, I shall be glad to taste of his bountie: if curteous, I shall as willingly become his seruant: and if vertuous, it shal be in me no way to make him vicious. Well, well, well, sayes the Bawde, we must have no more of this puling, and I must have you learne to know, that vice is as hereditary to our house, as the olde barne to your countrey beggar. But as shee would have proceded with more

of these her diuelish counsells, hastily into the Chamber came the Pandar vnto them, who as hote as a toste, with his haste to bring the newes, he told them, that the Lorde Lysimachus was come, and as if the word Come had beene his kew, he entred the Chamber with the master bawde, when the whole frie of sinners cursying about him, he very largely, as the Prologue to his entertainment, distributed golde among them, and then as roundly demaunded, for that same fresh peece of stuffe, which by their proclamation they tolde, they had now to make sale of, and he of set purpose was come to have a sight of.

When they all poynting toward Marina, told him there shee was, and for our selues, quoth they, we having done the office of right Chamberlaines, brought you together, we will shut the doore after vs, and so leave you. Who no sooner departed, but Lysimachus the Gouernour began to demaund of her the performaunce of that for which he came. When shee prostrating her selfe at his feete, intreated him to take pitty of her, and from poynt to poynt (excepting her birth, and death of her parents) discoursed vnto him the whole story of her misfortunes: as that by the practise of Dyonysa, and cruelty of Leonine, she should have beene murthered. And how it pleased the Gods to rescue her from that ruine by certaine Pyrates, who after solde her to this brothell, where, most vnhappy, he was witnesse she remayned. Then gentle Sir, quoth shee, since heauen hath beene so gratious, to restore me from death, let not their good to me, be a meanes for you, to be author of my more misfortune. But the Gouernour suspecting these teares, but to be some new cunning, which her matron the Bawde had instructed her in, to drawe him to a more large expence: He as freely tolde her so, and now beganne to be more rough with her, vrging her, that he was the Gouernour, whose authoritie coulde wincke at those blemishes, her selfe, and that sinnefull house could cast vppon her, or his displeasure punish at his owne pleasure, which displeasure of mine, thy beauty shall not priviledge thee from, nor my affection, which hath drawen me vnto this place abate, if thou with further lingering withstand me. By which wordes, she vnderstanding him to be as confideut in euill, as she was constant in good, she intreated him but to be heard, and thus she beganne.

If as you say (my Lorde) you are the Gouernour, let not your authoritie, which should teach you to rule others, be the meanes to make you mis-gouerne your selfe: If the eminence of your place came vnto you by discent, and the royalty of your blood, let not your life prooue your birth a bastard: If it were throwne vpon you by opinion, make good, that opinion was the cause to make you great. What reason is there in your justice, who hath power ouer all, to vndoe any? If you take from mee mine honour, you are like him, that makes a gappe into forbidden ground, after whome too many enter, and you are guiltie of all their euilles: my life is yet vnspotted, my chastitie vnstained in thought. Then if your violence deface this building, the workemanship of heauen, made up for good, and not to be the exercise

of sinnes intemperaunce, you do kill your owne honour, abuse your owne iustice, and impoverish me. Why quoth Lysimachus, this house wherein thou liuest, is euen the receptacle of all mens sinnes, and nurse of wickednesse, and how canst thou then be otherwise then naught, that liuest in it? It is not good, answered Marina, when you that are the Gouernour, who should live well, the better to be bolde to punish euill, doe knowe that there is such a roofe, and yet come under it. Is there a necessitie (my yet good Lord) if there be fire before me, that I must strait then thither flie and burne my selfe? Or if suppose this house, (which too too many feele such houses are) should be the Doctors patrimony, and Surgeons feeding; folowes it therefore, that I must needs infect my self to give them maintenance? O my good Lord, kill me, but not deflower me, punish me how you please, so you spare my chastitie, and since it is all the dowry that both the Gods haue giuen, and men have left to me, do not you take it from me; make me your seruant, I will willingly obey you; make mee your bondwoman, I will accompt it freedome; let me be the worst that is called vile, so I may still liue honest, I am content: or if you thinke it is too blessed a happinesse to have me so, let me euen now, now in this minute die, and Ile accompt my death more happy than my birth. With which wordes (being spoken vpon her knees) while her eyes were the glasses that carried the water of her mis-hap, the good Gentlewoman being mooued, hee lift her vp with his hands, and even then imbraced her in his hart, saying aside: Now surely this is Virtues image, or rather, Vertues selfe, sent downe from heauen, a while to raigne on earth, to teach vs what we should be. So in steede of willing her to drie her eyes, he wiped the wet himselfe off, and could have found in his heart, with modest thoughts to have kissed her, but that hee feared the offer would offend her. This onely hee sayde, Lady, for such your vertues are, a farre more worthy stile your beuty challenges, and no way lesse your beauty can promise me that you are, I hither came with thoughtes intemperate, foule and deformed, the which your paines so well hath laued, that they are now white, continue still to all so, and for my parte, who hither came but to have payd the price, a peece of golde for your virginitie, now give you twenty to releeue your honesty. It shall become you still to be euen as you are, a peece of goodnesse, the best wrought uppe, that euer Nature made, and if that any shall inforce you ill, if you but send to me, I am your friend. With which promise, leaving her presence, she most humbly thanked the Gods for the preseruation of her chastitie, and the reformation of his mind.

Lysimachus though departed, thus intended not to leave her so, but with diligent eyes to attend, how shee behaued her selfe to all other, who should have admittance to her, and for that purpose, hauiug power to commaund the Bawde, hee placed himselfe in the next Chamber, where he might heare, euen to a sillable, whatsoere passed, where he was no sooner setled with a former charge given to the bawd, that any man should have accesse to her,

but by turnes, he heard she had also won others, and preserved herselfe from them, as she had formerly done against him, gaining tenne times as much of profite by her prayers and teares, as she should have doone by prostituting her beauty to their willes: at last, all of them being departed, and the house vnfrequented, onely of their owne housholde, and of the Gouernour, the bawde standing ready at the doore, as hee should goe out, making his obeysaunce vuto him as hee should returne, in hope of his fee or rewarde, hee with an angry brow turned towards him saying, Villaine, thou hast a house heere, the weight of whose sinne would sincke the foundation, euen vnto hell, did not the vertue of one that is lodged therein, keepe it standing; and so, as it were inraged, giving them nothing he departed. By which displeasure of his, the whole swarme of bawdes (as truely it was) ghessed, that their new tenaunt, had not beene pliant to his will: and all rushing in hastily vppon her, first taking away the golde which the charitie (and not iniury) of all who had beene there, had given her to releeue her with, they cried against her, they should be all vndoone by her, their house would grow vncustomed, and their trading would fall to decay, by her squeamishnesse, and want of familliaritie to their Clients, resoluing now, that there was no way to bring her vnto their bowe, but by having her rauished. For it is to be noted, not any that parted the house besides Lysimachus, but euen as he did, so they in like manner rayled against them, so forcibly had hir persuasions preuailed with them: whereupon, for that purpose they gave her vp to the Pander, who first agreed for her, saying; That he that had bargained for the whole ioynt, it was fittest for him to cut a morsell from off the spit. So leaving them together, and telling him, they gave her up to his power, to doe euen what he would with her: the man and wife (though both bawdes) departed, when the pandar going to her, tolde her, that he, his master, nor their antient family would as thus long they had beene, be vndoone by ere a Puritane peece of them all. And therefore quoth he; Come on and resolue your selfe without more whining, for I am but the bawdes seruant. The bawde hath commaunded me, and euery seruant by the Indenture of his duety, is bound to obey his master: So catching her rashly by the hand, as he would have inforced her to his will; she first calling on Diana patronesse of Chastitie to defend her, fell likewise downe at his feete, and besought him but to heare her: which being graunted, she demaunded of him what thing he could wish himselfe to be, which was more vile than he was, or more hatefull than he would make himselfe to be? Why my master or my mistris (quoth the villaine) I thinke, who have all the sinnes subiect to mankind raigning in them, and are (indeede) as bad as the Diuell himselfe: yet (quoth Marina) thou goest about to be worse then they, and to doe an office at their setting on, which thy master himselfe hath more pitty then to attempt, to robbe me of mine honour, which in spite of them and thee, the Gods (who I hope will protect it still)

have till this breathing protected, to leprous my chast thoghts, with remembrance of so foule a deede, which thou then shalt haue doone, to damne thine owne soule, by vndooing of mine. At which word, the Villaine being strucke into some remorce, and standing in a pawse, Marina went forward, and tolde him; If thou wantest golde, there is some for thee (part of that she had reserved which before was given hir, from the bawdes knowledge:) or if thou wantest maintenaunce, prouide mee but some residence in an honest house, and I have experience in many things which shall labour for thee, as namely, I am skilfull in the seauen Liberall Sciences, well excercised in all studies, and dare approoue this, that my skill in singing and playing on Instruments exceeds any in the citty: therefore (quoth she) as thou before didst proclame my beuty in the market to the open world, whereby to haue made me a common prostitute, so now agayne proclame my vertues vnto them, and I doubt not but this honorable citty will affoord schollers sufficient, the instructing of whome will returne profite enough, both to repay the Maister what hee payed out for me, prouide an honester course for thee then this thou liuest in; and give a quiet content vnto my selfe. Sooth (quoth the Villaine) being now mooued vnto much more compassion of her; If you have (as you say) these qualities, I will labour with my Master, and doe my best for your release. If not (answered Marina) I give thee free leaue to bring me backe againe, and prostitute me to that course which was first pretended for me. In briefe, the Villaine so laboured with the bawde his maister, that though hee woulde not give her leaue to depart his house, yet in hope of the profit, which would come in by her other qualities, she should stay in his house, and none, with her former greeuances disturbe her, and withall, charged the Pander, to set up a Bill in the Market place, of her excellencie in speaking, and in singing. At the report of which there crowded as many to the bawdes great profite to be delighted with her woorth, as there came before to haue made spoyle of her vertue, and not any man but gave her money largely, and departed contented, onely aboue the rest the Lorde Lysimachus had euermore an especiall regarde in the preseruation of her safety no otherwise than if she had beene descended from himselfe, and rewarded the villaine very liberally for the diligent care hee had over her.

Unserem Drama hat die alte in der gesammten Literatur des Mittelalters vielverbreitete Sage von den wunderbaren Schicksalen des Apollonius von Tyrus in zwei Bearbeitungen zu Grunde gelegen, welchen beiden der Verfasser des Pericles ziemlich genau gefolgt ist. Die eine, metrische, nimmt den grössten Theil des achten Buches der Confessio Amantis des altenglischen Dichters John Gower, Chaucers Zeitgenossen, ein, den der Verfasser des Dramas deshalb auch als Chorus auftreten lässt, um in alterthümlicher, wenn auch nur ungeschickt nachgeahmt alterthümlicher Sprache alle Ereignisse zu erzählen, für deren dramatische Vorführung das ohnehin mit Stoff überfüllte Schauspiel keinen Raum mehr darbot. Neben