1    Well, I had rather than twice the worth of her she
2    had ne'er come here.

3    Fie, fie upon her! she's able to freeze the god
4    Priapus, and undo a whole generation. We must
5    either get her ravished, or be rid of her. When she
6    should do for clients her fitment, and do me the
7    kindness of our profession, she has me her quirks,
8    her reasons, her master reasons, her prayers, her
9    knees; that she would make a puritan of the devil,
10   if he should cheapen a kiss of her.

11   'Faith, I must ravish her, or she'll disfurnish us
12   of all our cavaliers, and make our swearers priests.

13   Now, the pox upon her green-sickness for me!

14   'Faith, there's no way to be rid on't but by the
15   way to the pox. Here comes the Lord Lysimachus disguised.

16   We should have both lord and lown, if the peevish
17   baggage would but give way to customers.

18   How now! How a dozen of virginities?

19   Now, the gods to-bless your honour!

20   I am glad to see your honour in good health.

21   You may so; 'tis the better for you that your
22   resorters stand upon sound legs. How now!
23   wholesome iniquity have you that a man may deal
24   withal, and defy the surgeon?

25   We have here one, sir, if she would--but there never
26   came her like in Mytilene.

27   If she'ld do the deed of darkness, thou wouldst say.

28   Your honour knows what 'tis to say well enough.

29   Well, call forth, call forth.

30   For flesh and blood, sir, white and red, you shall
31   see a rose; and she were a rose indeed, if she had but--

32   What, prithee?

33   O, sir, I can be modest.

34   That dignifies the renown of a bawd, no less than it
35   gives a good report to a number to be chaste.

36   Here comes that which grows to the stalk; never
37   plucked yet, I can assure you.
Re-enter BOULT with MARINA
38   Is she not a fair creature?

39   'Faith, she would serve after a long voyage at sea.
40   Well, there's for you: leave us.

41   I beseech your honour, give me leave: a word, and
42   I'll have done presently.

43   I beseech you, do.

To MARINA
44    First, I would have you note, this is
45   an honourable man.

46   I desire to find him so, that I may worthily note him.

47   Next, he's the governor of this country, and a man
48   whom I am bound to.

49   If he govern the country, you are bound to him
50   indeed; but how honourable he is in that, I know not.

51   Pray you, without any more virginal fencing, will
52   you use him kindly? He will line your apron with gold.

53   What he will do graciously, I will thankfully receive.

54   Ha' you done?

55   My lord, she's not paced yet: you must take some
56   pains to work her to your manage. Come, we will
57   leave his honour and her together. Go thy ways.

58   Now, pretty one, how long have you been at this trade?

59   What trade, sir?

60   Why, I cannot name't but I shall offend.

61   I cannot be offended with my trade. Please you to name it.

62   How long have you been of this profession?

63   E'er since I can remember.

64   Did you go to 't so young? Were you a gamester at
65   five or at seven?

66   Earlier too, sir, if now I be one.

67   Why, the house you dwell in proclaims you to be a
68   creature of sale.

69   Do you know this house to be a place of such resort,
70   and will come into 't? I hear say you are of
71   honourable parts, and are the governor of this place.

72   Why, hath your principal made known unto you who I am?

73   Who is my principal?

74   Why, your herb-woman; she that sets seeds and roots
75   of shame and iniquity. O, you have heard something
76   of my power, and so stand aloof for more serious
77   wooing. But I protest to thee, pretty one, my
78   authority shall not see thee, or else look friendly
79   upon thee. Come, bring me to some private place:
80   come, come.

81   If you were born to honour, show it now;
82   If put upon you, make the judgment good
83   That thought you worthy of it.

84   How's this? how's this? Some more; be sage.

85   For me,
86   That am a maid, though most ungentle fortune
87   Have placed me in this sty, where, since I came,
88   Diseases have been sold dearer than physic,
89   O, that the gods
90   Would set me free from this unhallow'd place,
91   Though they did change me to the meanest bird
92   That flies i' the purer air!

93   I did not think
94   Thou couldst have spoke so well; ne'er dream'd thou couldst.
95   Had I brought hither a corrupted mind,
96   Thy speech had alter'd it. Hold, here's gold for thee:
97   Persever in that clear way thou goest,
98   And the gods strengthen thee!

99   The good gods preserve you!

100  For me, be you thoughten
101  That I came with no ill intent; for to me
102  The very doors and windows savour vilely.
103  Fare thee well. Thou art a piece of virtue, and
104  I doubt not but thy training hath been noble.
105  Hold, here's more gold for thee.
106  A curse upon him, die he like a thief,
107  That robs thee of thy goodness! If thou dost
108  Hear from me, it shall be for thy good.

109  I beseech your honour, one piece for me.

110  Avaunt, thou damned door-keeper!
111  Your house, but for this virgin that doth prop it,
112  Would sink and overwhelm you. Away!

113  How's this? We must take another course with you.
114  If your peevish chastity, which is not worth a
115  breakfast in the cheapest country under the cope,
116  shall undo a whole household, let me be gelded like
117  a spaniel. Come your ways.

118  Whither would you have me?

119  I must have your maidenhead taken off, or the common
120  hangman shall execute it. Come your ways. We'll
121  have no more gentlemen driven away. Come your ways, I say.

122  How now! what's the matter?

123  Worse and worse, mistress; she has here spoken holy
124  words to the Lord Lysimachus.

125  O abominable!

126  She makes our profession as it were to stink afore
127  the face of the gods.

128  Marry, hang her up for ever!

129  The nobleman would have dealt with her like a
130  nobleman, and she sent him away as cold as a
131  snowball; saying his prayers too.

132  Boult, take her away; use her at thy pleasure:
133  crack the glass of her virginity, and make the rest malleable.

134  An if she were a thornier piece of ground than she
135  is, she shall be ploughed.

136  Hark, hark, you gods!

137  She conjures: away with her! Would she had never
138  come within my doors! Marry, hang you! She's born
139  to undo us. Will you not go the way of women-kind?
140  Marry, come up, my dish of chastity with rosemary and bays!

141  Come, mistress; come your ways with me.

142  Whither wilt thou have me?

143  To take from you the jewel you hold so dear.

144  Prithee, tell me one thing first.

145  Come now, your one thing.

146  What canst thou wish thine enemy to be?

147  Why, I could wish him to be my master, or rather, my mistress.

148  Neither of these are so bad as thou art,
149  Since they do better thee in their command.
150  Thou hold'st a place, for which the pained'st fiend
151  Of hell would not in reputation change:
152  Thou art the damned doorkeeper to every
153  Coistrel that comes inquiring for his Tib;
154  To the choleric fisting of every rogue
155  Thy ear is liable; thy food is such
156  As hath been belch'd on by infected lungs.

157  What would you have me do? go to the wars, would
158  you? where a man may serve seven years for the loss
159  of a leg, and have not money enough in the end to
160  buy him a wooden one?

161  Do any thing but this thou doest. Empty
162  Old receptacles, or common shores, of filth;
163  Serve by indenture to the common hangman:
164  Any of these ways are yet better than this;
165  For what thou professest, a baboon, could he speak,
166  Would own a name too dear. O, that the gods
167  Would safely deliver me from this place!
168  Here, here's gold for thee.
169  If that thy master would gain by thee,
170  Proclaim that I can sing, weave, sew, and dance,
171  With other virtues, which I'll keep from boast:
172  And I will undertake all these to teach.
173  I doubt not but this populous city will
174  Yield many scholars.

175  But can you teach all this you speak of?

176  Prove that I cannot, take me home again,
177  And prostitute me to the basest groom
178  That doth frequent your house.

179  Well, I will see what I can do for thee: if I can
180  place thee, I will.

181  But amongst honest women.

182  'Faith, my acquaintance lies little amongst them.
183  But since my master and mistress have bought you,
184  there's no going but by their consent: therefore I
185  will make them acquainted with your purpose, and I
186  doubt not but I shall find them tractable enough.
187  Come, I'll do for thee what I can; come your ways.