Of general wonder. 9 But alack!
That monster envy, oft the wrack
Of earned praise1, 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 silk 2
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 moan3; or when
She would with rich and constant pen
Vail to her mistress Dian; still

This Philoten contends in skill

With absolute Marina 5: 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,

Which makes her both the heart and place

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

1

oft the wrack

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

2 Be't when she weav'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.

Vail to her mistress Dian;] To vail is to bow, to do homage. › With absolute Marina:] i. e. highly accomplished, perfect.

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 curs'd Dionyza hath

The

6

pregnant instrument of wrath "

Prest for this blow.7 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 appear,

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,

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

6 The pregnant instrument of wrath-] Pregnant, in this instance, means prepared, instructed; or perhaps, ready.

7 Prest for this blow.] Prest is ready; prêt, Fr.

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.7

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,'
Piercing, and sharpens well the stomach.
Leonine, take her by the arm, walk with her.

Mar. No, I pray you;

Come;

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 changed —] 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.

# "And it pierces and sharpens the stomach." MALONE.