ABSTRACT
If as you say (my Lorde) you are the Governour, let not your authoritie, which should teach you to rule others, be the meanes to make you mis-governe your selfe: If the eminence of your place came unto you by discent, and the royalty of your blood, let not your life proove your birth a bastard: If it were throwne upon you by opinion, make good, that opinion was the cause to make you great. 2 What reason is there in your ]ustice,who hath power over all, to undoe 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 evilles: my life is yet unspotted, my chastitie unstained in thought. Then if your violence deface this building, the workemanship of heaven, made up for good, and not to be the exercise of sinnes intemperaunce, you do kill your owne honour, abuse your owne justice, and impoverish me. Why, quoth Lysimachus, this house wherein thou livest, is even the receptacle of all mens sinnes, and nurse of wickednesse, and how canst thou then be otherwise then naught, that livest in it?S It is not good, answered Marina, when you that are the Governour, who should live well, the better to be bolde to punish evill, 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 Hie
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? 0 my good Lord, kill me, but not deflower me, punish me how you please, so you spare my chasti tie, and since it is all the dowry that both the Gods have given, and men have left to me, do not you take it from me; make me your servant, I will willingly obey you; make mee your bond-woman, I will accompt it freedome; let me be the worst that is called vile, so I may still live honest, I am content: or if you thinke it is too blessed a happinesse to have me so, let me even now, now in this minute die, and Ile accompt my death more happy than my birth.l With which wordes (being spoken upon her knees) while her eyes were the glasses that carried the water of her mis-hap, the good Gentlewoman being mooved, hee lift her up 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 heaven, a while to raigne on earth, to teach us 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 have laved, 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 releeve your honesty.2 It shall become you still to be even as you are, a peece of goodnesse,3 the best wrought uppe, that ever 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 preservation of her chastitie, and the reformation of his mind.
