sleided

Imagine Pericles arrived at Tyre ,
Welcomed and settled to his own desire .
His woeful queen we leave at Ephesus ,
Unto Diana there ’s a votaress .
Now to Marina bend your mind ,
Whom our fast-growing scene must find
At Tarsus , and by Cleon trained
In music , letters ; who hath gained
Of education all the grace
Which makes high both the art and place
Of general wonder . But , alack ,
That monster envy , oft the wrack
Of earnèd praise , Marina’s life
Seeks to take off by treason’s knife .
And in this kind our Cleon hath
One daughter and a full grown wench ,
Even ripe for marriage rite . This maid
Hight Philoten , and it is said
For certain in our story she
Would ever with Marina be .
Be ’t when they weaved the sleided silk
With fingers long , small , white as milk ;
Or when she would with sharp needle wound
The cambric , 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 moan ; or when
She would with rich and constant pen
Vail to her mistress Dian , still
This Philoten contends in skill
With absolute Marina . 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
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 cursèd Dionyza hath
The pregnant instrument of wrath
Prest for this blow . The unborn event
I do commend to your content .
Only I carry wingèd 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 .