Hel. And you, sir, to outlive the age I am,
And die as I would do.
Lys.
You wish me well.
Being on shore, honouring of Neptune's triumphs,
Seeing this goodly vessel ride before us,
I made to it to know of whence you are.
Hel. First, what is your place?
Lys. I am the governor of this place you lie before.
Our vessel is of Tyre, in it the king;
I'd wish no better choice, and think me rarely
wed.
Fair one, all goodness that consists in bounty
Expect even here, where is a kingly patient:
If that thy prosperous and artificial feat
Can draw him but to answer thee in aught,
Thy sacred physic shall receive such pay
As thy desires can wish.
Mar.
Sir, I will use
My utmost skill in his recovery,
Provided
A man who for this three months hath not spoken That none but I and my companion maid
To any one, nor taken sustenance
But to prorogue his grief.
Lys. Upon what ground is his distemperature?
Hel. "Twould be too tedious to repeat;
But the main grief springs from the loss
Of a beloved daughter and a wife.
Lys. May we not see him?
But bootless is your sight: he will not speak
To any.
Lys. Yet let me obtain my wish.
Hel. Behold him.
PERICLES discovered.
This was a goodly person,
Till the disaster that, one mortal night,
Drove him to this.
Lys. Sir king, all hail! the gods preserve you!
Hail, royal sir!
Hel. It is in vain; he will not speak to you.
First Lord. Sir,
We have a maid in Mitylen, I durst wager,
Would win some words of him.
'Tis well bethought.
She questionless with her sweet harmony
And other choice attractions, would allure,
And make a battery through his deafen'd ports
Which now are midway stopp'd:
She is all happy as the fair'st of all,
And with her fellow maids is now upon
The leafy shelter that abuts against
The island's side.
Be suffer'd to come near him.
Lys.
Come, let us leave her;
And the gods make her prosperous!
No, nor look'd on us. a
Lys. See, she will speak to him.
Mar. Hail, sir! my lord, lend ear.
Per. Hum! ha!
My lord, that ne'er before invited eyes,
But have been gaz'd on like a comet; she speaks,
My lord, that, may be, hath endur'd a grief
Might equal yours, if both were justly weigh'd
Though wayward fortune did malign my state,
My derivation was from ancestors
Who stood equivalent with mighty kings;
But time hath rooted out my parentage,
And to the world and awkward casualties
Bound me in servitude. Aside. I will desist;
But there is something glows upon my cheek.
And whispers in mine ear 'Go not till he speak'
Per. My fortunes-parentage-good parent-
Per. I do think so. Pray you, turn your eyes upon me.
You are like something that-What country.
No, nor of any shores;
Yet I was mortally brought forth, and am
No other than I appear.
Per. I am great with woe, and shall deliver
weeping.
My dearest wife was like this maid, and such a
My daughter might have been my queen's
square brows;
Her stature to an inch; as wand-like straight;
As silver-voic'd; her eyes as jewel-like,
And cas'd as richly; in pace another Juno;
Who starves the ears she feeds, and makes them
hungry,
The more she gives them speech. Where de
you live?
Mar. Where I am but a stranger; from the deck
You may discern the place.
Where were you bred'
And how achiev'd you these endowments which
You make more rich to owe?
Mar. If I should tell my history, it would seem
Like lies, disdain'd in the reporting.
Per.
If thine consider'd prove the thousandth part
Of my endurance, thou art a man, and I
Have suffer'd like a girl; yet thou dost look
Like Patience gazing on kings' graves, and
smiling
Extremity out of act. What were thy friends?
How lost thou them? Thy name, my most kind
virgin?
140
Recount, I do beseech thee. Come, sit by me.
Mar. My name is Marina.
Per.
O! I am mock'd,
And thou by some incensed god sent hither
To make the world to laugh at me.
Mar.
Hel.
I know not; but
Here is the regent, sir, of Mitylene,
Speaks nobly of her.
Lys.
She never would tell
Her parentage; being demanded that,
She would sit still and weep.
Per. O Helicanus! strike me, honour'd sir;
Give me a gash, put me to present pain,
Lest this great sea of joys rushing upon me
O'erbear the shores of my mortality,
And drown me with their sweetness. O! come
hither,
Thou that begett'st him that did thee beget;
Thou that wast born at sea, buried at Tarsus,
Patience, good sir, And found at sea again. O Helicanus !
Down on thy knees, thank the holy gods as loud
As thunder threatens us; this is Marina.
What was thy mother's name? tell me but that.
For truth can never be confirm'd enough,
Though doubts did ever sleep.
Per. I am Pericles of Tyre: but tell me now My drown'd queen's name, as in the rest you said Thou hast been god-like perfect;
Thou 'rt heir of kingdoms, and another life
To Pericles thy father.
Mar. Is it no more to be your daughter than To say my mother's name was Thaisa? Thaisa was my mother, who did end The minute I began.
Per. Now, blessing on thee! rise; thou art my child.
ume fresh garments! Mine own, Helicanus ;
She is not dead at Tarsus, as she should have been,
By savage Cleon; she shall tell thee all;
When thou shalt kneel, and justify in knowledge
She is thy very princess. Who is this?
Hel. Sir, 'tis the governor of Mitylene,
Who, hearing of your melancholy state,
Did come to see you.
Per.
I embrace you.
Give me my robes; I am wild in my beholding.
O heavens! bless my girl. But hark! what music?
Tell Helicanus, my Marina, tell him
O'er, point by point, for yet he seems to doubt,
How sure you are my daughter. But what music?
SCENE III. The Temple of DIANA at Epherus · THAISA standing near the altar, as high priestess; a number of Virgins on each side; CERIMON and other Inhabitants of Ephesus attending. Enter PERICLES, with his Train; LYSIMACHUS HELICANUS, MARINA, and a Lady.
Per. Hail, Dian! to perform thy just com mand,
I here confess myself the King of Tyre;
Who, frighted from my country, did wed
At Pentapolis the fair Thaisa.
At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth
A maid-child call'd Marina; who, O goddess!
Wears yet thy silver livery. She at Tarsus
Was nurs'd with Cleon, whom at fourteen years
He sought to murder; but her better stars
Brought her to Mitylene, 'gainst whose shore »
Riding, her fortunes brought the maid aboard us
Where, by her own most clear remembrance, she
Made known herself my daughter.
Thai.
Voice and favour! You are, you are-O royal Pericles ! Faints Per. What means the nun? she dies; help. gentlemen!
When we with tears parted Pentapolis,
10 The king my father gave you such a ring.
In Antiochus and his daughter you have heard
Of monstrous lust the due and just reward:
In Pericles, his queen, and daughter, seen,
Although assail'd with fortune fierce and keen,
Virtue preserv'd from fell destruction's blast,
Led on by heaven, and crown'd with joy at last. 90
In Helicanus may you well descry
A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty.
In reverend Cerimon there well appears
The worth that learned charity aye wears.
For wicked Cleon and his wife, when fame
Had spread their cursed deed, and honour'd name
Of Pericles, to rage the city turn,
That him and his they in his palace burn :
The gods for murder seemed so content
To punish them; although not done, but meant. 100
So on your patience evermore attending,
New joy wait on you! Here our play has ending.
Exit.
RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLY,
EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND BARON
I know not how I shall offend in dedicating my unpolished lines to your lordship, ser how the world will censure me for choosing so strong a prop to support so weak a burden: only, if yo honour seem but pleased, I account myself highly praised, and vow to take advantage of all ulle hour till I have honoured you with some graver labour. But if the first heir of my invention prove deformes, I shall be sorry it had so noble a godfather, and never after ear so barren a land, for fear it yield w still so bad a harvest. I leave it to your honourable survey, and your honour to your heart's content which I wish may always answer your own wish and the world's hopeful expectation.
Your honour's in all duty,
Vilia miretur vulgus; mihi flavus Apollo
Pocula Castalia plena ministret aqua.'
EVEN as the sun with purple-colour'd face
Had ta'en his last leave of the weeping morn,
Rose-cheek'd Adonis hied him to the chase;
Hunting he lov'd, but love he laugh'd to scorn;
Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him,
And like a bold-fac'd suitor 'gins to woo him.
"Thrice-fairer than myself,' thus she began,
'The field's chief flower, sweet above compare,
Stain to all nymphs, more lovely than a man,
More white and red than doves or roses are;
And trembling in her passion, calls it balm
Earth's sovereign salve to do a goddess good :
Being so enrag'd, desire doth lend her force
Courageously to pluck him from his horse.
Over one arm the lusty courser's rein,
Under her other was the tender boy,
Who blush'd and pouted in a dull disdain.
With leaden appetite, unapt to toy;
She red and hot as coals of glowing fire.
He red for shame, but frosty in desire.
The studded bridle on a ragged bough
Nimbly she fastens ; O! how quick is love:
The steed is stalled up, and even now
To tie the rider she begins to prove:
Backward she push'd him, as she would be
thrust.
And govern'd him in strength, though not D
lust.
So soon was she along, as he was down,
Each leaning on their elbows and their hips: Now doth she stroke his cheek, now doth be frown,
And 'gins to chide, but soon she stops his lipe: And kissing speaks, with lustful language broken,
'If thou wilt chide, thy lips shall never open.'
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