But stay, the knights are coming: we will withdraw

Into the gallery. [Exeunt. [Great shouts within and all cry 'The mean knight !'

SCENE III. The same. A hall of state: a banquet prepared.

Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, Attendants, and Knights, from tilting.

Sim. Knights,

To say you're welcome were superfluous.
To place upon the volume of your deeds,
As in a title-page, your worth in arms,

Were more than you expect, or more than ́s fit,

Since every worth in show commends itself. Prepare for mirth, for mixth becomes a feast : You are princes and my guests.

10

Thai. But you, my knight and guest; To whom this wreath of victory I give, And crown you king of this day's happiness. Per. 'Tis more by fortune, lady, than by merit.

Sim. Call it by what you will, the day is yours;

And here, I hope, is none that envies it.
In framing an artist, art hath thus decreed,
To make some good, but others to exceed;
And you are her labor'd scholar. Come, queen
o' the feast,-

For, daughter, so you are,-here take your place:

Marshal the rest, as they deserve their grace. Knights. We are honor'd much by good

Simonides.

20

Therefore to make his entrance more sweet, Here, say we drink this standing-bowl of wine to him

Thai. Alas, my father, it befits not me Unto a stranger knight to be so bold : He may my proffer take for an offence, Since men take women's gifts for impudence. Sim. How !

ΤΟ

Do as I bid you, or you'll move me else.
Thai. [Aside] Now, by the gods, he could

not please me better.

Sim. And furthermore tell him, we desire to know of him,

Of whence he is, his name and parentage Thai. The king my father, sir. has drunk

to you. Per. I thank him. Thai.

[life.

Wishing it so much blood unto your Per. I thank both him and you, and pledge him freely.

Thai. And further he desires to know of

you,

79

Of whence you are, your name and parentage.
Per. A gentleman of Tyre; my name,
Pericles;

My education been in arts and arms;
Who, looking for adventures in the world,
Was by the rough seas reft of ships and men,
And after shipwreck driven upon this shore.
Thai. He thanks your grace names himself
Pericles,

A gentleman of Tyre,

Who only by misfortune of the seas
Bereft of ships and men, cast on this shore.
Sim. Now, by the gods, I pity his misfor-
00

tune,

Sec. Lord. Whose death indeed's the strongest in our censure:

And knowing this kingdom is without a head,

Like goodly buildings left without a roof
Soon fall to ruin,-your noble self,
That best know how to rule and how to reign,
We thus submit unto,-our sovereign.
All. Live, noble Helicane !

40

Hel. For honor's cause, forbear your suffrages :

If that you love Prince Pericles, forbear.
Take I your wish, I leap into the seas,
Where's hourly trouble for a minute's ease.
A twelvemonth longer, let me entreat you to
Forbear the absence of your king :

If in which time expired, he not return,
I shall with aged patience bear your yoke.
But if I cannot win you to this love,

Go search like nobles, like noble subjects, 50
And in your search spend your adventurous

worth;

70

Per. Then, as you are as virtuous as fair, Resolve your angry father, if my tongue Did ere solicit, or my hand subscribe To any syllable that made love to you Thai. Why, sir, say if you had, Who takes offence at that would make me glad?

Sim. Yea, mistress, are you so peremptory?

[Aside] I am glad on't with all my heart-
I'll tame you; I'll bring you in subjection.
Will you, not having my consent,
Bestow your love and your affections
Upon a stranger? [Aside] who, for aught I
know,

May be, nor can I think the contrary,
As great in blood as I myself.-
Therefore hear you, mistress; either frame
Your will to mine,-and you, sir, hear you,
Either be ruled by me, or I will make yon-
Man and wife :

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Nay, come, your hands and lips must seal it

Enter, PERICLES and SIMONIDES at one door, with Attendants; a Messenger meets them, kneels, and gives PERICLES a letter: PERICLES shows it SIMONIDES; the Lords kneel to him. Then enter THAISA with child, with LYCHORIDA α nurse. The KING shows her the letter; she rejoices: she and PERICLES takes leave of her father, and depart with LYCHORIDA and their Attendants. Then exeunt SIMONIDES and the rest.

By many a dern and painful perch
Of Pericles the careful search,

By the four opposing coigns
Which the world together joins,
Is made with all due diligence

That horse and sail and high expense
Can stead the quest. At last from Tyre,
Fame answering the most strange inquire,
To the court of King Simonides

Are letters brought, the tenor these:
Antiochus and his daughter dead;
The men of Tyrus on the head
Of Helicanus would set on

The crown of Tyre, but he will none :

The mutiny he there hastes t' oppress;

Says to 'em, if King Pericles

Come not home in twice six moons,
He, obedient to their dooms,
Will take the crown.

The sum of this,

Brought hither to Pentapolis,
Y-ravished the regions round,
And every one with claps can sound,

Our heir-apparent is a king!

20

30

Who dream'd, who thought of such a thing?'
Brief, he must hence depart to Tyre:

His queen with child makes her desire- 40
Which who shall cross ?-along to go :
Omit we all their dole and woe:
Lychorida, her nurse, she takes,
And so to sea. Their vessel shakes

Which wash both heaven and hell; and thou, that hast

Upon the winds command, bind them in brass, Having call'd them from the deep! O, still Thy deafening, dreadful thunders; gently quench

Thy nimble, sulphurous flashes! O, how, Lychorida,

How does my queen? Thou stormest venomously;

Wilt thou spit all thyself? The seaman's whistle

For a more blustrous birth had never babe :
Quiet and gentle thy conditions! for
Thou art the rudeliest welcome to this world
That ever was prince's child. Happy what

follows!

Thou hast as chiding a nativity

As fire, air, water, earth, and heaven can

make,

To herald thee from the womb: even at the

first

Thy loss is more than can thy portage quit, With all thou canst find here. Now, the good

gods

Throw their best eyes upon't!

Enter two Sailors.

First Sail. What courage, sir? God save you!

Per. Courage enough: I do not fear the flaw;

It hath done to me the worst. Yet, for the love 40

Of this poor infant, this fresh-new sea-farer, I would it would be quiet.

First Sail. Slack the bolins there! Thou wilt not, wilt thou? Blow, and split thyself.

Sec. Sal. But sea-room, an the brine and cloudy billow kiss the moon, I care not.

First Sail. Sir, your queen must overboard: the sea works high, the wind is loud, and will not lie till the ship be cleared of the dead. Per. That's your superstition.

50

First Sail. Pardon us, sir; with us at sea it hath been still observed: and we are strong in custom. Therefore briefly yield her; for she must overboard straight.

Per. As you think meet. Most wretched queen!

Lyc. Here she lies, sir.

Per. A terrible childbed hast thou had, my dear;

No light, no fire: the unfriendly elements
Forgot thee utterly nor have I time

To give thee hallow'd to thy grave, but straight

60

Must cast thee, scarcely coffin'd, in the ooze;
Where, for a monument upon thy bones,
And e'er-remaining lamps, the belching whale
And humming water must o'erwhelm thy

Cer.
O, you say well.
First Gent. But I much marvel that your
lordship, having

Rich tire about you, should at these early hours

Shake off the golden slumber of repose.
'Tis most strange,

Nature should be so conversant with pain,
Being thereto not compell'd.

30

Cer.
I hold it ever,
Virtue and cunning were endowments greater
Than nobleness and riches: careless heirs
May the two latter darken and expend;
But mortality attends the former,
Making a man a god. 'Tis known, I ever
Have studied physic, through which secret art.
By turning o'er authorities, I have,
Together with my practice, made familiar
To me and to my aid the blest infusions
That dwell in vegetives, in metals, stones;
And I can speak of the disturbances
That nature works, and of her cures; which
doth give me

A more content in course of true delight
Than to be thirsty after tottering honor, 40
Or tie my treasure up in silken bags,
To please the fool and death.

Sec. Gent. Your honor has through Ephesus pour'd forth

Your charity, and hundreds call themselves Your creatures, who by you have been restored :

And not your knowledge, your personal pain, but even

Your purse, still open, hath built Lord Ceri

mon

Such strong renown as time shall ne'er decay.