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DRAMATIS PERSONÆ'.

ANTIOCHUS, King of Antioch.

PERICLES, Prince of Tyre.

HELICANUS, } two Lords of Tyre.

ESCANES,

SIMONIDES, King of Pentapolis.

CLEON, Governor of Tharsus.

LYSIMACHUS, Governor of Mitylene.

CERIMON, a Lord of Ephesus.

THALIARD, a Lord of Antioch.

PHILEMON, Servant to Cerimon.
LEONINE, Servant to Dionyza.
Marshal.

A Pandar, and his Wife.

BOULT, their Servant.

GOWER, as Chorus.

The Daughter of Antiochus.

DIONYZA, Wife to Cleon.

THAISA, Daughter to Simonides.

MARINA, Daughter to Pericles and Thaisa.

LYCHORIDA, Nurse to Marina.

DIANA.

Lords, Ladies, Knights, Gentlemen, Sailors, Pirates, Fishermen and Messengers, &c.

SCENE, dispersedly in various Countries.

1 The play in the folio, 1664, is followed by a defective list of persons, under the title of "The Actors' Names."

PERICLES,

PRINCE OF TYRE.

1

ACT I.

Enter GOWER.

Before the Palace of Antioch.

To sing a song that old was sung,
From ashes ancient Gower is come;
Assuming man's infirmities,

To glad your ear, and please your eyes.
It hath been sung at festivals,

On ember-eves, and holy ales',

And lords and ladies in their lives

Have read it for restoratives:

The purpose is to make men glorious ;

Et bonum quo antiquius, eo melius.

If you, born in these latter times,
When wit's more ripe, accept my rhymes,
And that to hear an old man sing,
May to your wishes pleasure bring,
I life would wish, and that I might
Waste it for you, like taper-light.-

and holy ALES ;] Every old copy, quarto and folio, has "holy-days;" but as the speech was no doubt meant to rhyme, we have adopted Dr. Farmer's amendment by "holy ales," what were called church ales were probably intended.

2 The PURPOSE is-] In all the old copies it stands, "The purchase is;" and it may possibly be right, taking purchase in the sense of prize or reward.

3

This Antioch, then: Antiochus the great
Built up this city for his chiefest seat,
The fairest in all Syria;

I tell you what my authors say:
This king unto him took a feere3,
Who died and left a female heir,
So buxom, blithe, and full of face,
As heaven had lent her all his grace;
With whom the father liking took,
And her to incest did provoke.

Bad child, worse father, to entice his own
To evil, should be done by none.

4

By custom what they did begin

Was with long use account no sin.
The beauty of this sinful dame
Made many princes thither frame,
To seek her as a bed-fellow,
In marriage pleasures play-fellow :
Which to prevent he made a law,
To keep her still and men in awe,
That whoso ask'd her for his wife,
His riddle told not, lost his life:
So, for her many a wight did die,
As yond' grim looks do testify".

What now ensues, to the judgment of your

eye

I give, my cause who best can justify.

[Exit.

took a FEERE:] i. e. a mate or wife: the word also occurs in "Titus Andronicus," Vol. vi. p. 327.

4 By custom-] "But custom account'd for "account."

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in the old copies; and in the next line,

As yond' grim looks do testify.] Referring to the heads of the unsuccessful suitors, exhibited to the audience over the gates of the palace at Antioch. That such was the case we have the evidence of the novel, founded upon the play, published under the title of "The painfull Adventures of Pericles Prince of Tyre," 1608, where the heading of the first chapter ends thus :-" placing their heads on the top of his castle gate, whereby to astonish all others that came to attempt the like."

SCENE I.

Antioch. A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTIOCHUS, PERICLES, and Attendants.

Ant. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large re

ceiv'd

The danger of the task you undertake.

Per. I have, Antiochus, and with a soul Embolden'd with the glory of her praise, Think death no hazard, in this enterprise.

[Music.

Ant. Bring in our daughter, clothed like a bride,
For the embracements' even of Jove himself;
At whose conception, (till Lucina reign'd)
Nature this dowry gave, to glad her presence,
The senate-house of planets all did sit,

To knit in her their best perfections.

Enter the Daughter of ANTIOCHUS.

Per. See, where she comes, apparell'd like the spring,

Graces her subjects, and her thoughts the king

Of every virtue gives renown to men!

Her face, the book of praises, where is read
Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence
Sorrow were ever ras'd, and testy wrath
Could never be her mild companion.

Ye gods, that made me man, and sway in love,
That have inflam'd desire in my breast,

• Music.] In every old copy, this word, which is evidently a stage-direction,

is made part of the text, at the commencement of the speech of Antiochus.

7 For THE embracements-] All the old copies omit "the."

* Sorrow were ever RAS'D,] In the quarto, 1609, it is "Sorrow were ever

racte," which later editions altered to rackt, mistaking the word.

VOL. VIII.

T

To taste the fruit of yon celestial tree,
Or die in the adventure, be my helps,
As I am son and servant to your will,
To compass such a boundless happiness 9 !
Ant. Prince Pericles,—

Per. That would be son to great Antiochus.
Ant. Before thee stands this fair Hesperides,
With golden fruit, but dangerous to be touch'd ;
For death-like dragons here affright thee hard:
Her face, like heaven, enticeth thee to view
Her countless glory, which desert must gain;
And which, without desert, because thine eye
Presumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die'.
Yond' sometime famous princes', like thyself,
Drawn by report, adventurous by desire,

Tell thee with speechless tongues, and semblance pale,
That, without covering, save yond' field of stars,
They here stand martyrs, slain in Cupid's wars;
And with dead cheeks advise thee to desist,
For going on death's net, whom none resist.

Per. Antiochus, I thank thee, who hath taught
My frail mortality to know itself,

And by those fearful objects to prepare
This body, like to them, to what I must:

For death remember'd should be like a mirror,
Who tells us, life's but breath; to trust it, error.
I'll make my will, then; and as sick men do,
Who know the world, see heaven, but feeling woe,
Gripe not at earthly joys, as erst they did:

So, I bequeath a happy peace to you,

And all good men, as every prince should do:
My riches to the earth from whence they came,

9

such a BOUNDLESS happiness!] The old editions, anterior to that of Rowe, by a misprint, have "bondless happiness."

1

all THY whole heap must die.] The old copies have the for "thy:" the change was made by Malone.

Yond' sometime famous princes,] Referring, of course, to the heads of the unsuccessful suitors above the palace gates.

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