ther, [To the Sailor of Mitylene.

Lys. I am governor of this place you lie before. Be suffer'd to come near him.

A man, who for this three mouths hath not spoken Lys.

To any one, nor taken sustenance,

But to prorogue' his grief.

Lys. Upon what ground is his distemperature?

Hel. Sir, it would be too tedious to repeat;

But the main grief of all springs from the loss
Of a beloved daughter and a wife.

Lys. May we not see him, then?

My lord, that ne'er before invited eyes,
But have been gaz'd on, comet-like: she speaks,

You may, indeed, sir, Mv lord, that, may be, hath endur'd a grief

Who stood equivalent with mighty kings:
But time hath rooted out my parentage,
And to the world and awkward casualties
Bound me in servitude. I will desist;
But there is something glows upon my cheek,
And whispers in mine ear, Go not till he speak.

[Aside.

Was given me by one that had some power;
My father, and a king.
Per.

Per. My fortunes-parentage-good parentage-
To equal mine; was it not thus? what say you? And call'd Marina?
Mar. I said, my lord, if you did know my parent-

Some such thing indeed

I said, and said no more but what my thoughts
Did warrant me was likely.

Per.

Tell thy story;

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?

Recount, I do beseech thee; come, sit by me.

Mar. My name, sir, is Marina.

Per.

O, I am mock'd,

And thou by some incensed god sent hither
To make the world laugh at me.

Mar.

(1) Possess.

Mar.

How! a king's daughter?

You said you would believe me;

But, not to be a troubler of your peace,
I will end here.
Per.

But are you flesh and blood?
Have you a working pulse? and are no fairy?
No motion?-Well; speak on. Where were you

born?

And wherefore call'd Marina?
Mar.

For I was born at sea.
Per.

Call'd Marina,

At sea? Thy mother?
Mar. My mother was the daughter of a king;

Who died the very minute I was born,
As my good nurse Lychorida hath oft
Deliver'd weeping.

Per.

O, stop there a little!

This is the rarest dream that e'er dull sleep
Did mock sad fools withal: this cannot be.

My daughter's buried. [Aside.] Well:-where

were you bred?

I'll hear you more, to the bottom of your story,
And never interrupt you.

Mar. You'll scarce believe me; 'twere best I did

give o'er.

Per. I will believe you by the syllable
Of what you shall deliver. Yet, give me leave :-
How came you in these parts? where were you bred?
Mar. The king, my father, did in Tharsus leave

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 beget'st him that did thee beget:
Thou that wast born at sea, buried at Tharsus,
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,

Patience, good sir, For truth can never be confirm'd enough,

(2) i. e. No puppet dress'd up to deceive me.

Music? my lord, I hear

Per. Most heavenly music:
It nips me unto list'ning, and thick slumber
Hangs on mine eye-lids; let me rest.
Lys. A pillow for his head;

[He sleeps.

[The curtain before the pavilion of Pericles

is closed.

So leave him all. Well, my companion-friends,
If this but answer to my just belief,
I'll well remember you.

[Exeunt Lysimachus, Helicanus, Marina,
and attendant Lady.

SCENE II.-The same. Pericles on the deck
asleep; Diana appearing to him as in a vision.

Dia. My temple stands in Ephesus; hie thee thither,

And do upon mine altar sacrifice.

There, when my maiden priests are met together,
Before the people all,

Reveal how thou at sea didst lose thy wife:

To mourn thy crosses, with thy daughter's, call,
And give them repetition to the life.

Perform my bidding, or thou liv'st in wo:

Do't, and be happy, by my silver bow.
Awake, and tell thy dream.

[Diana disappears.

Per. Celestial Dian, goddess argentine,2

I will obey thee!-Helicanus!

Enter Lysimachus, Helicanus, and Marina. Hel.

Sir.

Per. My purpose was for Tharsus, there to

strike

The inhospitable Cleon; but I am

For other service first: toward Ephesus

(1) Repeat a lively narrative of your adventures.

(2) i. e. Regent of the silver moon.

(3) Swollen.

(4) Soon.

Gow. Now our sands are almost run;

More a little, and then done.
This, as my last boon, give me
(For such kindness must relieve me,)
That you aptly will suppose

What pageantry, what feats, what shows,
What minstrelsy, and pretty din,

The regent made in Mitylin,

To greet the king. So he was thriv'd,
That he is promis'd to be wiv'd
To fair Marina; but in no wise,
Till he had done his sacrifice,

As Dian bade: whereto being bound,
The interim, pray you, all confound.
In feather'd briefness sails are fill'd,
And wishes fall out as they're will'd.
At Ephesus, the temple see,
Our king, and all his company.
That he can hither come so soon.
Is by your fancy's thankful boon.

[Exit.

SCENE III. -The temple of Diana at Ephesus:
Thaisa standing near the altar, as high priest-
ess; a number of virgins on each side; Ceri-
mon and other inhabitants of Ephesus attending.
Enter Pericles, with his train; Lysimachus,
Helicanus, Marina, and a lady.

Per. Hail Dian; to perform thy just command,
I here confess myself the king of Tyre;
The fair Thaisa, at Pentapólis.
Who, frighted from my country, did wed
At sea in childbed died she; but brought forth
Wears yet thy silver livery. She at Tharsus
A maid-child call'd Marina; who, O goddess,
Was nurs'd with Cleon; whom at fourteen years
Brought her to Mitylene; against whose shore
He sought to murder: but her better stars
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! - [She faints.
Per. What means the woman? shè dies! help,

gentlemen!

Cer. Noble sir,

If you have told Diana's altar true,

This is your wife.

Per.

Reverend appearer, no;

I threw her o'erboard with these very arms.

Cer. Upon this coast, I warrant you.

Per.

'Tis most certain.

Cer. Look to the lady;-0, she's but o'erjoy'd.

Early, one blust'ring morn, this lady was

Thrown on this shore. I op'd the coffin, and
Where shall be shown you all was found with her;
Found there rich jewels; recover'd her, and plac'd How she came placed here within the temple;
Here in Diana's temple.
Per.

her

May we see them?

No needful thing omitted.
Per.

Pure Diana! I bless thee for thy vision, and will offer

Cer. Great sir, they shall be brought you to my My night oblations to thee. Thaisa,

house,

Whither I invite you. Look! Thaisa is
Recover'd.

Thai. O, let me look!

If he be none of mine, my sanctity

Will to my sense1 bend no licentious ear,
But curb it, spite of seeing. O, my lord,

Are you not Pericles? Like him you speak,

Like him you are: Did you not name a tempest,

A birth, and death?

Per.

The voice of dead Thaisa!

Thai. That Thaisa am I, supposed dead,

And drown'd.

Per. Immortal Dian!
Thai.

Now I know you better.

When we with tears parted Pentapolis,
The king, my father, gave you such a ring.

[Shows a ring.

Per. This, this: no more, you gods! your pre

sent kindness

Makes my past miseries sport: You shall do well,
That on the touching of her lips I may
Melt, and no more be seen. O come, be buried
A second time within these arms.

Mar.

My heart Leaps to be gone into my mother's bosom.

[Kneels to Thaisa.

Per. Look, who kneels here! Flesh of thy flesh,

Thaisa;

Thy burden at the sea, and call'd Marina,
For she was yielded there.
Thai.

Bless'd and mine own!
Hel. Hail, madam, and my queen!
Thai.

I know you not.

Gow. In Antioch, 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.
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 ayed wears.

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.

Per. You have heard me say, when I did fly So on your patience evermore attending,

Through whom the gods have shown their power; sages dispersed over each of these divisions. I

I THOUGHT, the king had more affected the duke of Albany, than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weigh'd, that curiosity1 in neither can make choice of either's moiety.

Kent. Is not this your son, my lord?

Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blushed to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it.

An Officer, employed by Edmund.
Gentleman, attendant on Cordelia.
A Herald.

Servants to Cornwall.

Goneril,
Regan,
Cordelia,

}

daughters to Lear.

Knights attending on the King, Officers, Messen gers, Soldiers, and Attendants.

Scene, Britain.

Enter Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Goneril, Regan,
Cordelia, and Attendants.

Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy,
Gloster.
Glo. I shall, my liege. [Exe. Glo. and Edm.
Lear. Mean-time we shall express our darker*

Kent. I cannot conceive you.

Burgundy,

Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could :

whereupon she grew round-wombed; and had, in- Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, deed, sir, a son for her cradle, ere she had a hus-Long in our court have made their amorous soband for her bed. Do you smell a fault?

journ,

Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue And here are to be answer'd.-Tell me, my daugh

of it being so proper.3

ters,

Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some (Since now we will divest us, both of rule, year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my ac- Interest of territory, cares of state,)

count: though this knave came somewhat saucily Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most? into the world before he was sent for, yet was his That we our largest bounty may extend mother fair; there was good sport at his making, Where merit doth most challenge it.-Goneril,

Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty;

and the whoreson must be acknowledged.--Do you

know this noble gentleman, Edmund?

Our eldest-born, speak first.
Gon.

Sir, I

Edm. No, my lord.

Do love you more than words can wield the matter,

as my honourable friend.

Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;

Edm. My services to your lordship.

No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour:

A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable;
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found. better.

Cor. What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be si-
lent.
[Aside.
Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line
to this,

(4) More secret. (5) Determined resolution.
3 M