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PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE.

THIS play, the authorship of which has been much disputed, was probably written about the year 1608. Pope ranks it among" the wretched pieces," which cannot be attributed to Shakspeare; but Malone, who divided it into scenes, considers the internal evidence, (such as the congenial sentiments, the situation of the persons, the colour of the style, and the similitude of its expressions, to passages in his undisputed dramas) suffici ently decisive as to his having written the last three acts, and occasional portions of the preceding two. Indeed, unless it be considered as the production of some inferior playwright, amended by Shakspeare, an earlier date must be assigned to its production, than acknowledged authorities will warrant; for no play in the English language is so incorrect as this---the metre is seldom attended to---verse is frequently printed as prose---and the grossest errors appear throughout. With all these faults, however, it is mentioned as a very popular per formance; and may still be read with pleasure; for it abounds with situations of difficulty and danger, is full of bustle and vivacity, the interest never lags, and the results are all gratifying. Some of the dialogues are nevertheless gross and nonsensical---those which take place in the brothel are superlatively disgusting, nor can they be excusedby the moral intended to be drawn from them. Steevens, upon this portion, has judiciously remarked, that Marina, who is designed for a character of juvenile innocence, appears much too knowing in the impurities of a brothel; nor are her expressions more chastised than her ideas. The unities of time and place are equally outraged: the action of the piece is alternately occurring at Antioch in Syria---Tyre in Phoenicia --Tarsus in Cilicia---Mitylene in the island of Lesbos---and Ephesus the capital of Ionia. The story on which the play is founded, is of great antiquity; but the dramatic hero bears no resemblance to his great Athenian namesake. It is taken from the history of Appolonius, king of Tyre, in the Gesta Romanorum, a very old book; which is also related by Gower, in his Confessio Amantis, a poem. Many incidents of the play may be found in the latter work, and even a few of its particular expressions; and, therefore, as Gower himself is introduced, (like the chorus of old) it is reasonable to suppose that Shakspeare chiefly followed the work of that poet.

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ACT I.

Enter GoWER.

Before the Palace of Antioch.

To sing a song of 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; t
And lords and ladies of their lives
Have read it for restoratives:
'Purpose to make men glorious;
Et quo antiquius, eo melius

If you, born in these latter times,

When wit's more ripe, accept my raymes,
And that to hear an old man sing,
May to your wishes pleasure bring,

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I life would wish and that I might,
Waste it for you, like taper-light.-
This city then, Antioch the great
Built up for his chiefest seat;
The fairest in all Syria;

(I tell you what mine authors say :)
This king unto him took a pheere,"
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 father! to entice his own
To evil, should be done by none.
By custom, what they did begin,
Was, with long use, account + no sin.
The beauty of this sinful dame
Made many princes thither frame,

• Wife, the word signifies a mate or companion. t Accounted.

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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 yon grim looks do testify.
What

Ant. Read the conclusion thea;
Which read, and not expounded, 'tis decreed,
As these before thee, thon thyself shalt bleed.
Daugh. In all, save that, may'st thou prove
prosperous!

Per. Like a bold champion, I assume the
lists,

Nor ask advice of any other thought

now ensues, to the judgment of But faithfulness, and courage.

your eye

I give, my cause who best can justify.

[Exit. SOENE 1.-Antioch.-A Room in the Palace. Enter ANTIOCHUS, PERICLES, and Attendants. Ant. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large receiv'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 raz'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 within my breast,
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!
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
A countless glory, which desert must gain :
And which, without desert, because thine eye
Presumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die.
Yon' sometime famous princes, like thyself,
Drawn by report, advent'rous by desire,
Tell thee with speechless tongues, and semblance
pale,

That, without covering, save yon' 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 hast 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;
But my unspotted fire of love to you.

[To the DAUGHTER of ANTIOCHUS.
Thus ready for the way of life or death,
I wait the sharpest blow, Antiochus,
Scorning advice.

• Pointing to the scene of the palace gate at Antioch, on which the heads of these unfortunate wights were fised. tl. e. That gives.

[He reads the Riddle.]

I am no viper, yet I feed

On mother's fresh, which did me breed:
I sought a husband, in which labour,
I found that kindness in a father.
He's father, son, and husband mild,
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they may be, and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you.
Sharp physic is the last: but, O you powers!
That give heaven countless eyes to view men's
acts,

Why cloud they not their sights perpetually,
If this be true, which makes me pale to read it t
Fair glass of light, I lov'd you, and could still,

[Takes hold of the hand of the princess.
Were not this glorious casket stor'd with ill:
But I must tell you,-now, my thoughts revolt;
For he's no man on whom perfections wait,
That knowing sin within, will touch the gate.
You're a fair viol, and your sense the strings;
Who, finger'd to make man his lawful music,
Would draw heaven down, and all the gods to
hearken;

But, being play'd upon before your time,
Hell only danceth at so harsh a chime:
Good sooth, 1 care not for you.

Ant. Prince Pericles, touch not, upon thy life, For that's an article within our law,

As dangerous as the rest. Your time's expir'd : Either expound now, or receive your sentence. Per. Great king,

Few love to hear the sins they love to act: 'Twould 'braid yourself too near for me to

tell it.

Who has a book of all that monarchs do,
He's more secure to keep it shut, than shown;
For vice repeated, is like the wand'ring wind,
Blows dust in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear:
To stop the air would hurt them. The blind
mole casts

Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell the earth
is wrong'd
[die for't.
By man's oppression; and the poor worm doth
Kings are earth's gods: in vice their law's
their will;

And if Jove stray, who dares say, Jove doth ill?
It is enough you know; and it is fit,
What, being more known, grows worse, to

smother it.

All love the womb that their first beings bred, Then give my tongue like leave to love my bead.

Ant. Heaven, that I had thy head; He has found the meaning:But I will gloze + with him. [Aside.] Young prince of Tyre,

Though by the tenour of our strict edict,
Your exposition misinterpreting,
We might proceed to cancel of your days; t
Yet hope, succeeding from so fair a tree
As your fair self, doth tune us otherwise:
Forty days longer we do respite you;
If by which time our secret be undone,
This mercy shows, we'll joy in such a son;
And, until then, your entertain shall be,
As doth befit our honour, and your worth.
[Exeunt ANTIOCHUS, his DAUGHTER, and

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Per. How courtesy would seem to cover sin !
When what is done is like an hypocrite,
The which is good in nothing but in sight.
If it be true that I interpret false,
Then were it certain you were not so bad,
As with foul incest to abuse your soul:
Where now you're both a father and a son,
By your untimely claspings with your child,
(Which pleasure fits an husband, not a father ;)
And she an eater of her mother's flesh,
By the defiling of her parent's bed;
And both like serpents are, who though they feed
On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.
Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,
Will shun no course to keep them from the
light:

One sin, I know, another doth provoke;
Murder's as near to lust, as flame to smoke:
Poison and treason are the hands of sin,
Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame :-
Then, lest my life be cropp'd to keep you clear,
By flight I'll shun the danger which I fear.

Re-enter ANTIOCHUS.

[Exit.

Yet neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits,
Nor yet the other's distance comfort me.
Then it is thus: the passions of the mind,
That have their first conception by mis-dread,
Have after-nourishment and life by care;
And what was first but fear what might be
done,

Grows elder now, and cares it be not done.⚫
And so with me :-the great Antiochus
('Gainst whom I am too little to contend,
Since he's so great, can make his will his act,)
Will think me speaking, though I swear to
silence;

Nor boots it me to say, I honour him,
If he suspect I may dishonour him:
And what may make him blush in being known,
He'll stop the course by which it might be

known:

With hostile forces he'll o'erspread the land,
And with the ostent of war will look so huge,
Amazement shall drive courage from the state;
Our men be vanquish'd, ere they do resist,
And subjects punish'd, that ne'er thought of.
fence:

Which care of them, not pity of myself,
(Who am no more but as the tops of trees,

Ant. He hath found the meaning, for the which Which fence the roots they grow by, and defend

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them,)

Makes both my body pine, and soul to languish, And punish that before, that he would punish. 1 Lord. Joy and all comfort in your sacred

breast!

2 Lord. And keep your mind, till you return Peaceful and comfortable ! [to us, Hel. Peace, peace, my lords, and give expe rience tongue.

They do abuse the king, that flatter him
For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;
The thing the which is flatter'd, but a spark,
To which that breath gives heat and stronger
glowing:

Whereas reproof, obedient and in order,
Fits kings, as they are men, for they may err.
When signior Sooth here does proclaim a peace,
He flatters you, makes war upon your life:
Prince, pardon me, or strike me, if you please;
cannot be much lower than my knees.

Per. All leave us else: but let your cares o'erlook

What shipping and what lading's in our haven, And then return to us. [Exeunt LORDS.] Helicanus, thou

Hast moved us: what seest thou in our looks? Hel. An angry brow, dread lord.

Per. If there be such a dart in princes' frowns,

How durst thy tongue move anger to our face? Hel. How dare the plants look up to heaven,

from whence

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Sit down, sit down; thou art no flatterer : [Exit.I thank thee for it; and high heaven forbid That kings should let their ears hear their faults

SCENE II.-Tyre.-A Room in the Palace. Enter PERICLES, HELICANUS, and other Lords.

Per. Let none disturb us: Why this charge of thoughts?

The sad companion, dull-ey'd melancholy, By me so us'd a guest is, not an hour, In the day's glorious walk or peaceful night, (The tomb where grief should sleep,) can breed me quiet!

Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine eyes shun them,

And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch, Whose arm seems far too short too hit me here:

• Whereas.

hid!

Fit counsellor and servant for a prince,
Who by thy wisdom mak'st a prince thy servant
What would'st thou have me do ?

Hel. With patience bear

Such griefs as you do lay upon yourself.

Per. Thou speak'st like a physician, Helicanus; Who minister'st a potion unto me, That thou would'st tremble to receive thyself. Attend me then: I went to Antioch, Where, as thou know'st, against the face of death I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty, From whence an issue I might propagate, Bring arms to princes, and to subjects joys. Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder;

• 1. e. Takes care it be not done.

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