The curse of heaven and men succeed their evils!
Till when (the which, I hope, shall ne'er be seen),

Your grace is welcome to our town and us.

Per. Which welcome we'll accept; feast here a while, Until our stars that frown, lend us a smile.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

Enter GOWER.

Gow. Here have you seen a mighty king

His child, I wis,* to incest bring;
A better prince, and benign lord,
Prove awful both in deed and word.
Be quiet then, as men should be,
Till he hath pass'd necessity.
I'll show you those in trouble's reign,
Losing a mite, a mountain gain.
The good in conversation+
(To whom I give my benizon),
Is still at Tharsus, where each man
Thinks all is writ he spoken can:
And, to remember what he does,
Gild his statue glorious:

But tidings to the contrary

Are brought your eyes; what need speak I?

Dumb show.

Enter at one door PERICLES, talking with CLEON; all the train with them. Enter at another door, a GENTLEMAN with a Letter to PERICLES; PERICLES shows the Letter to CLEON; then gives the Messenger a reward, and knights him. Exeunt PERICLES, CLEON, &c., severally.

Gow. Good Helicane hath staid at home,
Not to eat honey, like a drone,

From others' labours; forth the strive
To killen bad, keep good alive;

And, to fulfil his prince' desire,

Sends word of all that haps in Tyre:

How Thaliard came full bent with sin,

And hid intent, to murder him;

And that in Tharsus was not best

Longer for him to make his rest:

He knowing so, put forth to seas,

Where when men been, there's seldom ease;
For now the wind begins to blow;
Thunder above, and deeps below,
Makes such unquiet, that the ship

Should house him safe, is wreck'd and split;

* Know.

† Conduct.

+ Thoroughly.

And he, good prince, having all lost,

By waves from coast to coast is toss'd:
All perishen of man, of pelf,

Ne aught escapen but himself;
Till fortune, tired with doing bad,
Threw him ashore, to give him glad :

And here he comes: what shall be next,
Pardon old Gower; this 'longs* the text.

[Exit.

SCENE I.-Pentapolis. An open place by the Sea-side.
Enter PERICLES, wet.

Per. Yet cease your ire, ye angry stars of heaven!
Wind, rain, and thunder, remember, earthly man
Is but a substance that must yield to you;
And I, as fits my nature, do obey you;
Alas, the sea hath cast me on the rocks,

Wash'd me from shore to shore, and left me breath
Nothing to think on, but ensuing death:
Let it suffice the greatness of your powers,
To have bereft a prince of all his fortunes;
And having thrown him from your watery grave,
Here to have death in peace, is all he'll crave.

Enter three FISHERMEN.

1 Fish. What, ho, Pilche!

2 Fish. Ho! come, and bring away the nets. 1 Fish. What Patch-breech, I say!

3 Fish. What say you, master?

1 Fish. Look how thou stirrest now! come away, or I'll fetch thee with a wannion.

3 Fish. 'Faith, master, I am thinking of the poor men that were cast away before us, even now.

1 Fish. Alas, poor souls, it grieved my heart to hear what pitiful cries they made to us, to help them, when, well-a-day, we could scarce help ourselves.

3 Fish. Nay, master, said not I as much, when I saw the porpus, how he bounced and tumbled? they say, they are half fish, half flesh: a plague on them, they ne'er come, but I look to be wash'd. Master, I marvel how the fishes live in the sea.

1 Fish. Why as men do a-land; the great ones eat up the little ones: I can compare our rich misers to nothing so fitly as to a whale; 'a plays and tumbles, driving the poor fry before him, and at last devours them all at a mouthful. Such whales have I heard on a' the land, who never leave gaping, till they've swallow'd the whole parish, church, steeple, bells, and all. Per. A pretty moral.

3 Fish. But, master, if I had been the sexton, I would have been that day in the belfry.

2 Fish. Why, man?

3 Fish. Because he should have swallow'd me too: and when I

* Belongs to.

had been in his belly, I would have kept such a jangling of the bells, that he should never have left, till he cast bells, steeple, church, and parish, up again. But if the good king Simonides were of my mind

Per. Simonides ?

3 Fish. We would purge the land of these drones that rob the bee of her honey.

Per. How from the finny subject of the sea,
These fishers tell the infirmities of men ;
And from their watery empire recollect
All that may men approve, or men detect!
Peace be at your labour, honest fishermen.

2 Fish. Honest! good fellow, what's that? if it be a day fits you, scratch it out of the calendar, and nobody will look after it. Per. Nay, see, the sea hath cast upon your coast

2 Fish. What a drunken knave was the sea; to cast thee in our way!

Per. A man whom both the waters and the wind,

In that vast tennis-court, hath made the ball

For them to play upon, entreats you pity him.

He asks of you, that never used to beg.

1 Fish. No, friend, cannot you beg? here's them in our country of Greece, gets more with begging, than we can do with working.

2 Fish. Canst thou catch any fishes then ?

Per. I never practised it.

2 Fish. Nay, then thou wilt starve sure; for here's nothing to be got now-a-days, unless thou canst fish for't.

Per. What I have been, I have forgot to know;
But what I am, want teaches me to think on;
A man shrunk up with cold: my veins are chill,
And have no more of life than suffice
To give my tongue that heat, to ask your help,
Which if you shall refuse, when I am dead,
For* I am a man, pray see me buried.

may

1 Fish. Die quoth-a? Now gods forbid! I have a gown here; come, put it on; keep thee warm. Now, afore me, a handsome fellow. Come, thou shalt go home, and we'll have flesh for holidays, fish for fasting-days, and moreo'er puddings and flap-jacks, and thou shalt be welcome.

Per. thank you, Sir.

2 Fish. Hark you, my friend, you said you could not beg. Per. I did but crave.

2 Fish. But crave? Then I'll turn craver too, and so I shall 'scape whipping.

Per. Why, are all your beggars whipp'd then?

2 Fish. O, not all, my friend, not all; for if all your beggars were whipp'd, I would wish no better office, than to be beadle. But, master, I'll go draw up the net.

[Exeunt two of the FISHERMEN.

Per. How well this honest mirth becomes their labour!

1 Fish. Hark you, Sir! do you know where you are? Per. Not well.

1 Fish. Why, I'll tell you: this is called Pentapolis, and our king, the good Simonides.

Per. The good king Simonides, do you call him?

1 Fish. Ay, Sir; and he deserves to be so call'd, for his peaceable reign, and good government.

Per. He is a happy king, since from his subjects

He gains the name of good, by his government.

How far is his court distant from this shore?

1 Fish. Marry, Sir, half a day's journey; and I'll tell you, he hath a fair daughter, and to-morrow is her birthday; and there are princes and knights come from all parts of the world, to just and tourney for her love.

Per. Did but my fortunes equal my desires, I'd wish to make one there.

1 Fish. O, Sir, things must be as they may; and what a man cannot get, he may lawfully deal for his wife's soul.

Re-enter the Two FISHERMEN, drawing up a net.

2 Fish. Help, master, help; here's a fish hangs in the net, like a poor man's right in the law; 'twill hardly come out. Ha! bots on't, 'tis come at last, and 'tis turn'd to a rusty armour. Per. An armour, friends! I pray you, let me see it. Thanks, Fortune, yet, that after all my crosses,

Thou giv'st me somewhat to repair myself;

And, though it was mine own, part of mine heritage,
Which my dead father did bequeath to me,
With this strict charge (even as he left his life),
Keep it, my Pericles, it hath been a shield

'Twixt me and death; (and pointed to this brace) :*
For that it saved me, keep it; in like necessity,
Which gods protect thee from! it may defend thee.
It kept where I kept, I so dearly loved it;
Till the rough seas, that spare not any man,
Took it in rage, though calm'd they give't again :
I thank thee for't; my shipwreck 's now no ill,
Since I have here my father's gift by will.

1 Fish. What mean you, Sir?

*

Per. To beg of you, kind friends, this coat of worth, For it was sometime target to a king;

I know it by this mark. He loved me dearly,

And for his sake, I wish the having of it;

And that you'd guide me to your sovereign's court.
Where with't I may appear a gentleman;
And if that ever my low fortunes better,

I'll pay your bounties; till then, rest your debtor.
1 Fish. Why, wilt thou tourney for the lady?
Per. I'll show the virtue I have borne in arms.

1 Fish. Why, do ye take it, and the gods give thee good on't! 2 Fish. Ay, but hark you, my friend; 'twas we that made up

this garment through the rough seams of the waters: there are certain condolements, certain veils. I hope, Sir, if you thrive, you'll remember from whence you had it.

Per. Believe't I will.

Now, by your furtherance, I am clothed in steel;

And spite of all the rupture of the sea,
This jewel holds his building* on my arm;
Unto thy value will I mount myself
Upon a courser, whose delightful steps
Shall make the gazer joy to see him tread.-
Only, my friend, I yet am unprovided

Of a pair of bases.t

2 Fish. We'll sure provide: thou shalt have my best gown to make thee a pair; and I'll bring thee to the court myself. Per. Then honour be but a goal to my will;

This day I'll rise, or else add ill to ill.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The same. A public Way, or Platform, leading to the Lists. A Pavilion by the side of it, for the reception of the KING, PRINCESS, LORDS, &c.

Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, LORDS, and Attendants.

Sim. Are the knights ready to begin the triumph? 1 Lord. They are, my liege;

And stay your coming to present themselves.

Sim. Return them, we are ready; and our daughter,
In honour of whose birth these triumphs are,
Sits here, like beauty's child, whom nature gat
For men to see, and seeing, wonder at.

Thai. It pleaseth you, my father, to express
My commendations great, whose merit 's less.
Sim. "Tis fit it should be so; for princes are
A model, which heaven makes like to itself:
As jewels lose their glory, if neglected,
So princes their renown, if not respected.
"Tis now your honour, daughter, to explain

The labour of each knight, in his device.

[Exit a LORD.

Thai. Which, to preserve mine honour, I'll perform. Enter a Knight; he passes over the Stage, and his Squire presents his Shield to the Princess.

Sim. Who is the first that doth prefer § himself?
Thai. A knight of Sparta, my renowned father:

And the device he bears upon his shield

Is a black Æthiop, reaching at the sun;

The word, Lux tua vita mihi.

Sim. He loves you well that holds his life of you.

[The second Knight passes.

Who is the second, that presents himself?
Thai. A prince of Macedon, my royal father;

* Fixing.

† A sort of petticoat, worn by knights on horseback. I. e. give them notice. Offer.