Текст книги "William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition"

Автор книги: William Shakespeare

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Sc. 17 Enter ⌈in mourning garments⌉ Cleon and Dionyza DIONYZA

Why, are you foolish? Can it be undone?

CLEON

O Dionyza, such a piece of slaughter

The sun and moon ne’er looked upon.

DIONYZA

I think you’ll turn a child again.

CLEON

Were I chief lord of all this spacious world

I’d give it to undo the deed. A lady

Much less in blood than virtue, yet a princess

To equal any single crown o‘th’ earth

I’th’ justice of compare. O villain Leonine,

Whom thou hast poisoned too,

If thou hadst drunk to him ‘t’ad been a kindness

Becoming well thy fact. What canst thou say

When noble Pericles demands his child?

DIONYZA

That she is dead. Nurses are not the fates.

To foster is not ever to preserve.

She died at night. I’ll say so. Who can cross it,

Unless you play the pious innocent

And, for an honest attribute, cry out

‘She died by foul play.’

CLEON O, go to. Well, well,

Of all the faults beneath the heav’ns the gods

Do like this worst.

DIONYZA Be one of those that thinks

The petty wrens of Tarsus will fly hence

And open this to Pericles. I do shame

To think of what a noble strain you are,

And of how cowed a spirit.

CLEON To such proceeding

Whoever but his approbation added,

Though not his prime consent, he did not flow

From honourable sources.

DIONYZA Be it so, then.

Yet none does know but you how she came dead,

Nor none can know, Leonine being gone.

She did distain my child, and stood between

Her and her fortunes. None would look on her,

But cast their gazes on Marina’s face

Whilst ours was blurted at, and held a malkin

Not worth the time of day. It pierced me through,

And though you call my course unnatural,

You not your child well loving, yet I find

It greets me as an enterprise of kindness

Performed to your sole daughter.

CLEON Heavens forgive it.

DIONYZA And as for Pericles,

What should he say? We wept after her hearse,

And yet we mourn. Her monument

Is almost finished, and her epitaphs

In glitt‘ring golden characters express

A gen’ral praise to her and care in us,

At whose expense ’tis done.

CLEON Thou art like the harpy, Which, to betray, dost, with thine angel face, Seize in thine eagle talons.

DIONYZA

Ye’re like one that superstitiously

Do swear to th’ gods that winter kills the flies,

But yet I know you’ll do as I advise. Exeunt

Sc. 18 Enter Gower

GOWER

Thus time we waste, and long leagues make we short,

Sail seas in cockles, have and wish but for‘t,

Making to take imagination

From bourn to bourn, region to region.

By you being pardoned, we commit no crime

To use one language in each sev’ral clime

Where our scene seems to live. I do beseech you

To learn of me, who stand i’th’ gaps to teach you

The stages of our story: Pericles

Is now again thwarting the wayward seas,

Attended on by many a lord and knight,

To see his daughter, all his life’s delight.

Old Helicanus goes along. Behind

Is left to govern, if you bear in mind,

Old Aeschines, whom Helicanus late

Advanced in Tyre to great and high estate.

Well sailing ships and bounteous winds have brought

This king to Tarsus—think his pilot thought;

So with his steerage shall your thoughts go on—

To fetch his daughter home, who first is gone.

Like motes and shadows see them move a while;

Your ears unto your eyes I’ll reconcile.

Dumb show.

Enter Pericles at one door with all his train, Cleon

and Dionyza ⌈in mourning garments⌉ at the other.

Cleon ⌈draws the curtain and⌉ shows Pericles the

tomb, whereat Pericles makes lamentation, puts on

sack-cloth, and in a mighty passion departs,

followed by his train. Cleon and Dionyza depart at

the other door

See how belief may suffer by foul show.

This borrowed passion stands for true-owed woe,

And Pericles, in sorrow all devoured,

With sighs shot through, and biggest tears o‘ershow’red,

Leaves Tarsus, and again embarks. He swears

Never to wash his face nor cut his hairs.

He puts on sack-cloth, and to sea. He bears

A tempest which his mortal vessel tears,

And yet he rides it out. Now please you wit

The epitaph is for Marina writ

By wicked Dionyza.

He reads Marina’s epitaph on the tomb

‘The fairest, sweetest, best lies here,

Who withered in her spring of year.

In nature’s garden, though by growth a bud,

She was the chiefest flower: she was good.’

No visor does become black villainy

So well as soft and tender flattery.

Let Pericles believe his daughter’s dead

And bear his courses to be ordered

By Lady Fortune, while our scene must play

His daughter’s woe and heavy well-a-day

In her unholy service. Patience then,

And think you now are all in Mytilene. Exit

Sc. 19 ⌈A brothel sign.⌉ Enter two Gentlemen

FIRST GENTLEMAN Did you ever hear the like?

SECOND GENTLEMAN No, nor never shall do in such a place as this, she being once gone.

FIRST GENTLEMAN But to have divinity preached there—did you ever dream of such a thing?

SECOND GENTLEMAN No, no. Come, I am for no more bawdy houses. Shall ’s go hear the vestals sing?

FIRST GENTLEMAN I’ll do anything now that is virtuous, but I am out of the road of rutting for ever. Exeunt

Enter Pander, Bawd, and Boult

PANDER Well, I had rather than twice the worth of her she had ne’er come here.

BAWD Fie, fie upon her, she’s able to freeze the god Priapus and undo the whole of generation. We must either get her ravished or be rid of her. When she should do for clients her fitment and do me the kindness of our profession, she has me her quirks, her reasons, her master reasons, her prayers, her knees, that she would make a puritan of the devil if he should cheapen a kiss of her.

BOULT Faith, I must ravish her, or she’ll disfurnish us of all our cavalleria and make our swearers priests.

PANDER Now, the pox upon her green-sickness for me. BAWD Faith, there’s no way to be rid on’t but by the way to the pox.

Enter Lysimachus, disguised

Here comes the Lord Lysimachus, disguised.

BOULT We should have both lord and loon if the peevish baggage would but give way to custom.

LYSIMACHUS How now, how a dozen of virginities? BAWD Now, the gods to-bless your honour!

BOULT I am glad to see your honour in good health.

LYSIMACHUS You may so. ’Tis the better for you that your resorters stand upon sound legs. How now, wholesome iniquity have you, that a man may deal withal and defy the surgeon?

BAWD We have here one, sir, if she woutd—but there never came her like in Mytilene.

LYSIMACHUS If she’d do the deed of darkness, thou wouldst say.

BAWD Your honour knows what ’tis to say well enough. LYSIMACHUS Well, call forth, call forth. ⌈Exit Pander⌉ BOULT For flesh and blood, sir, white and red, you shall see a rose. And she were a rose indeed, if she had but—

LYSIMACHUS What, prithee?

BOULT O sir, I can be modest.

LYSIMACHUS That dignifies the renown of a bawd no less than it gives a good report to a noble to be chaste.

⌈Enter Pander with Marina⌉

BAWD Here comes that which grows to the stalk, never plucked yet, I can assure you. Is she not a fair creature?

LYSIMACHUS Faith, she would serve after a long voyage at sea. Well, there’s for you. Leave us.

⌈He pays the Bawd⌉

BAWD I beseech your honour give me leave: a word, and I’ll have done presently.

LYSIMACHUS I beseech you, do.

BAWD (aside to Marina) First, I would have you note this is an honourable man.

MARINA I desire to find him so, that I may honourably know him.

BAWD Next, he’s the governor of this country, and a man whom I am bound to.

MARINA If he govern the country you are bound to him indeed, but how honourable he is in that, I know not.

BAWD Pray you, without any more virginal fencing, will you use him kindly? He will line your apron with gold.

MARINA What he will do graciously I will thankfully receive. LYSIMACHUS (to Bawd) Ha’ you done?

BAWD My lord, she’s not paced yet. You must take some pains to work her to your manège. (To Boult and Pander) Come, we will leave his honour and hers together. Go thy ways. Exeunt Pander, Bawd, and Boult

LYSIMACHUS

Fair one, how long have you been at this trade? MARINA What trade, sir?

LYSIMACHUS

I cannot name it but I shall offend.

MARINA

I cannot be offended with my trade.

Please you to name it.

LYSIMACHUS How long have you been

Of this profession?

MARINA E’er since I can remember.

LYSIMACHUS

Did you go to’t so young? Were you a gamester

At five, or seven?

MARINA Earlier too, sir,

If now I be one.

LYSIMACHUS Why, the house you dwell in

Proclaimeth you a creature of sale.

MARINA

And do you know this house to be a place

Of such resort and will come into it?

I hear say you’re of honourable blood,

And are the governor of this whole province.

LYSIMACHUS

What, hath your principal informed you who I am?

MARINA

Who is my principal?

LYSIMACHUS Why, your herb-woman;

She that sets seeds of shame, roots of iniquity.

⌈Marina weeps⌉

O, you’ve heard something of my pow‘r, and so

Stand off aloof for a more serious wooing.

But I protest to thee,

Pretty one, my authority can wink

At blemishes, or can on faults look friendly;

Or my displeasure punish at my pleasure,

From which displeasure, not thy beauty shall

Privilege thee, nor my affection, which

Hath drawn me here, abate with further ling’ring.

Come bring me to some private place. Come, come.

MARINA

Let not authority, which teaches you

To govern others, be the means to make you

Misgovern much yourself.

If you were born to honour, show it now;

If put upon you, make the judgement good

That thought you worthy of it. What reason’s in

Your justice, who hath power over all,

To undo any? If you take from me

Mine honour, you’re like him that makes a gap

Into forbidden ground, whom after

Too many enter, and of all their evils

Yourself are guilty. My life is yet unspotted;

My chastity unstained ev’n in thought.

Then if your violence deface this building,

The workmanship of heav‘n, you do kill your honour,

Abuse your justice, and impoverish me.

My yet good lord, if there be fire before me,

Must I straight fly and burn myself? Suppose this

house—

Which too too many feel such houses are—

Should be the doctor’s patrimony, and

The surgeon’s feeding; follows it, that I

Must needs infect myself to give them maint’nance?

LYSIMACHUS

How’s this, how’s this? Some more. Be sage.

MARINA ⌈kneeling⌉ For me

That am a maid, though most ungentle fortune

Have franked me in this sty, where since I came

Diseases have been sold dearer than physic—

That the gods would set me free from this unhallowed

place,

Though they did change me to the meanest bird

That flies i’th’ purer air!

LYSIMACHUS ⌈moved⌉ I did not think

Thou couldst have spoke so well, ne’er dreamt thou

couldst.

⌈He lifts her up with his hands⌉

Though I brought hither a corrupted mind,

Thy speech hath altered it,

⌈He wipes the wet from her eyes⌉ and my foul thoughts

Thy tears so well hath laved that they’re now white.

I came here meaning but to pay the price,

A piece of gold for thy virginity;

Here’s twenty to relieve thine honesty.

Persever still in that clear way thou goest,

And the gods strengthen thee.

MARINA The good gods preserve you!

LYSIMACHUS

The very doors and windows savour vilely.

Fare thee well. Thou art a piece of virtue,

The best wrought up that ever nature made,

And I doubt not thy training hath been noble.

A curse upon him, die he like a thief,

That robs thee of thy honour. Hold, here’s more gold.

If thou dost hear from me, it shall be for thy good.

⌈Enter Boult standing ready at the door, making his obeisance unto him as Lysimachus should go out⌉

BOULT I beseech your honour, one piece for me.

LYSIMACHUS

Avaunt, thou damned door-keeper!

Your house, but for this virgin that doth prop it,

Would sink and overwhelm you. Away. Exit

BOULT How’s this? We must take another course with you. If your peevish chastity, which is not worth a breakfast in the cheapest country under the cope, shall undo a whole household, let me be gelded like a spaniel. Come your ways.

MARINA Whither would you have me?

BOULT I must have your maidenhead taken off, or the common executioner shall do it. We’ll have no more gentlemen driven away. Come your ways, I say.

Enter Bawd and Pander

BAWD How now, what’s the matter?

BOULT Worse and worse, mistress, she has here spoken holy words to the Lord Lysimachus.

BAWD O, abominable!

BOULT She makes our profession as it were to stink afore the face of the gods.

BAWD Marry hang her up for ever!

BOULT The nobleman would have dealt with her like a nobleman, and she sent him away as cold as a snowball, saying his prayers, too.

⌈PANDER⌉ Boult, take her away. Use her at thy pleasure. Crack the ice of her virginity, and make the rest malleable.

BOULT An if she were a thornier piece of ground than she is, she shall be ploughed.

MARINA Hark, hark, you gods!

BAWD She conjures. Away with her! Would she had never come within my doors.—Marry, hang you!—She’s born to undo us.—Will you not go the way of womenkind? Marry, come up, my dish of chastity with rosemary and bays. Exeunt Bawd and Pander

BOULT ⌈catching her rashly by the hand⌉ Come, mistress, come your way with me.

MARINA Whither wilt thou have me?

BOULT To take from you the jewel you hold so dear.

MARINA Prithee, tell me one thing first.

BOULT Come, now, your one thing.

MARINA

What canst thou wish thine enemy to be?

BOULT Why, I could wish him to be my master, or rather my mistress.

MARINA

Neither of these can be so bad as thou art,

Since they do better thee in their command.

Thou hold‘st a place the painèd’st fiend of hell

Would not in reputation change with thee,

Thou damned doorkeeper to ev‘ry coistrel

That comes enquiring for his Tib.

To th’ choleric fisting of ev’ry rogue

Thy ear is liable. Thy food is such

As hath been belched on by infected lungs.

BOULT What would you have me do? Go to the wars, would you, where a man may serve seven years for the loss of a leg, and have not money enough in the end to buy him a wooden one?

MARINA

Do anything but this thou dost. Empty

Old receptacles or common sew’rs of filth,

Serve by indenture to the public hangman—

Any of these are yet better than this.

For what thou professest a baboon, could he speak,

Would own a name too dear. Here’s gold for thee.

If that thy master would make gain by me,

Proclaim that I can sing, weave, sew, and dance,

With other virtues which I’ll keep from boast,

And I will undertake all these to teach.

I doubt not but this populous city will

Yield many scholars.

BOULT But can you teach all this you speak of?

MARINA

Prove that I cannot, take me home again

And prostitute me to the basest groom

That doth frequent your house.

BOULT Well, I will see what I can do for thee. If I can place thee, I will.

MARINA But amongst honest women.

BOULT Faith, my acquaintance lies little amongst them; but since my master and mistress hath bought you, there’s no going but by their consent. Therefore I will make them acquainted with your purpose, and I doubt not but I shall find them tractable enough. Come, I’ll do for thee what I can. Come your ways.

Exeunt. ⌈The sign is removed⌉

Sc. 20 Enter Gower

GOWER

Marina thus the brothel scapes, and chances

Into an honest house, our story says.

She sings like one immortal, and she dances

As goddess-like to her admired lays.

Deep clerks she dumbs, and with her nee‘le composes

Nature’s own shape, of bud, bird, branch, or berry,

That e’en her art sisters the natural roses.

Her inkle, silk, twin with the rubied cherry;

That pupils lacks she none of noble race,

Who pour their bounty on her, and her gain

She gives the cursed Bawd. Here we her place,

And to her father turn our thoughts again.

We left him on the sea. Waves there him tossed,

Whence, driven tofore the winds, he is arrived

Here where his daughter dwells, and on this coast

Suppose him now at anchor. The city strived

God Neptune’s annual feast to keep, from whence

Lysimachus our Tyrian ship espies,

His banners sable, trimmed with rich expense;

And to him in his barge with fervour hies.

In your supposing once more put your sight;

Of heavy Pericles think this the barque,

Where what is done in action, more if might,

Shall be discovered. Please you sit and hark. Exit

Sc. 21 Enter Helicanus ⌈above; below, enter⌉ to him at the first door two Sailors, ⌈one of Tyre, the other of Mytilene⌉

SAILOR OF TYRE (to Sailor of Mytilene)

Lord Helicanus can resolve you, sir.

(To Helicanus) There is a barge put off from Mytilene.

In it, Lysimachus, the governor,

Who craves to come aboard. What is your will?

HELICANUS

That he have his.

⌈Exit Sailor of Mytilene at first door⌉ Call up some gentlemen.

⌈Exit Helicanus above⌉

⌈SAILOR OF TYRE⌉

Ho, my lord calls!

Enter ⌈from below the stage⌉ two or three Gentlemen; ⌈to them, enter Helicanus⌉

FIRST GENTLEMAN What is your lordship’s pleasure?

HELICANUS

Gentlemen, some of worth would come aboard.

I pray you, greet him fairly.

Enter Lysimachus ⌈at first door, with the Sailor and Lords of Mytilene⌉

⌈SAILOR OF MYTILENE⌉ (to Lysimachus)

This is the man that can in aught resolve you.

LYSIMACHUS (to Helicanus)

Hail, reverend sir; the gods preserve you!

HELICANUS

And you, sir, to outlive the age I am,

And die as I would do.

LYSIMACHUS You wish me well.

I am the governor of Mytilene;

Being on shore, honouring of Neptune’s triumphs,

Seeing this goodly vessel ride before us,

I made to it to know of whence you are.

HELICANUS

Our vessel is of Tyre, in it our king,

A man who for this three months hath not spoken

To anyone, nor taken sustenance

But to prorogue his grief.

LYSIMACHUS

Upon what ground grew his distemp’rature?

HELICANUS

’Twould be too tedious to tell it over,

But the main grief springs from the precious loss

Of a belovèd daughter and a wife.

LYSIMACHUS

May we not see him?

HELICANUS

See him, sir, you may,

But bootless is your sight. He will not speak

To any.

LYSIMACHUS Let me yet obtain my wish.

HELICANUS

Behold him.

Helicanus draws a curtain, revealing Pericles lying upon a couch with a long overgrown beard, diffused hair, undecent nails on his fingers, and attired in sack-cloth

This was a goodly person

Till the disaster of one mortal night

Drove him to this.

LYSIMACHUS (to Pericles)

Sir, King, all hail. Hail, royal sir.

⌈Pericles shrinks himself down upon his pillow⌉

HELICANUS

It is in vain. He will not speak to you.

LORD OF MYTILENE

Sir, we have a maid in Mytilene I durst wager

Would win some words of him.

LYSIMACHUS ’Tis well bethought.

She questionless, with her sweet harmony

And other choice attractions, would alarum

And make a batt‘ry through his deafened ports,

Which now are midway stopped. She in all happy,

As the fair’st of all, among her fellow maids

Dwells now i’th’ leafy shelter that abuts

Against the island’s side. Go fetch her hither.

⌈Exit Lord⌉

HELICANUS

Sure, all effectless; yet nothing we’ll omit

That bears recov’ry’s name. But since your kindness

We have stretched thus far, let us beseech you

That for our gold we may provision have,

Wherein we are not destitute for want,

But weary for the staleness.

LYSIMACHUS O sir, a courtesy

Which if we should deny, the most just gods

For every graft would send a caterpillar,

And so inflict our province. Yet once more

Let me entreat to know at large the cause

Of your king’s sorrow.

HELICANUS Sit, sir. I will recount it.

⌈Enter Lord with Marina and another maid⌉

But see, I am prevented.

LYSIMACHUS

O, here’s the lady that I sent for.—

Welcome, fair one.—Is’t not a goodly presence? HELICANUS She’s a gallant lady.

LYSIMACHUS

She’s such a one that, were I well assured

Came of gentle kind or noble stock, I’d wish

No better choice to think me rarely wed.—

Fair one, all goodness that consists in bounty

Expect e’en here, where is a kingly patient;

If that thy prosperous and artificial feat

Can draw him but to answer thee in aught,

Thy sacred physic shall receive such pay

As thy desires can wish.

MARINA Sir, I will use

My utmost skill in his recure, provided

That none but I and my companion maid

Be suffered to come near him.

LYSIMACHUS (to the others) Let us leave her,

And the gods prosper her. ⌈The men stand aside⌉

The Song

LYSIMACHUS ⌈coming forward⌉ Marked he your music? ⌈MAID⌉

No, nor looked on us.

LYSIMACHUS (to the others) See, she will speak to him.

MARINA (to Pericles)

Hail, sir; my lord, lend ear.

PERICLES Hmh, ha!

⌈He roughly repulses her⌉

MARINA I am a maid,

My lord, that ne‘er before invited eyes,

But have been gazed on like a comet. She speaks,

My lord, that maybe hath endured a grief

Might equal yours, if both were justly weighed.

Though wayward fortune did malign my state,

My derivation was from ancestors

Who stood equivalent with mighty kings,

But time hath rooted out my parentage,

And to the world and awkward casualties

Bound me in servitude. (Aside) I will desist.

But there is something glows upon my cheek,

And whispers in mine ear ‘Stay till he speak.’

PERICLES

My fortunes, parentage, good parentage,

To equal mine? Was it not thus? What say you?

MARINA

I said if you did know my parentage,

My lord, you would not do me violence.

PERICLES

I do think so. Pray you, turn your eyes upon me.

You’re like something that—what countrywoman?

Here of these shores?

MARINA No, nor of any shores,

Yet I was mortally brought forth, and am

No other than I seem.

PERICLES ⌈aside⌉

I am great with woe, and shall deliver weeping.

My dearest wife was like this maid, and such

My daughter might have been. My queen’s square

brows,

Her stature to an inch, as wand-like straight,

As silver-voiced, her eyes as jewel-like,

And cased as richly, in pace another Juno,

Who starves the ears she feeds, and makes them

hungry

The more she gives them speech.—Where do you live?

MARINA

Where I am but a stranger. From the deck

You may discern the place.

PERICLES

Where were you bred, And how achieved you these endowments which You make more rich to owe?

MARINA If I should tell My history, it would seem like lies Disdained in the reporting.

PERICLES Prithee speak.

Falseness cannot come from thee, for thou look‘st

Modest as justice, and thou seem’st a palace

For the crowned truth to dwell in. I will believe thee,

And make my senses credit thy relation

To points that seem impossible. Thou show‘st

Like one I loved indeed. What were thy friends?

Didst thou not say, when I did push thee back—

Which was when I perceived thee—that thou cam’st

From good descending?

MARINA So indeed I did.

PERICLES

Report thy parentage. I think thou said‘st

Thou hadst been tossed from wrong to injury,

And that thou thought’st thy griefs might equal mine,

If both were opened.

MARINA Some such thing I said,

And said no more but what my circumstance

Did warrant me was likely.

PERICLES Tell thy story.

If thine considered prove the thousandth part

Of my endurance, thou art a man, and I

Have suffered 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.

She sits

MARINA

My name, sir, is Marina.

PERICLES

O, I am mocked,

And thou by some incensed god sent hither

To make the world to laugh at me.

MARINA Patience, good sir,

Or here I’ll cease.

PERICLES

Nay, I’ll be patient.

Thou little know’st how thou dost startle me

To call thyself Marina.

MARINA

The name

Was given me by one that had some power:

My father, and a king.

PERICLES

How, a king’s daughter, And called Marina?

MARINA

You said you would believe me, But not to be a troubler of your peace I will end here.

PERICLES

But are you flesh and blood?

Have you a working pulse and are no fairy?

Motion as well? Speak on. Where were you born,

And wherefore called Marina?

MARINA

Called Marina

For I was born at sea.

PERICLES At sea? What mother?

MARINA

My mother was the daughter of a king,

Who died when I was born, as my good nurse

Lychorida hath oft recounted weeping.

PERICLES

O, stop there a little! ⌈Aside⌉ This is the rarest dream

That e’er dulled sleep did mock sad fools withal.

This cannot be my daughter, buried. Well.

(To Marina) Where were you bred? I’ll hear you more

to th’ bottom

Of your story, and never interrupt you.

MARINA

You will scarce believe me. ‘Twere best I did give o’er.

PERICLES

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?

MARINA

The King my father did in Tarsus leave me,

Till cruel Cleon, with his wicked wife,

Did seek to murder me, and wooed a villain

To attempt the deed; who having drawn to do’t,

A crew of pirates came and rescued me.

To Mytilene they brought me. But, good sir,

What will you of me? Why do you weep? It may be

You think me an impostor. No, good faith,

I am the daughter to King Pericles,

If good King Pericles be.

PERICLES rising Ho, Helicanus!

HELICANUS (coming forward) Calls my lord?

PERICLES

Thou art a grave and noble counsellor,

Most wise in gen’ral. Tell me if thou canst

What this maid is, or what is like to be,

That thus hath made me weep.

HELICANUS

I know not.

But here’s the regent, sir, of Mytilene

Speaks nobly of her.

LYSIMACHUS She would never tell

Her parentage. Being demanded that,

She would sit still and weep.

PERICLES

O Helicanus, strike me, honoured 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! (To Marina) O,

come hither,

⌈Marina stands⌉

Thou that begett’st him that did thee beget,

Thou that wast born at sea, buried at Tarsus,

And found at sea again!—O Helicanus,

Down on thy knees, thank the holy gods as loud

As thunder threatens us, this is Marina!

(To Marina) What was thy mother’s name? Tell me

but that,

For truth can never be confirmed enough,

Though doubts did ever sleep.

MARINA First, sir, I pray, What is your title?

PERICLES I am Pericles

Of Tyre. But tell me now my drowned queen’s name.

As in the rest thou hast been godlike perfect,

So prove but true in that, thou art my daughter,

The heir of kingdoms, and another life

To Pericles thy father.

MARINA ⌈kneeling⌉ Is it no more

To be your daughter than to say my mother’s name?

Thaisa was my mother, who did end

The minute I began.

PERICLES

Now blessing on thee! Rise. Thou art my child.

⌈Marina stands. He kisses her⌉

⌈To attendants⌉ Give me fresh garments.—Mine own,

Helicanus!

Not dead at Tarsus, as she should have been

By savage Cleon. She shall tell thee all,

When thou shalt kneel and justify in knowledge

She is thy very princess. Who is this?

HELICANUS

Sir, ’tis the governor of Mytilene,

Who, hearing of your melancholy state,

Did come to see you.

PERICLES (to Lysimachus) I embrace you, sir.—

Give me my robes.

⌈He is attired in fresh robes⌉

I am wild in my beholding.

O heavens, bless my girl!

⌈Celestial music⌉

But hark, what music?

Tell Helicanus, my Marina, tell him

O’er point by point, for yet he seems to doubt,

How sure you are my daughter. But what music?

HELICANUS My lord, I hear none.

PERICLES

None? The music of the spheres! List, my Marina.

LYSIMACHUS (aside to the others)

It is not good to cross him. Give him way.

PERICLES Rar’st sounds. Do ye not hear?

LYSIMACHUS Music, my lord?

PERICLES I hear most heav’nly music.

It raps me unto list’ning, and thick slumber

Hangs upon mine eyelids. Let me rest.

He sleeps

LYSIMACHUS

A pillow for his head.

⌈To Marina and others⌉ Companion friends,

If this but answer to my just belief

I’ll well remember you. So leave him all.

Exeunt all but Pericles

Diana ⌈descends from the heavens⌉

DIANA

My temple stands in Ephesus. Hie thee thither,

And do upon mine altar sacrifice.

There when my maiden priests are met together,

At large discourse thy fortunes in this wise:

With a full voice 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 woe;

Do’t, and rest happy, by my silver bow.

Awake, and tell thy dream.

⌈Diana ascends into the heavens⌉

PERICLES

Celestial Dian, goddess argentine,

I will obey thee. (Calling) Helicanus!

Enter Helicanus, Lysimachus, and Marina

HELICANUS Sir?

PERICLES

My purpose was for Tarsus, there to strike

Th’inhospitable Cleon, but I am

For other service first. Toward Ephesus

Turn our blown sails. Eftsoons I’ll tell thee why.

Exit Helicanus

Shall we refresh us, sir, upon your shore,

And give you gold for such provision

As our intents will need?

LYSIMACHUS

With all my heart, sir,

And when you come ashore I have a suit.

PERICLES

You shall prevail, were it to woo my daughter,

For it seems you have been noble towards her.

LYSIMACHUS

Sir, lend me your arm.

PERICLES

Come, my Marina.

⌈Exit Pericles with Lysimachus at one arm, Marina at the other⌉