Of your

20

Am like to do: take in your arms this piece

dead

queen. Per.

How, how, Lychorida !
Lyc. Patience, good sir; do not assist the

storm.
Here's all that is left living of your queen,
A little daughter : for the sake of it,
Be manly, and take comfort.
Per.

O you gods !
Why do you make us love your goodly gifts,
And snatch them straight away? We here below
Recall not what we give, and therein may
Use honour with you.
Lyc.

Patience, good sir,
Even for this charge.
Per.

Now, mild may be thy life!
For a more blustrous birth had never babe :
Quiet and gentle thy conditions ! for
Thou art the rudeliest welcome to this world
That ever

was prince's child. Happy what follows ! Thou hast as chiding a nativity As fire, air, water, earth, and heaven can make, To herald thee from the womb: even at the first Thy loss is more than can thy portage quit, With all thou canst find here. Now, the good

30 40

Enter two Sailors.
First Sail. What courage, sir? God save you

Per. Courage enough: I do not fear the flaw;
It hath done to me the worst. Yet, for the love
Of this poor infant, this fresh-new sea-farer,
I would it would be quiet.

First Sail. Slack the bolins there! Thou wilt not, wilt thou ? Blow, and split thyself.

Sec. Sail. But sea-room, an the brine and cloudy billow kiss the moon, I care not.

First Sail. Sir, your queen must overboard : the sea works high, the wind is loud, and will not lie till the ship be cleared of the dead.

Per. That's your superstition.

First Sail. Pardon us, sir; with us at sea it hath been still observed ; and we are strong in custom. Therefore briefly yield her; for she must overboard straight. Per. As you think meet. Most wretched

queen! Lyc. Here she lies, sir. Per. A terrible childbed hast thou had, my

50

dear;

60

No light, no fire: the unfriendly elements
Forgot thee utterly; nor have I time
To give thee hallow'd to thy grave, but straight
Must cast thee, scarcely coffin'd, in the ooze,
Where, for a monument upon thy bones,
And aye remaining lamps, the belching whale
And humming water must o'erwhelm thy corpse,
Lying with simple shells. O Lychorida,
39. flaw, blast.

Sailor in Pericles' following 53. custom ; Boswell's certain speech. correction of Qq Ff 'eastern.' 63. aye remaining lamps, i.e. The old texts also interpolate the ever-burning lamps of a vault. the last sentence of the First Qq Ff air-remaining.

70

Bid Nestor bring me spices, ink and paper,
My casket and my jewels; and bid Nicander
Bring me the satin coffer : lay the babe
Upon the pillow: hie thee, whiles I say
A priestly farewell to her : suddenly, woman.

[Exit Lychorida.
Sec. Sail. Sir, we have a chest beneath the
hatches, caulked and bitumed ready.
Per. I thank thee. Mariner, say what coast

is this?
Sec. Sail. We are near Tarsus.

Per. Thither, gentle mariner,
Alter thy course for Tyre. When canst thou

reach it?
Sec. Sail. By break of day, if the wind cease.

Per. O, make for Tarsus !
There will I visit Cleon, for the babe
Cannot hold out to Tyrus : there I 'll leave it
At careful nursing. Go thy ways, good mariner :
I'll bring the body presently.

[Exeunt.

80

SCENE II. Ephesus. A room in Cerimon's

house.

Enter CERIMON, with a Servant, and some

Persons who have been shipwrecked.
Cer. Philemon, ho !

Enter PHILEMON.
Phil. Doth my lord call ?
Cer. Get fire and meat for these poor men :
76. ihy course for Tyre, i.e.

expression, which the ihy course which is at present novelist is likely in any case to sor Tyre. Wilkins' novel has have preferred. ' from Tyre'; a simpler but less

exact

.

'T has been a turbulent and stormy night. Serv. I have been in many ; but such a night

as this, Till now, I ne'er endured.

Cer. Your master will be dead ere you return; There's nothing can be minister'd to nature That can recover him. [To Philemon] Give this

to the 'pothecary, And tell me how it works.

[Exeunt all but Cerimon.

10

Enter two Gentlemen. First Gent.

Good morrow. Sec. Gent. Good morrow to your lordship. Cer.

Gentlemen, Why do you stir so early?

First Gent. Sir, Our lodgings, standing bleak upon the sea, Shook as the earth did quake; The very principals did seem to rend, And all-to topple: pure surprise and fear Made me to quit the house. Sec. Gent. That is the cause we trouble you

so early; 'Tis not our husbandry. Cer.

O, you say well. First Gent. But I much marvel that your

lordship, having Rich tire about you, should at these early hours Shake off the golden slumber of repose. 'Tis most strange, Nature should be so conversant with pain,

20

16. principals, main beams. stirring' was held particularly 17. all-to, in pieces.

characteristic. Cf. Hen. V. iv. husbandry, zeal

for 1. 7; Troil, and Cress. i. 2. 7. business, of which to be early 22. tire, (?) furniture.

20.

30

Being thereto not compell’d.
Cer.

I hold it ever,
Virtue and cunning were endowments greater
Than nobleness and riches: careless heirs
May the two latter darken and expend;
But immortality attends the former,
Making a man a god. 'Tis known, I ever
Have studied physic, through which secret art,
By turning o'er authorities, I have,
Together with my practice, made familiar
To me and to my aid the blest infusions
That dwell in vegetives, in metals, stones ;
And I can speak of the disturbances
That nature works, and of her cures; which doth

give me
A more content in course of true delight
Than to be thirsty after tottering honour,
Or tie my treasure up in silken bags,
To please the fool and death.
Sec. Gent. Your honour has through Ephesus

pour'd forth
Your charity, and hundreds call themselves
Your creatures, who by you have been restored :
And not your knowledge, your personal pain,

but even
Your purse, still open, hath built Lord Cerimon
Such strong renown as time shall never-

40

Enter two or three Servants with a chest.

First Serv. So; lift there.
Cer.

What is that?
First Serv,

Sir, even now