enter Thaisa with child, with Lychorida a nurse. The King shows her the letter; she rejoices. She and Pericles take leave of her father, and depart [with Lychorida and their Attendants. Then exeunt Simonides and the rest].

By many a dern and painful perch,
Of Pericles the careful search,
By the four opposing coigns
Which the world together joins,
Is made with all due diligence

That horse and sail and high expense

Can stead the quest. At last from Tyre,
Fame answering the most strange inquire,
To the court of King Simonides
Are letters brought, the tenour these:
Antiochus and his daughter dead,
The men of Tyrus on the head
Of Helicanus would set on

The crown of Tyre, but he will none.
The mutiny he there hastes t' oppress;
Says to 'em, if King Pericles

Come not home in twice six moons,
He, obedient to their dooms,

Will take the crown. The sum of this,
Brought hither to Pentapolis,

Y-ravished the regions round,

15

20

25

30

35

Who dream'd, who thought of such a thing?"
Brief, he must hence depart to Tyre:
His queen with child makes her desire
Which who shall cross? - along to go.
Omit we all their dole and woe.

Lychorida, her nurse, she takes,
And so to sea. Their vessel shakes

On Neptune's billow; half the flood

Hath their keel cut. But fortune's mood
Varies again. The grisled north
Disgorges such a tempest forth,
That, as a duck for life that dives,
So up and down the poor ship drives.
The lady shrieks, and well-a-near
Does fall in travail with her fear;
And what ensues in this fell storm
Shall for itself itself perform.

I nill relate, action may
Conveniently the rest convey,
Which might not what by me is told.
In your imagination hold

This stage the ship, upon whose deck

The sea-tost Pericles appears to speak.

[SCENE I.]

Enter PERICLES, on shipboard.

40

[Exit.]

1. 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, 41 I would it would be quiet.

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

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

46

1. Sail. Sir, your queen must overboard. The sea works high, the wind is loud, and will not lie till the ship be clear'd of the dead. Per. That 's your superstition.

50

1. 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!

55

Rich tire about you, should at these early hours

Shake off the golden slumber of repose. "T is most strange,

I hold it ever

ever

30

Nature should be so conversant with pain,
Being thereto not compelled.
Cer.
Virtue and cunning were endowments greater
Than nobleness and riches. Careless beirs
May the two latter darken and expend,
But immortality attends the former,
Making a man a god. 'Tis known, I
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 dwells 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 pleasure up in silken bags,
To please the fool and Death.

85

2. Gent. Your honour has through Ephesus poured forth

Your charity, and hundreds call themselves Your creatures, who by you have been re

stored;

45

And not your knowledge, your personal pain, but even Your purse,

mon

still open, hath built Lord Ceri

Such strong renown as time shall ne'er decay.

Enter two or three [SERVANTS] with a chest. 1. Serv. So; lift there. Cer.

1. Serv.

What is that?

Sir, even now

Did the sea toss up upon our shore this chest. >> 'T is of some wreck.

[SCENE IV. Ephesus. A room in Cerimon's house.]

Enter CERIMON and THAISA.

Cer. Madam, this letter and some certain jewels

Lay with you in your coffer, which are
At your command. Know you the character?
Thai. It is my lord's.

That I was shipp'd at sea, I well remember,
Even on my eaning time; but whether there
Delivered, by the holy gods,

I cannot rightly say. But since King Pericles,

My wedded lord, I ne'er shall see again,
A vestal livery will I take me to,

And never more have joy.

10

Cer. Madam, if this you purpose as ye speak, Diana's temple is not distant far,

Where you may abide till your date expire.
Moreover, if you please, a niece of mine
Shall there attend you.

15

Thai. My recompense is thanks, that 's all; Yet my good will is great, though the gift small.

[ACT IV]

Enter GOWER.

[Exeunt.

[SCENE I. Tarsus. An open place near the seashore.]

Enter DIONYZA with LEONINE.

Dion. Thy oath remember; thou hast sworn to do 't.

"T is but a blow, which never shall be known. Thou canst not do a thing in the world so soon, To yield thee so much profit. Let not conscience,

Which is but cold, inflaming love i' thy bosom, 5 Inflame too nicely; nor let pity, which

Even women have cast off, melt thee, but be A soldier to thy purpose.

Leon. I will do 't; but yet she is a goodly

The master calls, and trebles their confusion. 65 Leon. Come, say your prayers.

Mar. What mean you?

Leon. If you require a little space for prayer, I grant it. Pray, but be not tedious; For the gods are quick of ear, and I am sworn 70 To do my work with haste.

Mar.

Why will you kill me?

Leon. To satisfy my lady.
Mar. Why would she have me kill'd?
Now, as I can remember, by my troth,
I never did her hurt in all my life.

I never spake bad word, nor did ill turn
To any living creature. Believe me, la,
I never kill'd a mouse, nor hurt a fly,
Aye, trod upon a worm against my will,
But I wept for it. How have I offended,
Wherein my death might yield her any profit,
Or my life imply her any danger?

Leon. My commission

Is not to reason of the deed, but do 't.

75

80

Mar. You will not do 't for all the world, I hope.

85

Boult. Ay, to eleven; and brought them down again. But shall I search the market? 18 Bawd. What else, man? The stuff we have, a strong wind will blow it to pieces, they are so pitifully sodden.

21

Pand. Thou sayest true; they're too unwholesome, o' conscience. The poor Transylvanian is dead, that lay with the little baggage.

Boult. Ay, she quickly poop'd him; she made him roast-meat for worms. But I'll go search the market. [Exit. 27

Pand. Three or four thousand chequins were as pretty a proportion to live quietly, and so give over.

Bawd. Why to give over, I pray you? Is it a shame to get when we are old?

82

Pand. O, our credit comes not in like the commodity, nor the commodity wages not with