ACT V.

Enter Gower.

Gow. 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 neeld

composes

Nature's own shape, of bud, bird, branch, or

berry ;

That even 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,
Where we left him, on the sea. We there him

lost;
Whence, driven before the winds, he is arriv'd
Here where his daughter dwells; and on this coast
Suppose him now at anchor. The city striv'd
God Neptune's annual feast to keep: from

whence

Lysimachus our Tyrian ship espies,

His banners sable, trimm'd with rich expence;
And to him in his barge with fervour hies.
In your supposing once more put your sight;
Of heavy Pericles think this the bark :
Where, what is done in action, more, if might,
Shall be discover'd; please you, sit, and hark.

[Exit.

SCENE I.-On board Pericles' ship, off Mitylene. A close pavilion on deck, with a curtain before it : Pericles within it, reclining on a couch. A barge lying beside the Tyrian vessel.

Enter two Sailors, one belonging to the Tyrian vessel, the other to the barge; to them HELICANUS.

Tyr. Sail. Where's the lord Helicanus? he can resolve you. [To the Sailor of Mitylene.

O here he is.

Sir, there's a barge put off from Mitylene;
And in it is Lysimachus the governor,

Who craves to come aboard. What is your will?
Hel. That he have his. Call up some gentlemen.
Tyr. Sail. Ho, gentlemen! my lord calls.

Enter two Gentlemen.

1 Gent. Doth your lordship call?

Hel. Gentlemen,

There is some of worth would come aboard; I pray

you

To greet them fairly.

[The Gentlemen and the two Sailors descend, and go on board the barge.

Enter, from thence, LYSIMACHUS, and Lords; the Tyrian Gentlemen, and the two Sailors.

Tyr. Sail. Sir,

This is the man that can, in aught you would,
Resolve you.

Lys. Hail, reverend sir! The gods preserve you!
Hel. And you, sir, to outlive the age I am,
And die as I would do.

Lys. You wish me well.

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.
Hel. First, sir, what is your place?

Lys. I am governor of this place you lie before. Hel. Sir,

Our vessel is of Tyre, in it the king;

A man, who for this three months hath not spoken To any one, nor taken sustenance,

But to prorogue his grief.

Lys. Upon what ground is his distemperature?
Hel. Sir, it would be too tedious to repeat;
But the main grief of all springs from the loss
Of a beloved daughter and a wife.

Lys. May we not see him, then?

Hel. You may indeed, sir,

But bootless is your sight; he will not speak
To any.

Lys. Yet, let me obtain my wish.

Hel. Behold him, sir; [Pericles discovered.] this was a goodly person,

Till the disaster, that, one mortal night,

Drove him to this.

Lys. Sir, king, all hail! the gods preserve you! Hail,

Hail, royal sir!

Hel. It is in vain; he will not speak to you.

1 Lord. Sir, we have a maid in Mitylene, I durst wager,

Would win some words of him.

Lys. "Tis well bethought.

She, questionless, with her sweet harmony
And other choice attractions, would allure,
And make a battery through his deafen'd parts,
Which now are midway stopp'd:

She, all as happy as of all the fairest,
Is, with her fellow maidens, now within

The leafy shelter, that abuts against

The island's side.

[He whispers one of the attendant LordsExit Lord in the barge of Lysimachus. Hel. Sure, all's effectless; yet nothing we'll omit That bears recovery's name. But, since your kind

ness

We have stretch'd thus far, let us beseech you further,

That for our gold we may provision have,
Wherein we are not destitute for want,
But weary for the staleness.

Lys. O, sir, a courtesy,

Which if we should deny, the most just God
For every graff 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.

Hel. Sit, sir, I will recount it ;

But see, I am prevented.

Enter, from the barge, Lord, MARINA, and a young Lady.

Lys. O, here is

The lady that I sent for. Welcome, fair one!
Is't not a goodly presence?

Hel. A gallant lady.

Lys. She's such, that were I well assur'd she came Of gentle kind, and noble stock, I'd wish

No better choice, and think me rarely wed.
Fair one, all goodness that consists in bounty
Expect even here, where is a kingly patient:
If that thy prosperous-artificial feat
Can draw him but to answer thee in aught,
Thy sacred physic shall receive such pay
As thy desires can wish.

Mar. Sir, I will use

My utmost skill in his recovery,

Provided none but I and my companion

Be suffer'd to come near him.

Lys. Come, let us leave her,

And the gods make her prosperous! [Marina sings.
Lys. Mark'd he your music?
Mar. No, nor look'd on us.

Lys. See, she will speak to him.

Mar. Hail, sir! my lord, lend ear:

Per. Hum! ha!

Mar. I am a maid,

My lord, that ne'er before invited eyes,

But have been gaz'd on, comet-like: she speaks,
My lord, that, may be, hath endur'd a grief
Might equal yours, if both were justly weigh'd.
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.-I will desist;
But there is something glows upon my cheek,
And whispers in mine ear, Go not till he speak.

[Aside. Per. My fortunes-parentage-good parentageTo equal mine!- -was it not thus? what say you? Mar. I said, my lord, if you did know my parentage,

You would not do me violence.

Per. I do think so.

I pray you, turn your eyes again upon me.—
You are like something that-What countrywoman?
Here of these shores?

Mar. No, nor of any shores:

Yet I was mortally brought forth, and am
No other than I appear.