And never interrupt you.

Mar. You'll scarce believe me; 'twere best I did give o'er".

Per. 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?

Mar. The king, my father, did in Tharsus leave me, Till cruel Cleon, with his wicked wife,

Did seek to murder me; and having woo'd

A villain to attempt it, who having drawn to do't,

A crew of pirates came and rescued me,

Brought me to Mitylene. But, good sir,

Whither will you have 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.

Per. Ho, Helicanus !

Hel.

Calls my gracious lord?

Per. Thou art a grave and noble counsellor,
Most wise in general: tell me, if thou canst,
What this maid is, or what is like to be,
That thus hath made me weep?

Hel.

I know not; but

Here is the regent, sir, of Mitylene,

Speaks nobly of her.

Lys.

She would never tell

Her parentage; being demanded that,

She would sit still and weep.

Per. Oh Helicanus! strike me, honour'd 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.
Thou that beget'st him that did thee beget';

Oh! come hither,

8 YOU'LL SCARCE believe me; 'twere best I did give o'er.] In our first edition we preserved the line precisely as it appears in all the old impressions, viz. "You scorn: believe me, 'twere best I did give o'er."

But Pericles had expressed no scorn, and we are now convinced that Malone was right in giving the text as it stands. His emendations are sometimes better than his interpolations.

Thou that beget'st him that did thee beget;] The novel by Wilkins follows the drama with verbal accuracy, for it is said that she did "begette life in the father who begot her;" which, besides, confirms the emendation by Monck Mason in the last line of the next speech of Pericles.

VOL. VI.

H h

Thou that wast born at sea, buried at Tharsus,
And found at sea again. Oh Helicanus!
Down on thy knees, thank the holy gods, as loud
As thunder threatens us: this is Marina.—
What was thy mother's name? tell me but that,
For truth can never be confirm'd enough,

Though doubts did ever sleep.

Mar.

What is your title?

First, sir, I pray,

Per. I am Pericles of Tyre: but tell me, now,
My drown'd queen's name, (as in the rest you said
Thou hast been godlike perfect) thou heir of kingdoms,
And another life to Pericles, thy father'.

Mar. Is it no more to be your daughter, than

To say, my mother's name was Thaisa?

Thaisa was my mother, who did end

The minute I began.

Per. Now, blessing on thee! rise; thou art my child.

Give me fresh garments!-Mine own, Helicanus;

She is not dead at Tharsus, 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?
Hel. Sir, 'tis the governor of Mitylene,
Who, hearing of your melancholy state,
Did come to see you.

Per.

I embrace you.

Give me my robes! I am wild in my beholding.

Oh heavens, bless my girl! 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?

Hel. My lord, I hear none.

Per. None?

The music of the spheres! list, my Marina.

1

Lys. It is not good to cross him: give him way.

THOU heir of kingdoms,

And another LIFE to Pericles, thy father.] Pericles addresses Marina as "thou heir of kingdoms :" it is "the heir of kingdoms" in the early impressions; which also have "another like to Pericles," but M. Mason properly and tastefully amended like to "life." Malone would read, "A mother like to Pericles," but how does it appear that Thaisa was "like to Pericles?"

2

for yet he seems to DOUBT,] In the old copies, " doubt" is printed doat: the mistake is evident.

Per. Rarest sounds! Do ye not hear?

Lys. Music? My lord, I hear—
Per.

Most heavenly music:

It nips me unto list'ning, and thick slumber
Hangs upon mine eyes: let me rest'.

Lys. A pillow for his head.

[He sleeps.

[The curtain before the pavilion of PERICLES is

closed.

So leave him all.-Well, my companion-friends,

If this but answer to my just belief,

I'll well remember you.

[Exeunt LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, MARINA, and Lady.

SCENE II.

The Same.

PERICLES on the deck asleep; DIANA appearing to him in a vision.

Dia. My temple stands in Ephesus: hie thee thither,

And do upon mine altar sacrifice.

There, when my maiden priests are met together,

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'.

Or perform my bidding, or thou liv'st in woe:
Do't, and happy, by my silver bow'.

3 Hangs upon mine eyes: let me rest.] Malone, without even the excuse that it corrects the measure, much less that there was any corruption, reads “ Hangs on mine eyelids:" other modern editors adhere more nearly, though not closely, to the text, by giving "Hangs on mine eyes.' ." This variation, where the measure is generally so uncertain and irregular, is of trifling importance; but, surely, in the preceding line, we ought to read "nips" raps, i. e. rapts.

repetition to the LIFE.] In the old copies it stands "to the like." This mistake gives double countenance to M. Mason's conjecture on p. 466.

Do't, and happy, by my silver bow.] It seems clear that this speech has only reached us in a very mangled state: some lines rhyme, some do not, some are long, and some are short; but it is out of the question to attempt to correct redundancies or to supply deficiencies: it would be easy, perhaps preferable, to omit the first "Or" in the line

"Or perform my bidding, or thou liv'st in woe;"

Awake, and tell thy dream.

Per. Celestial Dian, goddess argentine,

I will obey thee!--Helicanus !

Hel.

[DIANA disappears.

Enter LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, and MARINA.

Sir.

Per. My purpose was for Tharsus, there to strike The inhospitable Cleon; but I am

For other service first: toward Ephesus

Turn our blown sails; eftsoons I'll tell thee why.—

Shall we refresh us, sir, upon your shore,

And give you gold for such provision

As our intents will need?

Lys. Sir, with all my heart; and when you come ashore,

I have another suit".

Per.

You shall prevail,

Were it to woo my daughter; for it seems

You have been noble towards her.

Lys.

Per. Come, my Marina.

Sir, lend your arm.

[Exeunt.

Enter GowER, before the Temple of DIANA at Ephesus.

Gow. Now our sands are almost run;

More a little, and then dumb.

This, as my last boon', give me,

For such kindness must relieve me,
That you aptly will suppose

What pageantry, what feats, what shows,
What minstrelsy, and pretty din,
The regent made in Mitylen,
To greet the king. So he thriv'd,
That he is promis'd to be wiv'd
To fair Marina; but in no wise
Till he had done his sacrifice,

but the ear of the reader will at once detect the error, and we prefer to present the text, as regards the words, as it stands in the early copies, where the old compositor was so little sensible of measure and jingle, that he printed the whole as prose.

• I have another SUIT.] "Suit" is misprinted sleight in the old editions. Malone made the correction.

7 This, as my last boon,] "As" is wanting in the old copies. Modern editors mention this insertion, but say nothing about adding has before "thriv'd," below -an addition on no account required.

As Dian bade: whereto being bound,
The interim, pray you all, confound.
In feather'd briefness sails are fill'd,
And wishes fall out as they're will'd.
At Ephesus, the temple see,
Our king, and all his company.
That he can hither come so soon,
Is by your fancy's thankful doom.

[Exit.

SCENE III.

The Temple of DIANA at Ephesus; THAISA standing near the Altar, as high Priestess; a number of Virgins on each side; CERIMON and other inhabitants of Ephesus attending.

Enter PERICLES, with his Train; LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, MARINA, and a Lady.

Per. Hail Dian! to perform thy just command,

I here confess myself the king of Tyre;

Who, frighted from my country, did wed

At Pentapolis the fair Thaisa.

At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth.
A maid-child, call'd Marina; who, oh goddess!
Wears yet thy silver livery. She at Tharsus
Was nurs'd with Cleon, whom at fourteen years
He sought to murder, but her better stars
Brought her to Mitylene; against whose shore
Riding, her fortunes brought the maid aboard us,
Where, by her own most clear remembrance, she
Made known herself my daughter.

Thai.

You are, you are -oh royal Pericles !—

8

Voice and favour' !— [She faints. Per. What means the nun 10? she dies: help, gentlemen!

thankful DOOM.] Perhaps we ought, with Steevens, to read boon for "doom;" but "moons 99 and "dooms are made to rhyme on p. 425. 9 Voice and FAVOUR!] "Favour" is of course here, as in many other instances, countenance, the character, and expression of the features.

10 What means the NUN?] Thaisa was a priestess, or as it might popularly be called a "nun" of the temple of Diana; but "nun" is misprinted mum in the 4to, 1609, and that error not having been detected, mum became woman in the 4to,