William Shakespeare

“ 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, The heir of kingdoms and another like To Pericles thy father. MARINA.
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. PERICLES.
Now, blessing on thee! rise; thou art my child. Give me fresh garments. Mine own, Helicanus; She is 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. ”

“ Enter Dionyza with Leonine.
DIONYZA.
Thy oath remember; thou hast sworn to do’t:
’Tis 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,
Inflame too nicely; nor let pity, which
Even women have cast off, melt thee, but be
A soldier to thy purpose.
LEONINE.
I will do’t; but yet she is a goodly creature.
DIONYZA.
The fitter, then, the gods should have her. Here she comes weeping for her only mistress’ death. Thou art resolved? ”

“ PERICLES.
You have heard me say, when did fly from Tyre, I left behind an ancient substitute: Can you remember what I call’d the man I have named him oft. THAISA.
’Twas Helicanus then. PERICLES.
Still confirmation: Embrace him, dear Thaisa; this is he. Now do I long to hear how you were found: How possibly preserved; and who to thank, Besides the gods, for this great miracle. THAISA.
Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man, Through whom the gods have shown their power; that can From first to last resolve you. PERICLES.
Reverend sir, The gods can have no mortal officer More like a god than you. ”

“ CERIMON. Look to the lady; O, she's but o'er-joy'd. Early in blustering morn this lady was Thrown upon this shore. I oped the coffin, Found there rich jewels; recover'd her, and placed her Here in Diana's temple.
PERICLES. May we see them?
CERIMON. Great sir, they shall be brought you to my house, Whither I invite you. Look, Thaisa is Recovered.
THAISA. O, let me look! If he be none of mine, my sanctity Will to my sense bend no licentious ear, But curb it, spite of seeing. O, my lord, Are you not Pericles? Like him you spake, Like him you are: did you not name a tempest, A birth, and death? ”

“ LYCHORIDA. 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.
PERICLES. 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.
LYCHORIDA. Patience, good sir. Even for this charge.
PERICLES. Now, mild may be thy life! For a more blustrous birth had never babe: Quiet and gentle thy conditions! for Thou art the rudliest welcome to this world That ever was prince's child. ”

“ THAISA. To me he seems like diamond to glass.
PERICLES. Yon king's to me like to my father's picture, Which tells me in that glory once he was; Had princes sit, like stars, about his throne, And he the sun, for them to reverence; None that beheld him, but, like lesser lights, Did vail their crowns to his supremacy: Where now his son's like a glow-worm in the night, The which hath fire in darkness, none in light: Whereby I see that Time's the king of men, He's both their parent, and he is their grave, And gives them what he will, not what they crave. ”

“ PERICLES.
Antiochus, I thank thee, who hath taught My frail mortality to know itself, And by those fearful objects to prepare This body, like to them, to what I must; For death remember’d should be like a mirror, Who tells us life ’s but breath, to trust it error. I’ll make my will then, and, as sick men do Who know the world, see heaven, but, feeling woe, Gripe not at earthly joys as erst they did; So I bequeath a happy peace to you And all good men, as every prince should do; My riches to the earth from whence they came ”

“ THAISA.
He thanks your grace; names himself Pericles, A gentleman of Tyre, Who only by misfortune of the seas Bereft of ships and men, cast on this shore. SIMONIDES.
Now, by the gods, I pity his misfortune, And will awake him from his melancholy. Come, gentlemen, we sit too long on trifles, And waste the time, which looks for other revels. Even in your armours, as you are address’d, Will very well become a soldier’s dance. I will not have excuse, with saying this, Loud music is too harsh for ladies’ heads Since they love men in arms as well as beds. ”

“ SCENE I. Pentapolis. An open place by the sea-side. [Enter Pericles, wet.]
PERICLES. Yet cease your ire, you angry stars of heaven! Wind, rain, and thunder, remember, earthly man Is but a substance that must yield to you; And I, as fits my nature, do obey you: Alas, the sea hath cast me on the rocks, Wash'd me from shore to shore, and left me breath Nothing to think on but ensuing death: Let it suffice the greatness of your powers To have bereft a prince of all his fortunes; And having thrown him from your watery grave, Here to have death in peace is all he'll crave. ”

“ PERICLES. 'Tis more by fortune, lady, than by merit.
SIMONIDES. Call it by what you will, the day is yours; And here, I hope, is none that envies it. In framing an artist, art hath thus decreed, To make some good, but others to exceed; And you are her labour'd scholar. Come queen of the feast, — For, daughter, so you are, — here take your place: Marshal the rest, as they deserve their grace.
KNIGHTS. We are honour'd much by good Simonides.
SIMONIDES. Your presence glads our days; honour we love; For who hates honour hates the gods above.
MARSHALL. Sir, yonder is your place. ”

“ MARINA.
No, nor of any shores:
Yet I was mortally brought forth, and am
No other than I appear.
PERICLES.
I am great with woe, and shall deliver weeping.
My dearest wife was like this maid, and such a one
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. ”

“ When noble Pericles shall demand his child?
DIONYZA.
That she is dead. Nurses are not the fates,
To foster it, nor 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 heavens, 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 coward a spirit. ”

“ In Pericles, his queen and daughter, seen, Although assail’d with fortune fierce and keen, Virtue preserved from fell destruction’s blast, Led on by heaven, and crown’d with joy at last: In Helicanus may you well descry A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty: In reverend Cerimon there well appears The worth that learned charity aye wears: For wicked Cleon and his wife, when fame Had spread their cursed deed, and honour’d name Of Pericles, to rage the city turn, That him and his they in his palace burn; The gods for murder seemed so content To punish them although not done but meant. ”

“ The gods preserve you!
Hail, royal sir!
HELICANUS.
It is in vain; he will not speak to you.
FIRST LORD.
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 chosen attractions, would allure,
And make a battery through his deafen’d parts,
Which now are midway stopp’d:
She is all happy as the fairest of all,
And, with her fellow maids, is now upon
The leafy shelter that abuts against
The island’s side.
[Whispers a Lord who goes off in the barge of Lysimachus.] ”

“ SECOND GENTLEMAN.
’Tis like a coffin, sir. CERIMON.
Whate’er it be, ’Tis wondrous heavy. Wrench it open straight: If the sea’s stomach be o’ercharged with gold, ’Tis a good constraint of fortune it belches upon us. SECOND GENTLEMAN.
’Tis so, my lord. CERIMON.
How close ’tis caulk’d and bitumed! Did the sea cast it up? FIRST SERVANT.
I never saw so huge a billow, sir, As toss’d it upon shore. CERIMON.
Wrench it open; Soft! it smells most sweetly in my sense. SECOND GENTLEMAN.
A delicate odour. CERIMON.
As ever hit my nostril. So up with it. O you most potent gods! what’s here? a corse! ”