'Tis the king's subtilty to have my life.—

O, seek not to entrap me, gracious lord,(105)

A stranger and distressèd gentleman,

That never aim'd so high to love your daughter,
But bent all offices to honour her.

Sim. Thou hast bewitch'd my daughter, and thou art
A villain.

Per. By the gods, I have not:

Never did thought of mine levy offence;

Nor never did my actions yet commence

A deed might gain her love or your displeasure.

Sim. Traitor, thou liest.

Per.

Sim.

Traitor!

Ay, traitor.

Per. Even in his throat-unless it be the king

That calls me traitor, I return the lie.

Sim. [aside] Now, by the gods, I do applaud his courage.
Per. My actions are as noble as my thoughts,

That never relish'd of a base descent.

I came unto your court for honour's cause,

And not to be a rebel to her state;"

(106)

And he that otherwise accounts of me,
This sword shall prove he's honour's enemy.
Sim. No?

Here comes my daughter, she can witness it.

Enter THAISA.

Per. Then, as you are as virtuous as fair,
Resolve your angry father, if my tongue
Did e'er solicit, or my hand subscribe
To any syllable that made love to you.

Thai. Why, sir, say if you had,"
Who takes offence at that would make me glad?

Sim. Yea, mistress, are you so peremptory?—

[Aside] I am glad on't with all my heart.— I'll tame you; I'll bring you in subjection. Will you, not having my consent,

Bestow your love and your affections

Upon a stranger?-[aside] who, for aught I know,
May be-nor can I think the contrary-

VOL. VIII.

D

As great in blood as I myself.—

Therefore hear you, mistress; either frame
Your will to mine, and you, sir, hear you,
Either be rul'd by me, or I will make you—-
Man and wife :-

Nay, come, your hands and lips must seal it too;
And being join'd, I'll thus your hopes destroy;
And for a(108) further grief,-God give you joy!—
What, are you both pleas'd?

Thai.
Yes, if you love me, sir.
Per. Even as my life, or blood that fosters it. (109)

Sim. What, are you both agreed?

Both.

Yes, if't please your majesty.

Sim. It pleaseth me so well, that I will see you wed; And then with what haste you can get you to bed. [Exeunt.

ACT III.

Enter GOWER.

Gow. Now sleep yslakèd hath the rout;

No din but snores the house about,(110)
Made louder by the o'er-fed breast
Of this most pompous marriage-feast.
The cat, with eyne of burning coal,
Now couches fore the mouse's hole;
And crickets sing at th' oven's mouth,
Aye the blither for their drouth.(111)
Hymen hath brought the bride to bed,
Where, by the loss of maidenhead,
A babe is moulded.-Be attent,

And time that is so briefly spent

With your fine fancies quaintly eche:

What's dumb in show I'll plain with speech.

DUMB-SHOW.

Enter, from one side, PERICLES and SIMONIDES with Attendants; a

Messenger meets them, kneels, and gives PERICLES a letter: he shows it to SIMONIDES; the Lords kneel to PERICLES. Then enter THAISA with child, and LYCHORIDA. SIMONIDES shows his daughter 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 (112)
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,

Yravished the regions round,

And every one with claps can(113) sound,

"Our heir-apparent is a king!

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. Theira14) vessel shakes

On Neptune's billow; half the flood.

Hath their keel cut: but fortune's mood(115)

Varies again; the grisly 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(116)
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(17) Pericles appears to speak.

[Exit.

SCENE I.

Enter PERICLES, on shipboard.

Per. Thou(118) god of this great vast, rebuke these surges,

Which wash both heaven and hell; and thou, that hast
Upon the winds command, bind them in brass,
Having recall'd them from the deep! O, still
Thy deafening, dreadful thunders; gently quench(119)
Thy nimble, sulphurous flashes!-0, how, Lychorida,
How does my queen ?-Thou stormest venomously;
Wilt thou spit all thyself 2020-The seaman's whistle
Is as a whisper in the ears of death,
Unheard.-Lychorida !-Lucina, O

Divinest patroness, and midwife (121) gentle

To those that cry by night, convey thy deity
Aboard our dancing boat; make swift the pangs
Of my queen's travail !(122)

Enter LYCHORIDA, with an Infant.

Now, Lychorida!

Lyc. Here is a thing too young for such a place,

Who, if it had conceit, would die, as I

Am like to do take in your arms this piece

Of your 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

Vie (123) honour with you.

Lyc.

Even for this charge.

Per.

Patience, good sir,

Now, mild may be thy life!

For a more blusterous birth had never babe:

Quiet and gentle thy conditions! for

Thou art the rudeliest welcome to this world(124)

That e'er 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 gods
Throw their best eyes upon't!

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 seafarer,

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.

Therefore

First Sail. Pardon us, sir; with us at sea it hath been still observed; and we are strong in custom." briefly yield her; for she must overboard straight.