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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.
Sim. Your presence glads our days: honour we love;
For who hates honour hates the gods above.
Marshal. Sir, yonder is your place.

Per.

Some other is more fit.

1 Knight. Contend not, sir; for we are gentlemen That neither in our hearts nor outward eyes

Envy the great, nor do the low despise.
Per. You are right courteous knights.

Sim.

Sit, sir, sit.

Per. By Jove, I wonder, that is king of thoughts, These cates resist me, she but thought upon.

Thai. By Juno, that is queen

Of marriage, all viands that I eat

Do seem unsavoury, wishing him my meat.
Sure he's a gallant gentleman.

Sim. He's but a country gentleman;

Has done no more than other knights have done;
Has broken a staff or so; so let it pass.

Thai. To me he seems like diamond to glass.

Per. 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 glowworm in the night,
The which hath fire in darkness, none in light:
Whereby I see that Time's the king of men,
For he's their parent, and he is their grave,
And gives them what he will, not what they crave.
Sim. What, are you merry, knights?

1 Knight. Who can be other in this royal presence? Sim. Here, with a cup that's stor'd unto the brim,— As you do love, fill to your mistress' lips,

We drink this health to you.

Knights.

Sim. Yet pause awhile:

We thank your grace.

Yon knight, methinks, doth sit too melancholy,

As if the entertainment in our court

Had not a show might countervail his worth

Note it not you, Thaisa!

Thai.

To me, my father?

What is it

Sim.

O, attend, my daughter: Princes, in this, should live like gods above, Who freely give to every one that comes

To honour them:

And princes not doing so are like to gnats,

Which make a sound, but kill'd are wonder'd at.
Therefore to make his entrance more sweet,

Here, say we drink this standing-bowl of wine to him.
Thai. Alas, my father, it befits not me
Unto a stranger knight to be so bold:
He may my proffer take for an offence,
Since men take women's gifts for impudence
Sim. How!

Do as I bid you, or you'll move me else.

Thai. [aside.] Now, by the gods, he could not please me better.

Sim. And furthermore tell him, we desire to know of him Of whence he is, his name and parentage.

Thai. The king my father, sir, has drunk to you.

Per. I thank him.

Thai. Wishing it so much blood unto your life.

Per. I thank both him and you, and pledge him freely. Thai. And further he desires to know of you

Of whence you are, your name and parentage.

Per. A gentleman of Tyre,—my name, Pericles; My education been in arts and arms;

Who, looking for adventures in the world,

Was by the rough seas reft of ships and men,

And after shipwreck driven upon this shore.

Thai. 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.

Sim. 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.

[The Knights dance. So, this was well ask'd, 'twas so well perform'd.— Come, sir;

Here is a lady that wants breathing too:

And I have often heard you knights of Tyre

Are excellent in making ladies trip;

And that their measures are as excellent.

Per. In those that practise them they are, my lord.
Sim. O, that's as much as you would be denied

Of your fair courtesy. [The Knights and Ladies dance.]—
Unclasp, unclasp:

Thanks, gentlemen, to all; all have done well,

But you the best. [TO PERICLES.]-Pages and lights, to

conduct

These knights unto their several lodgings!-Yours, sir,
We have given order to be next our own.
Per. I am at your grace's pleasure.

Sim. Princes, it is too late to talk of love,
And that's the mark I know you level at:
Therefore each one betake him to his rest;
To-morrow all for speeding do their best.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-TYRE. A Room in the Governor's House.

Enter HELICANUS and ESCANES.

Hel. No, Escanes, no; know this of me,

Antiochus from incest liv'd not free:

For which, the most high gods not minding longer
To withhold the vengeance that they had in store,
Due to this heinous capital offence,

Even in the height and pride of all his glory,
When he was seated in a chariot

Of an inestimable value, and his daughter with him,
A fire from heaven came, and shrivell'd up

Their bodies, even to loathing; for they so stunk
That all those eyes ador'd them ere their fall
Scorn now their hand should give them burial.
Esca. 'Twas very strange.
Hel.
And yet but justice; for though
This king were great, his greatness was no guard
To bar heaven's shaft, but sin had his reward.
Esca. 'Tis very true.

Enter three Lords.

1 Lord. See, not a man in private conference Or council has respect with him but he.

2 Lord. It shall no longer grieve without reproof. 3 Lord. And curs'd be he that will not second it. 1 Lord. Follow me, then.-Lord Helicane, a word.

Hel. With me? and welcome: happy day, my lords. 1 Lord. Know that our griefs are risen to the top, And now at length they overflow their banks.

Hel. Your griefs! for what? wrong not your prince you love.

1 Lord. Wrong not yourself, then, noble Helicane; But if the prince do live, let us salute him,

Or know what ground's made happy by his breath.
If in the world he live, we'll seek him out;

If in his grave he rest, we'll find him there;
And be resolv'd he lives to govern us,

Or dead, gives cause to mourn his funeral,

And leaves us to our free election.

2 Lord. Whose death's indeed the strongest in our cen

sure:

And knowing this kingdom, if without a head,

Like goodly buildings left without a roof,

Will soon to ruin fall,-your noble self,

That best know'st how to rule and how to reign,
We thus submit unto,--our sovereign.

All. Live, noble Helicane!

Hel. For honour's cause, forbear your suffrages :
If that you love Prince Pericles, forbear.
Take I your wish, I leap into the seas,
Where's hourly trouble for a minute's ease.
A twelvemonth longer, let me entreat you
To forbear the absence of your king;
If in which time expir'd, he not return,
I shall with aged patience bear your yoke.
But if I cannot win you to this love,

Go search like nobles, like noble subjects,

And in your search spend your adventurous worth;
Whom if you find, and win unto return,

You shall like diamonds sit about his crown.

1 Lord. To wisdom he's a fool that will not yield; And since Lord Helicane enjoineth us,

We with our travels will endeavour it.

Hel. Then you love us, we you, and we'll clasp hands: When peers thus knit, a kingdom ever stands.

SCENE V.-PENTAPOLIS.

[Exeunt.

A Room in the Palace.

Enter SIMONIDES, reading a letter; the Knights meet him. 1 Knight. Good-morrow to the good Simonides. Sim. Knights, from my daughter this I let you know,

That for this twelvemonth she'll not undertake
A married life.

Her reason to herself is only known,

Which yet from her by no means can I get.

2 Knight. May we not get access to her, my lord? Sim. Faith, by no means; she hath so strictly tied her To her chamber that it is impossible.

One twelve moons more she'll wear Diana's livery;
This by the eye of Cynthia hath she vow'd,

And on her virgin honour will not break it.

3 Knight. Loth to bid farewell, we take our leaves.

Sim. So,

[Exeunt Knights.

They are well despatch'd; now to my daughter's letter:
She tells me here she'll wed the stranger knight,
Or never more to view nor day nor light.

'Tis well, mistress; your choice agrees with mine;

I like that well: nay, how absolute she's in't,
Not minding whether I dislike or no!

Well, I do commend her choice;

And will no longer have it be delay'd.

Soft! here he comes: I must dissemble it.

Enter PERICLES.

Per. All fortune to the good Simonides!

Sim. To you as much, sir! I am beholden to you
For your sweet music this last night: I do
Protest my ears were never better fed
With such delightful pleasing harmony.

Per. It is your grace's pleasure to commend;
Not my desert.

Sim.

Sir, you are music's master.

Per. The worst of all her scholars, my good lord.
Sim. Let me ask you one thing:

What do you think of my daughter, sir?

Per. A most virtuous princess.

Sim. And she is fair too, is she not?

Per. As a fair day in summer,-wondrous fair.
Sim. Sir, my daughter thinks very well of you;

Ay, so well that you must be her master,

And she will be your scholar: therefore look to it.
Per. I am unworthy for her schoolmaster.

Sim. She thinks not so; peruse this writing else.
Per. [aside.] What's here?

A letter, that she loves the knight of Tyre!
'Tis the king's subtilty to have my life.-

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