Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

O, seek not to entrap me, gracious lord,

A stranger and distressed 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.

[blocks in formation]

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;

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
May be,- -nor can I think the contrary,-
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.

know,

Nay, come, your hands and lips must seal it too:
And being join'd, I'll thus your hopes destroy;—

And for further grief,-God give you joy!—
What, are you both pleas'd?

Yes, if you love me, sir.

Thai.
Per. Even as my life, or blood that fosters it.

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 yslaked hath the rout;
No din but snores the house about,
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 the oven's mouth,
Aye the blither for their drouth.
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 PERICLES and SIMONIDES at one side, 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. SIMON-
IDES shows his daughter the letter; she rejoices: she and
PERICLES take leave of her father, and depart with
LYCHORIDA and their Attendants. Then exeunt SIMON-
IDES, &c.

By many a dern and painful perch
Of Pericles the careful search,
By the four opposing coigns
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 tenor these:-
Antiochus and his daughter's 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,

Y-ravished the regions round,

And every one with claps can 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. Their vessel shakes
On Neptune's billow; half the flood
Hath their keel cut: but fortune's mood
Varies again; the grizzly 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
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-toss'd Pericles appears to speak.

SCENE I.

Enter PERICLES on a ship at sea.

[Exit.

Per. Thou 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 call'd them from the deep! O, still

Thy deafening, dreadful thunders; gently quench
Thy nimble, sulphurous flashes!-O, how, Lychorida,
How does my queen?—Thou stormest venomously;
Wilt thou spit all thyself?—The seaman's whistle
Is as a whisper in the ears of death,
Unheard.-Lychorida!-Lucina, O

Divinest patroness, and midwife gentle
To those that cry by night, convey thy deity
Aboard our dancing boat; make swift the pangs
Of my queen's travail!

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 in honour with you.

[blocks in formation]

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 welcom'd to this world

That ever 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.

1 Sail. What courage, sir? Per. Courage enough: I do It hath done to me the worst.

God save you!
not fear the flaw;
Yet, for the love

Of this poor infant, this fresh-new seafarer,

I would it would be quiet.

1 Sail. Slack the bolins there!--Thou wilt not, wilt thou? Blow, and split thyself.

2 Sail. But sea-room, and the brine and cloudy billow kiss the moon, I care not.

1 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.

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

Per. As you think meet.-Most wretched queen!

Lyc. Here she lies, sir.

Per. A terrible childbed hast thou had, my dear,
No light, no fire: the unfriendly elements
Forgot thee utterly; nor have I time

To give thee hallow'd to thy grave, but straight
Must cast thee, scarcely coffin'd, in the ooze;
Where, for a monument upon thy bones,
And aye-remaining lamps, the belching whale
And humming water must o'erwhelm thy corpse,
Lying with simple shells.-O Lychorida,
Bid Nestor bring me spices, ink and paper,
My casket and my jewels; and bid Nicander
Bring me the satin coffer: lay the babe
Upon the pillow: hie thee, whiles I say

A priestly farewell to her: suddenly, woman.

[Exit LYCHORIDA.

2 Sail. Sir, we have a chest beneath the hatches, caulked and bitumed ready.

Per. I thank thee.-Mariner, say what coast is this? 2 Sail. We are near Tharsus.

Per. Thither, gentle mariner,

Alter thy course for Tyre. When canst thou reach it? 2 Sail. By break of day, if the wind cease.

Per. O, make for Tharsus!

There will I visit Cleon, for the babe
Cannot hold out to Tyrus: there I'll leave it

At careful nursing.-Go thy ways, good mariner:
I'll bring the body presently.

[Exeunt.

« ElőzőTovább »