SCENE II

Enter Gower, before the temple of Diana at Ephesus.

Gow. Now our sands are almost run;

More a little, and then dumb.

This, 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 Mytilene,
To greet the king. So he thrived,
That he is promised to be wived
To fair Marina; but in no wise
Till he had done his sacrifice,
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 fancies' thankful doom.

SCENE III

[Exit.

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, O goddess,
Wears yet thy silver livery. She at Tarsus
Was nursed with Cleon; who at fourteen years
He sought to murder: but her better stars
Brought her to Mytilene; 'gainst 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

Voice and favour!

-O royal Pericles!—

[Faints.

Per. What means the nun? she dies! help, gentlemen!

Cer. Noble sir,

If you have told Diana's altar true,

This is your wife.

Per.

Reverend appearer, no;

I threw her overboard with these very arms. Cer. Upon this coast, I warrant you.

Per.

'Tis most certain.

Cer. Look to the lady. O, she's but overjoy'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.

Per.

Cer. Great sir, they shall
Whither I invite you.
Recovered,

Thai. O, let me look!

May we see them?

be brought you to my house,
Look, Thaisa is

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?

Per.

The voice of dead Thaisa!

Thai. That Thaisa am I, supposed dead

And drown'd.

Per. Immortal Dian!

Thai.

Now I know you

better.

When we with tears parted Pentapolis,

The king my father gave you such a ring.

[Shows a ring.

Per. This, this: no more, you gods! your present kindness

Makes my past miseries sports: you shall do well,

That on the touching of her lips I may

Melt, and no more be seen. O, come, be buried

A second time within these arms.

Mar.

My heart

Leaps to be gone into my mother's bosom. [Kneels to Thaisa. Per. Look, who kneels here! Flesh of thy flesh, Thaisa; Thy burden at the sea, and call'd Marina

Per. You have heard me say, when I did fly from Tyre,

I left behind an ancient substitute :
Can

you remember what I call'd the man? I have named him oft.

Thai.

Per. Still confirmation:

'Twas Helicanus then.

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.
Thai. Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man,

Through whom the gods have shown their power: that can From first to last resolve you.

Per.

Reverend sir,
The gods can have no mortal officer
More like a god than you. Will you deliver
How this dead queen re-lives?

Cer.

I will, my lord.
Beseech you, first go with me to my house,

Where shall be shown you all was found with her;
How she came placed here in the temple;

No needful thing omitted.

Per. Pure Dian, bless thee for thy vision! I
Will offer night-oblations to thee. Thaisa,
This prince, the fair-betrothed of your daughter,
Shall marry her at Pentapolis. And now,
This ornament

Makes me look dismal will I clip to form;
And what this fourteen years no razor touch'd,
To grace thy marriage-day, I'll beautify.

Thai. Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, sir,
My father's dead.

Per. Heavens make a star! Yet there, my queen,
We'll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves

Will in that kingdom spend our following days:
Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign.
Lord Cerimon, we do our longing stay
To hear the rest untold: sir, lead's the way.

Enter Gower.

Gow. In Antiochus and his daughter you have heard
Of monstrous lust the due and just reward:
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

[Exeunt.

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, although not done, but meant.
So, on your patience evermore attending,
New joy wait on you! Here our play has ending.

[Exit.

DRAMATIS PERSONE

CYMBELINE, king of Britain.
CLOTEN, son to the Queen by a former hus-
band.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS, a gentleman, hus-
band to Imogen.
BELARIUS, a banished lord, disguised
under the name of Morgan.

GUIDERIUS,

ARVIRAGUS,

PHILARIO,

sons to Cymbeline, disguised under the names of Polydore and Cadwal, supposed sons to Morgan. Sfriend to Posthu

mus,

IACHIMO, friend to Philario,

Italians.

CAIUS LUCIUS, General of the Roman

forces.

PISANIO, servant to Posthumus.
CORNELIUS, a physician.

A Roman Captain.
Two British Captains.

A Frenchman, friend to Philario.
Two Lords of Cymbeline's court.
Two Gentlemen of the same.
Two Gaolers.

Queen, wife to Cymbeline.

IMOGEN, daughter to Cymbeline by a former queen.

HELEN, a lady attending on Imogen.

Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, a Soothsayer, a Dutchman, a Spaniard, Musicians, Officers, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

Apparitions.

SCENE: Britain: Rome.

ACT I-SCENE I

Britain.

The garden of Cymbeline's palace.
Enter two Gentlemen.

First Gent. You do not meet a man but frowns: our bloods No more obey the heavens than our courtiers

Still seem as does the king.

Sec. Gent.

But what's the matter?

First Gent. His daughter, and the heir of 's kingdom, whom He purposed to his wife's sole son-a widow

That late he married-hath referr'd herself

Unto a poor but worthy gentleman: she's wedded;
Her husband banish'd; she imprison'd: all

Is outward sorrow; though I think the king

Be touch'd at very heart.

Sec. Gent.

None but the king?

First Gent. He that hath lost her too: so is the queen,
That most desired the match: but not a courtier,
Although they wear their faces to the bent

Of the king's looks, hath a heart that is not

Glad at the thing they scowl at.

Sec. Gent.

And why so?

First Gent. He that hath miss'd the princess is a thing
Too bad for bad report: and he that hath her,

I mean, that married her,—alack, good man!——
And therefore banish'd, is a creature such
As, to seek through the regions of the earth
For one his like, there would be something failing