Prepare for Mirth, for Mirth comes at a Feast.
You are Princes, and my Guefts.
Thai. But you, my Knight and Guest,
To whom this wreath of Victory I give,
And Crown you King of this Day's happiness.
Per. 'Tis more by Fortune, Lady, than by Merit,
King. Call it by what you will, the Day is yours,
And here, I hope, is none that envies it.
In framing an Artift, Art hath thus decreed,
To make fome good, but others to exceed,
And you her labour'd Scholar: Come, Queen o'th Feast,
For, Daughter, fo you are, here take your Place:
Martial the reft, as thy deferve their grace.
Knights. We are honour'd much by good Symonides.
King. Your Prefence glads our Days, Honour we love,
For who hates Honour, hates the Gods above.
Marfb. 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 defpife.
Per. You are right courteous Knights.
King. Sit, fit, fit.
By Jove, I wonder, that is King of Thoughts,
Thefe Cates refift me, he not thought upon.
Thai. By Juno, that is Queen of Marriage,
All Viands that I eat do feem unfavoury,
Wishing him my Meat; fure he's a gallant Gentleman.
King. He's but a Country Gentleman; has done no more
Than other Knights have done, has broken a Staff,
Thai. To me he feems a Diamond to Glafs.
Per. Yon King's to me, like to my Father's Picture,
Which tells me in that Glory once he was,
And Princes fat like Stars about his Throne,
And he the Sun, for them to reverence;
None that beheld him, but like leffer Lights,
Did vail their Crowns to his Supremacy;
Where now his Son, like a Glo-worm in the Night,
The which hath Fire in Darkness, none in Light;
Whereby I fee that Time's the King of Men,
For he's their Parents, and he is their Grave,
And gives them what he will, not what they crave.
King. What, are you mérry, Knights?
Knights. Who can be other in this Royal Prefence?
King. Here, with a Cup that's flirr'd unto the brim,
'As you do love, fill to your Mißtrefs Lips,
We drink this Health to you.
Knights. We thank your Grace.
King. Yet paufe a while,
Yon Knight doth fit too melancholy,
As if the Entertainment in our Court,
Had not a fhew might countervail his worth.
Note it not you, Thaifa?
Thai. What is't to me, my Father?
King. O, attend, my Daughter,
Princes, in this, fhould live like Gods above,
Who freely give to every one that come to honour them
And Princes not doing fo, are like to Gnats,
Which make a found, but kill'd are wondred at:
Therefore to make his entrance now more fweet,
Here fay we drink this ftanding Bowl of Wine to him.
Thai. Alas, my Father, it befits not me,
Unto a ftranger Knight to be fo bold,
He may my Proffer take for an Offence,
Since Men take Womens Gifts for Impudence,
King. How! do as I bid you, or you'll move me elfe. Thai. Now, by the Gods, he could not please me better. King. And furthermore tell him,
We defire to know of him,
Of whence he is, his Name and Parentage.
Thai. The King my Father, Sir, hath drunk to you.
Per. I thank him.
Thai. Withing it fo much Blood unto your Life.
Per. I thank both him and you, and pledge him freely.
Thai. And further he defires 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 Shipwrack, driv'n 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, caft on the Shore.
King. Now, by the Gods, I pity his Misfortune,
And will awake him from his Melancholy.
Come, Gentlemen, we fit too long on Trifles,
And waste the time, which looks for other Revels.
Ev'n in your Armors, as you are addreft,
Will very well become a Soldier's Dance:
I will not have excufe, with faying that
Loud Mufick is too harsh for Ladies Heads,
Since they love Men in Arms, as well as Beds.
[They dance
So, this was well ask'd, 'twas well perform'd,
Come, Sir, here's a Lady. that wants breathing too :
And I have 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.
King. Oh that's as much, as you would be deny'd
Of your fair Courtefie, unclafp, unclafp.
[They dance.
Thanks, Gentlemen, to all; all have done well,
But you the best. Pages and Lights, to conduct
Thefe Knights unto their feveral Lodgings:
Yours, Sir, we have giv'n order to be next our own.
Per. I am at your Grace's pleasure.
King. 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 Reft,
To Morrow, all for fpeeding do their best.
Enter Hellicanus, and Elcanes.
Hell. No, Efcanes, know this of me,
Antiochus from Inceft liv'd not free:
For which, the most high Gods not minding
Longer to with-hold the Vengeance that
They had in ftore, due to his heinous
Capital Offence; even in the height and pride
Of all his Glory, when he was feated in
A Chariot of an ineftimable Value, and his Daughter
With him; a Fire from Heav'n came and fhrivel'd
Up thofe Bodies, even to loathing, for they so stunk
That all thofe Eyes ador'd them, e'er their fall,
Scorn now their Hand fhould give them Burial.
Efca. It was very strange.
Hell. And yet but Juftice;
For though this King were great,
His Greatnefs was no guard to bare Heav'ns fhaft,
By Sin had his reward.
Enter two or three Lords.
1 Lord. See, not a Man in private Conference, Or Counsel, hath refpect with him but he.
2 Lord. It fhall no longer grieve without reproof. Lord. And curft be he that will not fecond it.
I Lord. Follow me then: Lord Hellican, a word.
Hell. With me? and welcome, happy Day, my Lords. I Lord. Know that our Griefs are rifen to the top, And now at length they over-flow their Banks.
Hell. Your Griefs, for what? wrong not your Prince you love.
i Lord. Wrong not your felf then, noble Hellican, But if the Prince do live, let us falute him,
Or know what Ground's made happy by his Breath:
If in the World he live, we'll feek him out:
If in his Grave he reft, we'll find him there,
And be refolv'd, he lives to govern us:
Or dead, give's Cause to mourn his Funeral,
And leave us to our free Election.
2 Lord. Whofe death indeed, the ftrongeft in our cenfure, And knowing this Kingdom is without a Head,
Like goodly Buildings left without a Roof,
Soon fall to ruin: Your noble felf,
That best knows how to rule, and how to reign,
We thus fubmit unto our Soveraign.
Omn. Live, noble Hellican.
Hell. Try Honours Caufe; 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 Minutes eafe,)
A twelve Month longer, let me entreat you
To forbear the abfence of your King;
If in which time expir'd, he not return,
I fhall with aged Patience bear your Yoke.
But if I cannot win you to this Love,
Go fearch like Nobles, like noble Subje&s,
And in your fearch, spend your adventurous worth,
Whom if you find, and win unto return,
You fhall like Diamonds fit about his Crown.
I Lord. To Wisdom, he's a Fool that will not yield, And fince Lord Hellican enjoineth us,
We with our Travels will endeavour.
Hell. Then you love us, we you, and we'll clafp Hands, When Peers thus knit, a Kingdom ever ftands.
[Exeunt. Enter the King reading of a Letter at one Door, and the Knights meet him.
1 Knight. Good morrow to the good Symonides.
King. Knights, from my Daughter this I let you know, That for this twelve Month, he'll not undertake
A married Life: Her Reason to her felf is only known,
Which yet from her by no means can I get.
2 Knight. May we not get access to her, my Lord?
King. Faith, by no means, the hath fo ftrictly
Ty'd her to her Chamber, that 'tis impoffible:
One twelve Moons more fhe'll wear Diana's Livery:
This by the Eye of Cynthia hath she vow'd,
And on her Virgin honour will not break.
3 Knight. Loth to bid farewel, we take our leaves. [Exe King. So, they are well difpatch'd,
Now to my Daughter's Letter; he tells me here,
She'll wed the ftranger Knight,
Or never more to view nor Day nor Light.
'Tis well, Miftrefs, your choice agrees with mine, I like that well; nay, how abfolute she's in't,
Not minding whether I diflike or no.
Well, I do commend her choice, and will no longer
Have it be delay'd: Soft, here he comes,
Per. All Fortune to the good Symonides.
King. To you as much: Sir, I am beholding to you, For your fweet Mufick this laft Night:
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