Pericles, Prince of Tyre Read Online

We'll sure provide. Thou shalt have my best gown to make thee a pair; and I'll bring thee to the court myself.

PER.

Then honor be but a goal to my will,

This day I'll rise, or else add ill to ill.

[Exeunt.]

[Scene II]

Enter Simonides, with attendance, [Lords,] and Thaisa.

SIM.

Are the knights ready to begin the triumph?

1. LORD.

They are, my liege,

And stay your coming to present themselves.

SIM.

Return them, we are ready; and our daughter here,

In honor of whose birth these triumphs are,

Sits here like beauty's child, whom nature gat

For men to see, and seeing wonder at.

[Exit a Lord.]

THAI.

It pleaseth you, my royal father, to express

My commendations great, whose merit's less.

SIM.

It's fit it should be so, for princes are

A model which heaven makes like to itself.

As jewels lose their glory if neglected,

So princes their renowns if not respected.

'Tis now your honor, daughter, to entertain

The labor of each knight in his device.

THAI.

Which, to preserve mine honor, I'll perform.

The First Knight passes by [and his Page presents his shield to the Princess].

SIM.

Who is the first that doth prefer himself?

THAI.

A knight of Sparta, my renowned father,

And the device he bears upon his shield

Is a black Ethiope reaching at the sun;

The word: »Lux tua vita mihi.«

SIM.

He loves you well that holds his life of you.

The Second Knight [passes by].

Who is the second that presents himself?

THAI.

A prince of Macedon, my royal father,

And the device he bears upon his shield

Is an armed knight that's conquered by a lady;

The motto thus, in Spanish: »Piu per dolcera que per força.«

Third Knight [passes by].

SIM.

And with the third?

THAI.

The third, of Antioch;

And his device, a wreath of chivalry;

The word: »Me [pompae] provexit apex.«

Fourth Knight [passes by].

SIM.

What is the fourth?

THAL.

A burning torch that's turned upside down;

The word: »Qui me alit, me extinguit.«

SIM.

Which shows that beauty hath his power and will,

Which can as well inflame as it can kill.

Fift Knight [passes by].

THAI.

The fift, an hand environed with clouds,

Holding out gold that's by the touchstone tried;

The motto thus: »Sic spectanda fides.«

Sixt Knight, [Pericles, as he passes by, himself presents his device to the Princess].

SIM.

And what's

The sixt and last, the which the knight himself

With such a graceful courtesy delivered?

THAI.

He seems to be a stranger; but his present is

A withered branch, that's only green at top;

The motto: »In hac spe vivo.«

SIM.

A pretty moral:

From the dejected state wherein he is,

He hopes by you his fortunes yet may flourish.

1. LORD.

He had need mean better than his outward show

Can any way speak in his just commend;

For by his rusty outside he appears

To have practic'd more the whipstock than the lance.

2. LORD.

He well may be a stranger, for he comes

To an honor'd triumph strangely furnished.

3. LORD.

And on set purpose let his armor rust

Until this day, to scour it in the dust.

SIM.

Opinion's but a fool, that makes us scan

The outward habit by the inward man.

But stay, the knights are coming, we will withdraw

Into the gallery.

[Exeunt.]

Great shouts [within,] and all cry.

»The mean knight!«

[Scene III]

[A banquet prepared.] Enter the King [Simonides, Thaisa, Marshal, Lords, Ladies, Attendants,] and Knights, from tilting.

SIM.

Knights,

To say you're welcome were superfluous.

[To] place upon the volume of your deeds,

As in a title-page, your worth in arms,

Were more than you expect, or more than's fit,

Since every worth in show commends itself.

Prepare for mirth, for mirth becomes a feast.

You are princes and my guests.

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 my merit.

SIM.

Call it by what you will, the day is your,

And here, I hope, is none that envies it.

In framing an artist, art hath thus decreed,

To make some good, but others to exceed,

And you are her labor'd scholar. Come, queen a' th' feast –

For, daughter, so you are – here take your place.

[To the Marshal.]

Marshal, the rest, as they deserve their grace.

KNIGHTS.

We are honor'd much by good Simonides.

SIM.

Your presence glads our days. Honor we love,

For who hates honor 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

Have neither in our hearts nor outward eyes

[Envied] the great, nor shall the low despise.

PER.

You are right courteous knights.

SIM.

Sit, sir, sit.

[Aside.]

By Jove, I wonder, that is king of thoughts,

These cates resist me, he not thought upon.

THAI [Aside.]

By Juno, that is queen of marriage,

All viands that I eat do seem unsavory,

Wishing him my meat.

[To Simonides.]

Sure he's a gallant gentleman.

SIM [To Thaisa.]

He's but a country gentleman:

H'as done no more than other knights have done,

H'as broken a staff or so; so let it pass.

THAI [Aside.]

To me he seems like diamond to glass.

PER [Aside.]

[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 glow-worm in the night,

The which hath fire in darkness, none in light:

Whereby I see that Time's the king of men,

He's both their parent, and he is their grave,

And gives them what he will, not what they crave.

SIM.

What, are you merry, knights?

KNIGHTS.

Who can be other in this royal presence?

SIM.

Here, with a cup that's [stor'd] unto the brim –

As do you love, fill to your mistress' lips –

We drink this health to you.

KNIGHTS.

We thank your Grace.

SIM.

Yet pause awhile,

Yon knight 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.

What is't

To me, my father?

SIM.

O, attend, my daughter:

Princes in this should live like gods above,

Who freely give to every one that come

To honor them;

And princes not doing so are like to gnats,

Which make a sound, but kill'd are wond'red 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 offense,

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 shipwrack 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 armors, as you are address'd,

Will 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.

They dance.

So, this was well ask'd, 'twas so 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 practice them they are, my lord.

SIM.

O, that's as much as you would be denied

Of your fair courtesy.

They [Knights and Ladies] dance.

Unclasp, unclasp:

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

[To Pericles.]

But you the best. – Pages and lights, to conduct

These knights unto their several lodgings!

[To Pericles.]

Yours, sir,

We have given order 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]

Enter Helicanus and Escanes.

HEL.

No, Escanes, know this of me,

Antiochus from incest lived 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 offense,

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

Those 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 two or 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 resolved he lives to govern us,

Or dead, give 's cause to mourn his funeral,

And leave us to our free election.

2. LORD.

Whose death indeed the strongest in our censure,

And knowing this kingdom is without a head –

Like goodly buildings left without a roof

Soon fall to ruin – your noble self,

That best know how to rule and how to reign,

We thus submit unto – our sovereign.

OMNES.

Live, noble Helicane!

HEL.

Try honor'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 endeavor.

^HEL.

Then you love us, we you, and we'll clasp hands:

When peers thus knit, a kingdom ever stands.

[Exeunt.]

[Scene V]

Enter the King [Simonides,] reading of a letter, at one door; 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 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 'tis impossible.

One twelve moons more she'll wear Diana's livery;

This by the eye of Cynthia hath she vowed,

And on her virgin honor will not break it.

3. KNIGHT.

Loath to bid farewell, we take our leaves.

[Exeunt Knights.]

SIM.

So,

They are well dispatch'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 delayed.

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 beholding 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.