Complete Plays, The (438 page)

Pericles

’Tis more by fortune, lady, than by merit.

Simonides

Call it by what you will, the day is yours;
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 labour’d scholar. Come, queen o’ the feast,—
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.

Simonides

Your presence glads our days: honour we love;
For who hates honour hates the gods above.

Marshal

Sir, yonder is your place.

Pericles

Some other is more fit.

First Knight

Contend not, sir; for we are gentlemen
That neither in our hearts nor outward eyes
Envy the great nor do the low despise.

Pericles

You are right courteous knights.

Simonides

Sit, sir, sit.

Pericles

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

Thaisa

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.

Simonides

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.

Thaisa

To me he seems like diamond to glass.

Pericles

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.

Simonides

What, are you merry, knights?

Knights

Who can be other in this royal presence?

Simonides

Here, with a cup that’s stored unto the brim,—
As you do love, fill to your mistress’ lips,—
We drink this health to you.

Knights

We thank your grace.

Simonides

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?

Thaisa

What is it
To me, my father?

Simonides

 
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 doin g 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.

Thaisa

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.

Simonides

How!
Do as I bid you, or you’ll move me else.

Thaisa

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

Simonides

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

Thaisa

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

Pericles

I thank him.

Thaisa

Wishing it so much blood unto your life.

Pericles

I thank both him and you, and pledge him freely.

Thaisa

And further he desires to know of you,
Of whence you are, your name and parentage.

Pericles

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.

Thaisa

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.

Simonides

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 heard, you knights of Tyre
Are excellent in making ladies trip;
And that their measures are as excellent.

Pericles

In those that practise them they are, my lord.

Simonides

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.

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 to be next our own.

Pericles

I am at your grace’s pleasure.

Simonides

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

S
CENE
IV. T
YRE
. A
ROOM
IN
THE
G
OVERNOR
’
S
HOUSE
.

Enter Helicanus and Escanes

Helicanus

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 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 adored them ere their fall
Scorn now their hand should give them burial.

Escanes

’Twas very strange.

Helicanus

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.

Escanes

’Tis very true.

Enter two or three Lords

First Lord

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

Second Lord

It shall no longer grieve without reproof.

Third Lord

And cursed be he that will not second it.

First Lord

Follow me, then. Lord Helicane, a word.

Helicanus

With me? and welcome: happy day, my lords.

First Lord

Know that our griefs are risen to the top,
And now at length they overflow their banks.

Helicanus

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

First 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.

Second Lord

Whose death indeed’s 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.

All

Live, noble Helicane!

Helicanus

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 expired, 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.

First Lord

To wisdom he’s a fool that will not yield;
And since Lord Helicane enjoineth us,
We with our travels will endeavour us.

Helicanus

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

Exeunt

S
CENE
V. P
ENTAPOLIS
. A
ROOM
IN
THE
PALACE
.

Enter Simonides, reading a letter, at one door: the Knights meet him

First Knight

Good morrow to the good Simonides.

Simonides

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.

Second Knight

May we not get access to her, my lord?

Simonides

’Faith, by no means; she has 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 vow’d
And on her virgin honour will not break it.

Third Knight

Loath to bid farewell, we take our leaves.

Exeunt Knights

Simonides

So,
They are well dispatch’d; now to my daughter’s letter:
She tells me here, she’d 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

Pericles

All fortune to the good Simonides!

Simonides

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.

Pericles

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

Simonides

Sir, you are music’s master.

Pericles

The worst of all her scholars, my good lord.

Simonides

Let me ask you one thing:
What do you think of my daughter, sir?

Pericles

A most virtuous princess.

Simonides

And she is fair too, is she not?

Pericles

As a fair day in summer, wondrous fair.

Simonides

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.

Pericles

I am unworthy for her schoolmaster.

Simonides

She thinks not so; peruse this writing else.

Pericles

[Aside]
 
What’s here?
A letter, that she loves the knight of Tyre!
’Tis the king’s subtlety to have my life.
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.

Simonides

Thou hast bewitch’d my daughter, and thou art
A villain.

Pericles

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.

Simonides

Traitor, thou liest.

Pericles

Traitor!

Simonides

Ay, traitor.

Pericles

Even in his throat — unless it be the king —
That calls me traitor, I return the lie.

Simonides

[Aside]
 
Now, by the gods, I do applaud his courage.

Pericles

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.

Simonides

No?
Here comes my daughter, she can witness it.

Enter Thaisa

Pericles

Then, as you are as virtuous as fair,
Resolve your angry father, if my tongue
Did ere solicit, or my hand subscribe
To any syllable that made love to you.

Thaisa

Why, sir, say if you had,
Who takes offence at that would make me glad?

Simonides

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?