PERSONS REPRESENTED.

ANTIOCHUS, King of Antioch.

PERICLES, Prince of Tyre.

HELICANUS, two Lords of Tyre.

ESCANES,

SIMONIDES, King of Pentapolis.
CLEON, Governor of Tharsus.
LYSIMACHUS, Governor of Mitylene.
CERIMON, a Lord of Ephesus.
THALIARD, a Lord of Antioch.
PHILEMON, servant to Cerimon.
LEONINE, servant to Dionyza.
Marshal.

A Pandar.

BOULT, his servant.

The Daughter of Antiochus.

DIONYZA, wife to Cleon.

THAISA, daughter to Simonides.

MARINA, daughter to Pericles and Thaisa.

LYCHORIDA, nurse to Marina.

Lords, Knights, Gentlemen, Sailors, Pirates, Fisher

men, and Messengers.

DIANA.

GOWER, a8 CHORUS.

SCENE,-Dispersedly in various countries.

T

PERICLES,

PRINCE OF TYRE.

.

ACT I.

Enter GoWER.

Before the Palace of Antioch.

O sing a song of old was sung,
From ashes ancient Gower is come;
Assuming man's infirmities,

To glad your ear, and please your
eyes.

It hath been sung, at festivals,

On ember-eves and holy-ales;

And lords and ladies, in their lives,

Have read it for restoratives.

The purpose is to make men glorious;
Et bonum, quo antiquius, co melius.
If you, born in these latter times,
When wit's more ripe, accept my rhymes,
And that to hear an old man sing,
May to your wishes pleasure bring,
I life would wish, and that I might
Waste it for you, like taper-light.
This Antioch, then, Antiochus the Great
Built up, this city, for his chiefest seat;

VOL. XI.

17

The fairest in all Syria;

(I tell you what mine authors say :)
This king unto him took a pheere,
Who died and left a female heir,
So buxom, blithe, and full of face,
As Heaven had lent her all his grace :
With whom the father liking took,
And her to incest did provoke;

Bad child, worse father! to entice his own
To evil, should be done by none.
By custom, what they did begin
Was with long use account no sin.
The beauty of this sinful dame
Made many princes thither frame,
To seek her as a bed-fellow,
In marriage-pleasures play-fellow :
Which to prevent, he made a law,
[To keep her still, and men in awe,]
That whoso ask'd her for his wife,
His riddle told not, lost his life:
So for her many a wight did die,
As yon grim looks do testify.

What ensues, to the judgment of your eye

I give, my cause who best can justify. [Exit.

SCENE I.-The Palace of Antioch.

Enter ANTIOCHUS, PERICLES, and Attendants. Ant. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large received

The danger of the task you undertake.

Per. I have, Antiochus, and, with a soul Embolden'd with the glory of her praise, Think death no hazard in this enterprise. [Music.

Ant. Bring in our daughter, clothed like

bride,

For the embracements, even of Jove himself;
At whose conception (till Lucina reign'd)
Nature this dowry gave, to glad her presence
The senate-house of planet all did sit,
To knit in her their best perfections.

Enter the Daughter of ANTIOCHUS.

Per. See where she comes, apparell'd like the
spring,

Graces her subjects, and her thoughts the king
Of every virtue gives renown to men!

Her face the book of praises, where is read
Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence
Sorrow were ever 'rased, and testy wrath
Could never be her mild companion.

Ye gods that made me man, and sway in love,
That have inflamed desire in my breast
To taste the fruit of yon celestial tree,
Or die in the adventure, be my helps
As I am son and servant to your will,
To compass such a boundless happiness!
Ant. Prince Pericles-

Per. That would be son to great Antiochus. Ant. Before thee stands this fair Hesperides, With golden fruit, but dangerous to be touch'd For death-like dragons here affright thee hard : Her face, like heaven, enticeth thee to view Her countless glory, which desert must gain : And which, without desert, because thine eye Presumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die. Yon sometime famous princes, like thyself, Drawn by report, adventurous by desire,

Tell thee, with speechless tongues, and semblance pale,

That, without covering save yon field of stars,
Here they stand martyrs, slain in Cupid's wars;
And with dead cheeks advise thee to desist
For going on Death's net, whom none resist.
Per. Antiochus, I thank thee, who hast taught
My frail mortality to know itself,

And by those fearful objects to prepare
This body, like to them, to what I must:
For death remember'd should be like a mirror.
Who tells us, life's but breath, to trust it, error.
I'll make my will then; and, as sick as men do
Who know the world, see heaven, but, feeling

woe,

Gripe not at earthly joys, as erst they did;
So I bequeath a happy peace to you

And all good men, as every prince should do;
My riches to the earth from whence they came;
[To the Daughter of ANTIOCHUS.] But my un-
spotted fire of love to you.

Thus ready for the way of life or death,

I wait the sharpest blow.

Ant. Scorning advice; read the conclusion then ;

Which read and not expounded, 'tis decreed,
As these before thee, thou thyself shalt bleed.
Daughter. Of all 'say'd yet, mayst thou prove
prosperous !

Of all 'say'd yet, I wish thee happiness!

Per. Like a bold champion I assume the lists, Nor ask advice of any other thought, But faithfulness, and courage.

He reads the Riddle.

I am no viper, yet I feed

On mother's flesh which did me breed:
I sought a husband, in which labour,

I found that kindness in a father.