left, till he cast bells, steeple, church, and
parish up again. But if the good King Simonides
were of my mind,–
PERICLES [Aside]
Simonides!
Third Fisherman We would purge the land of these drones, that rob
the bee of her honey.
PERICLES [Aside]
How from the finny subject of the sea
These fishers tell the infirmities of men;
And from their watery empire recollect
All that may men approve or men detect!
Peace be at your labour, honest fishermen.
Second Fisherman Honest! good fellow, what’s that? If it be a day
fits you, search out of the calendar, and nobody
look after it.
PERICLES May see the sea hath cast upon your coast.
Second Fisherman What a drunken knave was the sea to cast thee in our
way!
PERICLES A man whom both the waters and the wind,
In that vast tennis-court, have made the ball
For them to play upon, entreats you pity him:
He asks of you, that never used to beg.
First Fisherman No, friend, cannot you beg? Here’s them in our
country Greece gets more with begging than we can do
with working.
Second Fisherman Canst thou catch any fishes, then?
PERICLES I never practised it.
Second Fisherman Nay, then thou wilt starve, sure; for here’s nothing
to be got now-a-days, unless thou canst fish for’t.
PERICLES What I have been I have forgot to know;
But what I am, want teaches me to think on:
A man throng’d up with cold: my veins are chill,
And have no more of life than may suffice
To give my tongue that heat to ask your help;
Which if you shall refuse, when I am dead,
For that I am a man, pray see me buried.
First Fisherman Die quoth-a? Now gods forbid! I have a gown here;
come, put it on; keep thee warm. Now, afore me, a
handsome fellow! Come, thou shalt go home, and
we’ll have flesh for holidays, fish for
fasting-days, and moreo’er puddings and flap-jacks,
and thou shalt be welcome.
PERICLES I thank you, sir.
Second Fisherman Hark you, my friend; you said you could not beg.
PERICLES I did but crave.
Second Fisherman But crave! Then I’ll turn craver too, and so I
shall ‘scape whipping.
PERICLES Why, are all your beggars whipped, then?
Second Fisherman O, not all, my friend, not all; for if all your
beggars were whipped, I would wish no better office
than to be beadle. But, master, I’ll go draw up the
net.
Exit with Third Fisherman
PERICLES [Aside]
How well this honest mirth becomes their labour!
First Fisherman Hark you, sir, do you know where ye are?
PERICLES Not well.
First Fisherman Why, I’ll tell you: this is called Pentapolis, and
our king the good Simonides.
PERICLES The good King Simonides, do you call him.
First Fisherman Ay, sir; and he deserves so to be called for his
peaceable reign and good government.
PERICLES He is a happy king, since he gains from his subjects
the name of good by his government. How far is his
court distant from this shore?
First Fisherman Marry, sir, half a day’s journey: and I’ll tell
you, he hath a fair daughter, and to-morrow is her
birth-day; and there are princes and knights come
from all parts of the world to just and tourney for her love.
PERICLES Were my fortunes equal to my desires, I could wish
to make one there.
First Fisherman O, sir, things must be as they may; and what a man
cannot get, he may lawfully deal for–his wife’s soul.
Re-enter Second and Third Fishermen, drawing up a net
Second Fisherman Help, master, help! here’s a fish hangs in the net,
like a poor man’s right in the law; ’twill hardly
come out. Ha! bots on’t, ’tis come at last, and
’tis turned to a rusty armour.
PERICLES An armour, friends! I pray you, let me see it.
Thanks, fortune, yet, that, after all my crosses,
Thou givest me somewhat to repair myself;
And though it was mine own, part of my heritage,
Which my dead father did bequeath to me.
With this strict charge, even as he left his life,
‘Keep it, my Pericles; it hath been a shield
Twixt me and death;’–and pointed to this brace;–
‘For that it saved me, keep it; in like necessity–
The which the gods protect thee from!–may
defend thee.’
It kept where I kept, I so dearly loved it;
Till the rough seas, that spare not any man,
Took it in rage, though calm’d have given’t again:
I thank thee for’t: my shipwreck now’s no ill,
Since I have here my father’s gift in’s will.
First Fisherman What mean you, sir?
PERICLES To beg of you, kind friends, this coat of worth,
For it was sometime target to a king;
I know it by this mark. He loved me dearly,
And for his sake I wish the having of it;
And that you’ld guide me to your sovereign’s court,
Where with it I may appear a gentleman;
And if that ever my low fortune’s better,
I’ll pay your bounties; till then rest your debtor.
First Fisherman Why, wilt thou tourney for the lady?
PERICLES I’ll show the virtue I have borne in arms.
First Fisherman Why, do ‘e take it, and the gods give thee good on’t!
Second Fisherman Ay, but hark you, my friend; ’twas we that made up
this garment through the rough seams of the waters:
there are certain condolements, certain vails. I
hope, sir, if you thrive, you’ll remember from
whence you had it.
PERICLES Believe ‘t, I will.
By your furtherance I am clothed in steel;
And, spite of all the rapture of the sea,
This jewel holds his building on my arm:
Unto thy value I will mount myself
Upon a courser, whose delightful steps
Shall make the gazer joy to see him tread.
Only, my friend, I yet am unprovided
Of a pair of bases.
Second Fisherman We’ll sure provide: thou shalt have my best gown to
make thee a pair; and I’ll bring thee to the court myself.
PERICLES Then honour be but a goal to my will,
This day I’ll rise, or else add ill to ill.
Exeunt
Scene 2
The same. A public way or platform leading to the
lists. A pavilion by the side of it for the
reception of King, Princess, Lords, &c.
Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, and Attendants
SIMONIDES Are the knights ready to begin the triumph?
First Lord They are, my liege;
And stay your coming to present themselves.
SIMONIDES Return them, we are ready; and our daughter,
In honour 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
THAISA It pleaseth you, my royal father, to express
My commendations great, whose merit’s less.
SIMONIDES 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 honour, daughter, to explain
The labour of each knight in his device.
THAISA Which, to preserve mine honour, I’ll perform.
Enter a Knight; he passes over, and his Squire presents his shield to the Princess
SIMONIDES Who is the first that doth prefer himself?
THAISA 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.’
SIMONIDES He loves you well that holds his life of you.
The Second Knight passes over
Who is the second that presents himself?
THAISA A prince of Macedon, my royal father;
And the device he bears upon his shield
Is an arm’d knight that’s conquer’d by a lady;
The motto thus, in Spanish, ‘Piu por dulzura que por fuerza.’
The Third Knight passes over
SIMONIDES And what’s the third?
THAISA The third of Antioch;
And his device, a wreath of chivalry;
The word, ‘Me pompae provexit apex.’
The Fourth Knight passes over
SIMONIDES What is the fourth?
THAISA A burning torch that’s turned upside down;
The word, ‘Quod me alit, me extinguit.’
SIMONIDES Which shows that beauty hath his power and will,
Which can as well inflame as it can kill.
The Fifth Knight passes over
THAISA The fifth, an hand environed with clouds,
Holding out gold that’s by the touchstone tried;
The motto thus, ‘Sic spectanda fides.’
The Sixth Knight, PERICLES, passes over
SIMONIDES And what’s
The sixth and last, the which the knight himself
With such a graceful courtesy deliver’d?
THAISA He seems to be a stranger; but his present is
A wither’d branch, that’s only green at top;
The motto, ‘In hac spe vivo.’
SIMONIDES A pretty moral;
From the dejected state wherein he is,
He hopes by you his fortunes yet may flourish.
First Lord He had need mean better than his outward show
Can any way speak in his just commend;