ACT V.

Enter GOWER.

Gow. Marina thus the brothel scapes, and chances Into an honest house, our story says.

She sings like one immortal, and she dances

As goddess-like to her admired lays;

Deep clerks she dumbs; and with her needle composes

Nature's own shape, of bud, bird, branch, or berry,

That even her art sisters the natural roses;
Her inkle, silk, twin with the rubied cherry:
That pupils lacks she none of noble race,
Who pour their bounty on her; and her gain
She gives the cursed bawd. Here we her place
And to her father turn our thoughts again,
Where we left him, on the sea. We there him lost;
Whence, driven before the winds, he is arriv'd
Here where his daughter dwells; and on this coast
Suppose him now at anchor. The city striv'd
God Neptune's annual feast to keep: from whence
Lysimachus our Tyrian ship espies,

His banners sable, trimm'd with rich expense;
And to him in his barge with fervour hies.
In your supposing once more put your sight
Of heavy Pericles; think this his bark:
Where what is done in action, more, if might,
Shall be discover'd; please you, sit, and hark.

[Exit.

A

SCENE I-On board PERICLES' ship, off Mitylene. Pavilion on deck with a curtain before it; PERICLES within it, reclining on a couch. A barge lying beside the Tyrian vessel.

Enter two Sailors, one belonging to the Tyrian vessel, the other to the barge; to them HELICANUS.

Tyr. Sail. Where is Lord Helicanus? he can resolve [To the Sailor of Mitylene.

you.

O, here he is.

Sir, there's a barge put off from Mitylene,
And in it is Lysimachus the governor,

Who craves to come aboard. What is your will?
Hel. That he have his. Call up some gentlemen.
Tyr. Sail. Ho, gentlemen! my lord calls.

Enter two or three Gentlemen.

1 Gent. Doth your lordship call?

Hel. Gentlemen,

There is some of worth would come aboard; I pray,
Greet them fairly.

[The Gentlemen and the two Sailors descend,
and go on board the barge.

Enter, from thence, LYSIMACHUS and Lords, with
the Gentlemen and the two Sailors.

Tyr. Sail. Sir,

This is the man that can, in aught you would,
Resolve you.

Lys. Hail, reverend sir! The gods preserve you!
Hel. And you, sir, to cutlive the age I am,
And die as I would do.

Lys.

You wish me well.

Being on shore, honouring of Neptune's triumphs,
Seeing this goodly vessel ride before us,

I made to it, to know of whence you are.

Hel. First, what is your place?
Lys.

Of this place you lie before.

Hel. Sir,

I am the governor

Our vessel is of Tyre, in it the king;

A man who for this three months hath not spoken
To any one, nor taken sustenance,

But to prorogue his grief.

Lys. Upon what ground is his distemperature?

Hel. "Twould be too tedious to repeat;

But the main grief springs from the loss

Of a beloved daughter and a wife.

Lys. May we not see him?

Hel. You may;

But bootless is your sight,-he will not speak

To any.

Lys. Yet let me obtain my wish.

Hel. Behold him [PERICLES discovered].

Till the disaster that one mortal night

Drove him to this.

This was a

[goodly person

Lys. Sir king, all hail! the gods preserve you!

Hail, royal sir!

Hel. It is in vain; he will not speak to you.

1 Lord. Sir, we have a maid in Mitylene, I durst wager, Would win some words of him.

Lys.

'Tis well bethought.

She, questionless, with her sweet harmony
And other choice attractions, would allure,
And make a battery through his deafen'd parts,
Which now are midway stopp'd:

She is all happy as the fairest of all,

And, with her fellow maids, is now upon

The leafy shelter that abuts against

The island's side. [He whispers first Lord, who goes off

in the barge of LYSIMACHUS.

Hel. Sure, all's effectless; yet nothing we'll omit

That bears recovery's name. But, since your kindness
We have stretch'd thus far, let us beseech you

That for our gold we may provision have,

Wherein we are not destitute for want,

But weary for the staleness.

Lys.
O, sir, a courtesy
Which if we should deny, the most just gods
For every graff would send a caterpillar,
And so afflict our province.-Yet once more
Let me entreat to know at large the cause
Of your king's sorrow.

Hel.

Sit, sir, I will recount it to you.—

But, see, I am prevented.

Re-enter, from the barge, First Lord, with MARINA and a young Lady.

Lys.

O, here is

The lady that I sent for.-Welcome, fair one!

Is't not a goodly presence?

Hel.

She's a gallant lady.

Lys. She's such a one that, were I well assur'd Came of a gentle kind and noble stock,

I'd wish no better choice, and think me rarely wed.

Fair one, all goodness that consists in bounty
Expect even here, where is a kingly patient:
If that thy prosperous and artificial feat
Can draw him but to answer thee in aught,
Thy sacred physic shall receive such pay
As thy desires can wish.

Mar.

Sir, I will use
My utmost skill in his recovery,
Provided

That none but I and my companion maid
Be suffer'd to come near him.

My lord, that ne'er before invited eyes,

But have been gaz'd on like a comet: she speaks,
My lord, that, may be, hath endur'd a grief
Might equal yours, if both were justly weigh'd.
Though wayward fortune did malign my state,
My derivation was from ancestors

Who stood equivalent with mighty kings:
But time hath rooted out my parentage,
And to the world and awkward casualties
Bound me in servitude.-[Aside.] I will desist;
But there is something glows upon my cheek,
And whispers in mine ear, Go not till he speak.

Per. My fortunes-parentage-good parentage-
To equal mine!-was it not thus? what say you?
Mar. I said, my lord, if you did know my parentage
You would not do me violence.

Per.

I do think so.

I pray you, turn your eyes upon me.

You are like something that What countrywoman?
Here of these shores?

Mar.

No, nor of any shores:

Yet I was mortally brought forth, and am

No other than I appear.

Per. I am great with woe, and shall deliver weeping. My dearest wife was like this maid, and such a one

My daughter might have been: my queen's square brows; Her stature to an inch; as wand-like straight;

As silver-voic'd; her eyes as jewel-like,

And cas'd as richly; in pace another Juno;

Who starves the ears she feeds, and makes them hungry
The more she gives them speech.-Where do you live?
Mar. Where I am but a stranger: from the deck
You may discern the place.

Per.
Where were you bred?
And how achiev'd you these endowments, which
You make more rich to owe?

Mar. If I should tell my history, it would seem
Like lies, disdain'd in the reporting.

Per.

Pr'ythee, speak:

Falseness cannot come from thee; for thou look'st,

Modest as Justice, and thou seem'st a palace

For the crown'd Truth to dwell in: I will believe thee,

And make my senses credit thy relation

To points that seem impossible; for thou look'st
Like one I lov'd indeed. What were thy friends?
Didst thou not say, when I did push thee back,-
Which was when I perceiv'd thee,-that thou cam'st
From good descending?

Mar.

So indeed I did.

Per. Report thy parentage. I think thou said'st
Thou hadst been toss'd from wrong to injury,

And that thou thought'st thy griefs might equal mine,
If both were open'd.

Mar.

Some such thing

I said, and said no more but what my thoughts
Did warrant me was likely.

Per.
Tell thy story;
If thine consider'd prove the thousandth part

Of my endurance, thou art a man, and I

Have suffer'd like a girl: yet thou dost look

Like Patience gazing on kings' graves, and smiling
Extremity out of act. What were thy friends?

How lost thou them? Thy name, my most kind virgin?
Recount, I do beseech thee: come, sit by me.

Mar. My name is Marina.

Per.
O, I am mock'd,
And thou by some incensed god sent hither
To make the world to laugh at me.

Mar.

Or here I'll cease.

Per.

Patience, good sir,

Nay, I'll be patient.

Thou little know'st how thou dost startle me,

To call thyself Marina.

Mar.

The name

Was given me by one that had some power,

My father, and a king.

Per.

And call'd Marina?

Mar.

How! a king's daughter?

You said you would believe me;

But, not to be a troubler of your peace,

I will end here.

Per.

But are you flesh and blood? Have you a working pulse? and are no fairy?