HELICANUS, a lord of Tyre.
Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3.
ESCANES, a lord of Tyre. Appears, Act I. sc. 3. Act II. sc. 4. SIMONIDES, King of Pentapolis. Appears, Act II. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5. CLEON, Governor of Tharsus. Appears, Act I. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 4. LYSIMACHUS, Governor of Mitylene. Appears, Act IV. sc. 6. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3.
CERIMON, a lord of Ephesus. Appears, Act III. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 3. THALIARD, servant to Antiochus.
Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3.
LEONINE, servant to Diony za. Appears, Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 2.
A Pander and his Wife.
Appear, Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 6. BOULT, servant to the Pander.
Appears, Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 6.
GOWER, as Chorus.
Appears, Act I. Chorus. Act II. Chorus. Act III. Chorus. Act IV. Chorus, sc. 4. Act V. Chorus, sc. 2; sc. 3.
The Daughter of Antiochus. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. DIONYZA, wife to Cleon. Appears, Act I. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 4.
THAISA, daughter to Simonides. Appears, Act II. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 3.
MARINA, daughter to Pericles and Thaisa. Appears, Act III. sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 3; sc. 6. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3.
LYCHORIDA, nurse to Marina. Appears, Act III. sc. 1; sc. 3. DIANA.
Appears, Act V. sc. 2.
Lords, Knights, Sailors, Pirates, Fishermen, and Messengers.
SCENE,-DISPERSEDLY IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES.
To sing a song of a 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 b;
And lords and ladies, in their lives,
Have read it for restoratives.
The purpose is to make men glorious;
Et bonum, quo antiquius, eo melius.
a Of. The early editions, that.
The early copies, holy-days. Farmer suggested holy-ales. In their lives, in all the copies. During their lives.
Purpose. In the originals, purchase.
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; The fairest in all Syria;
(I tell you what mine authors say :) This king unto him took a pheerea, Who died and left a female heir, So buxom, blythe, 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'd no sin. The beauty of this sinful dame Made many princes thither frame, To seek her as a bedfellow, In marriage-pleasures playfellow : 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.
SCENE I.-The Palace of Antioch.
Enter ANTIOCHUS, PERICLES, and Attendants.
ANT. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large receiv'd
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.
a Pheere. In the originals, peer. Pheere, or fere, is a mate. See 'Titus Andronicus,' Act IV.
ANT. Bring in our daughter, clothed like a 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 planets all did sit, To knit in her their best perfections.
Enter the Daughter of ANTIOCHUS.
PER. See where she comes, apparel'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 'ras'd, and testy wrath Could never be her mild companion.
Ye gods that made me man, and sway in love, That have inflam'd 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 heav'n, 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
66 Musick, bring in our daughter clothed like a bride."
Musick was evidently a marginal direction.
Ras'd. The first quarto reads racte-the subsequent copies, rackt. The verb raze, or erase, was formerly written race, and racte was the past participle.
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 men do Who know the world, see heav'n, 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; But my unspotted fire of love to you.
Thus ready for the way of life or death,
I wait the sharpest blow.
[To the Daughter of ANTIOCHUS.
ANT. Scorning advice; read the conclusion then "; Which read and not expounded, 't is decreed,
As these before, so thou thyself shalt bleed. DAUGH. 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.
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. He 's father, son, and husband mild, I mother, wife, and yet his child. How they may be, and yet in two, As you will live, resolve it you.”
Sharp physic is the last: but O, ye powers! That give heaven countless eyes to view men's acts, Why cloud they not their sights perpetually, If this be true, which makes me pale to read it? Fair glass of light, I lov'd you, and could still,
[Takes hold of the hand of the Princess.
Were not this glorious casket stor'd with ill: But I must tell you,-now, my thoughts revolt; For he 's no man on whom perfections wait, That, knowing sin within, will touch the gate. You 're a fair viol, and your sense the strings; The early editions give these lines confusedly:-
"I wait the sharpest blow, (Antiochus,) Scorning advice; read the conclusion then."
The name of the character was evidently mistaken for a part of the dialogue.
b Of all sayd yet is the ancient reading; which Percy suggested meant-of all who have essay'd yet. The modern is, “In all save that," in both passages.
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