Could he speak, would own a name too dear.1
O that the gods would safely from this place
Deliver me! Here, here is gold for thee.
If that thy master would gain aught by me,
Proclaim that I can sing, weave, sew, and dance,
With other virtues, which I'll keep from boast;
And I will undertake all these to teach.

I doubt not but this populous city will
Yield many scholars.

Boult. But can you teach all this you speak of?
Mar. Prove that I cannot, take me home again,
And prostitute me to the basest groom

That doth frequent your house.

Boult. Well, I will see what I can do for thee; if I can place thee, I will.

Mar. But, amongst honest women?

Boult. 'Faith, my acquaintance lies little amongst them. But since my master and mistress have bought you, there's no going but by their consent; therefore I will make them acquainted with your purpose, and I doubt not but I shall find them tractable enough. Come, I'll do for thee what I can; come your ways.

[Exeunt.

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 neeld3 composes

1 That is, a baboon would think his tribe dishonored by such a profession.

2 i. e. silences the learned persons with whom she converses by her literary superiority.

3 Needle.

Nature's own shape, of bud, bird, branch, or berry;
That even her art sisters the natural roses :
Her inkle1 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 arrived
Here where his daughter dwells; and on this coast
Suppose him now at anchor. The city strived 2
God Neptune's annual feast to keep; from whence
Lysimachus our Tyrian ship espies,

3

His banners sable, trimmed with rich expense,
And to him in his barge with fervor hies.
In your supposing once more put your sight;
Of heavy Pericles think this the bark;
Where, what is done in action, more, if might,1
Shall be discovered. Please you, sit, and hark.

4

[Exit.

SCENE I. On board PERICLES' Ship, off Mitylene. A close Pavilion on deck, with a Curtain before it; PERICLES within it, reclined 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's the lord Helicanus? he can [To the Sailor of Mitylene.

resolve you.

O, here he is.

Sir, there's a barge put off from Mitylene,

1 Inkle appears to have been a particular kind of silk thread or worsted used in embroidery. Rider translates inkle by filum textile.

2 Steevens thinks that we should read, "The city's hived," i. e. the citizens are collected like bees in a hive.

3 "Once more put your sight under the guidance of your imagination." 4 "Where all that may be displayed in action shall be exhibited; and more should be shown, if our stage would permit." Some modern editions read, "more of might."

And in it is Lysimachus the
Who craves to come aboard.
Hel. That he have his.

governor,
What is
What is your will?
Call up some gentlemen.

Tyr. Sail. Ho, gentlemen! my lord calls.

Enter two Gentlemen.

1 Gent. Doth your lordship call?

Hel. Gentlemen,

There is some of worth would come aboard; I pray

you

To greet them fairly.

[The Gentlemen and the two Sailors descend,

and go on board the barge.

Enter, from thence, LYSIMACHUS and Lords; the Tyrian 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 outlive the age I am,
And die as I would do.

Lys.

You wish me well.

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

I made to it, to know of whence you are.
Hel. First, sir, what is your place?

Lys. I am governor of this place you lie before.
Hel. Sir,

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. Sir, it would be too tedious to repeat;

1 To lengthen or prolong his grief. Prorogued is used in Romeo and Juliet for delayed.

But the main grief of all springs from the loss
Of a beloved daughter and a wife.

Lys. May we not see him, then?

Hel.

You may, indeed, sir.

But bootless is your sight; he will not speak

To any.

Lys. Yet, let me obtain my wish.

Hel. Behold him, sir. [PERICLES discovered.'] This was a goodly person,

Till the disaster, that, one mortal night,2

Drove him to this.

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

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.

'Tis well bethought.

Lys.
She, questionless, with her sweet harmony
And other choice attractions, would allure,

3

And make a battery through his deafened parts,"
Which now are midway stopped.

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 one of the attendant Lords.-Exit
Lord, in the barge of LYSIMACHUS.

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

1 Few of the stage-directions, that have been given in this and the preceding acts, are found in the old copy. In the original representation, Pericles was probably placed in the back part of the stage, concealed by a curtain, which was here drawn open. The ancient narratives represented him as remaining in the cabin of his ship; but, as in such a situation Pericles would not be visible to the audience, a different stagedirection is now given.

2 The old copies read, "one mortal wight." The emendation is Malone's. Mortal is here used for deadly, destructive. 3 The old copy reads, "defend parts." Malone made the alteration.

Steevens would read, " deafened ports."

“Upon

4 This passage is as intelligible as many others in this play. a leafy shelter," appears to mean "Upon a spot which is sheltered."

That bears recovery's name. But since your kindness, We have stretched thus far, let us beseech you further, That for our gold we may provision have,

Wherein we are not destitute for want,

But weary for the staleness.

O sir, a courtesy,

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

Hel.

But see, I am prevented.

Sit, sir, I will recount it.—

Enter, from the barge, Lord, MARINA, and a Young

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

Is't not a goodly presence?

Hel.

A gallant lady.

3

Lys. She's such, that were I well assured she came Of gentle kind, and noble stock, I'd wish No better choice, and think me rarely wed. Fair one, all goodness that consists in bounty 3 Expect even here, where is a kingly patient. If that thy prosperous and artificial feat1 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,

1 There can be but little doubt that the Poet wrote afflict. We have no example of to inflict, used by itself, for to punish.

2 It appears that when Pericles was originally performed, the audience were contented to behold vessels sailing in and out of port in their mind's eye only.

3 The quarto of 1609 reads:

"Fair on all goodness that consists in beauty," &c.

4 The old copy has "artificial fate." The emendation is by Dr. Percy.