But if I cannot win you to this love, Go search like noblemen, like noble subjects, You shall like diamonds sit about his crown. 1 LORD. To wisdom he's a fool that will not yield; And, since lord Helicane enjoineth us, We with our travels will endeavour it". HEL. Then you love us, we you, and we'll clasp hands: When peers thus knit, a kingdom ever stands. [Exeunt. SCENE V. Pentapolis. A Room in the Palace. Enter SIMONIDES, reading a Letter, the Knights meet him. 6 1 KNIGHT. Good morrow to the good Simonides. and win unto RETURN, You shall like diamonds sit about his crown.] As these are the concluding lines of a speech, perhaps they were meant to rhyme. We might therefore read: 66 and win unto renown." i. e. if you prevail on him to quit his present obscure retreat, and be reconciled to glory, you shall be acknowledged as the brightest ornaments of his throne. STEEVENS. 7 We with our travels will endeavour IT.] Old copy: "We with our travels will endeavour." Endeavour what? I suppose, to find out Pericles. I have therefore added the syllable which appeared wanting both to metre and sense. STEEVENS. The author might have intended an abrupt sentence. MALONE. I would readily concur with the opinion of Mr. Malone, had passion, instead of calm resolution, dictated the words of the speaker. STEEVENS. 8 Enter SIMONIDES, reading a Letter,] In The Historie of SIM. Knights, from my daughter this I let you know, That for this twelvemonth, she'll not undertake Her reason to herself is only known, Which from herself by no means can I get. 2 KNIGHT. May we not get access to her, my lord ? SIM. 'Faith, by no means; she hath so strictly tied her To her chamber, that it is impossible. One twelve moons more she'll wear Diana's livery; This by the eye of Cynthia hath she vow'd, And on her virgin honour will not break it. 3 KNIGHT. Though loath to bid farewell, we take our leaves. SIM. SO [Exeunt. They're well despatch'd; now to my daughter's letter: She tells me here, she'll wed the stranger knight, Or never more to view nor day nor light. Mistress, 'tis well, your choice agrees with mine; I like that well:-nay, how absolute she's in't, Not minding whether I dislike or no! King Appolyn of Thyre, "two kynges sones" pay their court to the daughter of Archystrates, (the Simonides of the present play). He sends two rolls of paper to her, containing their names, &c. and desires her to choose which she will marry. She writes him a letter (in answer), of which Appolyn is the bearer,—that she will have the man "which hath passed the daungerous undes and perylles of the sea-all other to refuse." The same circumstance is mentioned by Gower, who has introduced three suitors instead of two, in which our author has followed him. MALONE. In Twine's translation, these suitors are also three in number,— Ardonius, Munditius, and Carnillus. STEEVENS. 9 This by the eye of Cynthia hath she vow'd,] It were to be wished that Simonides (who is represented as a blameless character) had hit on some more ingenuous expedient for the dismission of these wooers. Here he tells them as a solemn truth, what he knows to be a fiction of his own. STEEVENS. Well, I commend her choice; And will no longer have it be delay'd. PER. All fortune to the good Simonides! With such delightful pleasing harmony. PER. It is your grace's pleasure to commend; Not my desert. SIM. Sir, you are musick's master. PER. The worst of all her scholars, my good lord. SIM. Let me ask one thing. What do sir, of My daughter? you think, As of a most virtuous princess. I I am beholden to you, For your sweet musick this last night :] Here also our author has followed Gower: "She, to doone hir faders hest,. "Hir harpe set, and in the feste "Upon a chaire, whiche thei sette, "With harpe both and eke with mouth 66 To him she did all that she couth, "To make him chere; and ever he sigheth, "And she him asketh howe him liketh. 66 Madame, certes well, he saied; "But if ye the measure plaied, "Whiche, if you list, I shall you lere, "Nowe take the harpe, and lete me see "He tempreth, and of such assize "Hem thought it sowned in her ere, "As though that it an angell were." MALONE. SIM. And she is fair too, is she not? PER. As a fair day in summer; wond'rous fair. SIM. My daughter, sir, thinks very well of you; Ay, so well, sir, that you must be her master, And she'll your scholar be; therefore look to it. PER. Unworthy I to be her schoolmaster2. SIM. She thinks not so; peruse this writing else. A letter, that she loves the knight of Tyre; [Aside. That never aim'd so high, to love your daughter, But bent all offices to honour her. SIM. Thou hast bewitch'd my daughter, and thou art A villain. PER. By the gods, I have not, sir. PER. SIM. Traitor! Ay, traitor, sir. PER. Even in his throat, (unless it be the king3,) That calls me traitor, I return the lie. 2 SIM. Now, by the gods, I do applaud his courage. [Aside. PER. My actions are as noble as my thoughts, TO BE her schoolmaster.] Thus the quarto 1619. The first copy reads for her schoolmaster. MALONE. 3 MY gracious lord,] Old copies me. I am answerable for the correction. MALONE. 4 Thou hast BEWITCH'D my daughter,] So, Brabantio, addressing himself to Othello: "Damn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her." STEEVENS. S -THE king.)] Thus the quarto 1609. The second copy has a king. MALONE. That never relish'd of a base descent". I came unto your court, for honour's cause, And he that otherwise accounts of me, Here comes my daughter, she can witness it". Enter THAISA. PER. Then, as you are as virtuous as fair, you had, Who takes offence at that would make me glad? you; I'll bring you in subjection. Will you, not having my consent, bestow Nay, come; your hands and lips must seal it too. 6 That never RELISH'D of a base descent.] So, in Hamlet: "That has no relish of salvation in it." Again, in Macbeth : 7 "So well thy words become thee as thy wounds; They smack of honour both." MALONE. Here comes my daughter, she can witness it.] Thus all the copies. Simonides, I think, means to say- Not a rebel to our state!-Here comes my daughter: she can prove, thou art one.' Perhaps, however, the author wrote-" Now, Here comes," &c.In Othello, we find nearly the same words: Here comes the lady, let her witness it." MALONE. |