This is the rarest dream that e'er dull sleep
Did mock sad fools withal: this cannot be.

My daughter's buried. [Aside.] Well:-where were you bred?

I'll hear you more, to the bottom of your story,
And never interrupt you.

Mar. You'll scarce believe me; 'twere best I did give o'er.

Per. I will believe you by the syllable

Of what you shall deliver. Yet, give me leave:-
How came you in these parts? where were you bred?
Mar. The king, my father, did in Tharsus leave me ;
Till eruel Cleon, with his wicked wife,
Did seek to murder me: and having woo'd

A villain to attempt it, who having drawn,

A crew of pirates came and rescued me;
Brought me to Mitylene. But now, good sir,
Whither will you have me? Why do you weep? It
may be,

You think me an impostor; no, good faith;

I am the daughter to king Pericles,

If good king Pericles be.

Lys.

She would never tell
Her parentage; being demanded that,
She would sit still and weep.

Per. O Helicanus, strike me, honour'd sir;
Give me a gash, put me to present pain;
Lest this great sea of joys rushing upon me,
O'erbear the shores of my mortality,

And drown me with their sweetness. O, come hither,

Thou that beget'st him that did thee beget;
Thou that wast born at sea, buried at Tharsus,
And found at sea again!—O Helicanus,
Down on thy knees, thank the holy gods, as loud
As thunder threatens us: This is Marina.-
What was thy mother's name? tell me but that,
For truth can never be confirm'd enough,
Though doubts did ever sleep.

[The Curtain before the Pavilion of Pericles
is closed.

So leave him al-Well, my companion-friends,
If this but answer to my just belief,
I'll well remember you.

[Exeunt Lysimachus, Helicanus, Marina, and
attendant Lady.

SCENE II.-The same. Pericles on the Deck asleep; Diana appearing to him as in a vision.

Dia. My temple stands in Ephesus; hie thee thither, And do upon mine altar sacrifice.

There, when my maiden priests are met together,

Before the people all,

Reveal how thou at sea didst lose thy wife:

To mourn thy crosses, with thy daughter's, call,
And give them repetition to the life.
Perform my bidding, or thou liv'st in woe:
Do't, and be happy, by my silver bow.
Awake, and tell thy dream.

[Diana disappears. Per. Celestial Dian, goddess argentine,

I will obey thee!-Helicanus !

Enter Lysimachus, Helicanus, and Marina.
Sir.

Hel.
Per. My purpose was for Tharsus, there to strike
The inhospitable Cleon; but I am

For other service first: toward Ephesus
Turn our blown sails; eftscons I'll tell thee why.-
[To Helicanus.

Shall we refresh us, sir, upon your shore,
And give you gold for such provision
As our intents will need?

Lys. With all my heart, sir; and when you come ashore,

This, as my last boon, give me,
(For such kindness must relieve me,)
That you aptly will suppose

What pageantry, what feats, what shows,
What minstrelsy, and pretty din,
The regent made in Mitylin,

To greet the king. So he has thriv'd,
That he is promis'd to be wiv'd
To fair Marina; but in no wise,
Till he had done his sacrifice,

As Dian bade: whereto being bound,
The interim, pray you, all confound.
In feather'd briefness sails are fill'd
And wishes fall out as they're will'd.
At Ephesus, the temple see,

Our king, and all his company, That he can hither come so soon, Is by your fancy's thankful boon.

[Exit.

SCENE III-The Temple of Diana at Ephesus; Thaisa standing near the Altar, as high Priestess ; a number of Virgins of each side; Cerimon and other Inhabitants of Ephesus attending. Enter Perieles with his Train; Lysimachus, Helicanus, Marina, and a Lady.

Per. Hail, Dian! to perform thy just command,
I here confess myself the king of Tyre;
Who, frighted from my country, did wed
The fair Thaisa, at Pentapolis.

At sea in childbed died she, but brou forth
A maid-child, call'd Marina; who, O goddess,
Wears yet thy silver livery. She at Tharsus
Was nurs'd with Cleon; whom at fourteen years
He sought to murder: but her better stars
Brought her to Mity lene; against whose shore
Riding, her fortunes brought the maid aboard us,
Where, by her own most clear remembrance, she
Made known herself my daughter.

Thai.

Voice and favour!

You are, you are-O royal Pericles!- [She faints. Per. What means the woman? she dies! help, gentlemen!

I will, my lord. Beseech you, first go with me to my house, Where shall be shown you all was found with her; How she canie placed here within the temple; No needful thing omitted.

Per.

Pure Diana! I bless thee for thy vision, and will offer My night oblations to thee. Thaisa, This prince, the fair betrothed of your daughter, Shall marry her at Pentapolis. And now, This ornament that makes me look so dismal, Will I, my lov'd Marina, clip to form; And what this fourteen years no razor touch'd, To grace thy marriage day, I'll beautify. That. Lord Cerimou hath letters of good creslit, Sir, that my father's dead.

Per. Heavens make a star of him! Yet there, my

queen,

We'll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves
Will in that kingdom spend our following days;
Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign.
Lord Cerimon, we do our longing stay,
To hear the rest untold,-Sir, lead the way. [Exeunt

Enter Gower.
Gow. In Antioch, and his daughter, you have

heard

Of monstrous lust the due and just reward:
In Pericles, his queen and daughter, seen
(Although assail'd with fortune fierce and keen,)
Virtue preserv'd from fell destruction's blast,
Led on by heaven, and crown'd with joy at last.
In Helicanus may you well desery

A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty:
In reverend Cerimon there well appears
The worth that learned charity aye wears.

For wicked Cleon and his wife, when fame
Had spread their cursed deed, and honour'd name
Of Pericles, to rage the city turn;

That him and his they in his palace burn.
The gods for murder seemed so content

To punish them; although not done, but meant.
So on your patience evermore attending,
New joy wait on you! Here our play has ending.
[Exit Gower.

Thersites, a deformed and scurrilous Grecian.
Alexander, servant to Cressida.
Servant to Troilus.

Servant to Paris. Servant to Diomedes.

Pandarus, uncle to Cressida.

Margarelon, a bastard son of Priam.

Menelaus, his brother.

Andromache, wife to Hector.

Cassandra, daughter to Priam; a prophetess. Cressida, daughter to Calchas.

Trojan and Greek Soldiers, and Attendants.

Agamemnon, the Grecian general:

Achilles,

Ajax,

Ulysses,

Grecian commanders.

SCENE, Troy, and the Grecian Camp before it,

Nestor,

Diomedes,

Patroclus,J

PROLOGUE.

IN Troy, there lies the scene. From isles of Greece

The princes orgulous, their high blood chaf'd,
Have to the port of Athens sent their ships,
Fraught with the ministers and instruments
Of cruel war: Sixty and nine, that wore
Their crownets regal, from the Athenian bay
Put forth toward Phrygia: and their vow is made
To ransack Troy; within whose strong immures
The ravish'd Helen, Menelaus' queen,
With wanton Paris sleeps; And that's the quarrel.
To Tenedos they come ;

And the deep-drawing barks do there disgorge
Their war-like fraughtage: Now on Dardan plains
The fresh and yet unbruised Greeks do pitch
Their brave pavilions. Priam's six-gated city,
Dardan, and Tymbria, Ilias, Chetas, Trojan,
And Antenorides, with massy staples,
And corresponsive and fulfilling bolts,
Sperr up the sons of Troy.

Now expectation, tickling skittish spirits,
On one and other side, Trojan and Greek,
Sets all on hazard :-And hither am I come
A prologue arm'd,-but not in confidence
Of author's pen, or actor's voice; but suited
In like conditions as our argument,-
To tell you, fair beholders, that our play
Leaps o'er the vaunt and firstlings of those broils,
'Ginning in the middle; starting thence away
To what may be digested in a play.

Like, or find fault; do as your pleasures are;
Now good, or bad, 'tis but the chance of war.

འ་འ་

АСТ І.

SCENE I-Troy. Before Priam's Palace. Enter Troilus armed, and Pandarus.

Troilus.

CALL here my varlet, I'll unarm again:
Why should I war without the walls of Troy,
That find such cruel battle here within?
Each Trojan, that is master of his heart,
Let him to field; Troilus, alas! hath none.
Pan. Will this geer ne'er be mended?

Tro. The Greeks are strong, and skilful to their strength,

Fierce to their skill, and to their fierceness valiant;
But I am weaker than a woman's tear,
Tamer than sleep, fonder than ignorance;
Less valiant than the virgin in the night,
And skill-less as unpractis'd infancy.

Pan. Well, I have told you enough of this: for my part, I'll not meddle nor make no further. He, that will have a cake out of the wheat, must tarry the grinding.

Tro. Have I not tarried?

Pan. Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry the bolt

ing.

Tro. Have I not tarried?

Pan. Ay, the bolting; but you must tarry the leav ening.

Tro. Still have I tarried.

Pan. Ay, to the leavening: but here's yet in the word-hereafter, the kneading, the making of the cake, the heating of the oven, and the baking; nay, you must stay the cooling too, or you may chance to burn your lips.

Tro. Patience herself, what goddess ere she be, Doth lesser blench at suferance than I do.

At Priam's royal table do I sit;

And when fair Cressid comes into my thoughts,