Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1609)/Act 3

by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Enter Gower.

Now sleepe yslacked hath the rout,
No din but snores about the house,
Made louder by the oerfed breast,
Of this most pompous maryage Feast:
The Catte with eyne of burning cole,
Now coutches from the Mouses hole;
And Cricket sing at the Ouens mouth,
Are the blyther for their drouth:
Hymen hath brought the Bride to bed,
Whereby the losse of maydenhead,
A Babe is moulded: be attent,
And Time that is so briefly spent,
With your fine fancies quaintly each,
What's dumbe in shew, Il'e plaine with speach.

Enter Pericles and Symonides at one dore with attendantes, a Messenger meetes them, kneeles and giues Pericles a letter, Pericles shewes it Symonides, the Lords kneele to him; then enter Thaysa with child, with Lichorida, a nurse, the King shewes her the letter, she reioyces: she and Pericles take leaue of her father, and depart.

By many a dearne and painefull pearch
Of Perycles the carefull search,
By the fower opposing Crignes,
Which the world togeather ioynes,
Is made with all due diligence
That horse and sayle and hie expence,
Can steed the quest at last from Tyre:
Fame answering the most strange enquire,
To'th Court of King Symonides,
Are Letters brought, the tenour these:
Antiochus and his daughter dead,
The men of Tyrus, on the head
Of Helycanus would set on
The Crowne of Tyre, but he will none:
The mutanie, hee there hastes t'oppresse,
Says to 'em, if King Pericles
Come not home in twise sixe Moones,
He obedient to their doomes,
Will take the Crowne: the summe of this,
Brought hither to Pentapolis,
Iranyshed the regions round,
And euery one with claps can sound,
Our heyre apparant is a King:
Who dreampt? who thought of such a thing?
Briefe he must hence depart to Tyre,
His Queene with child, makes her desire,
Which who shall crosse along to goe,
Omit we all their dole and woe:
Lichorida her Nurse she takes,
And so to Sea; their vessell shakes,
On Neptunes billow, halfe the flood,
Hath their Keele cut: but Fortune mou'd,
Varies againe, the grisled North
Disgorges such a tempest forth,
That as a Ducke for life that diues,
So vp and downe the poore Ship driues:
The Lady shreekes, and wel-a-neare,
Do's fall in trauayle with her feare:
And what ensues in this fell storme,
Shall for it selfe, it selfe performe:
I nill relate, action may
Conueniently the rest connay;
Which might not? what by me is told,
In your imagination hold:
This Stage, the Ship, vpon whose Decke
The seas tost Pericles appeares to speake.

Enter Pericles a Shipboard.

Peri.The God of this great Vast, rebuke these surges,
Which wash both heauen and hell, and thou that hast
Vpon the Windes commaund, bind them in Brasse;
Hauing call'd them from the deepe, ô still
Thy deafning dreadfull thunders, gently quench
Thy nimble sulphirous flashes: ô How Lychorida!
How does my Queene? then storme venomously,
Wilt thou speat all thy selfe? the sea-mans Whistle
Is as a whisper in the eares of death,
Vnheard Lychorida? Lucina, oh!
Diuinest patrionesse, and my wife gentle
To those that cry by night, conuey thy deitie
Aboard our dauncing Boat, make swift the pangues
Of my Queenes trauayles? now Lychorida.

Enter Lychorida.

Lychor.Heere is a thing too young for such a place,
Who if it had conceit, would die, as I am like to doe:
Take in your armes this peece of your dead Queene.

Peri.How? how Lychorida?

Lycho.Patience (good sir) do not assist the storme,
Heer's all that is left liuing of your Queene;
A litle Daughter: for the sake of it,
Be manly, and take comfort.

Per.O you Gods!
Why do you make vs loue your goodly gyfts,
And snatch them straight away? We heere below,
Recall not what we giue, and therein may
Vse honour with you.

Lycho.Patience (good sir) euen for this charge.

Per.Now mylde may be thy life,
For a more blusterous birth had never Babe:
Quiet and gentle thy conditions; for
Thou art the rudelyest welcome to this world,
That euer was Princes Child: happy what followes,
Thou hast as chiding a natiuitie,
As Fire, Ayre, Water, Earth, and Heauen can make,
To harould thee from the wombe:
Euen at the first, thy losse is more then can
Thy portage quit, with all thou canst find heere:
Now the good Gods throw their best eyes vpon't.

Enter two Saylers.

1. Sayl.What courage sir? God saue you.

Per.Courage enough, I do not feare the flaw,
It hath done to me the worst: yet for the loue
Of this poore Infant this fresh new sea-farer,
I would it would be quiet.

1. Sayl.Slacke the bolins there; thou wilt not wilt thou?
Blow and split thy selfe.

2. Sayl.But Sea-roome, and the brine and cloudy billow
Kisse the Moone, I care not.

1.Sir your Queene must ouer board, the sea workes hie,
The Wind is lowd, and will not lie till the Ship
Be cleard of the dead.

Peri.That's your superstition.

1.Pardon vs, sir; with vs at Sea it hath been still obserued.
And we are strong in easterne, therefore briefly yeeld'er,

Per.As you thinke meet; for she must ouer board straight;
Most wretched Queene.

Lychor.Heere she lyes sir.

Peri.A terrible Child-bed hast thou had (my deare,
No light, no fire, th'vnfriendly elements,
Forgot thee vtterly, nor haue I time
To giue thee hallowd to thy graue, but straight,
Must cast thee scarcly Coffind, in oare,
Where for a monument vpon thy bones,
The ayre remayning lampes, the belching Whale,
And humming Water must orewelme thy corpes,
Lying with simple shels: ô Lychorida,
Bid Nestor bring me Spices, Incke, and Taper,
My Casket, and my Iewels; and bid Nicander
Bring me the Sattin Coffin: lay the Babe
Vpon the Pillow; hie thee whiles I say
A priestly farewell to her: sodainely, woman.

2.Sir, we haue a Chist beneath the hatches,
Caulkt and bittumed ready.

Peri.I thanke thee: Mariner say, what Coast is this?

2.Wee are neere Tharsus.

Peri.Thither gentle Mariner.
Alter thy course for Tyre: When canst thou reach it?

2.By breake of day, if the Wind cease.

Peri.O make for Tharsus,
There will I visit Cleon, for the Babe
Cannot hold out to Tyrus; there Ile leaue it
At carefull nursing: goe thy wayes good Mariner,
Exit.Ile bring the body presently.

Enter Lord Cerymon with a seruant.

Cery.Phylemon, hoe.

Enter Phylemon.

Phyl.Doth my Lord call?

Cery.Get Fire and meat for these poore men,
T'as been a turbulent and stormie night.

Seru.I haue been in many; but such a night as this,
Till now, I neare endured.

Cery.Your Maister will be dead ere you returne,
There's nothing can be ministred to Nature,
That can recouer him: giue this to the Pothecary,
And tell me how it workes.

Enter two Gentlemen.

1.Gent.Good morrow.

2.Gent.Good morrow to your Lordship.

Cery.Gentlemen, why doe you stirre so early?

1.Gent.Sir, our lodgings standing bleake vpon the sea,
Shooke as the earth did quake:
The very principals did seeme to rend and all to topple:
Pure surprize and feare, made me to quite the house.

2.Gent.That is the cause we trouble you so early,
T'is not our husbandry.

Cery.O you say well.

1.Gent.But I much maruaile that your Lordship,
Hauing rich tire about you, should at these early howers,
Shake off the golden slumber of repose; tis most strange
Nature should be so conuersant with Paine,
Being thereto not compelled.

Cery.I hold it euer Vertue and Cunning
Were endowments greater, then Noblenesse and Riches;
Carelesse Heyres, may the two latter darken and expend;
But Immortalitie attendes the former,
Making a man a god:
T'is knowne, I euer haue studied Physicke:
Through which secret Art, by turning ore Authorities,
I haue togeather with my practize, made famyliar,
To me and to my ayde, the blest infusions that dwels
In Vegetiues, in Mettals, Stones: and can speake of the
Disturbances that Nature works, and of her cures;
which doth giue me a more content in course of true delight
Then to be thirsty after tottering honour, or
Tie my pleasure vp in silken Bagges,
To please the Foole and Death.

2.Gent.Your honour has through Ephesus,
Poured foorth your charitie, and hundreds call themselues,
Your Creatures; who by you, haue been restored;
And not your knowledge, your personall payne,
But euen your Purse still open, hath built Lord Cerimon,
Such strong renowne, as time shall neuer.

Enter two or three with a Chist.

Seru.So, lift there.

Cer.What's that?

Seru.Sir, euen now did the sea tosse vp vpon our shore
This Chist; tis of some wracke.

Cer.Set't downe, let's looke vpon't.

2.Gent.T'is like a Coffin, sir.

Cer.What ere it be, t'is woondrous heauie;
Wrench it open straight:
If the Seas stomacke be orecharg'd with Gold,
T'is a good constraint of Fortune it belches vpon vs.

2.Gent.T'is so, my Lord.

Cer.How close tis caulkt & bottomed, did the sea cast it vp?

Ser.I neuer saw so huge a billow sir, as tossed it vpon shore.

Cer.Wrench it open soft; it smels most sweetly in my sense.

2.Gent.A delicate Odour.

Cer.As euer hit my nostrill: so, vp with it.
Oh you most potent Gods! what's here, a Corse?

2.Gent.Most strange.

Cer.Shrowded in Cloth of state, balmed and entreasured with full bagges of Spices, a Pasport to Apollo, perfect mee in the Characters:

Heere I giue to understand,
If ere this Coffin driues aland;
I King Pericles, haue lost
This Queene, worth all our mundaine cost:
Who finds her, giue her burying,
She was the Daughter of a King:
Besides, this Treasure for a fee,
The Gods requit his charitie.
If thou liuest Pericles, thou hast a heart,
That euen cracks for woe, this chaunc'd to night.

2.Gent.Most likely sir.

Cer.Nay certainely to night, for looke how fresh she looks They were too rough, that threw her in the sea.
Make a fire within; fetch hither all my Boxes in my Closet,
Death may vsurpe on Nature many howers, and yet
The fire of life kindle againe the ore-prest spirits:
I heard of an Egiptian that had 9. howers lien dead,
Who was by good applyaunce recouered.
Enter one with Napkins and Fire.
Well sayd, well sayd; The fire and clothes: the rough and
Wofull Musicke that we haue, cause it to sound beseech you:
The Violl once more; how thou stirr'st, thou blocke?
The Musicke there: I pray you giue her ayre:
Gentlemen, this Queene will liue,
Nature awakes a warmup breath out of her;
She hath not been entranc'st aboue fiue howers:
See how she ginnes to blow into lifes flower againe.

1.Gent.The Heauens, through you, encrease our wonder,
And sets vp your fame for euer.

Cer.She is aliue, behold her ey-lids
Cases to those heauenly iewels which Pericles hath lost,
Begin to part their fringes of bright gold,
The Diamonds of a most praysed water doth appeare
To make the world twice rich, liue, and make vs weepe.
To heare your fate, faire creature, rare as you seeme to bee.

She moues.

Thai.O deare Diana, where am I? where's my Lord?
What world is this?

2.Gent.Is not this strange?

1.Gent.Most rare.

Ceri.Hush (my gentle neighbours) lend me your hands,
To the next Chamber beare her: get linnen:
Now this matter must be lookt to for her relapse
Is mortall: come, come; and Escelapius guide vs.
They carry her away. Exeunt omnes. 

Enter Pericles, Atharsus, with Cleon and Dionisa.

Per.Most honor'd Cleon, I must needs be gone, my twelue months are expir'd, and Tyrus standes in a litigious peace:
You and your Lady take from my heart all thankfulnesse,
The Gods make vp the rest vpon you.

Cle.Your shakes of fortune, though they hant you mortally
Yet glaunce full wondringly on vs.

Di.O your sweet Queene! that the strict fates had pleas'd, you had brought her hither to haue blest mine eies with her.

Peri.We cannot but obey the powers aboue vs;
Could I rage and rore as doth the sea she lies in,
Yet the end must be as tis: my gentle babe Marina,
Whom, for she was borne at sea, I haue named so,
Here I charge your charitie withall; leauing her
The infant of your care, beseeching you to giue her
Princely training, that she may be manere'd as she is borne.

Cleo.Feare not (my Lord) but thinke your Grace,
That fed my Countrie with your Corne; for which,
The peoples prayers still fall vpon you, must in your child
Be thought on if neglection should therein make me vile,
The common body by you relieu'd,
Would force me to my duety: but if to that,
My nature neede a spurre, the Gods reuenge it
Vpon me and mine, to the end of generation.

Per.I beleeue you, your honour and your goodnes,
Teach me too't without your vowes, till she be maried,
Madame, by bright Diana, whom we honour,
All vnsisserd shall this heyre of mine remayne,
Though I shew will in't; so I take my leaue:
Good Madame, make me blessed in your care
In bringing vp my Child.

Dion.I haue one myselfe, who shall not be more deere to my respect then yours, my Lord.

Peri.Madam, my thanks and prayers.

Cleo.Weel bring your Grace ene to the edge ath shore, then giue you vp to the mask'd Neptune, and the gentlest winds of heauen.

Peri.I will imbrace your offer, come deerest Madam, O no teares Licherida, no teares, looke to your little Mistris, on whose grace you may depend hereafter: come my Lord.

Enter Cerimon and Thaisa.

Cer.Madam, this Letter, and some certaine Iewels,
Lay with you in your Coffer, which are at your command:
Know you the Character?

Thai.It is my Lords, that I was shipt at sea I well remember, euen on my learning time, but whether there deliuered, by the holie gods I cannot rightly say: but since King Pericles my wedded Lord, I nere shall see againe, a vastall liuerie will I take me to, and neuer more haue ioy.

Cler.Madam, if this you purpose as ye speake,
Dianaes Temple is not distant farre,
Where you may abide till your date expire,
Moreouer if you please a Neece of mine,
Shall there attend you.

Thin.My recompence is thanks, thats all,
Exit.Yet my good will is great, though the gift small.