The Dramatic Works of Shakspeare

When it should move you to attend me most,
Lending your kind commiseration:
Here is a captain, let him tell the tale;
Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him
speak.
[you,
Luc. Then noble auditory, be it known to
That cursed Chiron and Demetrius [ther;
Were they that murdered our emperor's bro.
And they it were that ravished our sister:
For their fell faults our brothers were behead-
ed;
[zen'd
Our father's tears despised; and basely co-
Of that true hand, that fought Rome's quarrel
And sent her enemies unto the grave. [out,
Lastly, my self unkindly banished,
The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out,
To beg relief among Rome's enemies;
Who drown'd their enmity in my true tears,
And oped their arms to embrace me as a friend:
And I am the turn'd-forth, be it known to you,
That have preserved her welfare in my blood;
And from her bosom took the enemy's point,
Sheathing the steel in my advent'rous body.
Alas! you know I am no vaunter, I;
My scars can witness, dumb although they are,
That my report is just, and full of truth.
But, soft; methinks, I do digress too much,
Citing my worthless praise: O, pardon me;
For when no friends are by, men praise them-
selves.
[child.
Mar. Now is my turn to speak; Behold this
[Pointing to the Child in the arms of
an Attendant.

Of this was Tamora delivered;
The issue of an irreligious Moor,
Chief architect and plotter of these woes;
The villain is alive in Titus' house,
Damn'd as he is, to witness this is true.
Now judge, what cause had Titus to revenge
These wrongs, unspeakable, past patience,
Or more than any living man could bear.
Now you
have heard the truth, what say you,
Romans?

Have we done aught amiss? Show us wherein,
And, from the place where you behold us now,
The poor remainder of Andronici

Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down,
And on the ragged stones beat forth our brains,
And make a mutual closure of our house.
Speak, Romans, speak; and, if you say, we
shall,

Lo, hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall.
Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of
Rome,

And bring our emperor gently in thy hand,
Lucius our emperor; for, well I know,
The common voice do cry, it shall be so.
Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail;
Rome's royal emperor!
LUCIUS, &c. descend.
Mar. Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house;
[To an Attendant.
And hither hale that misbelieving Moor,
To be adjudged some direful slaughtering death,
As punishment for his most wicked life.
Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail;
Rome's gracious governor!

Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans: May I govern

So,

To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away ner woe!
But, gentle people, give me aim awhile,-
For nature puts me to a heavy task;—
Stand all aloof:-but, uncle, draw you near,
To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk :-
O, take this warm kiss on thy pale cold lips,
[Kisses TITUS.
These sorrowful drops upon thy blood-stain'd
The last true duties of thy noble son! [face,

Mar. Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss,
Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips:
O, were the sum of these that I should pay
Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them!
Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and
learn of us

[well:
To melt in showers: Thy grandsire loved thee
Many a time he danced thee on his knee,
Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow;
Many a matter hath he told to thee,
Meet, and agreeing with thine infancy;
In that respect then, like a loving child, [spring,
Shed yet some small drops from thy tender
Because kind nature doth require it so: [woe:
Friends should associate friends in grief and
Bid him farewell; commit him to the grave;
Do him that kindness, and take leave of him.
Boy. O grandsire, grandsire! even with all
my heart

Would I were dead, so you did live again!—
O lord, I cannot speak to him for weeping
My tears will choke me, if I ope my mouth.

Enter Attendants, with AARON.

1 Rom. You sad Andronici, have done with Give sentence on this execruble wretch, [woes, That hath been breeder of these dire events. Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and fa

mish him

There let him stand and rave, and cry for food!
If any one relieves or pities him,

For the offence he dies. This is our doom:
Some stay, to see him fastened in the earth.
Aar. O, why should wrath be mute, and
fury dumb?

I am no baby, I, that, with base prayers,
I should repent the evils I have done;
Ten thousand worse, than ever yet I did,
Would I perform, if I might have my will
If one good deed in all my life I did,
I do repent it from my very soul.

Luc. Some loving friends convey the em-
peror hence,

And give him burial in his father's grave:
My father, and Lavinia, shall forth with
Be closed in our household's monument.
As for that heinous tiger, Tamora,
No funeral rite, nor man in mournful weeds,
No mournful bell shall ring her burial;
But throw her forth to beasts and birds of prey:
Her life was beast-like, and devoid of pity;
And, being so, shall have like want of pity.
See justice done to Aaron, that damn'd Moor
By whom our heavy haps had their beginning:
Then afterwards, to order well the state;
That like events may ne'er it ruinate.

[Exeunt

PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE.

Persons represented.

ANTIOCHUS, King of Antioch.
PERICLES, Prince of Tyre.
HHLICANUS,
Two Lords of Tyre.
ESCANES,
SIMONIDES, King of Pentapolis.
CLEON, governor of Thursus.
LYSIMACHUS, governor of Mitylene.
CERIMON, a Lord of Ephesus.
THALIARD, a Lord of Antioch.
PHILEMON, servant to Cerimon.
LEONINE, Servant to Dionyza.
Marshal.

A Pander, and his Wife.

BOULT, their servant.
GOWER, as Chorus.

The Daughter of Antiochus.
DIONYZA, wife to Cleon.

THAISA, daughter to Simonides.
MARINA, daughter to Pericles and Thaisa.
LYCHORIDA, nurse to Marina. DIANA.

Lords, Ladies, Knights,Gentlemen, Sailors,
Pirates, Fishermen, Messengers, &c.
Scene, dispersedly in various countries.

That the reader may know through how many regions the scene of this drama is dispersed, it is necessary to observe, that Antioch was the metropolis of Syria; Tyre, a city of Phoenicia, in Asia; Tarsus, the metropolis of Cilicia, a country of Asia Minor; Mitylene, the capital of Lesbos, an island in the Ægean sea; and Ephesus, the capital of Ionia, a country of the Lesser Asia.

Enter GowER⭑.

Before the Palace of Antioch. To sing a song of old was sung, From ashes ancient Gower is come; Assuming man's infirmities,

ACT I.

To glad your ear, and please your eyes.
It hath been sung at festivals,
On ember-eves, and holy ales ‡;
And lords and ladies of their lives
Have read it for restoratives:
'Purpose to make men glorious;
Et quo antiquius, eo melius.
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 city then, Antioch the great
Built up for his chiefest seat;
The fairest in all Syria;

(I tell you what mine authors say :)
This king unto him took a pheere ý,
Who died and left a female heir,
So buxom, blithe, 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 father! to entice his own
To evil, should be done by none.

By custom, what they did begin,
Was, with long use, account no sin.
The beauty of this sinful dame
Made many princes thither frame,
To seek her as a bed-fellow,
In marriage pleasures play-fellow :
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 now ensues, to the judgment of

eye

I give, my cause who best can justify.

your

[Exit.

Chorus, in the character of Gower, an ancient English Poet, who has related the story of this play in his Confessio Amantis. ti.e., That of old.

Wife, the word signifies a mate or companion.

Whitsun-ales, &c. Accounted.

Pointing to the scene of the palace-gate at Antioch, on which the heads of those unfortunate wights were fixed.

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, apparell'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 rased, and testy wrath
Could never be her mild companion.
Ye gods that made me man, and sway in love,
That have inflamed desire in my breast,
To taste the fruit of you celestial tree,
Or die in the adventure, be my helps,
As I am sou 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 heaven, enticeth thee to view
A 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, advent'rous by desire,
Tell thee with speechless tongues, and sem-
blance pale,

That, without covering, save yon field of stars,
They here 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 hath
My frail mortality to know itself, (taught
And by those fearful objects to prepare
This body, like to them, to what I must:
For death remember'd, should be like a mir-
ror,
[error.
Who tells us, life's but breath; to trust it,
I'll make my will then; and as sick men do,
Who know the world, see heaven, 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.

[To the Daughter of Antiochus.
Thus ready for the way of life or death,
I wait the sharpest blow, Antiochus,
Scorning advice.

Ant. Read the conclusion then; Which read and not expounded, 'tis decreed, As these before thee thou thyself shalt bleed. Daugh. In all, save that, may'st thou prove prosperous!

In all, save that, I wish thee happiness!

Nor ask advice of any other thought But faithfulness, and courage.

[He reads the Riddle.]

I am no viper, yet I feed

On mother's fresh, 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 you 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 loved you, and could still, [Takes hold of the hand of the princess. Were not this glorious casket stored with ill: But I must tell you,-now, my thoughts re volt;

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:
Who, finger'd to make man his lawful music,
Would draw heaven down, and all the gods to
hearken;

But, being play'd upon before your time,
Heli only danceth at so haish a chime:
Good sooth, 1 care not for you.

[life,

Ant. Prince Pericles, touch not, upon thy For that's an article within our law, As dangerous as the rest. Your time's expired; Either expound now, or receive your sentence. Per. Great king,

Few love to hear the sins they love to act ;
'Twould "braid yourself too near for me to
tell it;

Who has a book of all that monarchs do,
He's more secure to keep it shut than shown;
For vice repeated, is like the wand'ring wind,
Blows dust in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear:
To stop the air would hurt them. The blind
mole casts
fis wrong'd
Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell, the earth
By man's oppression; and the poor worm
doth die for't.

Kings are earth's gods: in vice their law's their will;

[ill?

And if Jove stray, who dares say, Jove doth
It is enough you know; and it is fit,
What being more known grows worse, to

smother it.

All love the womb that their first beings bred, Then give my tongue like leave to love my head.

Ant. Heaven, that I had thy head! he has found the meaning;

But I will glozet with him. [Aside.] Young prince of Tyre,

Per. Like a bold champion, I assume the Though by the tenour of our strict edíct,

lists,

* Rising to a top or head.

Your exposition misinterpreting,

+Flatter, insinuate.

We might proceed to cancel of your days;
Yet hope, succeeding from so fair a tree
As your fair self, doth tune us otherwise:
Forty days longer we do respite you;
If by which time our secret be undone,
This mercy shows, we'll joy in such a son:
And until then, your entertain shall be,
As doth befit our honour, and your worth.

[Exeunt ANTIOCHUS, his Daughter,
and Attendants.

Per. How courtesy would seem to cover
When what is done is like an hypocrite, [sin!
The which is good in nothing but in sight.
If it be true that I interpret false,
Then were it certain, you were not so bad,
As with foul incest to abuse your soul;
Where now you're both a father and a son,
By your untimely claspings with your child,
(Which pleasure fits an husband, not a father;)
And she an eater of her mother's flesh,
By the defiling of her parent's bed;
And both like serpents are, who though they
feed

On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.
Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,
Will shun no course to keep them from the
light.

One sin, I know, another doth provoke;
Murder's as near to lust, as flame to smoke.
Poison and treason are the hands of sin,
Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame:
Then, lest my life be cropp'd to keep you
clear,

By flight I'll shun the danger which I fear.

Re-enter ANTIOCHUS.

[Exit.
Ant. He hath found the meaning, for the
To have his head.
[which we mean
He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,
Nor tell the world, Antiochus doth sin
In such a loathed manner:

And therefore instantly this prince must die;
For by his fall my honour must keep high.
Who attends on us there?

Enter THALIARD.

Thal.
Doth your highness call?
Ant. Thaliard, you're of our chamber, and
our mind

SCENE II. Tyre. A Room in the Palace.
and other
Enter PERICLES, HELICANUS,
Lords.

Per. Let none disturb us: Why this change
of thoughts?

The sad companion, dull-ey'd melancholy,
By me so used a guest is, not an hour,
In the day's glorious walk, or peaceful night,
(The tomb where grief should sleep,) ean
breed me quiet! [eyes shun them,
Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine
And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch,
Whose arm seems far too short to hit me here:
Yet neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits,
Nor yet the other's distance comfort me.
Then it is thus: the passions of the mind,
That have their first conception by mis-dread,
Have after-nourishment and life by care;
And what was first but fear what might be
done,

Grows elder now, and cares it be not done.
And so with me -the great Antiochus
('Gainst whom I am too little to contend,
Since he's so great, can make his will his act,)
Will think me speaking, though I swear to

silence;

Nor boots it me to say, I honour him,
If he suspect I may dishonour him:
And what may make him blush in being known,
He'll stop the course by which it might be
known;

With hostile forces he'll o'erspread the land,
And with the ostent of war will look so huge,
Amazement shall drive courage from the state;
Our men be vanquish'd, ere they do resist,
And subjects punish'd, that no'er thought
offence:

Which care of them, not pity of myself,
(Who am no more but as the tops of trees,
Which fence the roots they grow by, and de-
fend them,)
[guish,
Makes both my body pine, and soul to lan
And punish that before, that he would punish.
1 Lord. Joy and all comfort in our sacred
breast!
{turn to us,
2 Lord. And keep your mind, till you re-
My lord, Peaceful and comfortable!

Partakes her private actions to your secresy;
And for your faithfulness we will advance you.
Thaliard, behold, here's poison, and here's
gold;
[kill him;
We hate the prince of Tyre, and thou must
It fits thee not to ask the reason why,
Because we bid it. Say, is it done?
Thal.
'Tis done.

Enter a Messenger.

Ant. Enough?
[haste.
Lest your breath cool yourself, telling your
Mess. My lord, prince Pericles is fled.
[Exit Messenger.

Ant.
As thou
Wilt live, fly after: and, as an arrow, shot
From a well-experienced archer, hits the mark

To the destruction of your life.

Hel. Peace, peace, my lords, and give ex-
perience tongue.

They do abuse the king, that flatter him:
For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;
The thing the which is flatter'd, but a spark,'
To which that breath gives heat and stronger
glowing;

Whereas reproof, obedient, and in order,
Fits kings, as they are men. for they may err

† Whereas.

When signior Sooth here does proclaim a peace,

He flatters you, makes war upon your life: Prince, pardon me, or strike me, if you please;

I cannot be much lower than my knees. Per. All leave us else; but let your cares o'erlook [heaven, What shipping, and what lading's in our And then return to us. [Exeunt Lords.] Heli

canus, thou

Hast moved us: what seest thou in our looks?
Hel. An angry brow, dread lord. [frowns,
Per. If there be such a dart in princes'
How durst thy tongue move anger to our face?
Hel. How dare the plants look up to haven,
from whence

They have their nourishment?
Per.
Thou knowest I have power
To take thy life.
[myself;
Hel. [Keeling] I have ground the axe
Do you but strike the blow.
Per
Rise, pr'ythee rise;
Sit down, sit down; thou art no flatterer:
I thank thee for it; and high heaven forbid
That kings should let their ears hear their
faults hid!

Fit counsellor, and servant for a prince,
Who by thy wisdom mikest a prince thy ser-
What wouldst thou have me do? [vant,
Hel.
With patience bear
Such griefs as you do lay upon yourself.
Per. Thou speak'st like a physician, Heli-
Who minister'st a potion unto me, [canus;
That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself.
Attend me then I went to Antioch, [death,
Where, as thou know'st, against the face of
I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty,
From whence an issue I might propagate,
Bring arms to princes, and to subjects joys.
Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder;
The rest (hark in thine ear,) as black as incest;
Which by my knowledge found, the sinful
father
[know'st this,
Seem'd not to strike, but smooth: but thou
Tis time to fear, when tyrants seem to kiss.
Which fear so grew in me, I hither fled,
Under the covering of a careful night,
Who seem'd my good protector; and being
here,
[ceed.
Bethought me what was past, what might suc-
I knew him tyrannons; and tyrants' fears
Decrease not, but grow faster than their years:
And should he doubt it, (as no doubt he doth,);
That I should open to the listening air,
How many worthy princes' bloods were shed,.
To keep his bed of blackness unlaid ope,-
To lop that doubt, he'll fill this land with arms,
And make pretence of wrong that I have done

him;

Per. Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from ny cheeks,

Musings into my mind, a thousand doubts
How I might stop, this tempest, ere it came;
And finding little comfort to relieve them,
I thought it princely charity to grieve them.
Hel. Well, my lord, since you have given
me leave to speak,

Freely I'll speak. Antiochus you fear,
And justly too, I think, you fear the tyrant,
Who either by public war, or private treason,
Will take away your life.
Therefore, my lord, go travel for a while,
Tili that his rage and anger be forgot,
Or Destinies do cut his thread of life.
Your rule direct to any; if to me,
Day serves not light more faithful than I'll be.
Per. I do not doubt thy faith ;

But should he wrong my liberties in absenceHel. We'll mingle bloods together in the earth

From whence we had our being and our birth. Per. Tyre, I now look from thee then, and to Tharsus

Intend my travel, where I'll hear from thee;
And by whose letters I'll dispose myself.
The care I had and have of subjects' good,
On thee I lay, whose wisdom's strength can
bear it.

I'll take thy word for faith, not ask thine oath; Who shuns not to break one, will sure crack both:

But in our orbs* we'll live so round and safe, That time of both this truth shall ne'er convineet,

Thou show'dst a subject's shine, I a true prince. [Exeunt.

SCENE III. Tyre. An Ante-chamber in the Palace.

Enter THALIARD.

Thal. So, this is Tyre, and this is the court. Here must I kill king Pericles; and if I do not, I am sure to be hang'd at home: 'tis dangerous.-Well. I perceive he was a wise fellow, and had good discretion, that being bid to ask what he would of the king, desired be might know none of his secrets. Now do I see he had some reason for it: for if a king bid a man be a villain, he is bound by the indenture of his oath to be one.-Hush, here come the lords of Tyre. Enter HELICANUS, ESCANES, and other

Lords.

* In our different spheres.

+ Overcome.

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