William Shakespeare - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

That thus hath made me weep?

HELICANUS.

I know not; but

Here is the regent, sir, of Mytilene

Speaks nobly of her.

LYSIMACHUS.

She would never tell

Her parentage; being demanded that,

She would sit still and weep.

PERICLES.

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 Tarsus,

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

MARINA.

First, sir, I pray,

What is your title?

PERICLES.

I am Pericles of Tyre: but tell me now

My drown’d queen’s name, as in the rest you said

Thou hast been godlike perfect,

The heir of kingdoms and another like

To Pericles thy father.

MARINA.

Is it no more to be your daughter than

To say my mother’s name was Thaisa?

Thaisa was my mother, who did end

The minute I began.

PERICLES.

Now, blessing on thee! rise; thou art my child.

Give me fresh garments. Mine own, Helicanus;

She is not dead at Tarsus, as she should have been,

By savage Cleon: she shall tell thee all;

When thou shalt kneel, and justify in knowledge

She is thy very princess. Who is this?

HELICANUS.

Sir, ‘tis the governor of Mytilene,

Who, hearing of your melancholy state,

Did come to see you.

PERICLES.

I embrace you.

Give me my robes. I am wild in my beholding.

O heavens bless my girl! But, hark, what music?

Tell Helicanus, my Marina, tell him

O’er, point by point, for yet he seems to doubt,

How sure you are my daughter. But, what music?

HELICANUS.

My lord, I hear none.

PERICLES.

None!

The music of the spheres! List, my Marina.

LYSIMACHUS.

It is not good to cross him; give him way

PERICLES.

Rarest sounds! Do ye not hear?

LYSIMACHUS.

My lord, I hear.

[Music.]

PERICLES.

Most heavenly music!

It nips me unto listening, and thick slumber

Hangs upon mine eyes: let me rest.

[Sleeps.]

LYSIMACHUS.

A pillow for his head:

So, leave him all. Well, my companion friends,

If this but answer to my just belief,

I’ll well remember you.

[Exeunt all but Pericles.]

[Diana appears to Pericles as in a vision.]

DIANA.

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.

Or perform my bidding, or thou livest in woe:

Do it, and happy; by my silver bow!

Awake, and tell thy dream.

[Disappears.]

PERICLES.

Celestial Dian, goddess argentine,

I will obey thee. Helicanus!

[Re-enter Helicanus, Lysimachus, and Marina.]

HELICANUS.

Sir?

PERICLES.

My purpose was for Tarsus, there to strike

The inhospitable Cleon; but I am

For other service first: toward Ephesus

Turn our blown sails; eftsoons I’ll tell thee why

[To Lysimachus.]

Shall we refresh us, sir, upon your shore,

And give you gold for such provision

As our intents will need?

LYSIMACHUS.

Sir,

With all my heart; and when you come ashore,

I have another suit.

PERICLES.

You shall prevail,

Were you to woo my daughter; for it seems

You have been noble towards her.

LYSIMACHUS.

Sir, lend me your arm.

PERICLES.

Come, my Marina.

[Exeunt.]

SCENE II. Enter Gower, before the temple of Diana at Ephesus.

GOWER.

Now our sands are almost run;

More a little, and then dumb.

This, 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 Mytilene

To greet the king. So he thrived,

That he is promised to be wived

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,

Cur king and all his company.

That he can hither come so soon,

Is by your fancy’s thankful doom.

[Exit.]

SCENE III. The temple of Diana at Ephesus; Thaisa standing near the altar, as high priestess; a number of Virgins on each side; Cerimon and other inhabitants of Ephesus attending.

[Enter Pericles, with his train; Lysimachus, Helicanus, Marina, and a Lady.]

PERICLES.

Hail, Dian! to perform thy just command,

I here confess myself the king of Tyre;

Who, frighted from my country, did wed

At Pentapolis the fair Thaisa.

At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth

A maid-child call’d Marina; who, O goddess,

Wears yet thy silver livery. She at Tarsus

Was nursed with Cleon; who at fourteen years

He sought to murder: but her better stars

Brought her to Mytilene; ‘gainst whose shore

Riding, her fortunes brought the maid aboard us,

Where by her own most clear remembrance, she

Made known herself my daughter.

THAISA.

Voice and favour!

You are, you are — O royal Pericles!

[Faints.]

PERICLES.

What means the nun? she dies! help, gentlemen!

CERIMON.

Noble sir,

If you have told Diana’s altar true,

This is your wife.

PERICLES.

Reverend appearer, no;

I threw her overboard with these very arms.

CERIMON.

Upon this coast, I warrant you.

PERICLES.

‘Tis most certain.

CERIMON.

Look to the lady; O, she’s but o’er-joy’d.

Early in blustering morn this lady was

Thrown upon this shore. I oped the coffin,

Found there rich jewels; recover’d her, and placed her

Here in Diana’s temple.

PERICLES.

May we see them?

CERIMON.

Great sir, they shall be brought you to my house,

Whither I invite you. Look, Thaisa is

Recovered.

THAISA.

O, let me look!

If he be none of mine, my sanctity

Will to my sense bend no licentious ear,

But curb it, spite of seeing. O, my lord,

Are you not Pericles? Like him you spake,

Like him you are: did you not name a tempest,

A birth, and death?

PERICLES.

The voice of dead Thaisa!

THAISA.

That Thaisa am I, supposed dead

And drown’d.

PERICLES.

Immortal Dian!

THAISA.

Now I know you better,

When we with tears parted Pentapolis,

The king my father gave you such a ring.

[Shows a ring.]

PERICLES.

This, this: no more, you gods! your present kindness

Makes my past miseries sports: you shall do well,

That on the touching of her lips I may

Melt and no more be seen. O, come, be buried

A second time within these arms.

MARINA.

My heart

Leaps to be gone into my mother’s bosom.

[Kneels to Thaisa.]

PERICLES.

Look, who kneels here! Flesh of thy flesh, Thaisa;

Thy burden at the sea, and call’d Marina

For she was yielded there.