Lysimachus our Tyrian ship espies,
His banners sable, trimm’d with rich expense;
And to him in his barge with fervour hies.
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In your supposing once more put your sight;
Of heavy Pericles, think this his bark,
Where what is done in action, more, if might,
Shall be discover’d; please you sit and hark. Exit.
5.1 Enter HELICANUS, to him two Sailors, one belonging to the Tyrian vessel, the other to the barge.
TYRIAN SAILOR
Where is Lord Helicanus? he can resolve you.
O, here he is.
[to Helicanus] Sir, there is a barge put off from Mytilene,
And in it is Lysimachus the governor,
Who craves to come aboard. What is your will?
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HELICANUS That he have his. Call up some gentlemen.
TYRIAN SAILOR Ho, gentlemen! my lord calls.
Enter two or three Gentlemen.
1 GENTLEMAN Doth your lordship call?
HELICANUS Gentlemen, there is some of worth would
come aboard; I pray, greet him fairly.
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[Gentlemen and Sailors descend, and go on board the barge.]
Enter from thence LYSIMACHUS and Lords; with them the gentlemen and sailors.
TYRIAN SAILOR Sir,
This is the man that can, in aught you would,
Resolve you.
LYSIMACHUS Hail, reverend sir! the gods preserve you!
HELICANUS And you, to outlive the age I am,
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And die as I would do.
LYSIMACHUS You wish me well.
Being on shore, honouring of Neptune’s triumphs,
Seeing this goodly vessel ride before us,
I made to it to know of whence you are.
HELICANUS First, what is your place?
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LYSIMACHUS
I am the governor of this place you lie before.
HELICANUS Sir,
Our vessel is of Tyre, in it the king;
A man who for this three months hath not spoken
To any one, nor taken sustenance
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But to prorogue his grief.
LYSIMACHUS Upon what ground is his distemperature?
HELICANUS ’Twould be too tedious to repeat;
But the main grief springs from the loss
Of a beloved daughter and a wife.
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LYSIMACHUS May we not see him?
HELICANUS You may;
But bootless is your sight; he will not speak
To any.
LYSIMACHUS Yet let me obtain my wish.
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HELICANUS Behold him.
PERICLES discovered.
This was a goodly person,
Till the disaster that, one mortal night,
Drove him to this.
LYSIMACHUS Sir king, all hail! the gods preserve you!
Hail, royal sir!
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HELICANUS It is in vain; he will not speak to you.
1 LORD Sir,
We have a maid in Mytilene, I durst wager,
Would win some words of him.
LYSIMACHUS ’Tis well bethought.
She, questionless, with her sweet harmony
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And other chosen attractions, would allure,
And make a batt’ry through his deafen’d ports,
Which now are midway stopp’d.
She is all happy as the fairest of all,
And with her fellow maids is now upon
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The leavy shelter that abuts against
The island’s side.
[Whispers a Lord, who goes off in the barge of
Lysimachus.]
HELICANUS Sure, all effectless; yet nothing we’ll omit
That bears recovery’s name. But, since your kindness
We have stretch’d thus far, let us beseech you
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That for our gold we may provision have,
Wherein we are not destitute for want,
But weary for the staleness.
LYSIMACHUS O, sir, a courtesy
Which, if we should deny, the most just God
For every graff would send a caterpillar,
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And so inflict our province. Yet once more
Let me entreat to know at large the cause
Of your king’s sorrow.
HELICANUS Sit, sir, I will recount it to you.
But see, I am prevented.
Enter Lord from the barge, with MARINA and one of her companions.
LYSIMACHUS O, here’s the lady that I sent for.
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Welcome, fair one! Is’t not a goodly presence?
HELICANUS She’s a gallant lady.
LYSIMACHUS She’s such a one that, were I well assur’d
Came of gentle kind and noble stock,
I’d wish no better choice, and think me rarely wed.
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Fair one, all goodness that consists in beauty,
Expect even here, where is a kingly patient,
If that thy prosperous and artificial feat
Can draw him but to answer thee in aught,
Thy sacred physic shall receive such pay
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As thy desires can wish.
MARINA Sir, I will use
My utmost skill in his recovery, provided
That none but I and my companion maid
Be suffer’d to come near him.
LYSIMACHUS Come, let us leave her;
And the gods make her prosperous!
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[They withdraw. Marina sings.]
Mark’d he your music?
MARINA No, nor look’d on us.
LYSIMACHUS See, she will speak to him.
MARINA Hail, sir! my lord, lend ear.
PERICLES Hum, ha! [pushing her back.]
MARINA I am a maid,
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My lord, that ne’er before invited eyes,
But have been gaz’d on like a comet; she speaks,
My lord, that, may be, hath endur’d a grief
Might equal yours, if both were justly weigh’d.
Though wayward fortune did malign my state,
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My derivation was from ancestors
Who stood equivalent with mighty kings;
But time hath rooted out my parentage,
And to the world and awkward casualties
Bound me in servitude. [aside] I will desist;
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But there is something glows upon my cheek,
And whispers in mine ear ‘Go not till he speak’.
PERICLES My fortunes – parentage – good parentage –
To equal mine – was it not thus? what say you?
MARINA I said, my lord, if you did know my parentage,
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You would not do me violence.
PERICLES
I do think so. Pray you, turn your eyes upon me.
You’re like something that – What countrywoman?
Here of these shores?
MARINA No, nor of any shores;
Yet I was mortally brought forth, and am
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No other than I appear.
PERICLES I am great with woe
And shall deliver weeping. My dearest wife
Was like this maid, and such a one
My daughter might have been: my queen’s square brows;
Her stature to an inch; as wand-like straight;
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As silver-voic’d; her eyes as jewel-like
And cas’d as richly; in pace another Juno;
Who starves the ears she feeds, and makes them hungry
The more she gives them speech. Where do you live?
MARINA Where I am but a stranger; from the deck
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You may discern the place.
P
ERICLES Where were you bred?
And how achiev’d you these endowments which
You make more rich to owe?
MARINA If I should tell my history, ’twould seem
Like lies, disdain’d in the reporting.
PERICLES Prithee, speak;
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Falseness cannot come from thee, for thou look’st
Modest as Justice, and thou seem’st a palace
For the crown’d Truth to dwell in. I will believe thee,
And make my senses credit thy relation
To points that seem impossible; for thou look’st
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Like one I lov’d indeed. What were thy friends?
Didst thou not say when I did push thee back,
Which was when I perceiv’d thee, that thou cam’st
From good descending?
MARINA So indeed I did.
PERICLES Report thy parentage. I think thou said’st
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Thou hadst been toss’d from wrong to injury,
And that thou thought’st thy griefs might equal mine,
If both were open’d.
MARINA Some such thing I said,
And said no more but what my thoughts
Did warrant me was likely.
PERICLES Tell thy story;
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If thine consider’d prove the thousandth part
Of my endurance, thou art a man, and I
Have suffer’d like a girl; yet thou dost look
Like Patience gazing on kings’ graves, and smiling
Extremity out of act. What were thy friends?
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How lost thou them? Thy name, my most kind virgin?
Recount, I do beseech you. Come, sit by me.
MARINA My name is Marina.
PERICLES O, I am mock’d,
And thou by some incensed god sent hither
To make the world to laugh at me.
MARINA Patience, good sir,
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Or here I’ll cease.
PERICLES Nay, I’ll be patient.
Thou little know’st how thou dost startle me,
To call thyself Marina.
MARINA The name
Was given me by one that had some power,
My father and a king.
PERICLES How, a king’s daughter?
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And call’d Marina?
MARINA You said you would believe me;
But, not to be a troubler of your peace,
I will end here.
PERICLES But are you flesh and blood?
Have you a working pulse, and are no fairy
Motion? Well, speak on. Where were you born,
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And wherefore call’d Marina?
MARINA Call’d Marina
For I was born at sea.
PERICLES At sea! what mother?
MARINA My mother was the daughter of a king;
Who died the minute I was born,
As my good nurse Lychorida hath oft
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Deliver’d weeping.
PERICLES O, stop there a little!
This is the rarest dream that e’er dull’d sleep
Did mock sad fools withal; this cannot be
My daughter, buried; well; where were you bred?
I’ll hear you more, to th’ bottom of your story,
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And never interrupt you.
MARINA
You scorn; believe me, ’twere best I did give o’er.
PERICLES 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?
170
MARINA The king my father did in Tharsus leave me,
Till cruel Cleon, with his wicked wife,
Did seek to murder me; and having woo’d
A villain to attempt it, who having drawn to do’t,
A crew of pirates came and rescu’d me;
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Brought me to Mytilene. But, 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.
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PERICLES Ho, Helicanus!
HELICANUS Calls my lord?
PERICLES Thou art a grave and noble counsellor,
Most wise in general. Tell me, if thou canst,
What this maid is, or what is like to be,
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That thus hath made me weep?
HELICANUS I know not;
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 439