Complete Plays, The
Page 354
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 it 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,
Our 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’erjoy’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,
Th
at 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.
Thaisa
Blest, and mine own!
Helicanus
Hail, madam, and my queen!
Thaisa
I know you not.
Pericles
You have heard me say, when I did fly from Tyre,
I left behind an ancient substitute:
Can you remember what I call’d the man?
I have named him oft.
Thaisa
’Twas Helicanus then.
Pericles
Still confirmation:
Embrace him, dear Thaisa; this is he.
Now do I long to hear how you were found;
How possibly preserved; and who to thank,
Besides the gods, for this great miracle.
Thaisa
Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man,
Through whom the gods have shown their power; that can
From first to last resolve you.
Pericles
Reverend sir,
The gods can have no mortal officer
More like a god than you. Will you deliver
How this dead queen re-lives?
Cerimon
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 came placed here in the temple;
No needful thing omitted.
Pericles
Pure Dian, bless thee for thy vision! I
Will offer night-oblations to thee. Thaisa,
This prince, the fair-betrothed of your daughter,
Shall marry her at Pentapolis. And now,
This ornament
Makes me look dismal will I clip to form;
And what this fourteen years no razor touch’d,
To grace thy marriage-day, I’ll beautify.
Thaisa
Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, sir,
My father’s dead.
Pericles
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’s the way.
Exeunt
Enter Gower
Gower
In Antiochus 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 preserved from fell destruction’s blast,
Led on by heaven, and crown’d with joy at last:
In Helicanus may you well descry
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
Cymbeline
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY
ACT I
SCENE I. BRITAIN. THE GARDEN OF CYMBELINE’S PALACE.
SCENE II. THE SAME. A PUBLIC PLACE.
SCENE III. A ROOM IN CYMBELINE’S PALACE.
SCENE IV. ROME. PHILARIO’S HOUSE.
SCENE V. BRITAIN. A ROOM IN CYMBELINE’S PALACE.
SCENE VI. THE SAME. ANOTHER ROOM IN THE PALACE.
ACT II
SCENE I. BRITAIN. BEFORE CYMBELINE’S PALACE.
SCENE II. IMOGEN’S BEDCHAMBER IN CYMBELINE’S PALACE: A TRUNK IN ONE CORNER OF IT.
SCENE III. AN ANTE-CHAMBER ADJOINING IMOGEN’S APARTMENTS.
SCENE IV. ROME. PHILARIO’S HOUSE.
SCENE V. ANOTHER ROOM IN PHILARIO’S HOUSE.
ACT III
SCENE I. BRITAIN. A HALL IN CYMBELINE’S PALACE.
SCENE II. ANOTHER ROOM IN THE PALACE.
SCENE III. WALES: A MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRY WITH A CAVE.
SCENE IV. COUNTRY NEAR MILFORD-HAVEN.
SCENE V. A ROOM IN CYMBELINE’S PALACE.
SCENE VI. WALES. BEFORE THE CAVE OF BELARIUS.
SCENE VII. ROME. A PUBLIC PLACE.
ACT IV
SCENE I. WALES: NEAR THE CAVE OF BELARIUS.
SCENE II. BEFORE THE CAVE OF BELARIUS.
SCENE III. A ROOM IN CYMBELINE’S PALACE.
SCENE IV. WALES: BEFORE THE CAVE OF BELARIUS.
ACT V
SCENE I. BRITAIN. THE ROMAN CAMP.
SCENE II. FIELD OF BATTLE BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND ROMAN CAMPS.
SCENE III. ANOTHER PART OF THE FIELD.
SCENE IV. A BRITISH PRISON.
SCENE V. CYMBELINE’S TENT.
CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY
Cymbeline, king of Britain.
Cloten, son to the Queen by a former husband.
Posthumus Leonatus, a gentleman, husband to Imogen.
Belarius, a banished lord, disguised under the name of Morgan. Guiderius,Arviragus, sons to Cymbeline, disguised under the names of Polydote and Cadwal, supposed sons to Morgan.
Philario, friend to Posthumus, and Iachimo, friend to Philario, Italians.
Caius Lucius, general of the Roman forces.
Pisanio, servant to Posthumus.
Cornelius, a physician.
A Roman Captain. Two British Captains.
A Frenchman, friend to Philario.
Two Lords of Cymbeline's court.
Two Gentlemen of the same.
Two Gaolers.
Queen, wife to Cymbeline.
Imogen, daughter to Cymbeline by a former queen.
Helen, a lady attending on Imogen.
Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, a Soothsayer, a Dutchman, a Spaniard, Musicians, Officers, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.
Apparitions.
Scene: Britain; Rome.
ACT I
SCENE I. BRITAIN. THE GARDEN OF CYMBELINE’S PALACE.
Enter two Gentlemen
First Gentleman
You do not meet a man but frowns: our bloods
No more obey the heavens than our courtiers
Still seem as does the king.
Second Gentleman
But what’s the matter?
First Gentleman
His daughter, and the heir of’s kingdom, whom
He purposed to his wife’s sole son — a widow
That late he married — hath referr’d herself
Unto a poor but worthy gentleman: she’s wedded;
Her husband banish’d; she imprison’d: all
Is outward sorrow; though I think the king
Be touch’d at very heart.
Second Gentleman
None but the king?
First Gentleman
He that hath lost her too; so is the queen,
That most desired the match; but not a courtier,
Although they wear their faces to the bent
Of the king’s look’s, hath a heart that is not
Glad at the thing they scowl at.
Second Gentleman
&n
bsp; And why so?
First Gentleman
He that hath miss’d the princess is a thing
Too bad for bad report: and he that hath her —
I mean, that married her, alack, good man!
And therefore banish’d — is a creature such
As, to seek through the regions of the earth
For one his like, there would be something failing
In him that should compare. I do not think
So fair an outward and such stuff within
Endows a man but he.
Second Gentleman
You speak him far.
First Gentleman
I do extend him, sir, within himself,
Crush him together rather than unfold
His measure duly.
Second Gentleman
What’s his name and birth?
First Gentleman
I cannot delve him to the root: his father
Was call’d Sicilius, who did join his honour
Against the Romans with Cassibelan,
But had his titles by Tenantius whom
He served with glory and admired success,
So gain’d the sur-addition Leonatus;
And had, besides this gentleman in question,
Two other sons, who in the wars o’ the time
Died with their swords in hand; for which their father,
Then old and fond of issue, took such sorrow
That he quit being, and his gentle lady,
Big of this gentleman our theme, deceased
As he was born. The king he takes the babe
To his protection, calls him Posthumus Leonatus,
Breeds him and makes him of his bed-chamber,
Puts to him all the learnings that his time
Could make him the receiver of; which he took,
As we do air, fast as ’twas minister’d,
And in’s spring became a harvest, lived in court —
Which rare it is to do — most praised, most loved,
A sample to the youngest, to the more mature
A glass that feated them, and to the graver
A child that guided dotards; to his mistress,
For whom he now is banish’d, her own price
Proclaims how she esteem’d him and his virtue;
By her election may be truly read
What kind of man he is.
Second Gentleman
I honour him
Even out of your report. But, pray you, tell me,
Is she sole child to the king?
First Gentleman
His only child.
He had two sons: if this be worth your hearing,
Mark it: the eldest of them at three years old,
I’ the swathing-clothes the other, from their nursery
Were stol’n, and to this hour no guess in knowledge
Which way they went.
Second Gentleman
How long is this ago?
First Gentleman
Some twenty years.
Second Gentleman