The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 353
is still one of your virgins. She was brought up
at Tarsus by Cleon; when she was fourteen years
old he tried to murder her; but her lucky stars
brought her to Mytilene; when we arrived
at those shores, fate brought the girl onto my ship,
where, with the aid of her clear memories, she
proved herself to be my daughter.
THAISA
Voice and favour!
You are, you are--O royal Pericles!
Faints
Voice and face!
It's you, it's you–oh royal Pericles!
PERICLES
What means the nun? she dies! help, gentlemen!
What does the nun mean? She's dying! Help, gentlemen!
CERIMON
Noble sir,
If you have told Diana's altar true,
This is your wife.
Noble sir,
if you have told the truth at Diana's altar,
this is your wife.
PERICLES
Reverend appearer, no;
I threw her overboard with these very arms.
Reverend stranger, no;
I threw her overboard with these very arms.
CERIMON
Upon this coast, I warrant you.
In this sea, I am sure.
PERICLES
'Tis most certain.
Certainly.
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.
Take care of the lady; oh, she's only overcome with joy.
Early on a stormy morning this lady was
cast up upon this shore. I opened the coffin,
and found rich jewels inside; I brought her back to life, and placed her
here in Diana's temple.
PERICLES
May we see them?
May we see them?
CERIMON
Great sir, they shall be brought you to my house,
Whither I invite you. Look, Thaisa is recovered.
Great sir, they shall be brought to you at my house,
which I invite you to. Look, Thaisa has 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?
Oh, let me look!
If he is not mine, my holiness
will not allow me to believe it
in spite of the evidence of my eyes. Oh, my lord,
are you not Pericles? You spoke like him,
you look like him: did you not speak of a storm,
a birth, and a death?
PERICLES
The voice of dead Thaisa!
This is the voice of dead Thaisa!
THAISA
That Thaisa am I, supposed dead
And drown'd.
I am that Thaisa, thought to be dead
and drowned.
PERICLES
Immortal Dian!
Immortal Diana!
THAISA
Now I know you better.
When we with tears parted Pentapolis,
The king my father gave you such a ring.
Points to Pericles' ring
Now I know you better.
When we left Pentapolis in tears,
my father the king gave you a ring like that.
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.
It is, it is: no more, you gods! Your current kindness
makes my previous miseries seem nothing: it would be fitting
for me, when I touch her lips, to melt away
and never be seen again. Oh, come, and have
a second burial within these arms.
MARINA
My heart
Leaps to be gone into my mother's bosom.
Kneels to THAISA
My heart
leaps to have found my mother again.
PERICLES
Look, who kneels here! Flesh of thy flesh, Thaisa;
Thy burden at the sea, and call'd Marina
For she was yielded there.
Look who is kneeling here! Your own flesh and blood, Thaisa;
the one you delivered at sea, who was called Marina
after the place of her birth.
THAISA
Blest, and mine own!
Blessed, and my own!
HELICANUS
Hail, madam, and my queen!
I salute you, my lady and my queen!
THAISA
I know you not.
I don't know you.
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.
You have heard me say, that when I fled from Tyre,
I left behind an old man in my place:
can you remember what I called the man?
I often mentioned him.
THAISA
'Twas Helicanus then.
You called him Helicanus.
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.
Even more proof:
embrace him, dear Thaisa; this is him.
Now I long to hear how you were found;
how on earth you survived; and who I have to thank,
apart from 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.
Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man,
through whom the gods have shown their power;
he's the one who can explain things to you from start to finish.
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?
Holy Sir,
there can be no human servant of the gods
who is more like a god than you. Can you explain
how this dead queen was brought back to life?
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.
I will, my lord.
Please, first come with me to my house,
where you will be shown all the things that were found with her;
I'll explain why she came to be here in the temple;
I won't omit a single detail.
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.
Pure Diana, bless you for your vision! I
will offer up my prayers to you. Thaisa,
this prince, the good fiance of your daughter,
shall marry her at Pentapolis. And now,
I shall clip this decoration, which
makes me look so miserable, into shape;
to honour your wedding day, I'll dress
that which no razor has touched for fourteen years.
THAISA
Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, sir,
My father's dead.
Lord Cerimon has credible information, sir,
that my father is 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
May the heavens welcome him! But there, my queen,
we shall celebrate their wedding, and we ourselves
will live out our days in that kingdom:
our son and daughter will reign in Tyre.
Lord Cerimon, I will suspend for a short while
my longing to hear the rest of the story: sir, lead the way.
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
In Antiochus and his daughter you have heard
of how monstrous lust got its right and proper reward:
in Pericles, his queen and daughter, you have seen,
although attacked by terrible fate,
virtue saved from the awful blast of destruction,
led on by heaven, and crowned with joy at last:
in Helicanus you can certainly see
an example of truth, of faith and loyalty:
in holy Cerimon there is a good example
of the virtues of wise charity.
For wicked Cleon and his wife, when it became
known of his terrible assault on the honoured name
of Pericles, the city turned to rage,
and they burned him and his family in his palace:
the gods seemed happy with this punishment
for murder; although it was not done, it was intended.
So for your patience in listening to us,
May we wish you happiness! This is the end of our play.
Persons in the Induction A LORD CHRISTOPHER SLY, a tinker HOSTESS PAGE PLAYERS HUNTSMEN SERVANTS
BAPTISTA MINOLA, a rich man of Padua VINCENTIO, an old gentleman of Pisa LUCENTIO, son to Vincentio; in love with Bianca PETRUCHIO, a gentleman of Verona; suitor to Katherina
Suitors to Bianca GREMIO HORTENSIO
Servants to Lucentio TRANIO BIONDELLO
Servants to Petruchio GRUMIO CURTIS
PEDANT, set up to personate Vincentio
Daughters to Baptista KATHERINA, the shrew BIANCA
WIDOW
Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants attending on Baptista and Petruchio
SCENE: Sometimes in Padua, and sometimes in PETRUCHIO'S house in the country.
Before an alehouse on a heath
[Enter HOSTESS and SLY.]
SLY. I'll pheeze you, in faith.
I'll hit you, I swear.
HOSTESS. A pair of stocks, you rogue!
[A curse], you lowborn person!
SLY. Y'are a baggage; the Slys are no rogues; look in the chronicles: we came in with Richard Conqueror. Therefore, paucas pallabris; let the world slide. Sessa!
You're very ignorant; the Slys are not lowborn; look in the histories: we came [to England] with Richard the Conqueror. Therefore, paucas pallabris; let the world slide. Sessa!
HOSTESS. You will not pay for the glasses you have burst?
You will not pay for the glasses you have broken?
SLY. No, not a denier. Go by, Saint Jeronimy, go to thy cold bed and warm thee.
No, not a penny. Go away, Saint Jeronimy, go to your cold bed and get warm.
HOSTESS. I know my remedy; I must go fetch the third-borough.
I know what to do; I must go fetch a policeman.
[Exit.]
SLY. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I'll answer him by law. I'll not budge an inch, boy: let him come, and kindly.
No matter the policeman, I'll answer him by law. I won't budge an inch, boy: let him come, and gently.
[Lies down on the ground, and falls asleep.]
[Horns winded. Enter a LORD from hunting, with Huntsmen and Servants.]
LORD. Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds;
Huntsman, I command you, take good care of my hunting-dogs;
Brach Merriman, the poor cur, is emboss'd,
Brach Merriman, the poor dog, is scratched,
And couple Clowder with the deep-mouth'd brach.
And give Clowder something for his mouth.
Saw'st thou not, boy, how Silver made it good
Did you not see, boy, how Silver did well
At the hedge-corner, in the coldest fault?
At the corner of the hedge at the critical moment?
I would not lose the dog for twenty pound.
I would not lose that dog for twenty pounds.
FIRST HUNTSMAN. Why, Bellman is as good as he, my lord;
He cried upon it at the merest loss,
He howled at the slightest loss,
And twice to-day pick'd out the dullest scent;
And twice today picked up the faintest scent;
Trust me, I take him for the better dog.
Trust me, I consider him the better dog.
LORD. Thou art a fool: if Echo were as fleet, I would esteem him worth a dozen such.
You are a fool: if Echo were as fast, I would consider him worth a dozen such.
But sup them well, and look unto them all;
But feed them well, and look after them all;
To-morrow I intend to hunt again.
FIRST HUNTSMAN. I will, my lord.
LORD. [ Sees Sly.] What's here? One dead, or drunk? See, doth he breathe?
What is this here? A man dead, or drunk? See, does he breathe?
SECOND HUNTSMAN. He breathes, my lord.
Were he not warm'd with ale,
If he were not warmed with alcohol,
This were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly.
This would be too cold a bed for him to sleep so soundly.
LORD. O monstrous beast! how like a swine he lies!
Oh monstrous beast! He sleeps so much like a pig!
Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image!
Grim death, how disgusting is your image!
Sirs, I will practise on this drunken man.
Gentlemen, I will experiment on this drunken man.
What think you, if he were convey'd to bed,
What do you think, if he
were taken to a bed,
Wrapp'd in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers,
Wrapped in the best of clothes, rings put on his fingers,
A most delicious banquet by his bed, And brave attendants near him when he wakes,
And good servants near him when he wakes,
Would not the beggar then forget himself?
Would the beggar not then forget who he was?
FIRST HUNTSMAN. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose.
SECOND HUNTSMAN. It would seem strange unto him when he wak'd.
It would seem strange to him when he woke.
LORD. Even as a flattering dream or worthless fancy.
Much like a dream or worthless fantasy.
Then take him up, and manage well the jest.
Then take him up, and do a good job with the joke.
Carry him gently to my fairest chamber,
Carry him gently to my most beautiful room,