SCENE I.

On board. PERICLES' ship, off Mitylene. A close Pavilion on deck, with a curtain before it; PERICLES within it, reclined on a couch. A barge lying befide the Tyrian vessel.

Enter two Sailors, one belonging to the Tyrian vessel, the other to the barge; to them HELICANUS.

Tyr. Sail. Where's the lord Helicanus? he can resolve [To the Sailor of Mitylene.

you.

O here he is.

Sir, there's a barge put off from Mitylene,
And in it is Lyfimachus the governor,
Who craves to come aboard. What is your

will?

Hel. That he have his. Call up fome gentlemen.
Tyr. Sail. Ho, gentlemen! my lord calls.

Enter two Gentlemen.

1 Gent. Doth your lordship call?

Hel. Gentlemen,

There is fome of worth would come aboard;

To greet them fairly.

pray you,

[The Gentlemen and the two Sailors defcend, and go on board the barge.

Enter, from thence, LYSIMACHUS and Lords; the Tyrian Gentlemen, and the two Sailors.

Tyr. Sail. Sir,

This is the man that can, in aught you would,
Refolve you.

Lys. Hail, reverend fir! The gods preferve you!

Hel.

Hel. And you, fir, to out-live the age I am, And die as I would do.

Lyf.

You wish me well.

Being on fhore, honouring of Neptune's triumphs,

Seeing this goodly vessel ride before us,

I made to it, to know of whence you are.
Hel. First, fir, what is your place?

Lyf. I am governor of this place you lie before.
Hel. Sir,

Our veffel is of Tyre, in it the king;

A man, who for this three months hath not spoken
To any one, nor taken sustenance,

But to prorogue his grief.

Lyf. Upon what ground is his diftemperature ?
Hel. Sir, it would be too tedious to repeat;
But the main grief of all springs from the lofs
Of a beloved daughter and a wife.

Lyf. May we not fee him, then?
Hel.

You may indeed, fir,

But bootlefs is your fight; he will not speak

To any.

Lyf. Yet, let me obtain my wish.

Hel. Behold him, fir: [PERICLES discovered.] this was a goodly perfon,

Till the disaster, that, one mortal night,
Drove him to this.

Lyf. Sir, king, all hail! the gods preserve you! Hail, Hail, royal fir!

Hel. It is in vain; he will not speak to you.

1 Lord. Sir, we have a maid in Mitylene, I durft wager, Would win fome words of him.

Lyf.

'Tis well bethought.

She, queftionlefs, with her sweet harmony
And other choice attractions, would allure,

And

And make a battery through his deafen'd parts,
Which now are midway stopp'd:

She, all as happy as of all the fairest,

Is, with her fellow maidens, now within

The leafy shelter that abuts against

The ifland's fide.

[He whispers one of the attendant Lords.-Exit Lord, in
the barge of LYSIMACHUS.

Hel. Sure all's effectlefs; yet nothing we'll omit
That bears recovery's name. But, fince your kindness
We have stretch'd thus far, let us befeech you further,
That for our gold we may provifion have,

Wherein we are not deftitute for want,

But weary for the staleness.

O, fir, a courtesy,

Lyf.
Which if we should deny, the most just God
For every graff would fend a caterpillar,
And fo inflict our province.-Yet once more
Let me entreat to know at large the caufe
Of your king's forrow.

Hel.

Sit, fir, I will recount it ;

But fee, I am prevented.

Enter, from the barge, Lord, MARINA, and a young Lady,

The lady that I fent for. Welcome, fair one!

Is't not a goodly presence?

Hel.

A gallant lady.

Lyf. She's fuch, that were I well affur'd she came
Of gentle kind, and noble stock, I'd wish
No better choice, and think me rarely wed.
Fair one, all goodness that confifts in bounty
Expect even here, where is a kingly patient :

If

If that thy profperous-artificial feat

Can draw him but to answer thee in aught,
Thy facred phyfick fhall receive such pay
As thy defires can wish.

My utmost skill in his recovery,

Provided none but I and my companion
Be fuffer'd to come near him.

Mar. Hail, fir! my lord, lend ear:---
Per. Hum! ha!

Mar.

I am a maid,

My lord, that ne'er before invited eyes,
But have been gaz'd on comet-like: fhe 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 ftate,
My derivation was from ancestors

Who flood equivalent with mighty kings:
But time hath rooted out my parentage,
And to the world and aukward cafualties
Bound me in fervitude.-I will defift;
But there is fomething glows upon my cheek,
And whispers mine ear, Go not till he speak.

[Afide.

Per. My fortunes-parentage-good parentageTo equal mine!-was it not thus? what fay you? Mar. I faid, my lord, if you did know my parentage, You would not do me violence.

Per.

I do think fo.

You

I pray you, turn your eyes again upon me.→

You are like something that-What countrywoman?
Here of thefe fhores ?

Mar.

No, nor of any shores :

Yet I was mortally brought forth, and am

No other than I appear.

Per. I am great with woe, and fhall deliver weeping.
My dearest wife was like this maid, and such a one
My daughter might have been: my queen's square brows;
Her ftature to an inch; as wand-like straight;

As filver-voic ́d; her eyes as jewel-like,

And cas'd as richly in pace another Juno;

:

Who ftarves the ears the feeds, and makes them hungry,
The more she gives them speech.—Where do you live?
Mar. Where I am but a stranger: from the deck
You may difcern the place.

Per.

Where were you bred? And how achiev'd you thefe endowments, which

You make more rich to owe?

Mar.

Should I tell my history,
'Twould feem like lies difdain'd in the reporting.
Per. Pr'ythee, speak;

Falfenefs cannot come from thee, for thou look'st
Modeft as juftice, and thou feem'ft a palace

For the crown'd truth to dwell in: I'll believe thee,
And make my fenfes credit thy relation,

To points that feem impoffible; for thou look'it
Like one I lov'd indeed. What were thy friends?
Didit thou not fay, when I did push thee back,
(Which was when I perceiv'd thee,) that thou cam'st
From good defcending?

Mar.

So indeed I did.

Per. Report thy parentage. I think thou faidst Thou hadst been tofs'd from wrong to injury,