She, all as happy as of all the fairest,

Is, with her fellow maidens, now within
The leafy shelter that abuts against

The island's side.

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

Hel. Sure, all's 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 further, That for our gold we may provision have,

Wherein we are not destitute for want,
But weary for the staleness.

Lys. O, sir, a courtesy,

Which if we should deny, the most just God
For every graff would send a caterpillar,
And so inflict our province.-Yet once more
Let me entreat to know at large the cause

Of your king's sorrow.

Hel. Sit, sir, I will recount it ;

But see, I am prevented.

Enter, from the Barge, Lord, MARINA, and a young Lady.1

Lys. O, here is

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

Is't not a goodly presence ?

Hel. A gallant lady..

Lys. She's such, that were I well assur'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 consists in bounty
Expect even here, where is a kingly patient :

[1] It may seem strange that a fable should have been chosen to form a drama upon, in which the greater part of the business of the last Act should be transacted at sea; and wherein it should even be necessary to produce two vessels on the scene at the same time. But the customs and exhibitions of the modern stage give this objection to the play before us a greater weight than it really has. It appears, that, when Pericles was originally performed, the theatres were furnished with no such apparatus as by any stretch of the imagination could be supposed to present either a sea, or a ship; and that the audience were contented to behold vessels sailing in and out of port, in their mind's eye only. This licence being once granted to the poet, the lord, in the instance now before us walked off the stage, and returned again in a few minutes, leading in Marina, without any sensible impropriety; and the present drama, exhibited before such indulgent spectators, was not more incommodious in the representation than any other would have been.

[2] Is she not beautiful in her form? So, in King John:

"Lord of thy presence, and no land beside."

MALONE.

MALONE.

If that thy prosperous-artificial feat3

Can draw him but to answer thee in aught,
Thy sacred physic shall receive such pay
As thy desires can wish.

Mar. Sir, I will use

My utmost skill in his recovery,

Provided none but I and my companion

Be suffer'd to come near him.

Lys. Come, let us leave her,

And the gods make her prosperous! [MARINA sings.
Lys. Mark'd he your music?

Mar. No, nor look'd on us.

Lys. See, she will speak to him.

Mar. Hail, sir! my lord, lend ear :

Per. Hum! ha!

Mer. I am a maid,

My lord, that ne'er before invited eyes,*

:

But have been gaz'd on, comet-like 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,
My derivation was from ancestors

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

[Aside.

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

Per. I do think so.

I pray you, turn your eyes again upon me.

[3] So in Measure for Measure:

66

----------in her youth

"There is a prone and speechless dialect,

-

"Such as moves men; besides, she hath a prosperous art
"When she will play with reason and discourse,
"And well she can persuade."

[4] So, in King Henry IV:

"By being seldom seen, I could not stir,

"But, like a comet, I was wonder'd at."

MALONE.

MALONE.

[5] Aukward is adverse. Our author has the same epithet in The Second Part of

King Henry VI:

"And twice by aukward wind from England's bank
"Drove back again."

STEEVENS,

You are like something that—What countrywoman?
Here of these shores ?

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 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;

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?
Mar. Where I am but a stranger: from the deck
You may discern the place.

Per. Where were you bred?

And how achiev'd you these endowments, which
You make more rich to owe ?6

Mar. Should I tell my history,

'Twould seem like lies disdain'd in the reporting.
Per. Pr'ythee speak;

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'll believe thee,
And make my senses credit thy relation,

To points that seem impossible; for thou look'st
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?

Mar. So indeed I did.

Per. Report thy parentage. I think thou said'st
Thou hadst been toss'd from wrong to injury,

And that thou thought'st thy griefs might equal mine,
If both were open'd.

Mar. Some such thing indeed

I said, and said no more but what my thoughts

Did warrant me was likely.

[6] To owe in ancient language is to possess. So, in Othello:

6--that sweet sleep

"That thou ow'dst yesterday."

The meaning of the compliment is :---These endowments, however valuable in themselves, are heightened by being in your possession. They acquire additional grace from their owner. Thus also one of Timon's flatterers:

"You mend the jewel by the wearing of it."

STEEVENS.

Per. Tell thy story;

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?
How lost thou them? Thy name, my most kind virgin?
Recount, I do beseech thee; come, sit by me.
Mar. My name, sir, is Marina., ‹

Per. O, I am mock'd,

And thou by some incensed god sent hither
To make the world laugh at me.

Mar. Patience, good sir,

Or here I'll cease.

Per. Nay, I'll be patient;

Thou little know'st how thou dost startle me,

To call thyself Marina.

Mar. The name Marina,

Was given me by one that had some power;
My father, and a king.

Per. How a king's daughter?

And call'd Marina ?

Mar. You said you would believe me ; But, not to be a troubler of your peace,

I will end here.

Per. But are you flesh and blood?

Have you a working pulse? and are no fairy?

No motion ?-Well; speak on. Where were you born?

And wherefore call'd Marina ?

Mar. Call'd Marina,

For I was born at sea.

Per. At sea? thy mother?

Mar. My mother was the daughter of a king;

Who died the very minute I was born,

As my good nurse Lychorida hath oft

Deliver'd weeping..

Per. O, stop there a little !

This is the rarest dream that e'er dull sleep

[7] By her beauty and patient meekness disarming Calamity, and preventing her from using her up-lifted sword. So, in King Henry IV: Part II:

"And hangs resolv'd correction in the arm,

"That was uprear'd to execution."

Extremity (though not personified as here) is in like manner used in King Lear, for the utmost of human suffering:

66 -----------another,

"To amplify too much, would make much more,

"And top extremity." MALONE.

Did mock sad fools withal: this cannot be.

My daughter's buried. [Aside.] Well-where were you I'll hear you more, to the bottom of your story, [bred? And never interrupt you.

Mar. You'll scarce believe me; 'twere best I did give Per. I will believe you by the syllable

[o'er
Of what you shall deliver. Yet, give me leave :-
How came you in these parts? where were you bred?
Mar. 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,
A crew of pirates came and rescued me ;
Brought me to Mitylene. But now, good sir,
Whither will you have me? Why do you weep
You think me an impostor; no, good faith:
I am the daughter to king Pericles,
If good king Pericles be.

Per. Ho, Helicanus !

Hel. Calls my gracious lord?

? It may be,

Per. 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,
That thus hath made me weep?

Hel. I know not; but

Here is the regent, sir, of Mitylene,
Speaks nobly of her.

Lys. She would never tell

Her parentage; being demanded that,
She would sit still and weep.

Per. 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 Tharsus,

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.