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It is remarkable, that many of our ancient writers were ambitious to exhibit Sidney's worthies on the stage; and when his fubordinate agents were advanced to fuch honour, how happened that Pyrocles, their leader, should be overlooked? Mufidorus, (his companion,) Argalus and Parthenia, Phalantus and Eudora, Andromana, &c. furnished titles for different tragedies; and perhaps Pyrocles, in the prefent inttance, was defrauded of a like diftinétion. The names invented or employed by Sidney, had once fuch popularity, that they were fometimes borrowed by poets who did not profets to follow the direct current of his fables, or attend to the ftrict prefervation of his characters. Nay, fo high was the credit of this romance, that many a fashionable word and glowing phrase selected from it, was applied, like a Promethean torch, to contemporary fonnets, and gave a tranfient life even to thofe dwarfish and enervate bantlings of the reluctant Mufe.

I must add, that the Appolyn of the Story-book and Gower, could have been rejected only to make room for a more favourite name; yet, however conciliating the name of Pyrocles might have been, that of Pericles could challenge no advantage with regard to general predilection.

I am aware, that a conclufive argument cannot be drawn from the falfe quantity in the fecond fyllable of Pericles; and yet if the Athenian was in our author's mind, he might have been taught by repeated tranflations from fragments of fatiric poets in Sir Thomas North's Plutarch, to call his hero Pericles; as for inftance, in the following couplet :

"O Chiron, tell me, first, art thou indeede the man

"Which did inftruct Pericles thus ? make answer if thou can." &c. &c.

Such therefore was the pronunciation of this proper name, in the age of Shakspeare. The addrefs of Perfius to a youthful orator- -Magni pupille Pericli, is familiar to the ear of every classical reader.

All circumftances therefore confidered, it is not improbable that our author defigned his chief character to be called Pyrocles, not Pericles, however ignorance or accident might have fhuffled the latter (a name of almost fimilar found) into the place of the former. The true name, when once corrupted or changed in the theatre, was effectually withheld from the publick; and every commentator on this play agrees in a belief that it must have been printed by means of a copy "far as Deucalion off" from the manufcript which had received Shakspeare's revifal and improvement. STEEVENS.

* Such a theatrical mistake will not appear improbable to the reader who recollects that in the fourth scene of the first act of the Third Part of King Henry VI, instead of "tigers of Hircania," the players have given us" tigers of Arcadia." Instead of "an Ate," in King John," an ace." Instead of "Panthino," in The Two Gentlemen of Verona," Panthion." Instead of " Polydore," in Cymbeline," Paladour" was continued through all the editions till that of 1773.

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SIMONIDES, king of Peutapolis.
CLEON, governor of Thai fus.
LYSIMACHUS, governor of Mitylene.

CERIMON, a lord of Ephefus.

THALIARD, a lord of Antioch.

PHILEMON, fervant to Cerimon.
LEONINE, fervant to Dionyza.
Marfball.

A Pander, and his wife.
BOULT, their fervant.
GOWER, as chorus.

The daughter of Antiochus.

DIONYZA, wife to Cleon.

THAISA, daughter to Simonides.

MARINA, daughter to Pericles and Thaifa.

LYCHORIDA, nurse to Marina.

DIANA.

Lords, Ladies, Knights, Gentlemen, Sailors, Pirates, Fishermen,

and Meffengers, &c.

SCENE, difperfedly in various countries.

PERICLES.

ACT I.

Enter GOWER.

Before the Palace of ANTIOCH.

Tofing a fong of old was fung,

From afhes ancient Gower is come;

Affuming man's infirmities,

To glad your ear, and please your eyes.
It hath been fung at festivals,

On ember-eves, and holy-ales;

And lords and ladies of their lives
Have read it for restoratives:

'Purpose to make men glorious;

Et quo antiquius, eo melius.

If you, born in these latter times,
When wit's more ripe, accept my rhymes,
And that to hear an old man fing,
May to your wishes pleasure bring,
I life would wish, and that I might
Waste it for you, like taper-light.-
This city then, Antioch the great
Built up for his chiefeft feat;
The fairest in all Syria;

(I tell you what mine authors fay :)
This king unto him took a pheere,
Who died and left a female heir,

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So buxom, blithe, and full of face,
As heaven had lent her all his grace;
With whom the father liking took,
And her to incest did provoke:
Bad father! to entice his own
To evil, should be done by none.
By custom, what they did begin,
Was, with long ufe, account no fin.
The beauty of this finful dame,
Made many princes thither frame,
To feek her as a bed-fellow,
In marriage-pleasures play-fellow :
Which to prevent, he made a law,
(To keep her still, and men in awe,)
That whoso ask'd her for his wife,
His riddle told not, loft his life:
So for her many a wight did die,
As yon grim looks do testify.

What now enfues, to the judgment of your eye
I give, my cause who best can justify.

[Exit

SCENE I.

Antioch. A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTIOCHUS, PERICLES, and Attendants.

Ant. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large receiv'd The danger of the task you undertake.

Per. I have, Antiochus, and with a foul Embolden'd with the glory of her praise, Think death no hazard, in this enterprize.

[Mufick.

Ant. Bring in our daughter, clothed like a bride,

At

For the embracements even of Jove himself;

At whose conception, (till Lucina reign'd,)
Nature this dowry gave, to glad her presence,
The fenate-house of planets all diď fit,
To knit in her their beft perfections.

Enter the daughter of ANTIOCHUS.

Per. See, where the comes, apparell'd like the spring,
Graces her fubjects, and her thoughts the king
Of every virtue gives renown to men!

Her face, the book of praises, where is read
Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence
Sorrow were ever ras'd, and testy wrath
Could never be her mild companion.

Ye gods that made me man, and sway in love,
That have inflam'd defire in my breast,
To tafte the fruit of yon celeftial tree,
Or die in the adventure, be my helps,
As I am fon and fervant to your will,
To compass fuch a boundless happiness !
Ant. Prince Pericles,-

Per. That would be fon to great Antiochus.
Ant. Before thee ftands this fair Hefperides,
With golden fruit, but dangerous to be touch'd;
For death-like dragons here affright thee hard:
Her face, like heaven, enticeth thee to view
A countless glory, which desert must gain :
And which, without defert, because thine eye
Prefumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die.
Yon fometime famous princes, like thyself,
Drawn by report, advent'rous by defire,

Tell thee with speechless tongues, and semblance pale,
That, without covering, fave yon field of stars,
They here ftand martyrs, flain in Cupid's wars;

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