Pericles

the end to buy him a wooden one? Marina

Do any thing but this thou doest. Empty
Old receptacles, or common shores, of filth;
Serve by indenture to the common hangman:
Any of these ways are yet better than this;
For what thou professest, a baboon, could he speak,
Would own a name too dear. O, that the gods
Would safely deliver me from this place!
Here, here’s gold for thee.
If that thy master would gain by me,
Proclaim that I can sing, weave, sew, and dance,
With other virtues, which I’ll keep from boast;
And I will undertake all these to teach.
I doubt not but this populous city will
Yield many scholars.

Boult But can you teach all this you speak of? Marina

Prove that I cannot, take me home again,
And prostitute me to the basest groom
That doth frequent your house.

Boult Well, I will see what I can do for thee: if I can place thee, I will. Marina But amongst honest women. Boult ’Faith, my acquaintance lies little amongst them. But since my master and mistress have bought you, there’s no going but by their consent: therefore I will make them acquainted with your purpose, and I doubt not but I shall find them tractable enough. Come, I’ll do for thee what I can; come your ways. Exeunt.

Act V

Enter Gower.

Gower

Marina thus the brothel ’scapes, and chances Into an honest house, our story says. She sings like one immortal, and she dances As goddess-like to her admired lays; Deep clerks she dumbs; and with her needle composes Nature’s own shape, of bud, bird, branch, or berry, That even her art sisters the natural roses; Her inkle, silk, twin with the rubied cherry: That pupils lacks she none of noble race, Who pour their bounty on her; and her gain She gives the cursed bawd. Here we her place; And to her father turn our thoughts again, Where we left him, on the sea. We there him lost; Whence, driven before the winds, he is arrived Here where his daughter dwells; and on this coast Suppose him now at anchor. The city strived God Neptune’s annual feast to keep: from whence Lysimachus our Tyrian ship espies, His banners sable, trimm’d with rich expense; And to him in his barge with fervour hies. In your supposing once more put your sight Of heavy Pericles; think this his bark: Where what is done in action, more, if might, Shall be discover’d; please you, sit and hark. Exit.

Scene I

On board Pericles’ ship, off Mytilene. A close pavilion on deck, with a curtain before it; Pericles within it, reclined on a couch. A barge lying beside the Tyrian vessel.

	Enter two Sailors, one belonging to the Tyrian vessel, the other to the barge; to them Helicanus.
Tyrian Sailor	To the Sailor of Mytilene. Where is lord Helicanus? he can resolve you. O, here he is. Sir, there’s a barge put off from Mytilene, And in it is Lysimachus the governor, Who craves to come aboard. What is your will?
Helicanus	That he have his. Call up some gentlemen.
Tyrian Sailor	Ho, gentlemen! my lord calls.
	Enter two or three Gentlemen.
First Gentleman	Doth your lordship call?
Helicanus	Gentlemen, there’s some of worth would come aboard; I pray ye, greet them fairly. The Gentlemen and the two Sailors descend, and go on board the barge.
	Enter, from thence, Lysimachus and Lords; with the Gentlemen and the two Sailors.
Tyrian Sailor	Sir, This is the man that can, in aught you would, Resolve you.
Lysimachus	Hail, reverend sir! the gods preserve you!
Helicanus	And you, sir, to outlive the age I am, And die as I would do.
Lysimachus	You wish me well. Being on shore, honouring of Neptune’s triumphs, Seeing this goodly vessel ride before us, I made to it, to know of whence you are.
Helicanus	First, what is your place?
Lysimachus	I am the governor of this place you lie before.
Helicanus	Sir, Our vessel 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.
Lysimachus	Upon what ground is his distemperature?
Helicanus	’Twould be too tedious to repeat; But the main grief springs from the loss Of a beloved daughter and a wife.
Lysimachus	May we not see him?
Helicanus	You may; But bootless is your sight: he will not speak To any.
Lysimachus	Yet let me obtain my wish.
Helicanus	Behold him. Pericles discovered. This was a goodly person, Till the disaster that, one mortal night, Drove him to this.
Lysimachus	Sir king, all hail! the gods preserve you! Hail, royal sir!
Helicanus	It is in vain; he will not speak to you.
First Lord	Sir, We have a maid in Mytilene, I durst wager, Would win some words of him.
Lysimachus	’Tis well bethought. She questionless with her sweet harmony And other chosen attractions, would allure, And make a battery through his deafen’d parts, Which now are midway stopp’d: She is all happy as the fairest of all, And, with her fellow maids, is now upon The leafy shelter that abuts against The island’s side. Whispers a Lord, who goes off in the barge of Lysimachus.
Helicanus	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 That for our gold we may provision have, Wherein we are not destitute for want, But weary for the staleness.
Lysimachus	O, sir, a courtesy Which if we should deny, the most just gods For every graff would send a caterpillar, And so afflict our province. Yet once more Let me entreat to know at large the cause Of your king’s sorrow.
Helicanus	Sit, sir, I will recount it to you: But, see, I am prevented.
	Re-enter, from the barge, Lord, with Marina, and a young Lady.
Lysimachus	O, here is The lady that I sent for. Welcome, fair one! Is’t not a goodly presence?
Helicanus	She’s a gallant lady.
Lysimachus	She’s such a one, that, were I well assured Came of a gentle kind and noble stock, I’ld 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: If that thy prosperous