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And have no more of life than may suffice
To give my tongue that heat to ask your help;
Which if you shall refuse, when I am dead,
For that I am a man, pray see me buried.

First Fish. Die, quoth-a? Now gods forbid! I have a gown here; come, put it on; keep thee warm. Now, afore me,3 a handsome fellow! Come, thou shalt go home, and we'll have flesh for holidays, fish for fasting-days, and moreo'er puddings and flap-jacks; and thou shalt be welcome.

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First Fish. Marry, sir, half a day's journey: and I'll tell you, he hath a fair daughter, and to-morrow is her birth-day; and there are princes and knights come from all parts of the world to just and tourney for her love.

Per. Were my fortunes equal to my desires, I could wish to make one there.

First Fish. O, sir, things must be as they may; and what a man cannot get, he may lawfully deal for his wife's soul.

Re-enter Second and Third Fishermen,
drawing up a net.

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Sec. Fish. Help, master, help! here's a fish hangs in the net, like a poor man's right in the law; 't will hardly come out. Ha! bots on't, 't is come at last, and 't is turn'd to a rusty armour.

Per. An armour, friends! I pray you, let me see it.

Thanks, fortune, yet, that, after all thy crosses, Thou giv'st me somewhat to repair myself; And though it was mine own, part of my heri

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Which my dead father did bequeath to me, With this strict charge, even as he left his life, "Keep it, my Pericles; it hath been a shield 'Twixt me and death;"--and pointed to this brace;

"For that it sav'd me, keep it; in like necessity

The which the gods protect thee from!-'t may defend thee."

It kept where I kept, I so dearly lov'd it; Till the rough seas, that spare not any man, Took it in rage, though calm'd have given't again;

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Where with it I may appear a gentleman;
And if that ever my low fortunes better,1
I'll pay your bounties; till then rest your debtor.
First Fish. Why, wilt thou tourney for the lady?
Per. I'll show the virtue I have borne in arms.
First Fish. Why, d'ye take it, and the gods
give thee good on 't!

Sec. Fish. Ay, but hark you, my friend; 't was we that made up this garment through the rough seams of the waters: there are certain condolements, certain vails. I hope, sir, if you thrive, you'll remember from whence you had it.

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Thar. Which, to preserve mine honour, I'll perform.

Enter a Knight; he passes over, and his Squire presents his shield to the Princess.

Sim. Who is the first that doth prefer himself?

Thai. A knight of Sparta, my renowned father;

And the device he bears upon his shield
Is a black Æthiop reaching at the sun; 20
The word, Lux tua vita mihi.9

Sim. He loves you well that holds his life of you.

[The Second Knight passes over. Who is the second that presents himself? Thai. A prince of Macedon, my royal father; And the device he bears upon his shield Is an arm'd knight that's conquer'd by a lady; The motto thus, in Spanish, Mas por dulzura que por fuerza.10

[The Third Knight passes over. Sim. And what's the third? Thai. The third of Antioch; And his device, a wreath of chivalry; The word, Me pompa provexit apex.11

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[The Fourth Knight passes over.

Sim. What is the fourth?

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SCENE III. The same. A hall of state; a banquet prepared.

SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants. Enter the Marshal, conducting Pericles and the other knights, armed.

Sim. Knights,

To say you're welcome were superfluous.
To place upon the volume of your deeds,
As in a title-page, your worth in arms,
Were more than you expect, or more than 's fit,
Since every worth in show commends itself.
Prepare for mirth, for mirth becomes a feast:
You are princes and my guests.

Thai. [To Pericles] But you, my knight and guest;

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To whom this wreath of victory I give,
And crown you king of this day's happiness.
Per. 'Tis more by fortune, lady, than my
merit.

Sim. Call it by what you will, the day is yours;
And here, I hope, is none that envies it.
In framing an artist, art hath thus decreed,
To make some good, but others to exceed;
And you're herlabour'd scholar."—Come, queen
o' the feast,

For,daughter,so you are,here take your place:-Marshal the rest, as they deserve their grace. Knights. We're honour'd much by good Simonides.

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Sim. Your presence glads our days: honour
we love;

For who hates honour hates the gods above.
Marshal. Sir, yonder is your place.
Per.
Some other is more fit.
First Knight. Contend not, sir; for we are
gentlemen

That neither in our hearts nor outward eyes
Envy the great nor do the low despise.

Per. You are right courteous knights.
Sim.

Sit, sir, sit.[Aside] By Jove, I wonder, that is king of thoughts,

These cates resist me,10 he not thought upon.11

9 Her labour'd scholar, the scholar over whose training she took special pains.

10 These cates resist me, these delicacies are distasteful to me.

11 He not thought upon, if he be not in my thoughts.

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Which tells me in that glory once he was;
Had princes sit, like stars, about his throne,
And he the sun, for them to reverence;
None that beheld him, but, like lesser lights,
Did vail their crowns to his supremacy:
Where3 now his son's like glow-worm in the
night,

The which hath fire in darkness, none in light:
Whereby I see that Time's the king of men,
For he's their parent, and he is their grave,
And gives them what he will, not what they

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And will awake him from his melancholy.— Come, gentlemen, we sit too long on trifles, And waste the time, which looks for other revels.

Even in your armours, as you are address'd,7 Will very well become a soldier's dance.

[I will not have excuse, with saying this Loud music is too harsh for ladies' heads, Since they love men in arms as well as beds. ] [Music. The Knights and Ladies dance; Pericles remains seated. So, this was well ask'd, 't was so well perform'd.

[[To Pericles] Come, sir;

Here is a lady that wants breathing too:

7 As you are address'd, i.e. just as you are.

8 Breathing, i.e. exercising (with a dance).

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? And I have heard, you knights of Tyre Are excellent in making ladies trip; And that their measures are as excellent. Per. In those that practise them they are, my lord.

Sim. O, that's as much as you would be denied

Of your fair courtesy.]

[Dance renewed, Pericles and Thaisa leading.

Unclasp, unclasp: Thanks, gentlemen, to all; all have done well, [To Pericles] But you the best.-Pages and lights, to conduct

These knights unto their several lodgings![To Pericles] Yours, sir,

We have giv'n order to be next our own.
Per. I am at your grace's pleasure.

110

Sim. Princes, it is too late to talk of love; And that's the mark I know you level1 at: Therefore each one betake him to his rest; To-morrow all for speeding do their best.2

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Tyre. A room in the Governor's house.

Enter HELICANUS and ESCANES.

[Hel. No, Escanes; know this of me,— Antiochus from incest liv'd not free:

For which, the most high gods not minding longer

To withhold the vengeance that they had in store,

Due to this heinous capital offence,

Even in the height and pride of all his glory, When he was seated in a chariot

Of an inestimable value, and his daughter with him,

A fire from heaven came, and shrivell'd up Their bodies, even to loathing; for they so stunk,

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That all those eyes ador'd3 them ere their fall Scorn now their hand should give them burial. Esca. 'Twas very strange.

1 Level, aim.

2 All for speeding do their best, let all do their best to achieve success.

& Those eyes ador'd, i.e. those eyes which adored, those whose eyes adored.

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to the top,

And now at length they overflow their banks. Hel. Your griefs! for what? wrong not the prince you love.

First Lord. Wrong not yourself, then, noble Helicane;

But if the prince do live, let us salute him, Or know what ground's made happy by his breath.

If in the world he live, we'll seek him out;
If in his grave he rest, we'll find him there;
And be resolv'd he lives to govern us,
Or dead, gives cause to mourn his funeral,
And leaves us to our free election.

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