Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

My scars can witness, dumb although they are, | Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips:
That my report is just, and full of truth.
But, soft; methinks, I do digress too much,
Citing my worthless praise: O, pardon me;
For when no friends are by, men praise them-
selves.

Mar. Now is my turn to speak; Behold this child,

[Pointing to the Child in the arms of an At-
iendant.

Of this was Tamora delivered;
The issue of an irreligious Moor,
Chief architect and plotter of these woes;
The villain is alive in Titus' house,
Damn'd as he is, to witness this is true.
Now judge, what cause had Titus to revenge
These wrongs, unspeakable, past patience,
Or more than any living man could bear.
Now you have heard the truth, what say you,
Romans?

Have we done aught amiss? Show us wherein,
And, from the place where you behoid us now,
The poor remainder of Andronici

Will, hand in hand, all headlong cast us down, And on the ragged stones beat forth our brains, And make a mutual closure of our house. Speak, Romans, speak; and, if you say, we shall,

Lo, hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall.

Emil. Come, come, thou reverend man of
Rome,

And bring our emperor gently in thy hand,
Lucius our emperor; for, well I know,
The common voice do cry, it shall be so.
Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail;
Rome's royal emperor!

LUCIUS, &c. descend.
Mar. Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house;
[To an Attendant.
And hither hale that misbelieving Moor,
To be adjudg'd some direful slaughtering
death,
As punishment for his most wicked life.
Rom. [Several speak.] Lucius, all hail;
Rome's gracious governor!

[ocr errors]

Luc. Thanks, gentle Romans; May I govern [woe! To heal Rome's harms, and wipe away her But, gentle people, give me aim awhile,For nature puts me to a heavy task;— Stand all aloof :-but, uncle, draw you near, To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk :O, take this warm kiss on thy pale cold lips, [Kisses TITUS. These sorrowful drops upon thy blood-stain'd The last true duties of thy noble son! [face, Mer. Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kies,

[ocr errors]

(), were the sum of these that I should pay
Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them!
Luc. Come hither, boy; come, come, and
learn of us
[well:
To melt in showers: Thy grandsire lov'd thee
Many a time he danc'd thee on his knee,
Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow;
Many a matter hath he told to thee,
Meet, and agreeing with thine infancy;
In that respect then, like a loving child,
Shed yet some small drops from thy tender
spring,

Because kind nature doth require it so: [woe:
Friends should associate friends in griet and
Bid him farewell; commit him to the grave;
Do him that kindness, and take leave of him.
Boy. O grandsire, grandsire! even with all
my heart
Would I were dead, so you did live again!—
O lord, I cannot speak to him for weeping;
My tears will choke me, if I ope my mouth.

Enter Attendants, with AARON.

1 Rom. You sad Andronici, have done with woes;

Give sentence on this execrable wretch, That bath been breeder of these dire events.

Luc. Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish

[blocks in formation]

I am no baby, I, that, with base prayers,
I should repent the evils I have done :
Ten thousand, worse than ever yet I did,
Would I perform, if I might have my will ;
If one good deed in all my life I did,
I do repent it from my very soul.

Luc. Some loving friends convey the emperor hence,

And give him burial in his father's grave:
My father, and Lavinia, shall forthwith
Be closed in our household's monument.
As for that heinous tiger, Tamora,
No funeral rite, nor man in mournful weeds,
No mournful bell shall ring her burial; [prey:
But throw her forth to beasts, and birds of
Her life was beast-like, and devoid of pity;
And, being so, shall have like want of pity.
See justice done to Aaron, that damn'd Moor,
By whom our heavy haps had their beginning:
Then, afterwards, to order well the state;
That like events may ne'er it ruinate.

[ocr errors]

PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

[graphic]
[ocr errors]

Lords, Ladies, Knights, Gentlemen, Sailors, Pirates, Fishermen, and Messengers, &c. SCENE, dispersedly in various countries.

the scene of this drama is dispersed, it is necessary to ob*That the reader may know through how many regions serve, that Antioch was the metropolis of Syria; Tyre a city of Phenicia in Asia; Tarsus, the metropolis of Cilicia, a country of Asia Minor; Mitylene, the capital of Les bos, an Island in the Egean sea; and Ephesus, the capi tal of Ionia, a country of the Lesser Asia.

ACT I.

Enter GOWER."

Before the Palace of Ant ch.

To sing a song of oldt was se ag,
From ashes ancient Gower is come;
Assuming man's infirmities,

To glad your ear, and please your eyes.
It hath been sung at festival.,
On ember-eves, and holy ale.;
And lords and ladies of their lives
Have read it for restoratives
'Purpose to make men glorio is;
Et quo antiquius, eo melius.

If you, born in these latter ti nes,
When wit's more ripe, accep. my rhyraes,
And that to hear an old man sing,
May to your wishes pleasure bring,
I life would wish, and that I might
Waste it for you, like taper-:ight.-
This city then, Antioch the great
Built up for his chiefest seat;
The fairest in all Syria;

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

Chorus, in the character of Gower, an ancient Enghah Poet, who has related the story of this play in his Confessio Amantis.

+ I. e. That of old.

1 Whitsun-ales, &c.

iWife, the word signifies a mate or companion.

By custom, what they did begin,
Was, with long use, account no sin.
The beauty of this sinful dame
Made many princes thither frame,
To seek 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, lost his life:
So for her many a wight did die,
As yon grim looks do testify.t
What now ensues, to the judgement 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 soul
Embolden'd with the glory of her praise,
Think death no hazard, in this enterprise.

[Music.

Ant. Bring in our daughter, clothed like a

bride,

For the embracements even of Jove himself;
At whose conception, (till Lucina reign'd,)
Nature this dowry gave, to glad her presence

[blocks in formation]

The senate-house of planets all did sit, To knit in her their best perfections.

That give heaven countless eyes to view men's acts,

Enter the DAUGHTER of ANTIOCHUS.
Per. See, where she comes, apparell'd like
the spring,

Graces her subjects, 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 raz'd, and testy wrath
Could never be her mild companion.
Ye gods that made me man, and sway in love,
That have inflam'd desire in my breast,
To taste the fruit of yon celestial tree,
Or die in the adventure, be my helps,
As I am son and servant to your will,
To compass such a boundless happiness!
Ant. Prince Pericles,-

Per. That would be son to great Antiochus. Ant. Before thee stands this fair Hesperides, 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 desert, because thine eye Presumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die.

Yon sometime famous princes, like thyself,
Drawn by report, advent'rous by desire,
Tell thee with speechless tongues, and sem-
blance pale,

That, without covering, save yon field of stars, They here stand martyrs, slain in Cupid's wars;

[taught

And with dead cheeks advise thee to desist,
For going on death's net, whom none resist.
Per. Antiochus, I thank thee, who hath
My frail mortality to know itself,
And by those fearful objects to prepare
This body, like to them, to what I must:
For death remember'd, should be like a mirror,
Who tells us, life's but breath; to trust it,

error.

I'll make my will then; and as sick men do, Who know the world, see heaven, but feeling

woe,

Gripe not at earthly joys, as erst they did;
So I bequeath a happy peace to you,
And all good men, as every prince should do;
My riches to the earth from whence they came;
But my unspotted fire of love to you.

[To the DAUGHTER of ANTIOCHUS.
Thus ready for the way of life or death,
I wait the sharpest blow, Antiochus,
Scorning advice.

Ant. Read the conclusion then;
Which read and not expounded, 'tis decreed,
As these before thee thou thyself shalt bleed.
Daugh. In all, save that, may'st thou prove
prosperous!

In all, save that, I wish thee happiness!
Per. Like a bold champion, I assume the lists,
Nor ask advice of any other thought
But faithfulness, and courage.

[He reads the Riddle.]

I am no viper, yet I feed

On mother's flesh, which did me breed:
I sought a husband, in which labour,
I found that kindness in a father.
He's father, son, and husband mild,
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they may be, and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you.

Sharp physic is the last: but O you powers!

Why cloud they not their sights perpetually,
If this be true, which makes me pale to read it?
Fair glass of light, I lov'd you, and could still.
[Takes hold of the hand of the princess
Were not this glorious casket stor'd with ill:
But I must tell you,-now, my thoughts revolt;
For he's no man on whom perfections wait,
That knowing sin within, will touch the gate.
You're a fair viol, and your sense the strings;
Who, finger'd to make man his lawful music,
Would draw heaven down, and all the gods to
hearken;

But, being play'd upon before your time,
Hell only danceth at so harsh a chime :
Good sooth, I care not for you.

Ant. Prince Pericles, touch not, upon thy For that's an article within our law, [life, As dangerous as the rest. Your time's expir'd;

Either expound now, or receive your sentence Per. Great king,

Few love to hear the sins they love to act;
"Twould 'braid yourself too near for me to
tell it.

Who has a book of all that monarchs do,
He's more secure to keep it shut, than shown;
For vice repeated, is like the wand'ring wind,
Blows dust in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear:
To stop the air would hurt them. The blind

mole casts

Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell, the earth is wrong'd

By mar.'s oppression; and the poor worm doth die for't.

Kings are earth's gods: in vice their law's their will;

(ill? And if Jove stray, who dares say, Jove doth It is enough you know; and it is fit, What being more known grows worse, to

smother it.

All love the womb that their first beings bred, Then give my tongue like leave to love my

head.

Ant. Heaven, that I had thy head! He has
found the meaning;-

But I will glozet with him. [Aside.] Young
Though by the tenour of our strict edict.
prince of Tyre.
Your exposition misinterpreting,
We might proceed to cancel of your days;
Yet hope, succeeding from so fair a tree
As your fair self, doth tune us otherwise:
Forty days longer we do respite you;
If by which time our secret be undone,
This mercy shows, we'll joy in such a son:
As doth befit our honour, and your worth.
And until then, your entertain shall be,

[Exeunt ANTIOCHUS, his DAUGHTER, and
Attendants.

Per. How courtesy would seem to cover sin!
When what is done is like a hypocrite,
The which is good in nothing but in sight.
If it be true that I interpret false,
Then were it certain, you were not so bad,
As with foul incest to abuse your soul;
Wheres now you're both a father and a son,
By your untimely claspings with your child,
(Which pleasure fits a husband, not a father;)
And she an eater of her mother's flesh,
By the defiling of her parent's bed;
And both like serpents are, who though

Rising to a top or head.
To the destruction of your life,
+ Flatter,

On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.
Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night.
Will shun no course to keep them from the
light,

One sin, I know, another doth provoke;
Murder's as near to lust, as flame to smoke.
Poison and treason are the hands of sin,
Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame:
Then, lest my life be cropp'd to keep you clear,
By flight I'll shun the danger which I fear.

Re-enter ANTIOCHUS.

[Exit.

Grows elder now, and cares it be not done.
And so with me;-the great Antiochus
('Gainst whom I am too little to contend,
Since he's so great, can make his will his act,)
Will think me speaking, though I swear to
silence;

Nor boots it me to say, I honour him,
If he suspect I may dishonour him:
And what may make him blush in being
known,
[known;
He'll stop the course by which it might be
With hostile forces he'll o'erspread the land,
And with the ostent of war will look so huge,
Amazement shall drive courage from the state;

Ant. He hath found the meaning, for the Our men be vanquish'd, ere they do resist,

which we mean

To have his head.

He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,
Nor tell the world, Antiochus doth sin
In such a loathed manner:

And therefore instan ly this prince must die;
For by his fall my honour must keep high.
Who attends on us there?

[blocks in formation]

SCENE II.-Tyre.-A Room in the Palace.
Enter PERICLES, HELICANUS, and other Lords.
Per. Let none disturb us: Why this charge
of thoughts?

The sad companion, dull-ey'd melancholy,
By me so us'd a guest is, not an hour,
In the day's glorious walk, or peaceful night,
(The tomb where grief should sleep,) can breed
me quiet!

Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine eyes
shun them,

And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch,
Whose arm seems far too short to hit me here:
Yet neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits,
Nor yet the other's distance comfort me.
Then it is thus: the passions of the mind,
That have their first conception by mis-dread,
Have after-nourishment and life by care;
And what was first but fear what might be
dona

And subjects punish'd, that ne'er thought of-
fence:
Which care of them, not pity of myself,
(Who am no more but as the tops of trees,
Which fence the roots they grow by, and de-
fend them,)

Makes both my body pine, and soul to languish,
And punish that before, that he would punish.
1 Lord. Joy and all comfort in your sacred

breast!

2 Lord. And keep your mind, till you return Peaceful and comfortable! [to us, Hel. Peace, peace, my lords, and give expe

rience tongue.

They do abuse the king, that flatter him:
For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;
The thing the which is flatter'd, but a spark,
To which that breath gives heat and stronger
glowing;

Whereas reproof, obedient, and in order,
Fits kings, as they are men, for they may crr.
When signior Sooth here does proclaim a peace,
He flatters you, makes war upon your life:
Prince, pardon me, or strike me, if you please;
I cannot be much lower than my knees.

Per. All leave us else; but let your cares

o'erlook

What shipping and what lading's in our haven,
And then return to us. [Exeunt LORDS.] Heli-
canus, thou

Hast moved us: what seest thou in our looks?
Hel. An angry brow, dread lord.

Per. If there be such a dart in princes'

frowns?

How durst thy tongue move anger to our face? Hel. How dare the plants look up to heaven. from whence

They have their nourishment?

Per. Thou know'st I have power
To take thy life.

Hel. [Kneeling.] I have ground the axe my-
Do you but strike the blow.

[self;

Sit down, sit down; thou art no flatterer:
Per. Rise, pr'y thee rise;
I thank thee for it; and high heaven forbid,
That kings should let their ears hear their
faults hid!

Fit counsellor, and servant for a prince,
Who by thy wisdom mak'st a prince thy ser-
What would'st thou have me do? [vant,

Hel. With patience bear
Such griefs as you do lay upon yourself.

Per. Thou speak'st like a physician, Heli-
Who minister'st a potion unto me, [canus;
That thou would'st tremble to receive thyself.
Attend me then: I went to Antioch, [death,
Where, as thou know'st, against the face of
I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty,
From whence an issue I might propagate,
Bring arms to princes, and to subjects joys.
Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder;
The rest (bark in thine ear,) as black as incest;

Which, by my knowledge found, the sinful father

Seem'd not to strike, but smooth: but thou
know'st this,

"Tis time to fear, when tyrants seem to kiss.
Which fear so grew in me, I hither fled,
Under the covering of a careful night, here,
Who seem'd my good protector; and being
Bethought me what was past, what might suc-

ceed.

I knew him tyrannous; and tyrants' fears
Decrease not, but grow faster than their years:
And should he doubt it, (as no doubt he doth,)
That I should open to the listening air,
How many worthy princes' bloods were shed,
To keep his bed of blackness unlaid ope,-
To lop that doubt, he'll fill this land with arms,
And make pretence of wrong that I have done
him;

When all, for mine, if I may call't offence,
Must feel war's blow, who spares not inno-

cence:

Which love to all (of which thyself art one, Who now reprov'st me for it)—

Hel. Alas, Sir!

Per. Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from my cheeks,

Musings into my mind, a thousand doubts
How I might stop this tempest, ere it came;
And finding little comfort to relieve them,
I thought it princely charity to grieve them.
Hel. Well, my lord, since you have given me
leave to speak,

Freely I'll speak. Antiochus you fear,
And justly too, I think, you fear the tyrant,
Who either by public war, or private treason,
Will take away your life.

Therefore, my lord, go travel for a while,
Till that his rage and anger be forgot,
Or Destinies do cut his thread of life.

Your rule direct to any; if to me,

his oath to be one.-Hush, nere come the 'ords of Tyre.

Enter HELICANUS, ESCANES, and other Lords.

Hel. You shall not need, my fellow peers of Further to question of your king's departure. Tyre, His seal'd commission, left in trust with me, Doth speak sufficiently, he's gone to travel. Thal. How! the king gone! [Aside. Why, as it were unlicens'd of your loves, Hel. If further yet you will be satisfied, He would depart, I'll give some light unto you. Being at Antioch

Thal. What from Antioch?

[Aside. Hel. Royal Antiochus (on what cause I know

Took some displeasure at him; at least he
not,)
judg'd so:

To show his sorrow, would correct himself;
And doubting lest that he had err'd or sinn'i,
So puts himself unto the shipman's toil,
With whom each minute threatens life or death.
Thal. Well, I perceive
[Aside.
But since he's gone, the king it sure must
I shall not be hang'd now, although I would;

please,

He scap'd the land, to perish on the seas.But I'll present me. Peace to the lords of Tyre!

[ocr errors]

Hel. Lord Thaliard from Antiochus is wel

come.

Thal. From him I come

With message unto princely Pericles;
But, since my landing, as I have understood,
Your lord has took himself to unknown travels,
My message must return from whence it came.
Hel. We have no reason to desire it, sinc
Commended to our master, not to us:
Yet, ere you shall depart, this we desire,-

Day serves not light more faithful than I'll be. As friends to Antioch, we may feast in Tyre.

Per. I do not doubt thy faith;

[Exeunt

But should he wrong my liberties in absence- SCENE IV.-Tharsus.-A Room in the Go Het. We'll mingle bloods together in the

earth

From whence we had our being and our birth.
Per. Tyre, I now look from thee then, and to
Tharsus

Intend my travel, where I'll hear from thee;
And by whose letters I'll dispose myself.
The care I had and have of subjects' good,
On thee I lay, whose wisdom's strength can
bear it.

I'll take thy word for faith, not ask thinę oath; Who shuns not to break one, will sure crack both:

But in our orbs we'll live so round and safe, That time of both this truth shal ne'er convince,+

Thou show'dst a subject's shine, I a true prince. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-Tyre.—An Ante-chamber in the

Palace.

Enter THALIARD.

Thal. So, this is Tyre, and this is the court. Here must I kill king Pericles; and if I do not, I am sure to be hanged at home: 'tis dangerous.-Well, I perceive he was a wise fellow, and had good discretion, that being bid to ask what he would of the king, desired he might know none of his secrets. Now do I see he had some reason for it: for if a king bid a man be a villain, he is bound by the indenture of † Overcome.

In our different spheres.

vernor's House.

Enter CLEON, DIONYZA, and Attendants.

Cle. My Dionyra, shall we rest us here,
And by relating tales of others' griefs,
See if 'twill teach us to forget our own?

Dio. That were to blow at fire, in hope to quench it:

Throws down one mountain, to cast up a higher.
For who digs hills because they do aspire.
O my distressed lord, even such our griefs;
Here they're but felt, and seen with mistful
eyes,

But like to groves, being topp'd, they higher
[rise.
Who wanteth food, and will not say he wants it,
Cle. O Dionyza,
Or can conceal his hunger, till he famish?
Our tongues and sorrows do sound deep our

woes

Into the air; our eyes do weep, till lungs Fetch breath that may proclaim them louder;

that,

If heaven slumber, while their creatures want, They may awake their helps to comfort them. I'll then discourse our woes, felt several years, And wanting breath to speak, help me with

tears.

[blocks in formation]
« ZurückWeiter »