At Ephesus, the temple see, Our king and all his company, Is by your fancy's thankful doom. [Exit. SCENE III.-The Temple of DIANA at Ephesus; THAISA standing near the altar, as high priestess; a number of Virgins on each side; CERIMON and other Inhabitants of Ephesus attending. Enter PERICLES with his Train; LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, MARINA, and a Lady. Per. Hail, Dian! to perform thy just command, Who, frighted from my country, did wed At Pentapolis the fair Thaisa. At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth Thai. Voice and favour!- You are, you are- O royal Pericles! Per. What means the woman? she dies! help, gentlemen! Cer. Noble sir, If you have told Diana's altar true, This is your wife. Per. Reverend appearer, no; I threw her o'erboard with these very arms. Per. Cer. 'T is most certain. Look to the lady;-O, she's but o'erjoy'd. Early in blust'ring morn this lady was Thrown upon this shore. I op'd the coffin; Found there rich jewels; recover'd her, and plac'd her Per. May we see them? Cer. Great sir, they shall be brought you to my house, Recovered. Thai. O, let me look! If he be none of mine, my sanctity Will to my sense bend no licentious ear, But curb it, spite of seeing. O, my lord, Are you not Pericles? Like him you speak, Per. The voice of dead Thaisa! Thai. That Thaisa am I, supposed dead And drown'd. Per. Thai. Immortal Dian! When we with tears parted Pentapolis, Now I know you better. [Shows a ring. The king, my father, gave you such a ring. Per. This, this; no more, you gods! your present kindness Makes my past miseries sports: You shall do well, That on the touching of her lips I may Melt, and no more be seen. O come, be buried A second time within these arms. Mar. My heart Leaps to be gone into my mother's bosom. [Kneels to THAISA. Blessed, and mine own! Hel. Hail, madam, and my queen ! I know you not. did fly from Tyre, Per. You have heard me say, when I Thai. 'T was Helicanus then. Per. Still confirmation: Embrace him, dear Thaisa; this is he. Besides the gods, for this great miracle. Thai. Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man, through whom The gods have shown their power; that can from first To last resolve you. Per. Reverend sir, the gods Can have no mortal officer more like A god than you. Will you deliver how Cer. I will, my lord. Beseech you, first go with me to my house, Where shall be shown you all was found with her; I bless thee for thy vision, and will offer Night-oblations to thee. Thaisa, This prince, the fair-betrothed of your daughter, This ornament that makes me look so dismal, Will I, my lov'd Marina, clip to form; And what this fourteen years no razor touch'd, To grace thy marriage-day, I'll beautify. Thai. Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, Sir, that my father's dead. Per. Heavens make a star of him! Yet there, my queen, We'll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves Will in that kingdom spend our following days; To hear the rest untold.-Sir, lead the way. Enter GOWER. [Exeunt omnes. Gow. In Antiochus and his daughter, you have heard Of monstrous lust the due and just reward; In Pericles, his queen and daughter, seen (Although assail'd with fortune fierce and keen) Led on by heaven, and crown'd with joy at last. A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty: The worth that learned charity aye wears. For wicked Cleon and his wife, when fame Had spread their cursed deed, and honour'd name That him and his they in his palace burn. The gods for murther seemed so content To punish them; although not done, but meant. New joy wait on you! Here our play hath ending. [Exit GOWER. VENUS AND ADONIS. 'Vilia miretur vulgus, mihi flavus Apollo OVID. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON AND BARON OF TITCHFIELD. RIGHT HONOUrable, I KNOW not how I shall offend in dedicating my unpolished lines to your lordship, nor how the world will censure me for choosing so strong a prop to support so weak a burthen: only if your honour seem but pleased, I account myself highly praised, and vow to take advantage of all idle hours till I have honoured you with some graver labour. But if the first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a godfather, and never after ear so barren a land, for fear it yield me still so bad a harvest. I leave it to your honourable survey, and your honour to your heart's content; which I wish may always answer your own wish, and the world's hopeful expectation. Your Honour's in all duty, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. EVEN as the sun with purple-colour'd face 'Thrice fairer than myself,' thus she began, 'Vouchsafe, thou wonder, to alight thy steed, A summer's day will seem an hour but short, And, trembling in her passion, calls it balm, She red and hot as coals of glowing fire, The studded bridle on a ragged bough To tie the rider she begins to prove: Backward she push'd him, as she would be thrust, So soon was she along, as he was down, And kissing speaks, with lustful language broken, He saith she is immodest, blames her 'miss; Even as an empty eagle, sharp by fast, Even so she kiss'd his brow, his cheek, his chin, |