The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Pericles Prince of Tyre: Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Scene I.—: Antioch. a Room In the Palace.
• Scene II.—: Tyre. a Room In the Palace.
• Scene III.—: The Same. an Antechamber In the Palace.
• Scene IV.—: Tarsus. a Room In the Governor’s House.
• Act II.
• Dumb Show.
• Scene I.—: Pentapolis. an Open Place By the Sea-side.
• Scene II.—: The Same. a Public Way. Platform Leading to the Lists. a Pavilion Near It, For the Reception of Theking, Princess, Ladies, Lords, &c.
• Scene III.—: The Same. a Hall of State. a Banquet Prepared.
• Scene IV.—: Tyre. a Room In the Governor’s House.
• Scene V.—: Pentapolis. a Room In the Palace.
• Act III.
• Dumb Show.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.—: Ephesus. a Room Incerimon’shouse.
• Scene III.—: Tarsus. a Room Incleon’shouse.
• Scene IV.—: Ephesus. a Room Incerimon’shouse.
• Act IV.
• Scene I.—: Tarsus. an Open Place Near the Sea-shore.
• Scene II.—: Mitylene. a Room In a Brothel.
• Scene III.—: Tarsus. a Room Incleon’shouse.
• Scene IV.—: Before the Monument Ofmarinaat Tarsus.
• Dumb Show.
• Scene V.—: Mitylene. a Street Before the Brothel.
• Scene VI.—: The Same. a Room In the Brothel.
• Act V.
• Scene I.—: On Boardpericles’ Ship, Off Mitylene. a Pavilion On Deck, With a Curtain Before It;pericleswithin It, Reclined On a Couch. a Barge Lying Beside the Tyrian Vessel.
• Scene II.—: Before the Temple Ofdianaat Ephesus.
• Scene III.—: The Temple Ofdianaat Ephesus;thaisastanding Near the Altar, As High Priestess; a Number of Virgins On Each Side;cerimonand Other Inhabitants of Ephesus Attending.

Scene IV.—

Ephesus. A Room inCerimon’sHouse.

EnterCerimonandThaisa.

Cer.

Madam, this letter, and some certain jewels,

Lay with you in your coffer; which are now

At your command. Know you the character?

Thai.

It is my lord’s.

That I was shipp’d at sea, I well remember,

Even on my eaning time; but whether there

Deliver’d, by the holy gods,

I cannot rightly say. But since King Pericles,

My wedded lord, I ne’er shall see again,

A vestal livery will I take me to,

And never more have joy.

Cer.

Madam, if this you purpose as you speak,

Diana’s temple is not distant far,

Where you may abide till your date expire.

Moreover, if you please, a niece of mine

Shall there attend you.

Thai.

My recompense is thanks, that’s all;

Yet my good will is great, though the gift small.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

EnterGower.

• Imagine Pericles arriv’d at Tyre,
• Welcom’d and settled to his own desire.
• His woeful queen we leave at Ephesus,
• Unto Diana there a votaress.
• Now to Marina bend your mind,
• Whom our fast-growing scene must find
• At Tarsus, and by Cleon train’d
• In music, letters; who hath gain’d
• Of education all the grace,
• Which makes her bath the heart and places
• Of general wonder. But, alack!
• That monster envy, oft the wrack
• Of earned praise, Marina’s life
• Seeks to take off by treason’s knife.
• And in this kind hath our Cleon
• One daughter, and a wench full grown,
• Even ripe for marriage-rite; this maid
• Hight Philoten, and it is said
• For certain in our story, she
• Would ever with Marina be:
• Be ’t when she weav’d the sleided silk
• With fingers, long, small, white as milk,
• Or when she would with sharp neeld wound
• The cambric, which she made more sound
• By hurting it; when to the lute
• She sung, and made the night-bird mute,
• That still records with moan; or when
• She would with rich and constant pen
• Vail to her mistress Dian; still
• This Philoten contends in skill
• With absolute Marina: so
• With the dove of Paphos might the crow
• Vie feathers white. Marina gets
• All praises, which are paid as debts,
• And not as given. This so darks
• In Philoten all graceful marks,
• That Cleon’s wife, with envy rare,
• A present murderer does prepare
• For good Marina, that her daughter
• Might stand peerless by this slaughter.
• The sooner her vile thoughts to stead,
• Lychorida, our nurse, is dead:
• And cursed Dionyza hath
• The pregnant instrument of wrath
• Prest for this blow. The unborn event
• I do commend to your content:
• Only I carry winged time
• Post on the lame feet of my rime;
• Which never could I so convey,
• Unless your thoughts went on my way.
• Dionyza doth appear,
• With Leonine, a murderer.
• [Exit.