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you bred?

:- where were

I'll hear you more, to the bottom of your story, And never interrupt you.

Mar. You'll scarce believe me; 'twere best I did give o'er.

Per. I will believe you by the syllable 18) Of what you shall deliver. Yet, give me leave: How came you in these parts? where were you bred? Mar. The king, my father, did in Tharsus leave me; Till cruel Cleon, with his wicked wife, Did seek to murder me: and having woo'd A villain to attempt it, who having drawn, 19) A crew of pirates came and rescued me; Brought me to Mitylene. But, now, good sir, Whither will you have me? Why do you weep? It may be,

You think me an impostor: no, good faith;

I am the daughter to king Pericles,

If good king Pericles be.

Per. Ho, Helicanus!

Hel.

Calls my gracious lord? Per. Thou art a grave and noble counsellor, Most wise in general: Tell me, if thou canst, What this maid is, or what is like to be, That thus hath made me weep? Hel.

What was thy mother's name? tell me but that,
For truth can never be confirm'd enough,
Though doubts did ever sleep. 20)
Mar.

What is your title?

First, sir, I pray,

Per. I am Pericles of Tyre; but tell me now (As in the rest thou hast been godlike perfect,) My drown'd queen's name, thou art the heir of kingdoms,

And another life to Pericles thy father. 2")
Mar. Is it no more to be your daughter, than
To say, my mother's name was Thaisa?
Thaisa was my mother, who did end,
The minute I began.

Per. Now, blessing on thee, rise; thou art my child.
Give me fresh garments. Mine own Helicanus,
(Not dead at Tharsus, as she should have been,
By savage Cleon,) she shall tell thee all;
When thou shalt kneel, and justify in knowledge,
She is thy very princess. Who is this?
Hel. Sir, 'tis the governor of Mitylene,
Who, hearing of your melancholy state,
Did come to see you.
Per.

I embrace you, sir. Give me my robes; I am wild in my beholding. O heavens bless my girl! But hark, what music? Tell Helicanus, my Marina, tell him

O'er, point by point, for yet he seems to doubt, How sure you are my daughter. But what music?

Hel. My lord, I hear none.

Per. None?

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[The Curtain before the Pavilion of PERICLES
is closed.

So leave him all. Well, my companion-friends,
If this but answer to my just belief,
I'll well remember you.

[Exeunt LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, MARINA,
and attendant Lady.

SCENE II.

The same.

PERICLES on the Deck asleep; DIANA appearing
to him as in a vision.

Dia. My temple stands in Ephesus; hie thee thither,
And do upon mine altar sacrifice.
There, when my maiden priests are met together,

I know not; but Before the people all,

Here is the regent, sir, of Mitylene,
Speaks nobly of her.
Lys.
She would never tell
Her parentage; being demanded that,
She would sit still and weep.

Per. O Helicanus, strike me, honour'd sir;
Give me a gash, put me to present pain;
Lest this great sea of joys rushing upon me,
O'erbear the shores of my mortality,

And drown me with their sweetness. O, come hither, Thou that beget'st him that did thee beget;

Thou that was born at sea, buried at Tharsus,

And found at sea again! O Helicanus,

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Down on thy knees, thank the holy gods, as loud As thunder threatens us: This is Marina.

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Turn our blown sails; 24) eftsoons I'll tell thee why.- || Found there rich jewels; recover'd her, and plac'd her [To HELICANUS. Here in Diana's temple. Per.

Shall we refresh us, sir, upon your shore,
And give you gold for such provision
As our intents will need?

Lys. With all my heart, sir; and when you come ashore,

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This, as my last boon, give me,

(For such kindness must relieve me,)
That you aptly will suppose

What pageantry, what feats, what shows,
What minstrelsy, and pretty din,
The regent made in Mitylin,

To greet the king. So he has thriv'd,
That he is promis'd to be wiv'd
To fair Marina; but in no wise,
Till he had done his sacrifice, 26)
As Dian bade: whereto being bound,
The interim, pray you, all confound. 27)
In feather'd briefness sails are fill'd,
And wishes fall out as they're will'd.
At Ephesus, the temple see,

Our king, and all his company.
That he can hither come so soon,
Is by your fancy's thankful boon. 28)

SCENE III.

[Exit.

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,
I here confess myself the king of Tyre;
Who, frighted from my country, did wed
The fair Thaisa, at Pentapolis.

At sea in child-bed died she, but brought forth
A maidchild call'd Marina; who, O goddess,
Wears yet thy silver livery. 29) She at Tharsus
Was nurs'd with Cleon; whom at fourteen years
He sought to murder: but her better stars
Brought her to Mitylene; against whose shore
Riding, her fortunes brought the maid aboard us,
Where, by her own most clear remembrance, she
Made known herself my daughter.
Thai.
You are, you are O royal Pericles! [She faints.
Per. What means the woman? she dies! help,
gentlemen!

Cer. Noble sir,

Voice and favour!

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May we see them? Cer. Great sir, they shall be brought you to my house,

Whither I invite you. Look! Thaisa is
Recover❜d.

Thai.

O, let me look!

If he be none of mine, my sanctity

Will to my sense 3o) bend no licentious ear,
But curb it, spite of seeing. O, my lord,
Are you not Pericles? Like him you speak,
Like him you are: Did you not name a tempest,
A birth, and death?

Per.

The voice of dead Thaisa!

Thai. That Thaisa am I, supposed dead, And drown'd. 31)

Per. Immortal Dian! Thai.

Now I know you better. When we with tears parted Pentapolis, The king, my father, gave you such a ring.

[Shows a Ring.

Per. This, this: no more, you gods! your present

kindness

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I bless thee for thy vision, and will offer
My night oblations to thee. Thaisa,
This prince, the fair-betrothed 32) of your daughter,
Shall marry her at Pentapolis. And now,
This ornament that makes me look so dismal,
Will I, my lov'd Marina, clip to form;
And what these fourteen years no razor touched,
To grace thy marriage-day, I'll beautify.

Thai. Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, Sir, that my father's dead.

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Virtue preserv'd from fell destruction's blast,
Led on by heaven, and crown'd with joy at last.
In Helicanus may you well descry

A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty:
In reverend Cerimon there well appears
The worth that learned charity aye wears.
For wicked Cleon and his wife, when fame
Had spread their cursed deed, and honour'd name
Of Pericles, to rage the city turn;
That him and his they in his palace burn.
The gods for murder seemed so content
To punish them; although not done, but meant.
So on your patience evermore attending,
New joy wait on you! Here our play has ending.
[Exit GoWEB.

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I THOUGHT, the king had more affected the duke of Albany, than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, ') it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weigh'd, that curiosity in neither 2) can make choice of either's moiety. 3)

Kent. Is not this your son, my lord?

Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blush'd to acknowledge him, that

now I am brazed to it.

Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, Goneril, Regan, CORDELIA, and Attendants.

Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster.

Glo. I shall, my liege.

.

[Exeunt GLOSTER and EDMUND. Lear. Mean-time we shall express our darker purpose. ") Give me the map there. Know, that we have divided, In three, our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent ') To shake all cares and business from our age; Conferring them on younger strengths, while we Unburden'd crawl toward death. Our son of Cornwall

And you, our no less loving son of Albany,
We have this hour a constant will ) to publish
Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife
May be prevented now. The princes, France and
Burgundy,

Kent. I cannot conceive you. Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round- wombed; and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle, ere she had a husband Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, for her bed. Do you smell a fault? Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue And here are to be answer'd. Tell me, my of it being so proper. 4)

Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, 5) who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged. Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund? Edm. No, my lord.

Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend.

Edm. My services to your lordship.

Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better. Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again: The king is coming. [Trumpets sound within.

-

daughters,

(Since now we will divest us, both of rule,
Interest of territory, cares of state,)
Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most?
That we our largest bounty may extend
Where merit doth most challenge it. — Goneril,
Our eldest-born, speak first.
Gon.
Sir, I
Do love you more than words can wield the matter,
Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty;
Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;
No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour:
As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found.
A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable;
Beyond all manner of so much) I love you.
Cor. What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent.

[Aside.

Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line || So be my grave my peace, as here I give
Her father's heart from her!
Who stirs?

to this,
With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd,
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,
We make thee lady: To thine and Albany's issue
Be this perpetual. What says our second daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak.
Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister,
And prize me at her worth. In my true heart
I find, she names my very deed of love;
Only she comes too short, that I profess 10)
Myself an enemy to all other joys,

Which the most precious square of sense possesses; 11)
And find, I am alone felicitate

In your dear highness' love.
Cor.
Then poor Cordelia!
And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's
More richer than my tongue.

[Aside.

Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever,
Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom;
No less in space, validity, 2) and pleasure,
Than that confirm'd on Goneril. Now, our joy,
Although the last, not least; to whose young love
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,
Strive to be interess'd; 13) what can you say, to draw
A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.
Cor. Nothing, my lord.

Lear. Nothing?

Cor. Nothing.

Lear. Nothing can come 14) of nothing: speak
again.

Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave
My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty
According to my bond; nor more, nor less.

Lear. How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech a
little,

Lest it may mar your fortunes.
Cor.
Good my lord,
You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I
Return those duties back as are right fit,
Obey you, love you, and most honour you.
Why have my sisters husbands, if they say,
They love you, all? Haply, when I shall wed,
That lord, whose hand must take my plight, shall
carry

Half my love with him, half my care, and duty:
Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,
To love my father all.

Lear. But goes this with thy heart?
Cor.

Lear. So young, and so untender?

Ay, good my lord.

Cor. So young, my lord, and true.

Call France;

--

Call Burgundy. - Cornwall, and Albany,
With my two daughters' dowers digest this third:
Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.
I do invest you jointly with my power,
Pre-eminence, and all the large effects

That troop with majesty. Ourself, by monthly

course,

With reservation of an hundred knights,

By you to be sustain'd, shall our abode

Make with you by due turns. Only we still retain
The name, and all the additions to a king; 16)
The sway,

Revenue, execution of the rest, 17)

Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm,

This coronet part between you. [Giving the Crown.
Kent.
Royal Lear,

Whom I have ever honour'd as my king,
Lov'd as my father, as my master follow'd,
As my great patron thought on in my prayers,
Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from
the shaft.

Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade
The region of my heart: be Kent unmannerly,
When Lear is mad. What would'st thou do, old man?
Think'st thou, that duty shall have dread to speak,
When power to flattery bows? To plainness ho-
nour's bound,

When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom;
And, in thy best consideration, check

This hideous rashness: answer my life my judgment,
Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least;
Nor are those empty-hearted, whose low sound
Reverbs 18) no hollowness.

Lear.
Kent, on thy life, no more.
Kent. My life I never held but as a pawn
To wage against thine enemies; nor fear to lose it,
Thy safety being the motive.

Lear.

Out of my sight!

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Alb. Corn. Dear sir, forbear.
Kent. Do;

Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow
Upon the foul disease. Revoke thy gift;

Lear. Let it be so, Thy truth then be thy Or, whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,

dower:

For, by the sacred radiance of the sun;
The mysteries of Hecate, and the night;

By all the operations of the orbs,

From whom we do exist, and cease to be;
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity and property of blood,
And as a stranger to my heart and me

I'll tell thee, thou dost evil.
Lear.

Hear me, recreant! On thine allegiance hear me! Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow, (Which we durst never yet,) and, with strain'd pride, To come betwixt our sentence and our power; (Which nor our nature nor our place can bear,) Our potency made good, 20) take thy reward.

Hold thee, from this, for ever. The barbarous Scy- Five days we do allot thee, for provision

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