Thou that begett'st him that did thee beget;
Thou that wast born at sea, buried at Tharsus,
And found at sea again! O, Helicanus !
Down on thy knees, thank the holy gods as
loud

As thunder threatens us: This is Marina.-
What was thy mother's name? tell me but that,
For truth can never be confirm'd enough,
Though doubts did ever sleep.
Mar.

What is your title?

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 hither,

And do upon mine altar sacrifice.
There, when my maiden priests are met to
Before the people all,
[gether
Reveal how thou at sea didst lose thy wife:
To mourn thy crosses, with thy daughter's call,
And give them repetition to the life*.
Perform my bidding, or thou livest in woe:
Do't, and be happy, by my silver bow.
Awake, and tell thy dream.

First, sir, I pray, [now I Per. I am Pericles of Tyre: but tell me (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.

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.
[my child.
Per. Now, blessing on thee; rise, thou art
Give me fresh garments. Mine own, Heli-
canus,
[been,
(Not dead at Tharsus, as she should have
By savage Cleon,) she shall tell thee all;
When thou shalt kneel and justify in know-
She is thy very princess.-Who is this? [ledge,
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 behold-

ing.

[music?

O heavens bless my girl! But hark! what
Tell Helicanus, my Marina, tell him

O'er, point by point, for yet he seems to
doubt,
[music?

How sure you are my daughter.-But what
Hel. My lord, I hear none.
Per. None?

The music of the spheres: list, my Marina.
Lys. It is not good to cross him; give him
Per. Rarest sounds!
[way.

Do ye not hear?

[DIANA disappears. Per. Celestial Dian, goddess argentine t, will obey thee !-Helicanus! Enter LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, and Sir.

Hel.

MARINA.

Per. My purpose was for Tharsus, there to
The inhospitable Cleon; but I am [strike
For other service first: toward Ephesus
Turn our blown‡ sails; eftsoons § I'll tell thee
why.-
[TO HELICANUS.
Shall we refresh us, sir, upon your shore,
And give you gold for such provision
As our intents will need?

Per.

Lys. With all my heart, sir; and, when you
I have another suit.
[come ashore,
You shall prevail,
Were it to woo my daughter; for it seems
You have been noble towards her.
Lys.
Sir, lend your arm.
Per. Come, my Marina.
[Exeunt.
Enter GoWER before the Temple of
DIANA, at Ephesus.

Gow. Now our sands are almost run;
More a little, and then done.

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 thrived,
That he is promised to be wived
To fair Marina; but in no wise,
Till he had done his sacrifice,

As Dian bade: whereto being bound,
The interim, pray you, all confound ¶.
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.

[Exit.

SCENE III. The Temple of DIANA at Ephesus: THAISA standing near the Al tar as high Priestess; a number of Fir gins on each side; CERIMON and other Inhabitants of Ephesus attending.

Enter PERICLES, with his Train; LYSI

Repeat a lively narrative of your adventures. 1 Swollen § Soon. i. e., Pericle..

+i. e., Regent of the silver moon. Confound here signifies to consun ê.

MACHUS, HELICANUS, MARINA, and a Leaps to be gone into my mother's bosom. Lady.

Will I, my loved 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
Sir, that my father's dead.
[credit,

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

Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign.
Lord Cerimon, we do our longing stay,
To hear the rest untold.-Sir, lead the way.
[Exeunt.

In Pericles, his queen and daughter, seen
(Although assail'd with fortune fierce and
keen,)

+ Sensual passion.
i. e., The king of Antioch.

That this tragedy has some merit, it were vain to deny; but that it is the entire composi tion of Shakspeare, is more than can be hastily granted. I shall not venture, with Dr. Farmer, to determine that the hand of our great poet is only visible in the låst act, for I think it appears in several passages dispersed over each of these divisions. I find it difficult, however to persuade myself that he was the original fabricator of the plot, or the author of every dialogue, chorus, &c.-STEEVENS.

The story is of great antiquity, and is related by various ancient authors in Latin, French, and -English.

Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came some-(Since now we will divest us, both of rule, what saucily into the world before he was sent fo, 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?

As much as child e'er loved, or father found. A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable

[Trumpets sound within. | Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

+ Part or division.

Cor. What shall Cordelia do? Love, and
be silent.
[Aside.
Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this
line to this,
[rich'd,
With shadowy forests and with champains
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
Myself an enemy to all other joys, [sesses;
Which the most precious square of sense pos-
And find, I am alone felicitate
In your dear highness' love,

Cor.

Then poor Cordelia! [Aside. And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's More richer than my tongue.

Or he that makes his generationtt messes
To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom
Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and relieved,
As thou my sometime daughter.
Kents
Good my liege,-

Lear. Peace, Kent!
Come not between the dragon and his wrath:
I loved her most, and thought to set my rest
On her kind nursery.-Hence, and avoid my
sight!-
[To CORDELIA.

So be my grave my peace, as here I give
Her father's heart from her!-Call France;-
Who stirs ?

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 [course,
That troop with majesty.-Ourself, by monthly
With reservation of an hundred knights,
By you to be sustain'd, shall our abode [taiu
Make with you by due turns. Only we still re-
The name, and all the additions to a king;
The sway,

Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever,
Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom;
No less in space, validity, and pleasure,
Than that confirm'd on Goneril.-Now, our
joy,
[love Revenue, execution of the rest 5,
Although the last, not least; to whose
Beloved sons,
young
be yours: which to confirm,
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy, This coronet part between you.
Strive to be interess'd: what can you say to draw
A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.
Cor. Nothing, my lord.
Lear. Nothing?
Cor. Nothing.

[again. Lear. Nothing can come of nothing: speak. 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 Lest it may mar your fortunes. [speech a little, Good my lord,

Cor.

You have begot me, bred me, loved 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
[duty:
Half my love with him, half my care, and
Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,
To love my father all.

Lear. But goes this with thy heart?
Cor.
Ay, good my lord.
Lear. So young, and so untender?
Cor. So young, my lord, and true. [dower:
Lear. Let it be so,-Thy truth then be thy
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
Hold thee, from this **, for ever. The bar-
barous Scythian,

• Open plains. + Comprehension.
sed. ** From this time.
Reverberates.

[Giving the Crown
Kent.
Royal Lear,
Whom I have ever honour'd as my king,
Loved 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.

[vade

Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork in-
The region of my heart: be Kent unmannerly
When Lear is mad. What wouldst thou do,
old man?
[speak,
Think'st thou, that duty shall have dread to
When power to flattery bows? To plainness
honour's bound,
[doom;
When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy
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 no hollowness.

Lear.
Kent, on thy life, no more.
hent. My life I never held but as a pawn
To wage against thine enemies; nor fear to
Thy safety being the motive.
[lose it,
Lear.
Out of my sight!
Kent. See better, Lear, and let me still re-
The true blank ¶¶ of thine eye. [mair
Lear. Now, by Apollo,-
Kent.

Now, by Apollo, king,

Thou swear'st thy gods in vain.
Lear.

O, vassal! miscreant!
[Laying his Hand on his Sword.

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

Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow

Made happy. § Value. Perhaps.
Titles. §§ All other subjects

tt His children.

¶¶ The mark to shoot at.