THIRD FISHERMAN Faith, master, I am thinking of the poor men that were cast away before us even now.

MASTER Alas, poor souls, it grieved my heart to hear what pitiful cries they made to us to help them when, well-a-day, we could scarce help ourselves.

THIRD FISHERMAN Nay, master, said not I as much when I saw the porpoise how he bounced and tumbled? They say they’re half fish, half flesh. A plague on them, they ne’er come but I look to be washed. Master, I marvel how the fishes live in the sea.

MASTER Why, as men do a-land—the great ones eat up the little ones. I can compare our rich misers to nothing so fitly as to a whale: a plays and tumbles, driving the poor fry before him, and at last devours them all at a mouthful. Such whales have I heard on o’th’ land, who never leave gaping till they swallowed the whole parish: church, steeple, bells, and all. PERICLES (aside) A pretty moral.

THIRD FISHERMAN But, master, if I had been the sexton, I would have been that day in the belfry.

SECOND FISHERMAN Why, man?

THIRD FISHERMAN Because he should have swallowed me, too, and when I had been in his belly I would have kept such a jangling of the bells that he should never have left till he cast bells, steeple, church, and parish up again. But if the good King Simonides were of my mind—

PERICLES (aside) Simonides?

THIRD FISHERMAN We would purge the land of these drones that rob the bee of her honey.

PERICLES (aside)

How from the finny subject of the sea

These fishers tell th’infirmities of men,

And from their wat’ry empire recollect

All that may men approve or men detect!

Coming forward Peace be at your labour, honest

fishermen.

SECOND FISHERMAN Honest, good fellow? What’s that? If it be a day fits you, scratch’t out of the calendar, and nobody look after it.

PERICLES

May see the sea hath cast upon your coast—

SECOND FISHERMAN What a drunken knave was the sea to cast thee in our way!

PERICLES

A man, whom both the waters and the wind

In that vast tennis-court hath made the ball

For them to play upon, entreats you pity him.

He asks of you that never used to beg.

MASTER No, friend, cannot you beg? Here’s them in our country of Greece gets more with begging than we can do with working.

SECOND FISHERMAN Canst thou catch any fishes, then?

PERICLES I never practised it.

SECOND FISHERMAN Nay, then thou wilt starve, sure; for here’s nothing to be got nowadays unless thou canst fish for’t.

PERICLES

What I have been, I have forgot to know,

But what I am, want teaches me to think on:

A man thronged up with cold; my veins are chill,

And have no more of life than may suffice

To give my tongue that heat to crave your help,

Which if you shall refuse, when I am dead,

For that I am a man, pray see me buried.

He falls down

MASTER Die, quotha? Now, gods forbid’t an I have a gown here!

To Pericles, lifting him up from the ground Come, put it on, keep thee warm. Now, afore me, a handsome fellow! Come, thou shalt go home, and we’ll have flesh for holidays, fish for fasting-days, and moreo’er puddings and flapjacks, and thou shalt be welcome.

PERICLES I thank you, sir.

SECOND FISHERMAN Hark you, my friend, you said you could not beg?

PERICLES I did but crave.

SECOND FISHERMAN But crave? Then I’ll turn craver too, an so I shall scape whipping.

PERICLES Why, are all your beggars whipped, then?

SECOND FISHERMAN O, not all, my friend, not all; for if all your beggars were whipped I would wish no better office than to be beadle.

MASTER Thine office, knave—

SECOND FISHERMAN Is to draw up the other nets. I’ll go.

Exit with Third Fisherman

PERICLES (aside)

How well this honest mirth becomes their labour!

MASTER ⌈seating himself by Pericles⌉ Hark you, sir, do you know where ye are?

PERICLES Not well.

MASTER Why, I’ll tell you. This is called Pentapolis, and our king the good Simonides.

PERICLES

’The good Simonides’ do you call him?

MASTER Ay, sir, and he deserves so to be called for his peaceable reign and good government.

PERICLES

He is a happy king, since from his subjects

He gains the name of good by his government.

How far is his court distant from this shore?

MASTER Marry, sir, some half a day’s journey. And I’ll tell you, he hath a fair daughter, and tomorrow is her birthday, and there are princes and knights come from all parts of the world to joust and tourney for her love.

PERICLES

Were but my fortunes answerable

To my desires I could wish to make one there.

MASTER O, sir, things must be as they may, and what a man cannot get himself, he may lawfully deal for with his wife’s soul.

Enter the other two Fishermen drawing up a net

SECOND FISHERMAN Help, master, help! Here’s a fish hangs in the net like a poor man’s right in the law; ’twill hardly come out.

Before help comes, up comes their prize

Ha, bots on’t, ’tis come at last, and ’tis turned to a

rusty armour.

PERICLES

An armour, friends? I pray you let me see it.

(Aside) Thanks, fortune, yet that after all thy crosses

Thou giv‘st me somewhat to repair my losses,

And though it was mine own, part of my heritage

Which my dead father did bequeath to me

With this strict charge ev’n as he left his life:

‘Keep it, my Pericles; it hath been a shield

‘Twixt me and death,’ and pointed to this brace,

‘For that it saved me, keep it. In like necessity,

The which the Gods forfend, the same may defend thee.’

It kept where I kept, I so dearly loved it,

Till the rough seas that spares not any man

Took it in rage, though calmed have giv’n’t again.

I thank thee for’t. My shipwreck now’s no ill,

Since I have here my father gave in ’s will.

MASTER What mean you, sir?

PERICLES

To beg of you, kind friends, this coat of worth,

For it was sometime target to a king.

I know it by this mark. He loved me dearly,

And for his sake I wish the having of it,