Soon fall to utter ruin—your noble self,
That best know how to rule and how to reign,
We thus submit unto as sovereign.
ALL ⌈kneeling⌉ Live, noble Helicane!
HELICANUS
By honour’s cause, forbear your suffrages.
If that you love Prince Pericles, forbear.
⌈The lords rise⌉
Take I your wish I leap into the seas
Where’s hourly trouble for a minute’s ease,
But if I cannot win you to this love,
A twelvemonth longer then let me entreat you
Further to bear the absence of your king;
If in which time expired he not return,
I shall with aged patience bear your yoke.
Go, seek your noble prince like noble subjects,
And in your search spend your adventurous worth,
Whom if you find and win unto return,
You shall like diamonds sit about his crown.
FIRST LORD
To wisdom he’s a fool that will not yield,
And since Lord Helicane enjoineth us,
We with our travels will endeavour us.
If in the world he live we’ll seek him out;
If in his grave he rest, we’ll find him there.
HELICANUS
Then you love us, we you, and we’ll clasp hands.
When peers thus knit, a kingdom ever stands. Exeunt
Sc. 8a Enter Pericles with Gentlemen with lights
FIRST GENTLEMAN
Here is your lodging, sir.
PERICLES Pray leave me private.
Only for instant solace pleasure me
With some delightful instrument, with which,
And with my former practice, I intend
To pass away the tediousness of night, 5
Though slumbers were more fitting.
FIRST GENTLEMAN Presently.
Exit First Gentleman
SECOND GENTLEMAN
Your will’s obeyed in all things, for our master
Commanded you be disobeyed in nothing.
Enter First Gentleman with a stringed instrument
PERICLES
I thank you. Now betake you to your pillows,
And to the nourishment of quiet sleep. 10
Exeunt Gentlemen
Pericles plays and sings
Day—that hath still that sovereignty to draw back
The empire of the night, though for a while
In darkness she usurp—brings morning on.
I will go give his grace that salutation
Morning requires of me.
Exit with instrument
Sc. 9 Enter King Simonides at one door reading of a letter, the Knights enter ⌈at another door⌉ and meet him
FIRST KNIGHT
Good morrow to the good Simonides.
KING SIMONIDES
Knights, from my daughter this I let you know:
That for this twelvemonth she’ll not undertake
A married life. Her reason to herself
Is only known, which from her none can get.
SECOND KNIGHT
May we not have access to her, my lord?
KING SIMONIDES
Faith, by no means. It is impossible,
She hath so strictly tied her to her chamber.
One twelve moons more she’ll wear Diana’s liv’ry.
This by the eye of Cynthia hath she vowed,
And on her virgin honour will not break it.
THIRD KNIGHT
Loath to bid farewell, we take our leaves.
Exeunt Knights
KING SIMONIDES
So, they are well dispatched. Now to my daughter’s
letter.
She tells me here she’ll wed the stranger knight,
Or never more to view nor day nor light.
I like that well. Nay, how absolute she’s in‘t,
Not minding whether I dislike or no!
Mistress, ’tis well, I do commend your choice,
And will no longer have it be delayed.
Enter Pericles
Soft, here he comes. I must dissemble that
In show, I have determined on in heart.
PERICLES
All fortune to the good Simonides.
KING SIMONIDES
To you as much, sir. I am beholden to you
For your sweet music this last night. My ears,
I do protest, were never better fed
With such delightful pleasing harmony.
PERICLES
It is your grace’s pleasure to commend,
Not my desert.
KING SIMONIDES Sir, you are music’s master.
PERICLES
The worst of all her scholars, my good lord.
KING SIMONIDES
Let me ask you one thing. What think you of my daughter?
PERICLES
A most virtuous princess.
KING SIMONIDES And fair, too, is she not?
PERICLES
As a fair day in summer; wondrous fair.
KING SIMONIDES
My daughter, sir, thinks very well of you;
So well indeed that you must be her master
And she will be your scholar; therefore look to it.
PERICLES
I am unworthy for her schoolmaster.
KING SIMONIDES
She thinks not so. Peruse this writing else.
He gives the letter to Pericles, who reads
PERICLES (aside)
What’s here?—a letter that she loves the knight of Tyre?
’Tis the King’s subtlety to have my life.
⌈He prostrates himself at the King’s feet⌉
O, seek not to entrap me, gracious lord,
A stranger and distressed gentleman
That never aimed so high to love your daughter,
But bent all offices to honour her.
Never did thought of mine levy offence,
Nor never did my actions yet commence
A deed might gain her love or your displeasure.
KING SIMONIDES
Thou liest like a traitor.
PERICLES Traitor?
KING SIMONIDES Ay, traitor,
That thus disguised art stol’n into my court
With witchcraft of thy actions to bewitch
The yielding spirit of my tender child. 50
PERICLES ⌈rising⌉
Who calls me traitor, unless it be the King,
Ev’n in his bosom I will write the lie.
KING SIMONIDES (aside)
Now, by the gods, I do applaud his courage.
PERICLES
My actions are as noble as my blood,
That never relished of a base descent. 55