Who pour their bounty on her, and her gain

She gives the cursed Bawd. Here we her place,

And to her father turn our thoughts again.

We left him on the sea. Waves there him tossed,

Whence, driven tofore the winds, he is arrived

Here where his daughter dwells, and on this coast

Suppose him now at anchor. The city strived

God Neptune’s annual feast to keep, from whence

Lysimachus our Tyrian ship espies,

His banners sable, trimmed with rich expense;

And to him in his barge with fervour hies.

In your supposing once more put your sight;

Of heavy Pericles think this the barque,

Where what is done in action, more if might,

Shall be discovered. Please you sit and hark. Exit

Sc. 21 Enter Helicanus ⌈above; below, enter⌉ to him at the first door two Sailors, ⌈one of Tyre, the other of Mytilene⌉

SAILOR OF TYRE (to Sailor of Mytilene)

Lord Helicanus can resolve you, sir.

(To Helicanus) There is a barge put off from Mytilene.

In it, Lysimachus, the governor,

Who craves to come aboard. What is your will?

HELICANUS

That he have his.

⌈Exit Sailor of Mytilene at first door⌉ Call up some gentlemen.

⌈Exit Helicanus above⌉

⌈SAILOR OF TYRE⌉

Ho, my lord calls!

Enter ⌈from below the stage⌉ two or three Gentlemen; ⌈to them, enter Helicanus⌉

FIRST GENTLEMAN What is your lordship’s pleasure?

HELICANUS

Gentlemen, some of worth would come aboard.

I pray you, greet him fairly.

Enter Lysimachus ⌈at first door, with the Sailor and Lords of Mytilene⌉

⌈SAILOR OF MYTILENE⌉ (to Lysimachus)

This is the man that can in aught resolve you.

LYSIMACHUS (to Helicanus)

Hail, reverend sir; the gods preserve you!

HELICANUS

And you, sir, to outlive the age I am,

And die as I would do.

LYSIMACHUS You wish me well.

I am the governor of Mytilene;

Being on shore, honouring of Neptune’s triumphs,

Seeing this goodly vessel ride before us,

I made to it to know of whence you are.

HELICANUS

Our vessel is of Tyre, in it our king,

A man who for this three months hath not spoken

To anyone, nor taken sustenance

But to prorogue his grief.

LYSIMACHUS

Upon what ground grew his distemp’rature?

HELICANUS

’Twould be too tedious to tell it over,

But the main grief springs from the precious loss

Of a belovèd daughter and a wife.

LYSIMACHUS

May we not see him?

HELICANUS

See him, sir, you may,

But bootless is your sight. He will not speak

To any.

LYSIMACHUS Let me yet obtain my wish.

HELICANUS

Behold him.

Helicanus draws a curtain, revealing Pericles lying upon a couch with a long overgrown beard, diffused hair, undecent nails on his fingers, and attired in sack-cloth

This was a goodly person

Till the disaster of one mortal night

Drove him to this.

LYSIMACHUS (to Pericles)

Sir, King, all hail. Hail, royal sir.

⌈Pericles shrinks himself down upon his pillow⌉

HELICANUS

It is in vain. He will not speak to you.

LORD OF MYTILENE

Sir, we have a maid in Mytilene I durst wager

Would win some words of him.

LYSIMACHUS ’Tis well bethought.

She questionless, with her sweet harmony

And other choice attractions, would alarum

And make a batt‘ry through his deafened ports,

Which now are midway stopped. She in all happy,

As the fair’st of all, among her fellow maids

Dwells now i’th’ leafy shelter that abuts

Against the island’s side. Go fetch her hither.

⌈Exit Lord⌉

HELICANUS

Sure, all effectless; yet nothing we’ll omit

That bears recov’ry’s name. But since your kindness

We have stretched thus far, let us beseech you

That for our gold we may provision have,

Wherein we are not destitute for want,

But weary for the staleness.

LYSIMACHUS O sir, a courtesy

Which if we should deny, the most just gods

For every graft would send a caterpillar,

And so inflict our province. Yet once more

Let me entreat to know at large the cause

Of your king’s sorrow.

HELICANUS Sit, sir. I will recount it.

⌈Enter Lord with Marina and another maid⌉

But see, I am prevented.

LYSIMACHUS

O, here’s the lady that I sent for.—

Welcome, fair one.—Is’t not a goodly presence? HELICANUS She’s a gallant lady.

LYSIMACHUS

She’s such a one that, were I well assured

Came of gentle kind or noble stock, I’d wish

No better choice to think me rarely wed.—

Fair one, all goodness that consists in bounty

Expect e’en here, where is a kingly patient;

If that thy prosperous and artificial feat

Can draw him but to answer thee in aught,

Thy sacred physic shall receive such pay

As thy desires can wish.

MARINA Sir, I will use

My utmost skill in his recure, provided

That none but I and my companion maid

Be suffered to come near him.

LYSIMACHUS (to the others) Let us leave her,

And the gods prosper her. ⌈The men stand aside⌉

The Song

LYSIMACHUS ⌈coming forward⌉ Marked he your music? ⌈MAID⌉

No, nor looked on us.

LYSIMACHUS (to the others) See, she will speak to him.

MARINA (to Pericles)

Hail, sir; my lord, lend ear.

PERICLES Hmh, ha!

⌈He roughly repulses her⌉

MARINA I am a maid,

My lord, that ne‘er before invited eyes,

But have been gazed on like a comet. She speaks,