Who, frighted from my country, did espouse

The fair Thaisa

⌈Thaisa starts⌉

at Pentapolis.

At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth

A maid child called Marina, who, O goddess,

Wears yet thy silver liv‘ry. She at Tarsus

Was nursed with Cleon, whom at fourteen years

He sought to murder, but her better stars

Bore her to Mytilene, ’gainst whose shore riding

Her fortunes brought the maid aboard our barque,

Where, by her own most clear remembrance, she

Made known herself my daughter.

THAISA

Voice and favour—

You are, you are—O royal Pericles! She falls

PERICLES

What means the nun? She dies. Help, gentlemen!

CERIMON Noble sir,

If you have told Diana’s altar true,

This is your wife.

PERICLES Reverend appearer, no.

I threw her overboard with these same arms.

CERIMON

Upon this coast, I warr’nt you.

PERICLES ’Tis most certain.

CERIMON

Look to the lady. O, she’s but o’erjoyed.

Early one blustering morn this lady

Was thrown upon this shore. I oped the coffin,

Found there rich jewels, recovered her, and placed her

Here in Diana’s temple.

PERICLES May we see them?

CERIMON

Great sir, they shall be brought you to my house,

Whither I invite you. Look, Thaisa is

Recovered.

THAISA O, let me look upon him!

If he be none of mine, my sanctity

Will to my sense bend no licentious ear,

But curb it, spite of seeing. O, my lord,

Are you not Pericles? Like him you spake,

Like him you are. Did you not name a tempest,

A birth and death?

PERICLES The voice of dead Thaisa! THAISA That Thaisa

Am I, supposed dead and drowned.

PERICLES ⌈taking Thaisa’s hand⌉ Immortal Dian!

THAISA Now I know you better.

When we with tears parted Pentapolis,

The King my father gave you such a ring.

PERICLES

This, this! No more, you gods. Your present kindness

Makes my past miseries sports; you shall do well

That on the touching of her lips I may

Melt, and no more be seen.—O come, be buried

A second time within these arms.

⌈They embrace and kiss⌉

MARINA (kneeling to Thaisa) My heart Leaps to be gone into my mother’s bosom.

PERICLES

Look who kneels here: flesh of thy flesh, Thaisa,

Thy burden at the sea, and called Marina

For she was yielded there.

THAISA ⌈embracing Marina⌉ Blessed, and mine own! HELICANUS ⌈kneeling to Thaisa⌉

Hail, madam, and my queen.

THAISA I know you not.

PERICLES

You have heard me say, when I did fly from Tyre,

I left behind an ancient substitute.

Can you remember what I called the man?

I have named him oft.

THAISA ’Twas Helicanus then.

PERICLES Still confirmation.

Embrace him, dear Thaisa; this is he.

Now do I long to hear how you were found,

How possibly preserved, and who to thank—

Besides the gods—for this great miracle.

THAISA

Lord Cerimon, my lord. This is the man

Through whom the gods have shown their pow’r,

that can

From first to last resolve you.

PERICLES (to Cerimon) Reverend sir,

The gods can have no mortal officer

More like a god than you. Will you deliver

How this dead queen re-lives?

CERIMON I will, my lord.

Beseech you, first go with me to my house,

Where shall be shown you all was found with her,

And told how in this temple she came placed,

No needful thing omitted.

PERICLES

Pure Diana,

I bless thee for thy vision, and will offer

Nightly oblations to thee.—Beloved Thaisa,

This prince, the fair betrothed of your daughter,

At Pentapolis shall marry her.

(To Marina) And now this ornament

Makes me look dismal will I clip to form,

And what this fourteen years no razor touched,

To grace thy marriage day I’ll beautify.

THAISA

Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit,

Sir, from Pentapolis: my father’s dead.

PERICLES

Heav’n make a star of him! Yet there, my queen,

We’ll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves

Will in that kingdom spend our following days.

Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign.—

Lord Cerimon, we do our longing stay

To hear the rest untold. Sir, lead ’s the way.

Exeunt ⌈all but Gower⌉

GOWER

In Antiochus and his daughter you have heard

Of monstrous lust the due and just reward;

In Pericles, his queen, and daughter seen,

Although assailed with fortune fierce and keen,

Virtue preserved from fell destruction’s blast,

Led on by heav’n, and crowned 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 to th’ honoured 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 that, although not done, but meant.

So on your patience evermore attending,

New joy wait on you. Here our play has ending.

Exit