Enter GOWER.

Gower	Here have you seen a mighty king
	His child, iwis, to incest bring;
	A better prince and benign lord
	That will prove awful both in deed and word.
	Be quiet then, as men should be,
	Till he hath passed necessity.
	I'll show you those in troubles reign,
	Losing a mite, a mountain gain.
	The good in conversation,
	To whom I give my benison,
	Is still at Tarsus, where each man
	Thinks all is writ he spoken can,
	And, to remember what he does,
	Build his statue to make him glorious.
	But tidings to the contrary
	Are brought your eyes; what need speak I?

 Dumb Show.
 Enter at one door PERICLES talking with CLEON, all the TRAIN with them.
 Enter at another door a GENTLEMAN, with a letter, to PERICLES.
 PERICLES shows the letter to CLEON.
 PERICLES gives the GENTLEMAN a reward, and knights him.
 Exit PERICLES at one door and CLEON with at another.

	Good Helicane that stayed at home-
	Not to eat honey like a drone
	From others' labours, forthy he strive
	To killen bad, keep good alive,
	And to fulfil his prince' desire-
	Sends word of all that haps in Tyre:
	How Thaliard came full bent with sin
	And hid intent to murder him;
	And that in Tarsus was not best
	Longer for him to make his rest.
	He, doing so, put forth to seas,
	Where when men been, there's seldom ease;
	For now the wind begins to blow;
	Thunder above and deeps below
	Makes such unquiet that the ship
	Should house him safe is wracked and split,
	And he, good prince, having all lost,
	By waves from coast to coast is tossed.
	All perishen of man, of pelf,
	Ne aught escapend but himself;
	Till Fortune, tired with doing bad,
	Threw him ashore, to give him glad.
	And here he comes. What shall be next,
	Pardon old Gower - this 'longs the text.
										[Exit.

Pentapolis. An open Place by the Seaside.
 Enter PERICLES, wet.

Pericles	Yet cease your ire, you angry stars of heaven!
	Wind, rain, and thunder, remember earthly man
	Is but a substance that must yield to you;
	And I, as fits my nature, do obey you.
	Alas, the seas hath cast me on the rocks,
	Washed me from shore to shore, and left me breath
	Nothing to think on but ensuing death.
	Let it suffice the greatness of your powers
	To have bereft a prince of all his fortunes;
	And having thrown him from your wat'ry grave,
	Here to have death in peace is all he'll crave.
										[Lies down.
                          Enter three FISHERMEN.

1st Fisherman	What ho, Pilch!

2nd Fisherman	Ha, come and bring away the nets!

1st Fisherman	What, Patch-breech, I say!

3rd Fisherman	What say you, master?

1st Fisherman	Look how thou stirrest now! Come away, or I'll fetch thee 
	with a wanion.

3rd Fisherman	Faith, master, I am thinking of the poor men that were cast 
	away before us even now.

1st Fisherman	Alas, poor souls; it grieved my heart to hear what pitiful 
	cries they made to us to help them, when, welladay, we 
	could scarce help ourselves.

3rd 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.

1st Fisherman	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 a'th' land, who never leave 
	gaping till they swallowed the whole parish, church, 
	steeple, bells, and all.

Pericles	[Aside.] A pretty moral.

3rd Fisherman	But master, if I had been the sexton I would have been that 
	day in the belfry.

2nd Fisherman	Why, man?

3rd 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?

3rd 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 the infirmities of men,
	And from their wat'ry empire recollect
	All that may men approve or men detect!
	[Advancing.] Peace be at your labour, honest fishermen.

2nd Fisherman	Honest? - good fellow, what's that? If it be a day fits 
	you, search out of the calendar, and nobody look after it.

Pericles	May see the sea hath cast upon your coast-

2nd 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.

1st Fisherman	No, friend, cannot you beg? Here's them in our country of 
	Greece gets more with begging than we can do with working.

2nd Fisherman	Canst thou catch any fishes then?

Pericles	I never practised it.

2nd 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 ask your help,
	Which if you shall refuse, when I am dead,
	For that I am a man, pray see me burid.

1st Fisherman	Die, quoth a'? Now gods forbid't, an I have a gown here. 
	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.

2nd Fisherman	Hark you, my friend; you said you could not beg.

Pericles	I did but crave.

2nd Fisherman	But crave? Then I'll turn craver too, and so I shall 'scape 
	whipping.

Pericles	Why, are your beggars whipped then?

2nd 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. But, master, I'll go draw up the net.
										[Exeunt 2nd and 3rd FISHERMEN.

Pericles	[Aside.] How well this honest mirth becomes their labour!

1st Fisherman	Hark you, sir; do you know where ye are?

Pericles	Not well.

1st Fisherman	Why, I'll tell you. This is called Pentapolis, and our king 
	the good Simonides.

Pericles	The good Simonides, do you call him?

1st Fisherman	Ay, sir, and he deserves so to be called for his peaceable 
	reign and good government.

Pericles	He is a happy king, since he gains from his subjects the 
	name of good by his government. How far is his court 
	distant from this shore?

1st Fisherman	Marry, sir, 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 my fortunes equal to my desires I could wish to make 
	one there.

1st Fisherman	O, sir, things must be as they may, and what a man cannot 
	get, he may lawfully deal for his wife's soul.

            Re-enter 2nd and 3rd FISHERMEN, drawing up a net.

2nd 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. 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.
	Thanks, Fortune, yet, that after all thy crosses
	Thou giv'st me somewhat to repair myself;
	And though it was mine own, part of mine heritage
	Which my dead father did bequeath to me
	With this strict charge even 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 protect thee from, may't 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 given't again.
	I thank thee for't; my shipwreck now's no ill,
	Since I have here my father gave in's will.

1st Fisherman	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;
	And that you'd guide me to your sovereign's court,
	Where with it I may appear a gentleman.
	And if that ever my low fortunes better,
	I'll pay your bounties, till then rest your debtor.

1st Fisherman	Why, wilt thou tourney for the lady?

Pericles	I'll show the virtue I have borne in arms.

1st Fisherman	Why, do'e take it; and the gods give thee good on't!

2nd Fisherman	Ay, but hark you, my friend, 'twas we that made up this 
	garment through the rough seams of the waters: there are 
	certain condolements, certain vails. I hope, sir, if you 
	thrive, you'll remember from whence you had it.

Pericles	Believe't, I will.
	By your furtherance I am clothed in steel,
	And, spite of all the rapture of the sea,
	This jewel holds his building on my arm.
	Unto thy value I will mount myself
	Upon a courser, whose delightful steps
	Shall make the gazer joy to see him tread.
	Only, my friend, I yet am unprovided
	Of a pair of bases.

2nd Fisherman	We'll sure provide. Thou shalt have my best gown to make 
	thee a pair, and I'll bring thee to the court myself.

Pericles	Then honour be but equal to my will;
	This day I'll rise, or else add ill to ill.
										[Exeunt.
