The temple of Diana at Ephesus; THAISA standing
near the altar, as high priestess; a number of
Virgins on each side; CERIMON and other Inhabitants of Ephesus attending.
Enter PERICLES, with his train; LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, MARINA, and a Lady
PERICLES
Hail, Dian! to perform thy just command,
5 I here confess myself the king of Tyre;
Who, frighted from my country, did wed
7 At Pentapolis the fair Thaisa.
8 At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth
9 A maid-child call'd Marina; who, O goddess,
10 Wears yet thy silver livery. She at Tarsus
11 Was nursed with Cleon; who at fourteen years
12 He sought to murder: but her better stars
13 Brought her to Mytilene; 'gainst whose shore
Riding, her fortunes brought the maid aboard us,
Where, by her own most clear remembrance, she
16 Made known herself my daughter.
THAISA
17 Voice and favour!
18 You are, you are--O royal Pericles!
Faints
PERICLES
19 What means the nun? she dies! help, gentlemen!
CERIMON
20 Noble sir,
21 If you have told Diana's altar true,
22 This is your wife.
PERICLES
23 Reverend appearer, no;
24 I threw her overboard with these very arms.
CERIMON
25 Upon this coast, I warrant you.
PERICLES
'Tis most certain.
CERIMON
27 Look to the lady; O, she's but o'erjoy'd.
28 Early in blustering morn this lady was
29 Thrown upon this shore. I oped the coffin,
30 Found there rich jewels; recover'd her, and placed her
31 Here in Diana's temple.
PERICLES
32 May we see them?
CERIMON
33 Great sir, they shall be brought you to my house,
34 Whither I invite you. Look, Thaisa is recovered.
THAISA
O, let me look!
36 If he be none of mine, my sanctity
37 Will to my sense bend no licentious ear,
38 But curb it, spite of seeing. O, my lord,
39 Are you not Pericles? Like him you spake,
40 Like him you are: did you not name a tempest,
41 A birth, and death?
PERICLES
42 The voice of dead Thaisa!
THAISA
43 That Thaisa am I, supposed dead
44 And drown'd.
PERICLES
45 Immortal Dian!
THAISA
46 Now I know you better.
47 When we with tears parted Pentapolis,
48 The king my father gave you such a ring.
Shows a ring
PERICLES
This, this: no more, you gods! your present kindness
50 Makes my past miseries sports: you shall do well,
51 That on the touching of her lips I may
52 Melt and no more be seen. O, come, be buried
53 A second time within these arms.
MARINA
54 My heart
55 Leaps to be gone into my mother's bosom.
Kneels to THAISA
PERICLES
Look, who kneels here! Flesh of thy flesh, Thaisa;
57 Thy burden at the sea, and call'd Marina
58 For she was yielded there.
THAISA
Blest, and mine own!
HELICANUS
Hail, madam, and my queen!
THAISA
61 I know you not.
PERICLES
62 You have heard me say, when I did fly from Tyre,
63 I left behind an ancient substitute:
64 Can you remember what I call'd the man?
65 I have named him oft.
THAISA
'Twas Helicanus then.
PERICLES
67 Still confirmation:
68 Embrace him, dear Thaisa; this is he.
69 Now do I long to hear how you were found;
70 How possibly preserved; and who to thank,
71 Besides the gods, for this great miracle.
THAISA
72 Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man,
73 Through whom the gods have shown their power; that can
74 From first to last resolve you.
PERICLES
75 Reverend sir,
76 The gods can have no mortal officer
77 More like a god than you. Will you deliver
78 How this dead queen re-lives?
CERIMON
79 I will, my lord.
80 Beseech you, first go with me to my house,
81 Where shall be shown you all was found with her;
82 How she came placed here in the temple;
83 No needful thing omitted.
PERICLES
84 Pure Dian, bless thee for thy vision! I
85 Will offer night-oblations to thee. Thaisa,
86 This prince, the fair-betrothed of your daughter,
87 Shall marry her at Pentapolis. And now,
88 This ornament
89 Makes me look dismal will I clip to form;
90 And what this fourteen years no razor touch'd,
91 To grace thy marriage-day, I'll beautify.
THAISA
92 Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, sir,
93 My father's dead.
PERICLES
94 Heavens make a star of him! Yet there, my queen,
95 We'll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves
96 Will in that kingdom spend our following days:
97 Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign.
98 Lord Cerimon, we do our longing stay
99 To hear the rest untold: sir, lead's the way.
Exeunt
Enter GOWER
GOWER
100 In Antiochus and his daughter you have heard
101 Of monstrous lust the due and just reward:
102 In Pericles, his queen and daughter, seen,
103 Although assail'd with fortune fierce and keen,
Virtue 104 preserved from fell destruction's blast,
105 Led on by heaven, and crown'd with joy at last:
106 In Helicanus may you well descry
107 A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty:
108 In reverend Cerimon there well appears
109 The worth that learned charity aye wears:
110 For wicked Cleon and his wife, when fame
111 Had spread their cursed deed, and honour'd name
112 Of Pericles, to rage the city turn,
113 That him and his they in his palace burn;
114 The gods for murder seemed so content
115 To punish them; although not done, but meant.
So, on your patience evermore attending,
117 New joy wait on you! Here our play has ending.
Exit
previous scene
Pericles Prince of Tyre