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Shakespeare on Stage
American Shakespeare Center, A Midsummer Night's Dream. To Jun. 14, 2012.
American Shakespeare Center, The Winter's Tale. To Jun. 16, 2012.
Folger Shakespeare Library, The Taming of the Shrew. To Jun. 10, 2012.
American Shakespeare Center, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore. To Jun. 16, 2012.
Atlanta Shakespeare Company, As You Like It. To Jun. 24, 2012.
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Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Quarto)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Tom Bishop
Not Peer Reviewed
The Play of Pericles
Prince of Tyre. &c.
1
Enter Gower.
TO sing a Song that old was sung,
From ashes, auntient Gower is come,
Assuming mans infirmities,
5To glad your eare, and please your eyes:
It hath been sung at Feastiuals,
On Ember eues, and Holydayes:
And Lords and Ladyes in their liues,
Haue red it for restoratiues:
10The purchase is to make men glorious,
Et bonum quo Antiquius eo melius:
If you, borne in those latter times,
When Witts more ripe, accept my rimes;
And that to heare an old man sing,
15May to your Wishes pleasure bring:
I life would wish, and that I might
Waste it for you, like Taper light.
This Antioch, then Antiochus the great,
Buylt vp this Citie, for his chiefest Seat;
20The fayrest in all Syria.
I tell you what mine Authors saye:
This King vnto him tooke a Peere,
Who dyed, and left a female heyre,
So bucksome, blith, and full of face,
25As heauen had lent her all his grace:
With whom the Father liking tooke,
And her to Incest did prouoke:
Bad child, worse father, to intice his owne
To euill, should be done by none:
30But custome what they did begin,
Was with long vse, account'd no sinne;
The beautie of this sinfull Dame,
Made many Princes thither frame,
To seeke her as a bedfellow,
35In maryage pleasures, playfellow:
Which to preuent, he made a Law,
To keepe her still, and men in awe:
That who so askt her for his wife,
His Riddle tould, not lost his life:
40So for her many of wight did die,
As yon grimme lookes do testifie.
What now ensues, to the iudgement of your eye,
I giue my cause, who best can iustifie.
Exit.