460How Pericles puts forth to sea, suffers shipwreck, is relieved by 461certain poor fishermen, at last arrives at Simonides' court, King of Pentapolis, 462where in feats of arms he exceedeth all the princes that came to honor the 463birthday of his fair daughter, Thaisa, and with purpose also to sue to her 464for marriage.

465Prince Pericles having thus relieved Tharsus, and been warned (for 466the avoidance of a greater danger) by his good counselor, Helicanus, to 467forsake the city, though not without much sorrow of the citizens for his 468departure, he is once again at sea, seeking a new refuge, and accounting 469any country his best inn where he found the best safety.

No sooner were 470his wooden castles floating on the unconstant deeps but, as if Neptune 471himself, chief sovereign of that watery empire, would have come in person 472to have given calm gratulations and friendly welcomes to this courteous 473prince, the whole nation of the floods were at quiet: there were no winds 474blustering, no surges rising, no rains showering, no tempest storming, but 475all calmness was upon the face of this kingdom, only a troupe of cheerful 476dolphins, as ambassadors sent from their kingly master, came dancing on 477the waters for the entertaining of him. At which, his joyful mariners, 478being scarce from sight of land, with pleasant notes spread forth their 479comely sails, and with their brazen keels cut an easy passage on the 480green meadows of the floods.

At last, Fortune having brought him here 481where she might make him the fittest tennis-ball for her sport, even as 482suddenly as thought this was the alteration: the heavens began to thunder 483and the skies shone with flashes of fire; day now had no other show but 484only name, for darkness was on the whole face of the waters; hills of seas 485were about him, one sometimes tossing him to the face of heaven, while 486another sought to sink him to the roof of hell; some cried, others 487labored, he only prayed. At last, two ravenous billows meeting, the 488one with intent to stop up all clamor and the other to wash away all 489labor, his vessels, no longer able to wrestle with the tempest, were all 490split. In brief, he was shipwrecked, his good friends and subjects all 491were lost, nothing left to help him but distress, and nothing to complain 492unto but his misery.

O calamity! there might you have heard the winds 493whistling, the rain dashing, the sea roaring, the cables cracking, the 494tacklings breaking, the ship tearing, the men miserably crying out to 495save their lives. There might you have seen the sea searching the ship, 496the boards fleeting, the goods swimming, the treasure sinking, and the 497poor souls shifting to save themselves, but all in vain, for, partly by 498the violence of the tempest and partly through that dismal darkness 499which unfortunately was come upon them, they were all drowned, gentle 500Pericles only excepted, till (as it were Fortune being tired with this 501mishap) by the help of a plank, which in this distress he got hold 502on, he was, with much labor and more fear, driven on the shore of 503Pentapolis.

Where a while complaining him of his mishaps and accusing 504the gods of this injury done to his innocency, not knowing on what shore, 505whether friend or foe he had, being certain fishermen, who had also suffered 506in the former tempest and had been witnesses of his untimely shipwreck 507(the day being cleared again) were come out from their homely cottages 508to dry and repair their nets. Who being busied about their work, and 509no whit regarding his lamentation, passed away their labor with discourse 510to this purpose: in comparing the sea to brokers and usurers, who seem fair 511and look lovely till they have got men into their clutches, when one 512tumbles them and another tosses them, but seldom leaving until they 513have sunk them. Again comparing our rich men to whales, that make a 514great show in the world, rolling and tumbling up and down, but are 515good for little but to sink others; that the fishes live in the sea 516as the powerful on shore, the great ones eat up the little ones. With 517which moral observations driving out their labor, and Prince Pericles, 518wondering that from the finny subjects of the sea these poor country people 519learned the infirmities of men more than man's obduracy and dullness could 520learn one of another.

At length, overcharged with cold which the extremity 521of water had pressed him with, and no longer being able to endure, he was 522compelled to demand their simple help, offering to their ears the mishap 523of his shipwreck, which he was no sooner about to relate, but they 524remembered their eyes, not without much sorrow, to have been the witnesses 525thereof. And beholding the comely feature of this gentleman, the chief 526of these fishermen was moved with compassion toward him, and lifting him 527up from the ground, himself, with the help of his men, led him to his 528house, where, with such fare as they presently had or they could readily 529provide, they with a hearty welcome feasted him. And, the more to express 530their tenderness to his misfortune, the master dishabited himself of his 531outward apparel to warm and cherish him, which courtesy Pericles as 532courteously receiving, vowing, if ever his fortunes came to their ancient 533height, their courtesies should not die unrecompensed.

And being somewhat 534repaired in heart by their relief, he demanded of the country on the 535which he was driven, of the name of the king, and of the manner of the 536government; when the master fisherman commanding his servants to go 537drag up some other nets which yet were abroad, he seated himself 538by him, and of the question he demanded, to this purpose resolved him: 539"Our country here on the which you are driven, sir, is called Pentapolis, 540and our good king thereof is called Symonides." "The good king call you him?" 541quoth Pericles. "Yea, and rightly so called sir," quoth the poor fisherman, 542"who so governs his kingdom with justice and uprightness that he is no 543readier to command than we his subjects are willing to obey." "He is a 544happy king," quoth Pericles, "since he gains the name of good by his 545government."

And then demanded how far his court was distant from 546that place, wherein he was resolved, "some half a day's journey," and from 547point to point also informed that the king had a princely daughter named 548Thaisa, in whom was beauty so joined with virtue that it was as yet 549unresolved which of them deserved the greater comparison. And in memory 550of whose birthday, her father yearly celebrated feasts and triumphs, 551in the honor of which many princes and knights from far and remote 552countries came, partly to approve their chivalry but especially (being 553her father's only child) in hope to gain her love.

Which name of chivalry 554to approve, that all the violence of the water had not power to quench 555the nobleness of his mind, Pericles sighing to himself he broke out 556thus: "Were but my fortunes answerable to my desires, some should feel 557that I would be one there." When as if all the gods had given a plaudit 558to his words, the fishermen, who before were sent out by their master 559to drag out the other nets, having found somewhat in the bottom too 560ponderous for their strength to pull up, they began to lure and hallow 561to their master for more help, crying that there was a fish hung in their 562net like a poor man's case in the law: it would hardly come out. But 563industry being a prevailing workman, before help came, up came the 564fish expected, but proved indeed to be a rusty armor.

At the name of 565which word armor Pericles being roused, he desired of the poor fishermen 566that he, who better than they was acquainted with such furniture, might 567have the view of it. In brief, what he could ask of them was granted: 568the armor is by Pericles viewed, and known to be a defence which his 569father at his last will gave him in charge to keep, that it might prove 570to be a defender of the son which he had known to be a preserver of 571the father.

So accounting all his other losses nothing, since he had that 572again whereby his father could not challenge him of disobedience, and 573thanking Fortune, that after all her crosses, she had yet given him 574somewhat to repair his fortunes, begging this armor of the fishermen 575and telling them that with it he would show the virtue he had learned 576in arms and try his chivalry for their princess, Thaisa, which they 577applauding and one furnishing him with an old gown to make caparisons578for his horse, which horse he provided with a jewel whom all the raptures 579of the sea could not bereave from his arm, and other furnishing him with 580the long side-skirts of their cassocks to make him bases, his armor 581rusted, and thus disgracefully habilited, Prince Pericles with their 582conduct is gone to the court of Symonides, where the fishermen had foretold 583him was all the preparation that either art or industry might attain 584unto to solemnize the birthday of fair Thaisa, the good King Symonides' 585daughter.

This is the day, this Symonides' court, where the king himself 586with the princess his daughter have placed themselves in a gallery to 587behold the triumphs of several princes, who in honor of the princess' 588birthday, but more in hope to have her love, came purposely thither to 589approve their chivalry.

They thus seated; and Prince Pericles, as well 590as his own providing and the fishermen's care could furnish him, likewise 591came to the court. In this manner also several princes (their horses richly 592caparisoned, but themselves more richly armed, their pages before them 593bearing their devices on their shields) entered then the tilting place. 594The first, a prince of Macedon, and the device he bore upon his shield 595was a black Ethiop reaching at the sun, the word, Lux tua vita mihi, 596which being by the knight's page delivered to the lady and from her 597presented to the king her father, he made plain to her the meaning of 598each imprese.

And for this first, it was that the Macedonian prince 599loved her so well he held his life of her. The second, a prince of 600Corinth, and the device he bare upon his shield was a wreath of chivalry, 601the word, Me pompae provexit apex: the desire of renown drew him to this 602enterprise. The third of Antioch, and his device was an armed knight 603being conquered by a lady, the word: Pue per dolcera qui per sforsa: 604more by lenity than by force. The fourth of Sparta, and the device he 605bore was a man's arm environed with a cloud, holding out gold that's 606by the touchstone tried, the word, Sic spectanda fides: so faith is to 607be looked into. The fifth of Athens, and his device was a flaming torch 608turned downward, the word, Qui me alit me extinguit: that which gives 609me life gives me death.

The sixth and last was Pericles, Prince of Tyre, 610who, having neither page to deliver his shield nor shield to deliver, 611making his device according to his fortunes, which was a withered branch 612being only green at the top, which proved the abating of his body, 613decayed not the nobleness of his mind, his word, In hac spe vivo, 614in that hope I live. Himself with a most graceful courtesy presented 615it unto her, which she as courteously received, whilst the peers attending 616on the king forbore not to scoff both at his presence and the present 617he brought, being himself in a rusty armor, the caparison of his horse 618of plain country russet, and his own bases but the skirts of a poor 619fisherman's coat.

Which the king mildly reproving them for, he told 620them that as virtue was not to be approved by words but by actions, 621so the outward habit was the least table of the inward mind, and, 622counseling them not to condemn ere they had cause to accuse, they went 623forward to the triumph, in which noble exercise they came almost all 624as short of Pericles' perfections as a body dying [does] of a life flourishing. 625To be short, both of court and commons, the praises of none were spoken 626of but of the mean knight's (for by any other name he was yet unknown 627to any).

But, the triumphs being ended, Pericles as chief (for in this 628day's honor he was champion), with all the other princes, were by the 629king's marshal conducted into the presence, where Simonides and his 630daughter, Thaisa, with a most stately banquet stayed to give them a 631thankful entertainment. At whose entrance, the lady first saluting 632Pericles, gave him a wreath of chivalry, welcomed him as her knight 633and guest, and crowned him king of that day's noble enterprise.

In the 634end, all being seated by the marshal at a table placed directly 635over-against where the king and his daughter sat, as it were by some 636divine operation both king and daughter at one instant were so struck 637in love with the nobleness of his worth that they could not spare so 638much time to satisfy themselves with the delicacy of their viands for 639talking of his praises; while Pericles, on the other side, observing the 640dignity wherein the king sat, that so many princes came to honor him, 641so many peers stood ready to attend him, he was struck with present 642sorrow by remembering the loss of his own.

Which the good Symonides 643taking note of, and accusing himself before there was cause that 644Pericles' spirits were dumped into their melancholy through some dislike 645of the slackness he found in his entertainment or neglect of his 646worth, calling for a bowl of wine, he drank to him, and so much 647further honored him that he made his daughter rise from her seat to 648bear it to him, and withal willing her to demand of him his name, 649country and fortunes, a message (gentle lady) she was as ready to 650obey unto as her father was to command, rejoicing that she had any 651occasion offered her whereby she might speak unto him.

Pericles by 652this time hath pledged the king, and by his daughter (according to his 653request) thus returneth what he is: that he was a gentleman of Tyre, 654his name Pericles, his education been in arts and arms, who, looking 655for adventures in the world, was by the rough and unconstant seas most 656unfortunately bereft both of ships and men, and after shipwreck 657thrown upon that shore. Which mishaps of his the king understanding of, 658he was struck with present pity to him, and, rising from his state, 659he came forthwith and embraced him, bad him be cheered, and told him 660that whatsoever Misfortune had impaired him of, Fortune, by his help, 661could repair to him, for both himself and country should be his 662friends. And presently calling for a goodly milk-white steed and 663a pair of golden spurs, them first he bestowed upon him, telling him, 664they were the prizes due to his merit and ordained for that day's 665enterprise, which kingly courtesy Pericles as thankfully accepting.

666Much time being spent in dancing and other revels, the night being 667grown old, the king commanded the knights should be conducted to 668their lodgings, giving order that Pericles' chamber should be next his 669own, where we will leave them to take quiet rest, and return back to Tyre.