460How Pericles puts foorth to Sea, suffers shipwrecke, is relieued by 461certaine poore Fishermen, at last arriues at Simonides Court, king of Pentapolis, 462where in feates of Armes hee exceedeth all the Princes that came to honor the 463birth day of his faire daughter Thaysa, and with purpose also to sue to hir 464for marriage.

465Prince Pericles hauing thus releeued Tharsus, and bin warnd (for 466the auoydance of a greater danger) by his good Counsellour Helycanus to 467forsake the Citie, though not without much sorrow of the Cittizens for his 468departure, he is once againe at sea, seeking a new refuge, and accounting 469any countrey his best Inne, where he found the best safety. No sooner were 470his woodden castles floating on the vnconstant deepes: but as if Neptune 471himselfe, chiefe soueraigne of that watery empire, would haue come in person 472to haue giuen calme gratulations, and friendly welcomes to this curteous 473prince, the whole nation of the flouds were at quiet, there were no windes 474blustering, no surges rising, no raines showring, no tempest storming, but 475all calmenesse was vppon the face of this kingdome, only a troupe of cheerfull 476Dolphins, as Ambassadours, sent from their kingly Maister, came dauncing on 477the waters, for the entertaining of him. At which, his ioyfull Marriners 478being scarce from sight of land, with pleasant notes spread forth their 479comely sailes, and with their brasen keeles, cut an easie passage on the 480greene medowes of the flouds. At last, Fortune hauing brought him heere, 481where she might make him the fittest Tennis-ball for her sport: euen as 482sodainely as thought this was the alteration, the Heauens beganne to thunder, 483and the skies shone with flashes of fire: day now had no other shew but 484only name, for darkenes was on the whole face of the waters, hills of seas 485were about him, one sometimes tossing him euen to the face of heauen, while 486another sought to sincke him to the roofe of hell, some cryed, others 487laboured, hee onely prayed: at last, two rauenous billowes meeting, the 488one, with intent to stoppe vp all clamour, and the other, to wash away all 489labour, his vessells no longer able to wrestle with the tempest, were all 490split. In briefe, he was shipwrackt, his good friends and subiectes all 491were lost, nothing left to helpe him but distresse, and nothing to complaine 492vnto but his misery. O calamity! there might you haue heard the windes 493whistling, the raine dashing, the sea roaring, the cables cracking, the 494tacklings breaking, the ship tearing, the men miserably crying out to 495saue their liues: there might you haue seene the sea searching the ship, 496the boordes fleeting, the goodes swimming, the treasure sincking, and the 497poore soules shifting to saue themselues, but all in vaine, for partly by 498the violence of the tempest, and partely thorow that dismall darkenesse, 499which vnfortunately was come vpon them, they were all drowned, gentle 500Pericles only excepted, till (as it were Fortune being tyred with this 501mishap) by the helpe of a plancke, which in this distresse hee got holde 502on, hee was, with much labour, and more feare, driuen on the shore of 503Pentapolis, where a while complaining him of his mishaps, and accusing 504the Gods of this iniury doone to his innocencie, not knowing on what shoare, 505whether friend or foe he had, being certayne Fishermen, who had also suffered 506in the former tempest, and had beene witnesses of his vntimely shipwracke: 507(the day being cleered againe) were come out from their homely cottages 508to dry and repaire their nettes, who being busied about their work, and 509no whit regarding his lamentation, passed away their labour with discourse 510to this purpose, in comparing the Sea to Brokers and Usurers, who seeme faire, 511and looke louely till they haue got men into their clutches, when one 512tumbles them, and an other tosses them, but seldome leauing vntill they 513haue suncke them. Againe comparing our rich men to Whales, that make a 514great shew in the worlde, rowling and tumbling vp and downe, but are 515good for little, but to sincke others: that the fishes liue in the sea, 516as the powerfull on shoare, the great ones eate vp the little ones: with 517which morall obseruations driuing out their labor, and prince Pericles, 518wondring that from the finny subiects of the sea these poore countrey people 519learned the infirmities of men, more than mans obduracy and dulnes could 520learne one of another: at length ouercharged with cold which the extreamity 521of water had pressed him with, and no longer being able to endure, he was 522compelled to demaund their simple helpe, offering to their eares the mishap 523of his shipwracke, which hee was no sooner about to relate, but they 524remembred their eies, not without much sorrow, to haue bin the witnesses 525thereof: and beholding the comely feature of this Gentleman, the chiefe 526of these Fishermen was mooued with compassion toward him, and lifting him 527vp from the ground, himselfe with the helpe of his men, led him to his 528house, where with such fare as they presently had, or they could readily 529prouide, they with a hearty welcome feasted him, and the more to expresse 530their tendernesse to his misfortune, the master dishabited himselfe of his 531outward apparell to warme and cherish him, which curtesy Pericles as 532curteously receiuing, vowing, if euer his fortunes came to their ancient 533height, their curtesies should not die vnrecompensed, and being somewhat 534repayred in heart by their releefe, he demaunded of the country on the 535which he was driuen, of the name of the King, and of the manner of the 536gouernement. When the maister Fisherman commaunding his seruants to goe 537dragge vp some other nettes, which yet were abroade, he seated himselfe 538by him, and of the question he demaunded to this purpose, resolued him; 539Our countrey heere on the which you are driuen 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 poore Fisherman, 542who so gouernes his kingdome with iustice and vprightnesse, that he is no 543readier to commaund, than we his subiects are willing to obey. He is a 544happy King, quoth Pericles, since he gaines the name of Good by his 545gouernement, and then demaunded how farre his Court was distant from 546that place: wherein he was resolued, some halfe a dayes iourney, and from 547point to point also informed, that the King had a princely daughter named 548Thaysa, in whome was Beauty so ioyned with Vertue, that it was as yet 549vnresolued which of them deserued the greater comparison: and in memory 550of whose birth day, her father yeerely celebrated feasts and triumphes, 551in the honour of which, many Princes and Knights from farre and remote 552Countries came, partly to approoue their chiualry, but especially (being 553her fathers only child,) in hope to gaine her loue: which name of Chiualry 554to approoue, that all the violence of the water had not power to quench 555the noblenesse of his minde. Pericles sighing to himselfe he broke out 556thus: Were but my fortunes aunswerable to my desires some should feele 557that I would be one there. When as if all the gods had giuen a plaudite 558to his wordes, the Fishermen, who before were sent out by their Maister 559to dragge out the other nettes, hauing found somwhat in the botome too 560ponderous for their strength to pull vp, they beganne to lewre and hallow 561to their Maister for more helpe, crying that there was a fish hung in their 562net, like a poore mans case in the Lawe, it would hardly come out, but 563Industry being a preuayling workeman, before helpe came, vp came the 564Fish expected, but prooued indeede to be a rusty armour. At the name of 565which word Armour, Pericles being rowzed, he desired of the poore Fishermen, 566that he who better than they, was acquainted with such furniture, might 567haue the view of it. In briefe, what hee could aske of them, was granted: 568the Armour is by Pericles viewed, and knowne to be a defence which his 569father at his last will gaue him in charge to keepe, that it might prooue 570to be a defender of the sonne, which he had knowne to be a preseruer of 571the father: so accompting all his other losses nothing, since he had that 572agayne, whereby his father could not challenge him of disobedience: and 573thanking Fortune, that after all her crosses, shee had yet giuen him 574somewhat to repayre his fortunes, begging this Armour of the Fishermen, 575and telling them, that with it hee would shew the vertue hee had learned 576in Armes, and trie his chiualry for their Princesse Thaysa, which they 577applauding, and one furnishing him with an old gowne to make Caparisons 578for his horse, which horse hee prouided with a lewel, whom all the raptures 579of the sea could not bereaue from his arme, and other furnishing him with 580the long sideskirtes of their cassockes, to make him bases, his Armour 581rusted: and thus disgracefully habilited, Prince Pericles with their 582conduct is gone to the court of Symonides, where the Fishermen had foretolde 583him was all the preparation, that eyther Art or Industrie might attaine 584vnto, to solemnize the birth day of faire Thaysa the good King Symonides 585daughter. This is the day, this Symonides Court, where the King himselfe, 586with the Princesse his daughter, haue placed themselues in a Gallery, to 587beholde the triumphes of seuerall Princes, who in honour of the Princes 588birth day, but more in hope to haue her loue, came purposely thither, to 589approoue their chiualrie. They thus seated, and Prince Pericles, as well 590as his owne prouiding, and the Fishermens care could furnish him, likewise 591came to the court. In this maner also seuerall princes (their horses richly 592caparasoned, but themselues more richly armed, their Pages before them 593bearing their Deuices on their shields) entred then the Tilting place. 594The first a prince of Macedon, and the Deuice hee bore vpon his shield, 595was a blacke Ethiope reaching at the Sunne, the word, Lux tua vita mihi: 596which being by the knights Page deliuered to the Lady, and from her 597presented to the King her father, hee made playne to her the meaning of 598each imprese: and for this first, it was, that the Macedonian Prince 599loued her so well hee helde his life of her. The second, a Prince of 600Corinth, and the Deuice hee bare vpon his shield was a wreathe of Chiualry, 601the word, Me pompae prouexet apex, the desire of renowne drew him to this 602enterprise. The third of Antioch, and his Deuice was an armed Knight, 603being conquered by a Lady, the word, Pue per dolcera qui per sforsa: 604more by lenitie than by force. The fourth of Sparta, and the Deuice he 605bare was a mans arme enuironed with a cloude, holding out golde thats 606by the touchstone tride, the word, Sic spectanda fides, so faith is to 607be looked into. The fift of Athens, and his Deuice was a flaming Torch 608turned downeward, the word, Qui me alit me extinguit, that which giues 609me life giues me death. The sixt and last was Pericles Prince of Tyre, 610who hauing neither Page to deliuer his shield, nor shield to deliuer, 611making his Deuice according to his fortunes, which was a withered Braunch 612being onely greene at the top, which prooued the abating of his body, 613decayed not the noblenesse of his minde, his word, In hac spe viuo, 614In that hope I liue. Himselfe with a most gracefull curtesie presented 615it vnto her, which shee as curteously receiued, whilest the Peeres attending 616on the King forbare not to scoffe, both at his presence, and the present 617hee brought, being himselfe in a rusty Armour, the Caparison of his horse 618of plaine country russet, and his owne Bases but the skirtes of a poore 619Fishermans coate, which the King mildely reproouing them for, hee tolde 620them, that as Vertue was not to be approoued by wordes, but by actions, 621so the outward habite was the least table of the inward minde, and 622counselling them not to condemne 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, of a life flourishing. 625To be short, both of Court and Commons, the praises of none were spoken 626of, but of the meane Knights (for by any other name he was yet vnknowne 627to any.) But the Triumphes being ended, Pericles as chiefe, (for in this 628dayes honour hee was Champion) with all the other Princes, were by the 629Kings Marshall conducted into the Presence, where Symonides and his 630daughter Thaysa, with a most stately banquet stayed to giue them a 631thankefull intertainment. At whose entraunce, the Lady first saluting 632Pericles, gaue him a wreathe of Chiualry, welcommed him as her knight 633and guest, and crowned him King of that dayes noble enterprise. In the 634end, all being seated by the Marshall at a table, placed directly 635ouer-against where the king and his daughter sate as it were by some 636diuine operation, both King and daughter, at one instant were so strucke 637in loue with the noblenesse of his woorth, that they could not spare so 638much time to satisfie themselues with the delicacie of their viands, for 639talking of his prayses: while Pericles on the other side obseruing the 640dignity wherein the King sate, that so many Princes came to honour him, 641so many Peeres stoode ready to attend him, hee was strucke with present 642sorrow, by remembring the losse of his owne. Which the good Symonides 643taking note of, and accusing himselfe before there was cause, that 644Pericles spirites were dumpt into their melancholy, through some dislike 645of so the slackenesse hee found in his entertainement, or neglect of his 646woorth, calling for a boule of wine, hee dranke to him, and so much 647further honoured him, that he made his daughter rise from her seate to 648beare it to him, and withall, willing her to demaund of him his name, 649Countrey, and fortunes, a message (gentle Lady) shee was as ready to 650obey vnto, as her Father was to commaund, reioycing that shee had any 651occasion offered her whereby shee might speake vnto him. Pericles by 652this time hath pledged the King, and by his daughter (according to his 653request) thus returneth what hee is, that hee was a Gentleman of Tyre, 654his name Pericles, his education beene in Artes and Armes, who looking 655for aduentures in the world, was by the rough and vnconstant Seas, most 656vnfortunately bereft both of shippes and men, and after shipwrecke, 657throwen vpon that shoare. Which mis-haps of his the king vnderstanding of, 658hee was strucke with present pitty to him, and rising from his state, 659he came foorthwith and imbraced him, bade him be cheered, and tolde him, 660that whatsoeuer misfortune had impayred him of, Fortune, by his helpe, 661could repayre to him, for both himselfe and Countrey should be his 662friendes, and presently calling for a goodly milke white Steede, and 663a payre of golden spurres, them first hee bestowed vppon him, telling him, 664they were the prises due to his merite, and ordained for that dayes 665enterprise: which kingly curtesie Pericles as thankefully accepting. 666Much time beeing spent in dauncing and other reuells, the night beeing 667growne olde, the King commaunded the Knights shoulde be conducted to 668their lodgings, giuing order, that Pericles Chamber should be next his 669owne, where wee will leaue them to take quiet rest, and returne backe to Tyre.