737How Prince Pericles is married to Thaysa king Symonides daughter, 738and how after he hath heard newes of Antiochus death, hee with his wife 739departeth toward his owne Country of Tyre.

740Prince Pericles hauing had (as before is mentioned) his lodging 741directed next adioyning to the kings bed-chamber, whereas all the other 742Princes vppon their comming to their lodgings betooke themselues to their 743pillowes, and to the nourishment of a quiet sleepe, he of the Gentlemen 744that attended him, (for it is to be noted, that vpon the grace that the 745king had bestowed on him, there was of his Officers toward him no attendance 746wanting) hee desired that hee might be left priuate, onely that for his 747instant solace they would pleasure him with some delightfull Instrument, 748with which, and his former practise hee intended to passe away the 749tediousnesse of the night insteade of more fitting slumbers.

750His wil was presently obeyed in all things since their master 751had commaunded he should be disobeyed in nothing: the Instrument is brought 752him, and as hee had formerly wished,the Chamber is disfurnished of any 753other company but himselfe, where presently hee beganne to compell 754such heauenly voyces from the sencelesse workemanship, as if Apollo 755himselfe had now beene fingering on it, and as if the whole Sinode 756of the gods, had placed their deities round about him of purpose, 757to haue beene delighted with his skill, and to haue giuen prayses 758to the excellencie of his art, nor was this sound only the rauisher 759of al hearers, but from his owne cleere breast hee sent such cheerefull 760notes, which by him were made vp so answerable to the others sound, 761that they seemed one onely consort of musike, and had so much delicacie, 762and out of discordes making vp so excellent a coniunction, that they 763had had power to haue drawne backe an eare, halfe way within the graue 764to haue listned vnto it, for thus much by our story we are certaine of, 765that the good Symonides (being by the height of night, and the former 766dayes exercise, in the ripenesse of his contentfull sleepe) hee reioyced 767to be awakend by it, and not accompting it a disease that troubled him 768in the hearing, but a pleasure wherewith hee still wished to be delighted. 769In briefe, hee was so satisfied to heare him thus expresse his excellence, 770that hee accompted his Court happy to entertaine so worthy a guest, and 771himselfe more happy in his acquaintance. But day that hath still that 772soueraigntie to drawe backe the empire of the night, though a while 773shee in darkenesse vsurpe, brought the morning on, and while the king 774was studying with what aunswerable present, wherewith to gratifie this 775noble Prince for his last nights musicke, a Gentlewoman (whose seruice 776was thither commaunded by his Daughter) brought him a letter, 777whose in-side had a sute to him to this purpose.

779My most noble Father, what my blushing modesty forbids me to 780speake, let your fatherly loue excuse that I write, I am subdude by loue, 781yet not inthralld through the licentiousnes of a loose desire, but made 782prisoner in that noble battell twixt Affection and Zeale: I haue no life 783but in this liberty, neither any liberty but in this thraldome, nor shall 784your tender selfe, weighing my affections truely in the Scale of your 785Iudgement, haue cause to contradict me, since him I loue hath as much 786merite in him, to challenge the title of a Sonne, as I blood of yours 787to inherite the name of daughter, then if you shall refuse to giue him 788me in marriage, deny not I pray you to make ready for my funerall.

790Which request of hers, when the king her father had thus 791vnderstood of, hee beganne first to examine with him selfe, what 792vertue was in this choice, that should bind her thoughts to this 793liking, and what succeeding comfort hee might expect, the expectation 794of which, might inuite him to his consent. First hee beganne to 795remember himselfe, that he came vnto his Court but poore, and for 796pouerty, quoth the good king, tis a woorkemanship, that Nature makes 797vppe euen for others to contemne, and, which in these times, is 798growne odious to keepe companie withall, that to marrie her which 799was his onely childe, and the expectation of his subiectes, with 800one of so lowe blood and meane discent, would returne, rather a 801dishonour than a dignitie to his name, since Parents rather expect 802the aduauncement of Titles, and the raising of their houses, in the 803vniting of their issue, than the declining: but in the end, when hee 804had put all the Interiections he could between her loue and his 805liking, his vprightnesse made him see, that in vertue consisted mans 806onely perfection, and in him, as her befitting Court, she thought it 807fittest to keepe her royall residence, and in that opinion allowing 808of his daughters choice, hee thought himselfe happy to liue Father 809to such a vertuous sonne, and his daughter more happy to be coupled 810to so noble a husband. And as hee was now thus contracting them 811together in his reioycing thoughts, euen in the instant came in 812Pericles, to giue his Grace that salutation which the morning required 813of him, when the king intending to dissemble that in shew, which hee 814had determined on in heart, hee first tolde him, that his daughter 815had that morning sent vnto him that Letter, wherein shee intreated 816of him, that his Grace would be pleased, that himselfe (whom shee 817knew to call by no other name but the Stranger Pericles) might 818become her Schoolemaister, of whose rariety in musicke, excellencie 819in song, with comelinesse in dauncing, not onely shee had heard, but 820himselfe had borne testimonie to be the best, that euer their 821iudgements had had cause to iudge of. When Pericles, though willing 822to yeelde any courtesies to so gratious a Lady, and not disdaining 823to be commaunded any seruices by so good a Lord, yet replyed, Though 824all his abilities were at his Graces pleasure, yet he thought himselfe 825vnwoorthy to be his daughters schoolemaister. I but quoth Symonides, 826shee will not be denied to be your Scholler, and for manifest proofe 827thereof heere is her owne Character, which to that purpose shee hath 828sent vnto vs, and we to that purpose giue you leaue to reade: which 829Pericles ouerlooking, and finding the whole tenour thereof to be, 830that his daughter from all the other Princes, nay from the whole 831worlde, sollicited him for her husband, he straitway rather coniectured 832it to be some subtiltie of the father to betray his life, than any 833constancy of the princesse to loue him: and foorthwith prostrating 834himselfe at the kings feete, hee desired that his Grace would no way 835seeke to staine the noblenesse of his minde, by any way seeking to 836intrappe the life of so harmelesse a Gentleman, or that with euill 837he would conclude so much good which he already had begunne toward 838him, protesting, that for his part, his thoughts had neuer that 839ambition, so much as to ayme at the loue of his daughter, nor any 840action of his, gaue cause of his princely displesure: but the king 841faining still an angry brow, turned toward him, and tolde him, 842that like a traitour, hee lyed. Traytour, quoth Pericles? I, 843traytour, quoth the king, that thus disguised, art stolne into 844my Court, with the witchcraft of thy actions to bewitch, the 845yeelding spirit of my tender Childe. Which name of Traytor being 846againe redoubled, Pericles then, insteade of humblenesse seemed 847not to forget his auntient courage, but boldely replyed, That were 848it any in his Court, except himselfe, durst call him traytor, euen 849in his bosome he would write the lie: affirming, that he came into 850his Court in search of honour, and not to be a rebell to his State, 851his bloud was yet vntainted, but with the heate, got by the wrong 852the king had offered him, and that he boldly durst, and did defie, 853himselfe, his subiectes, and the prowdest danger, that eyther tyranny 854or treason could inflict vpon him. Which noblenesse of his, the king 855inwardly commending, though otherwise dissembling, he answered, he 856should prooue it otherwise, since by his daughters hand, it there 857was euident, both his practise and her consent therein. Which 858wordes were no sooner vttered, but Thaysa (who euer since she 859sent her Father her Letter, could not containe her selfe in any 860quiet, till she heard of his answer) came now in, as it had beene 861her parte, to make aunswere to her Fathers last sillable, when 862prince Pericles yeelding his body toward her, in most curteous 863manner demaunded of her by the hope she had of heauen, or the 864desire she had to haue her best wishes fulfilled heere in the 865worlde, that shee would now satisfie, her now displeased Father, 866if euer he, by motion, or by letters, by amorous glaunces, or by 867any meanes that Louers vse to compasse their disseignes, had sought 868to be a friend in the noblenesse of her thoughts, or a copartner 869in the worthinesse of her loue, when she as constant to finish, 870as she was forward to attempt, againe required of him, that suppose 871he had, who durst take offence thereat, since that it was her 872pleasure to giue him to knowe that he had power to desire no more 873than she had willingnesse to performe? How minion, quoth her 874Father (taking her off at the very word, who dare be displeased 875withall?) Is this a fit match for you? a stragling Theseus borne 876we knowe not where, one that hath neither bloud nor merite for thee 877to hope for, or himselfe to challenge euen the least allowaunce of 878thy perfections, when she humbling her princely knees before her 879Father, besought him to consider, that suppose his birth were base 880(when his life shewed him not to be so) yet hee had vertue, which 881is the very ground of all nobilitie, enough to make him noble: 882she intreated him to remember that she was in loue, the power 883of which loue was not to be confined by the power of his will. 884And my most royall Father, quoth shee, what with my penne 885I haue in secret written vnto you, with my tongue now I openly 886confirme, which is, that I haue no life but in his loue, neither 887any being but in the enioying of his worth. But daughter (quoth 888Symonides) equalles to equalls, good to good is ioyned, this not 889being so, the bauine of your minde in rashnesse kindled, must 890againe be quenched, or purchase our displeasure. And for you 891sir (speaking to prince Pericles) first learne to know, I banish 892you my Court, and yet scorning that our kingly inragement should 893stoope so lowe, for that your ambition sir, Ile haue your life. 894Be constant, quoth Thaysa, for euerie droppe of blood hee sheades 895of yours, he shall draw an other from his onely childe. In briefe, 896the king continued still his rage, the Lady her constancie. While 897Pericles stoode amazed at both, till at last the Father being no 898longer able to subdue that which he desired as much as shee, catching 899them both rashly by the handes, as if hee meant strait to haue 900inforced them to imprisonment, he clapt them hand in hand, while 901they as louingly ioyned lip to lip, and with tears trickling from 902his aged eyes, adopted him his happy sonne, and bade them liue 903together as man and wife. What ioy there was at this coupling, 904those that are Louers and enioy their wishes, can better conceiue, 905than my pen can set downe; the one reioycing to be made happy by 906so good and gentle a Lord, the other as happy to be inriched by 907so vertuous a Lady. What preparation there was for their marriage, 908is sufficiently expressed in this, that she was the onely daughter 909to a king, and had her fathers liking in her loue: what speede there 910to was to that marriage, let those iudge who haue the thoughtes of 911Thaysa at this instant, only conceiue the solempnities at the Temple 912are doone, the feast in most solempne order finished, the day spent 913in musicke, dauncing, singing, and all Courtly communication, 914halfe of the night in maskes and other courtly shewes, and the 915other halfe in the happy and lawfull imbracements of these most 916happy Louers. The discourse at large of the liberall Chalenges 917made and proclaimed, at Tilt, Barriers, running at the Ring, 918ioco di can, mannaging fierce horses, running on foote, and dauncing 919in armours, of the stately presented Playes, Shewes disguised, 920Speeches, Maskes and Mummeries, with continuall harmony of all 921kindes of Musicke, with banquetting in all delicacie, I leaue 922to the consideration of them who haue behelde the like in Courtes, 923and at the wedding of princes, rather than afford them to the 924description of my penne, only let such conceiue, all things in 925due order were accomplished, the dueties of marriage performed: 926and faire Thaysa this night is conceiued with child. The next 927day Ioy dwelling thorow the whole kingdom for this coniunction, 928euery man arose to feasting and iollity, for the wedding triumphs 929continued a whole moneth, while Time with his feathered wings, 930so fanned away the houres, and with his slippery feete, so 931glided ouer the dayes, that nine Moones had almost chaunged 932their light, ere halfe the time was thought to be expired, when 933it happened, that as the good Symonides and princely Pericles 934with his faire Thaysa were walking in the garden adioyning to 935their pallace, one of the Lords, who (as before) were sent by 936graue and carefull Helycanus, in search of their absent Prince, 937came hastily in to them, who vppon his knee deliuered vnto the 938yoong Prince a Letter, which being opened the contents therein 939spake thus vnto him: That Antiochus and his daughter (as is 940before described) were with the violence of lightning (shot from 941heauen,) strucke sodainely dead. And moreouer, that by the 942consent of the generall voyces the Cittie of Antioch, with 943all the riches therein, and the whole kingdome were reserued 944for his possession and princely government. Which Letter when 945he had read, he presently imparted the news thereof to his 946kingly Father, who vppon view receiued, hee strait knew (what 947vntill then the modesty of Pericles had concealed) that his 948sonne whome from pouerty hee aduanced to be the bedfellow of 949his daughter, was Prince of Tyre, who for the feare he had of 950Antiochus, had forsooke his kingdome, and now had giuen vnto 951him the kingdome of Antiochus for recompence, that graue 952Helycanus had not without much labour, appeased the stubborne 953mutiny of the Tyrians, who in his absence would haue elected him 954their king, and that to auoyde a future insurrection, (his whole 955state) in safety, how necessary it was for him to make a speedy 956returne, which gladnesse Symonides imparted to his Daughter, who 957as gladly receiued them. While Pericles intending a while to 958leaue his deerest deere behinde him, considering how dangerous 959it was for her to trauell by sea, being with childe, and so neere 960her time, he beganne to iatreate of his kingly father of all 961necessarie prouision for his departure, since the safety of 962twoo kingdomes did importune so much: when on the other side 963Thaysa falling at her fathers feete, her teares speaking in her 964sute faster than her wordes, shee humbly requested, that as his 965reuerend age tendered her, or the prosperitie of the Infant 966wherewith shee thought her selfe happy to be imburthened, 967hee would not permitte her to remaine behinde him. Which 968teares of hers preuayling with the aged King, though compelling 969his teares to take a loth and sorrowfull departure of her. Their 970Shippes be strongly appoynted, and fraught with all things 971conuenient as golde, siluer, apparrell, bedding, victualls, 972and armour, and fearing what vnfortunately hapned, causing 973an aged Nurse called Lycorida a Midwife, with other hand maides 974to attend her. They are shipt, and hee on shoare, the one gasing 975after the other with a greedy desire, vntill the high vsurping 976waters tooke away the sight from them both.