978How faire Thaysa died in trauell of childe-birth vppon the Sea, and being 979throwen for buriall in the waters, was cast ashoare at Ephesus, and how by the 980excellent labour of Lord Cerimon a skilfull Physition, she was restored to her 981life againe, and by her owne request placed to liue a Votary in the Temple of Diana.

982Prince Pericles, with his Queene Thaysa, being thus on 983shippe-boorde, and their marriners merrily hauing hoysed vppe their 984sayles, their vessels, as prowde of such a fraught wherewith they 985were enriched, galloped cheerefully on the Ocean. Fortune did now 986seeme to looke fairely, neyther was there promise of any other 987alteration, the day looked louely, and the sea smiled for ioy, 988to haue her bosome pressed with these burthens: But nothing in 989this world that is permanent, Time is the father of Fortune, hee 990is slippery, and then of necessitie must his childe be fickle: 991and this was his alteration, a cloude seemed to arise from forth 992the south, which being by the Maister and Marriners beheld, they 993tolde Prince Pericles, that it was messenger of a storme, which 994was no sooner spoken, but as if the heauens had conspired with the 995waters, and the windes bin assistant to both, they kept such a 996blustering, and such an vnruely stirre, that none could be heard 997to speake but themselues, seas of waters were receiued into their 998ships while others fought against them to expell them out, stop 999the lecage there cries out one, hale vppe the maine bowlings there 1000calles out another, and with their confusion (neither vnderstanding 1001other, since the storme had gotte the maistery) they made such a 1002hideous noyse, that it had had power to haue awakened Death, and 1003to haue affrighted Patience: nor could it choose then but bring 1004much terror to our sea-sicke Queene, who had beene vsed to better 1005attendance, than was now offered her by these ill tutored seruantes 1006Winde and Water: but they who neither respect birth nor blood, 1007prayers nor threats, time nor occasion, continued still their 1008boysterous hauocke. With which stirre (good Lady) her eies and 1009eares, hauing not till then bin acquainted, she is strucke into 1010such a hasty fright, that welladay she falles in trauell, is 1011deliuered of a daughter, and in this childe-birth dies, while 1012her princely husband being aboue the hatches, is one while praying 1013to heauen for her safe deliuerance, an other while suffering for 1014the sorow wherwith he knew his Queene was imburthened, he chid 1015the contrary storme (as if it had been sensible of hearing) to 1016be so vnmanerly, in this vnfitting season, and when so good a 1017Queene was in labor, to keep such a blustering: thus while the 1018good Prince remayned reproouing the one, and pittying the other, 1019vp comes Lycorida the Nurse, sent along by good Symonides with 1020his daughter, and into his armes deliuers his Sea-borne Babe, 1021which he taking to kisse, and pittying it with these words: 1022Poore inch of Nature (quoth he) thou arte as rudely welcome to 1023the worlde, as euer Princesse Babe was, and hast as chiding a 1024natiuitie, as fire, ayre, earth, and water can affoord thee, 1025when, as if he had forgot himselfe, he abruptly breaks out: 1026but say Licorida, how doth my Queene? O sir (quoth she) she 1027hath now passed all daungers, and hath giuen vppe her griefes 1028by ending her life. At which wordes, no tongue is able to 1029expresse the tide of sorrowe that ouer-bounded Pericles, 1030first looking on his Babe, and then crying out for the mother, 1031pittying the one that had lost her bringer ere shee had scarce 1032saluted the worlde, lamenting for himselfe that had beene bereft 1033of so inestimable a Iewell by the losse of his wife, in which 1034sorrowe as he would haue proceeded, vppe came the Maister to him, 1035who for that the storme continued still in his tempestuous height, 1036brake off his sorrowe with these sillables. Sir, the necessitie 1037of the time affoordes no delay, and we must intreate you to be 1038contented, to haue the dead body of your Queene throwne 1039ouer-boorde. How varlet! quoth Pericles, interrupting him, 1040wouldest thou haue me cast that body into the sea for buriall, 1041who being in misery receiued me into fauour? We must intreate 1042you to temperance sir (quoth the Maister) as you respect your 1043owne safety, or the prosperitie of that prety Babe in your 1044armes. At the naming of which word Babe, Pericles looking 1045mournfully vpon it, shooke his head, and wept. But the Maister 1046going on, tolde him, that by long experience they had tried, 1047that a shippe may not abide to carry a dead carcasse, nor 1048would the lingering tempest cease while the dead body remayned 1049with them. But the Prince seeking againe to perswade them, 1050tolde them, that it was but the fondnes of their superstition 1051to thinke so. Call it by what you shal please sir (quoth the 1052Maister) but we that by long practise haue tried the proofe of 1053it, if not with your graunt, then without your consent (for your 1054owne safety, which wee with all duety tender) must so dispose 1055of it. So calling for his seruants about him, he willed one of 1056them, to bring him a chest, which he foorthwith caused to be 1057well bitumed and well leaded for her coffin, then taking vp 1058the body of his (euen in death) faire Thaysa, he arrayed her 1059in princely apparrell, placing a Crowne of golde vppon her 1060head, with his owne hands, (not without store of funerall 1061teares) he layed her in that Toombe, then placed hee also 1062store of golde at her head, and great treasure of siluer at 1063her feete, and hauing written this Letter which he layd vpon 1064her breast, with fresh water flowing in his eyes, as loath to 1065leaue her sight, he nayled vp the Chest, the Tenor of which 1066writing was in forme as followeth;

1067If ere it hap this Chest be driuen

1068On any shoare, on coast or hauen,

1069I Pericles the Prince of Tyre,

1070(That loosing her, lost all desire,)

1071Intreate you giue her burying,

1072Since she was daughter to a King:

1073This golde I giue you as a fee,

1074The Gods requite your charitie.

1075The Chest then being nayled vp close, he commaunded 1076it to be lifted ouer-boorde, and then naming his Childe Marina, 1077for that she was borne vppon the Sea, he directed his Maister 1078to alter the course from Tyre, (being a shorter cutte to Tharsus) 1079and for whose safety he thither intended, where with his hoste 1080Cleon and Dionysa his wife, he intended to leaue his little 1081infant, to be fostered and brought vp. The dead body being 1082thus throwne ouer-boorde, when as if Fortune had bethought 1083her, that shee had wrought her vtmost spight to him, by 1084bereauing him of so great a comfort, euen in the instant 1085the tempest ceaseth, where we will leaue Prince Pericles 1086vppon calme waters, though not with a calme minde, sayling 1087to Tharsus: and beholde, the next morning, by which time, 1088the waues had rouled, from waue to waue this Chest to land, 1089and cast it ashoare on the coast of Ephesus, in which Citty 1090liued a Lord called Cerimon, who, though of noble bloud, and 1091great possessions, yet was he so addicted to studie, and in 1092searching out the excellencie of Arts, that his felicitie 1093consisted in contemplation, wisely fore-knowing, so icie is 1094the state of riches, that it is thawed to nothing, by the least 1095aduersitie, that carelesse heires may dispend, and riot consume 1096them, when one vertue, and our deserued fame attendeth 1097immortality, this consideration made him so to apply his 1098time in Letters, and in searching out the nature of Simples, 1099that he grew so excellent in the secret of Physicke, as if 1100Apollo himselfe, or another Aesculapius had beene his 1101Schoolemaister: nor was he of this plentie a niggard to the 1102needie, but so bountifull to the distressed, that his house 1103and hand were accompted the hospitalls for the diseased. This 1104Lord Cerimon had his residence built so neare the shoare, that 1105in his windowes he ouer-looked the Sea: and being this morning 1106in conference with some that came to him both for helpe for 1107themselues, and reliefe for others; and some that were relating 1108the crueltie of the last nights tempest, on a sodayne casting 1109his eye from foorth his casement towards the maine, he might 1110espie the waters, as it were, playing with the Chest wherein 1111the dead Queene was incoffind, and which was vpon the sodayne, 1112by a more eager billow, cast on his bankes, when presently 1113thinking it to be the remnant of some shippewracke, caused 1114in the last nights storme, calling for his seruants, hee 1115foorthwith commaunded them to haue it brought vppe to him as 1116forfeited vnto him, being cast on his ground, which accordingly 1117performed, hee as presently gaue charge it should be opened, 1118when not without much wonder he straitway viewed the dead body 1119of the Queene, so crowned, so royally apparelled, so 1120intreasured as before, and taking vp the writing which he 1121likewise found placed vpon her breast, hee read it to the 1122Gentlemen, who at that time accompanied him, and knowing it 1123thereby to be the dead Queene to Prince Pericles. Now surely, 1124quoth Cerimon, thou hast a bodie euen drowned with woe for 1125the losse of so goodly a creature: for Gentlemen, sayde he, 1126as you may perceiue, such was the excellencie of her beauty, 1127that grimme Death himselfe hath not power to suffer any 1128deformitie to accompany it. Then laying his hand gently 1129vpon her cheeke, he bethought him that life had not lost 1130all the workemanshippe that Nature had bestowed vppon her, 1131for euen at the opening of the Chest, and as it were she 1132then receiuing fresh aire, he might perceue, a new but calm 1133glowing to reespire in her cheeks, with which being somewhat 1134amazed. Now surely Gentlemen, quoth hee turning to them, 1135who were greedily set round about him, this Queene hath 1136not long beene intraunced, and I haue read of some Egyptians, 1137who after foure houres death, (if man may call it so) haue 1138raised impouerished bodies, like to this, vnto their former 1139health, nor can it be disparagement to me to vse my best 1140practise on this Queene, to which by the Gentlemen that 1141accompanyed him, hee was incouraged to attempt, since that 1142the recouery of her could not but appeare to be a worke of 1143wonder, and since that his fortune was so successefull in 1144his ministring, that all Ephesus was repleate with his helpe, 1145so calling for a seruant of his to attend him with certayne 1146boxes which he named were in his studie, as also with fire 1147and necessary linnen, inuoking Apollo to be gratious to his 1148empericke, and the worke in hand, he began to apply to her, 1149First pulling downe the clothes from off the Ladies bosome, 1150he powred vppon her a most precious oyntment, and bestowing 1151it abroad with his hand, perceiued some warmth in her breast, 1152and that there was life in the body, whereat somewhat 1153astonished, he felt her pulses, layde his cheeke to her 1154mouth, and examining all other tokens that he could deuise, 1155he perceiued how death stroue with life within her, and that 1156the conflict was dangerous, and doubtfull who should preuaile. 1157Which beeing done, he chafed the body against the fire, 1158vntill the bloud which was congealed with colde was wholly 1159dissolued, when powring a precious liquor into her mouth, 1160hee perceiued warmth more and more to encrease in her, and 1161the golden fringes of her eyes a litle to part: then calling 1162softly to the Gentlemen who were witnesses about him, he 1163bade them that they should commaund some still musicke to 1164sound. For certainely quoth he, I thinke this Queene will 1165liue, and suppose that she hath bin much abused, for she 1166hath not beene long intraunced, condemning them for rashnesse 1167so hastily to throwe her ouer-boorde. And when he had so 1168said, he tooke the body reuerently into his armes, and bare 1169it into his owne Chamber, and layed it vpon his bed groueling 1170vpon the breast, then tooke hee certaine hote and comfortable 1171oiles, and warming them vpon the coles, he dipped faire wooll 1172therein, and fomented all the bodie ouer therewith, vntill 1173such time as the congealed bloud and humours were thorowly 1174resolued, and the spirites in due forme recouered their 1175woonted course, the veines waxed warme, the arteries 1176beganne to beate, and the lungs drew in the fresh ayre 1177againe, and being perfectly come to her selfe, lifting 1178vp those now againe pricelesse diamonds of her eyes, O 1179Lord (quoth shee) where am I? for it seemeth to me that 1180I haue beene in a strange Countrey. And wheres my Lord 1181I pray you? I long to speake with him. But Cerimon, who 1182best knew, that now with any thing to discomfort her, 1183might breede a relapse, which would be vnrecouerable, 1184intreated her to be cheered, for her Lord was well, and 1185that anone, when the time was more fitting, and that her 1186decayed spirites were repayred, hee would gladly speake 1187with her: So, as it were, being but newly awaked from death, 1188to the great amasement of the beholders, she presently fell 1189into a most comfortable slumber, which Lord Cerimon giuing 1190charge none should disturbe her of, he in the meane time, 1191and against she should awake, prouided cherishing meates, 1192and as her strength grew, gaue wholesome clothes to refresh 1193her with. But not long after, weakenesse being banished 1194from her, and Cerimon, by communication knew, that shee 1195came of the stocke of a King, he sent for many of his 1196friendes to come vnto him, and adopted her for his owne 1197daughter, and related vnto her, howe after so greeuous a 1198tempest, in what manner shee was found. In which tempest 1199she supposing her kingly husband to be shipwrecked, shee 1200with many teares intreated, that since he had giuen her 1201life, he would be pleased to giue her leaue to liue vnknowne 1202to any man. To which Cerimon accorded: and for that 1203intent placed her in the Temple of Diana, which was 1204there consecrated at Ephesus.