ACT II. Enter GOWER. Gow. Here have you seen a mighty king His child, I wis, to incest bring; I'll show you those in troubles reign, (To whom I give my benizon,) But tidings to the contrary Are brought your eyes; what need speak I? Dumb show. Enter at one door PERICLES, talking with CLEON; all the train with them. Enter at another door, a Gentleman, with a letter to PERICLES; PERICLES shows the letter to CLEON; then gives the Messenger a reward, and knights him. Exeunt PERICLES, CLEON, &c. severally. Gow. Good Helicane hath staid at home, From others' labours; forth he strive And, to fulfil his prince' desire, How Thaliard came full bent with sin, Should house him safe, is wreck'd and split; All perishen of man, of pelf, And here he comes: what shall be next, Pardon old Gower; this long's the text. [Exit. SCENE I.-Pentapolis, An open place by the sea side. Enter PERICLES, wet. Per. Yet cease your ire, ye angry stars of heaven! Wind, rain, and thunder, remember, earthly man Is but a substance that must yield to you; Alas, the sea hath cast me on the rocks, Wash'd me from shore to shore, and left me breath, Nothing to think on, but ensuing death: Let it suffice the greatness of your powers, To have bereft a prince of all his fortunes; Enter three Fishermen. 1 Fish. What, ho, Pilche! 2 Fish. Ho! come, and bring away the nets. 1 Fish. What, Patch-breech, I say! 3 Fish. What say you, master? 1 Fish. Look how thou stirrest now! come away, or I'll fetch thee with a wannion. 3 Fish. 'Faith, master, I am thinking of the poor men that were cast away before us, even now. 1 Fish. Alas, poor souls, it grieved my heart to hear what pitiful cries they made to us, to help them, when, well-a-day, we could scarce help ourselves. 3 Fish. Nay, master, said not I as much, when I saw the porpus, how he bounced and tumbled? they say, they are half fish, half flesh; a plague on them, they ne'er come, but I look to be washed. Master, I marvel how the fishes live in the sea. 1 Fish. Why, as men do a-land; the great ones eat up the little ones: I can compare our rich misers to nothing so fitly as to a whale; 'a plays and tumbles, driving the poor fry before him, and at last devours them all at a mouthful. Such whales have I heard on a'the land, who never leave gaping, till they've swallowed the whole parish, church, steeple, bells, and all. 26 Per. A pretty moral. 3 Fish. But, master, if I had been the sexton, I would have been that day in the belfry. 2 Fish. Why, man? 3 Fish. Because he should have swallowed me too: and when I had been in his belly, I would have kept such a jangling of the bells, that he should never have left, till he cast bells, steeple, church, and parish, up again. But if the good king Simonides were of my mind Per. Simonides? 3 Fish. We would purge the land of these drones; that rob the bee of her honey. Per. How from the finny subject of the sea All that may men approve, or men detect !— 2 Fish. Honest! good fellow, what's that? if it be a day fits you, scratch it out of the calendar, and nobody will look after it. Per. Nay, see, the sea hath cast upon your coast―― 2 Fish. What a drunken knave was the sea, to cast thee in our way! Per. A man, whom both the waters and the wind, In that vast tennis-court, hath made the ball For them to play upon, entreats you pity him; 1 Fish. No, friend, cannot you beg? here's them in our country of Greece, gets more with begging, than we can do with working. 2 Fish. Can'st thou catch any fishes then? Per. I never practis'd it. 2 Fish. Nay, then, thou wilt starve sure; for here's nothing to be got now-a-days, unless thou can'st fish for't. Per. What I have been, I have forgot to know; 1 Fish. Die, quoth-a? Now gods forbid! I have a gown here; come, put it on; keep thee warm. Now, afore me, a handsome fellow! Come, thou shalt go home, and we'll have flesh for holidays, fish for fastingdays, and, moreo'er, puddings and flap-jacks; and thou shalt be welcome. Per. I thank you, sir. 2 Fish. Hark you, my friend, you said you could not beg. Per. I did but crave. 2 Fish. But crave? Then I'll turn craver too, and so I shall 'scape whipping. Per. Why, are all your beggars whipped then? 2 Fish. O, not all, my friend, not all; for if all your beggars were whipped, I would wish no better office, than to be beadle. But, master, I'll go draw up the [Exeunt two of the Fishermen. Per. How well this honest mirth becomes their la net. bour! 1 Fish. Hark you, sir! do you know where you are? Per. Not well. |