READ STUDY GUIDE: Act I, Scenes iv-v |
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Act I, Scene v
| [Enter Pericles, wet.] |
| PERICLES.: |
| Yet cease your ire, you angry stars of heaven! |
| Wind, rain, and thunder, remember, earthly man |
| Is but a substance that must yield to you; |
| And I, as fits my nature, do obey 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; |
| And having thrown him from your watery grave, |
| Here to have death in peace is all he'll crave. |
| [Enter three Fishermen.] |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| What, ho, Pilch! |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| Ha, come and bring away the nets! |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| What, Patch-breech, I say! |
| THIRD FISHERMAN.: |
| What say you, master? |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| Look how thou stirrest now! come away, or I'll fetch thee with a |
| wanion. |
| THIRD FISHERMAN.: |
| 'Faith, master, I am thinking of the poor men that were cast away |
| before us even now. |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| 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. |
| THIRD FISHERMAN.: |
| Nay, master, said not I as much when I saw the porpus how he |
| bounced and tumbled? they say they're 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. |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| 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 o' the land, who never leave gaping till they they've |
| swallowed the whole parish, church, steeple, bells, and all. |
| PERICLES.[Aside.] |
| A pretty moral. |
| THIRD FISHERMAN.: |
| But, master, if I had been the sexton, I would have been that day |
| in the belfry. |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| Why, man? |
| THIRD FISHERMAN.: |
| 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,— |
| PERICLES.[Aside.] |
| Simonides! |
| THIRD FISHERMAN.: |
| We would purge the land of these drones, that rob the bee of her |
| honey. |
| PERICLES.[Aside.] |
| How from the finny subjec of the sea |
| These fishers tell the infirmities of men; |
| And from their watery empire recollect |
| All that may men approve or men detect! |
| Peace be at your labour, honest fishermen. |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| Honest! good fellow, what's that; If it be a day fits you, search |
| out of the calendar, and nobody look after it. |
| PERICLES.: |
| May see the sea hath cast upon your coast. |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| What a drunken knave was the sea to cast thee in our way! |
| PERICLES.: |
| A man whom both the waters and the wind, |
| In that vast tennis-court, have made the ball |
| For them to play upon, entreats you pity him; |
| He asks of you, that never used to beg. |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| No, friend, cannot you beg? Here's them in our country of Greece |
| gets more with begging than we can do with working. |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| Canst thou catch any fishes, then? |
| PERICLES.: |
| I never practised it. |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| Nay, then thou wilt starve, sure; for here's nothing to be got |
| now-a-days, unless thou canst fish for 't. |
| PERICLES.: |
| What I have been I have forgot to know; |
| But what I am, want teaches me to think on: |
| A man throng'd up with cold: my veins are chill, |
| And have no more of life than may suffice |
| To give my tongue that heat to ask your help; |
| Which if you shall refuse, when I am dead, |
| For that I am a man, pray see me buried. |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| 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 |
| fasting-days, and moreo'er puddings and flap-jacks, and thou |
| shalt be welcome. |
| PERICLES.: |
| I thank you, sir. |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| Hark you, my friend; you said you could not beg. |
| PERICLES.: |
| I did but crave. |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| But crave! Then I'll turn craver too, and so I shall 'scape |
| whipping. |
| PERICLES.: |
| Why, are your beggars whipped, then? |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| 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 net. |
| [Exit with Third Fisherman.] |
| PERICLES.[Aside.] |
| How well this honest mirth becomes their 1abour! |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| Hark you, sir, do you know where ye are? |
| PERICLES.: |
| Not well. |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| Why, I'll tell you: this is called Pentapolis, and our king the |
| good Simonides. |
| PERICLES.: |
| The good King Simonides, do you call him? |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| Ay, sir; and he deserves so to be called for his peaceable reign |
| and good government. |
| PERICLES.: |
| He is a happy king, since he gains from his subjects the name of |
| good government. How far is his court distant from this shore? |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| Marry sir, half a day's journey: and I'll tell you, he hath a |
| fair daughter, and to-morrow is her birth-day; and there are |
| princes and knights come from all parts of the world to just and |
| tourney for her love. |
| PERICLES.: |
| Were my fortunes equal to my desires, I could wish to make one |
| there. |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| O, sir, things must be as they may; and what a man cannot get, he |
| may lawfully deal for—his wife' soul. |
| [Re-enter Second and Third Fishermen, drawing up a net.] |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| Help, master, help! here's a fish hangs in the net, like a poor |
| man's right in the law; 'twill hardly come out. Ha! bots on't, |
| 'tis come at last, and 'tis turned to a rusty armour. |
| PERICLES.: |
| An armour, friends! I pray you, let me see it. |
| Thanks, fortune, yet, that, after all my crosses, |
| Thou givest me somewhat to repair myself, |
| And though it was mine own, part of my heritage, |
| Which my dead father did bequeath to me, |
| With this strict charge, even as he left his life. |
| 'Keep it, my Pericles; it hath been a shield |
| 'Twixt me and death;'—and pointed to this brace;— |
| For that it saved me, keep it; in like necessity— |
| The which the gods protect thee from!—may defend thee.' |
| It kept where I kept, I so dearly loved it; |
| Till the rough seas, that spare not any man, |
| Took it in rage, though calm'd have given't again: |
| I thank thee for 't: my shipwreck now's no ill, |
| Since I have here my father's gift in's will. |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| What mean you' sir? |
| PERICLES.: |
| To beg of you, kind friends, this coat of worth, |
| For it was sometime target to a king; |
| I know it by this mark. He loved me dearly, |
| And for his sake I wish the having of it; |
| And that you'ld guide me to your sovereign court, |
| Where with it I may appear a gentleman; |
| And if that ever my fortune's better, |
| I'll pay your bounties; till then rest your debtor. |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| Why, wilt thou tourney for the lady? |
| PERICLES.: |
| I'll show the virtue I have borne in arms. |
| FIRST FISHERMAN.: |
| Why, do'e take it, and the gods give thee good on 't! |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| Ay, but hark you, my friend; 'twas we that made up this garment |
| through the rough seams of the waters: there are certain |
| condolements, certain vails. I hope, sir, if you thrive, you'll |
| remember from whence you had it. |
| PERICLES.: |
| Believe't I will. |
| By your furtherance I am clothed in steel; |
| And, spite of all the rapture of the sea, |
| This jewel holds his building on my arm: |
| Unto thy value I will mount myself |
| Upon a courser, whose delightful steps |
| Shall make the gazer joy to see him tread. |
| Only, my friend, I yet am unprovided |
| Of a pair of bases. |
| SECOND FISHERMAN.: |
| We'll sure provide: thou shalt have my best gown to make thee a |
| pair; and I'll bring thee to the court myself. |
| PERICLES.: |
| Then honour be but a goal to my will, |
| This day I'll rise, or else add ill to ill. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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