(Which who shall cross?) along to go; Disgorges such a tempest forth That, as a duck for life that dives, And what ensues in this self storm" I nill relate1, action may In your imagination hold This stage the ship, upon whose deck [Exit. SCENE I Enter PERICLES, on shipboard. Per. Thou God of this great vast, rebuke these surges, Which wash both heaven and hell; and thou, that hast Upon the winds command, bind them in brass, Having call'd them from the deep. O! still Thy deafening, dreadful thunders; duly quench3 2 mor'd." but fortune's MOOD] All the old editions misprint it, "but fortune 3 in this SELF storm,] i. e. in this same or self-same storm: all modern editors here corrupt the ancient text of the quartos and folios to "fell storm." 4 I NILL relate,] i. e. I ne will or will not relate. 5- DULY quench] "Daily quench" in the old copies: modern editors, without notice, alter it to "gently quench." Thy nimble, sulphurous flashes!-O! how, Lychorida, Enter LYCHORIDA, with an Infant. Lyc. Here is a thing too young for such a place, Am like to do. Take in your arms this piece Per. How! how, Lychorida! Lyc. Patience, good sir; do not assist the storm. Here's all that is left living of your queen, A little daughter: for the sake of it, Be manly, and take comfort. Per. O you gods! Why do you make us love your goodly gifts, And snatch them straight away? We, here below, Recall not what we give, and therein may Use honour with you. Lyc. Even for this charge. Per. Patience, good sir, Now, mild may be thy life! For a more blust'rous birth had never babe : Quiet and gentle thy conditions! For thou'rt the rudeliest welcome to this world, That e'er was prince's child. Happy what follows! • THOU storm, venomously] "Then storm" in all the old copies. 7 Divinest patroness, and MIDWIFE,] For "midwife" (substituted by Steevens) the old editions all read my wife. For thou'rt the rudeliest welcome to this world, That e'er was prince's child.] The novel founded upon the play of “ Pericles" here employs an expression which, as is stated in the Introduction, is Thou hast as chiding a nativity, As fire, air, water, earth, and heaven can make, With all thou canst find here.-Now the good gods Enter Two Sailors. 1 Sail. What courage, sir? God save you. Per. Courage enough. I do not fear the flaw9; It hath done to me the worst: yet, for the love Of this poor infant, this fresh new sea-farer, I would it would be quiet. 1 Sail. Slack the bowlines there; thou wilt not, wilt thou?-Blow, and split thyself. 2 Sail. But sea-room, an the brine and cloudy billow kiss the moon, I care not. 1 Sail. Sir, your queen must overboard: the sea works high, the wind is loud, and will not lie till the ship be cleared of the dead. Per. That's your superstition. 1 Sail. Pardon us, sir; with us at sea it hath been still observed, and we are strong in earnest'. Therefore briefly yield her, for she must overboard straight2. evidently Shakespearean: it gives this part of the speech of Pericles as follows:"Poor inch of nature! (quoth he) thou art as rudely welcome to the world, as ever princess' babe was, and hast as chiding a nativity, as fire, air, earth and water can afford thee." This quotation also serves to show that Malone was wrong in altering "welcome" to welcom'd: besides the needlessness of the change, the novel proves that "welcome" was the poet's word. 9- I do not fear the FLAW ;] "Flaw" is blast: we have had it in the same sense in other plays; last in "Hamlet," see Vol. vii. p. 329. 1 - and we are strong in EARNEST.] The old copies read "strong in eastern," and Monck Mason very plausibly suggested that the letters in the word eastern had been transposed, and that we ought to read "strong in earnest." The chief objection to this is, that in the quarto impressions eastern has one letter too much, being spelt with a final e-easterne: the folio, 1664, first omitted it. 2 for she must overboard straight.] Every old copy, by a strange error, inserts these words in the middle of the reply of Pericles. They may have been meant as a repetition by him. Per. As you think meet.-Most wretched queen! Lyc. Here she lies, sir. Per. A terrible child-bed hast thou had, my dear; To give thee hallow'd to thy grave, but straight [Exit LYCHORIDA. 2 Sail. Sir, we have a chest beneath the hatches, caulk'd and bitumed ready. Per. I thank thee. Mariner, say what coast is this? 2 Sail. We are near Tharsus. Per. Thither, gentle mariner, Alter thy course for Tyre". When canst thou reach it? 2 Sail. By break of day, if the wind cease. Per. O! make for Tharsus. There will I visit Cleon, for the babe 3 As you think meet.] Modern editors, under the pretence probably of improving the metre, which they consider defective, because the line only consists of eight syllables, insert Be it at the beginning of this speech. The pause after "As you think meet" amply makes up the time, and in this play we must generally take the versification as we find it. ♦ And AYE-remaining lamps,] Malone's emendation of the old copies, which print "ayre remaining lamps." The allusion, of course, is to the lamps kept burning in monuments. 5 Bring me the satin COFFER:] Coffin in the old copies; but most likely Pericles was thinking of some ornaments kept by him in a satin "coffer." Malone, Steevens, and others adopted "coffer;" but in the last scene of this Act the word "coffer" occurs again, and there it seems to mean coffin, as if the terms were indifferently employed. 6 Alter thy course for Tyre.] Change thy course, (says Malone) which is now for Tyre, and go to Tharsus. Cannot hold out to Tyrus: there I'll leave it [Exeunt. SCENE II. Ephesus. A Room in CERIMON'S House. Enter CERIMON, a Servant, and some Persons who have been Shipwrecked. Cer. Philemon, ho! Enter PHILEMON. Phil. Doth my lord call?? Cer. Get fire and meat for these poor men: It has been a turbulent and stormy night. Serv. I have been in many; but such a night as this, Till now I ne'er endur'd. Cer. Your master will be dead ere you return : That can recover him. Give this to the 'pothecary, [TO PHILEMON. [Exeunt PHILEMON, Servant, and the rest. 7 Doth my LORD call?] In the novel founded upon " Pericles," as well as in Twine's version, which preceded the play, Cerimon, or the person answering to him, is called " a Physician." |