SCENE II. The same. PERICLES on the Deck asleep; DIANA appearing to him as in a Vision. Dia. My temple stands in Ephesus; hie thee thither, And do upon mine altar sacrifice. There, when my maiden priests are met together, Reveal how thou at sea didst lose thy wife: To mourn thy crosses, with thy daughter's, call, mon to noble natures on such occasions, is desirous to make his friends and companions partakers of his happiness. Steevens. My temple stands in Ephesus;] This vision is formed on the following passage in Gower: "The hie God, which wolde hym kepe, "Touchyng his doughter and his wife, "He shall be knowe upon his life." Malone. And give them repitition to the life.] The old copies readto the like. For the emendation, which the rhyme confirms, the reader is indebted to Lord Charlemont. "Give them repetition to the life," means, as he observes, "Repeat your misfortunes, so feelingly and so exactly, that the language of your narration may imitate to the life the transactions you relate." So, in Cymbeline: 66 The younger brother, Cadwal, "Strikes life into my speech." In A Midsummer Night's Dream, these words are again confounded, for in the old copies we there find: "Two of the first, life coats in heraldry," &c. Malone. Before I had read the emendation proposed by Lord Charlemont, it had suggested itself to me, together with the following explanation of it: i. e. repeat to them a lively and faithful narrative of your adventures. Draw such a picture as shall prove itself to have been copied from real, not from pretended calamities; such a one as shall strike your hearers with all the lustre of conspicuous truth Perform my bidding, or thou liv'st in woe: [DIA. disappears. Per. Celestial Dian, goddess argentine," I will obey thee!-Helicanus! Enter LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, and MARINA. Hel. Sir. Per. My purpose was for Tharsus, there to strike The inhospitable Cleon; but I am For other service first: toward Ephesus Turn our blown sails; eftsoons I 'll tell thee why. Shall we refresh us, sir, upon your shore, And give you gold for such provision As our intents will need? [TO HEL Lys. With all my heart, sir; and when you come ashore, I suspect, however, that Diana's revelation to Pericles, was originally delivered in rhyme, as follows: 66 My temple stands at Ephesus; hie thither, "There, when my maiden priests are met together, "Before the people all, in solemn wise, "Recount the progress of thy miseries. "Reveal how thou at sea didst lose thy wife; "How mourn thy crosses, with thy daughter's: go, "And give them repetition to the life. "Perform my bidding, or thou liv'st in woe: "Do 't, and be happy, by my silver bow." Thus, in Twine's translation: " And when Appollonius laide him downe to rest, there appeared an angell in his sleepe, commaunding him to leaue his course toward Tharsus, and to saile unto Ephesus, and to go unto the temple of Diana, accompanied with his sonne in lawe and his daughter, and there with a loude voice to declare all his adventures, whatsoever had befallen him from his youth unto that present day. Steevens. 6 7 and be happy,] The word be I have supplied. Malone, goddess argentine,] That is, regent of the silver moon. So, in The Rape of Lucrece: "Were Tarquin night, as he is but night's child, "In the chemical phrase, (as Lord Charlemont observes to me,) a language well understood when this play was written, Luna or Diana means silver, as Sol does gold." Malone. 8 ra: blown sails] i. e. swollen. So, in Antony and Cleopa "A vent upon her arm, and something blown." Steevens I have another suit.9 Per. You shall prevail, Were it to woo my daughter; for it seems Lys. Per. Come, my Marina. Sir, lend your arm. [Exeunt. Enter GowER, before the Temple of DIANA at Ephesus. This, as my last boon, give me,2 What pageantry, what feats, what shows, I have another suit.] The old copies read-I have another sleight. But the answer of Pericles shews clearly that they are corrupt. The sense requires some word synonymous to request. I therefore read-I have another suit. So, in K. Henry VIII : "I have a suit which you must not deny me." Malone. This correction is undoubtedly judicious. I had formerly made an idle attempt in support of the old reading. Steevens. 1 More a little, and then done.] See the following note. Steevens. and then dumb.] Permit me to add a few words more, and then I shall be silent. The old copies have dum, in which way I have observed in ancient books the word dumb was occasionally spelt. Thus, in The Metamorphosis of Pygmalion's Image, by J. Marston, 1598: "Look how the peevish papists crouch and kneel There are many as imperfect rhymes in this play, as that of the present couplet. So, in a former chorus, moons and dooms. Again, at the end of this, soon and doom. Mr. Rowe reads: More a little, and then done. Malone. Done is surely the true reading. See n. 5, in the following page. Steevens. 2 This, as my last boon, give me,] The word as, which is not found in the old copies, was supplied by Mr. Steevens, to complete the metre. Malone. Some word is, in my opinion, still wanting to the measure. Perhaps our author wrote: This then, as my last boon, give me,, Steevens. As Dian bade: whereto being bound, [Exit. The Temple of DIANA at Ephesus; THAISA standing near the Altar, as high Priestess; a number of Virgins on each side; CERIMON and other Inhabitants of Ephesus attending. Enter PERICLES, with his Train; LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, MARINA, and a Lady. Per. Hail Dian! to perform thy just command, 3 Till he had done his sacrifice,] That is, till Pericles had done his sacrifice. Malone. 4 The interim, pray you, all confound.] So, in K. Henry V : 66 "The interim, by remembering you 'tis past.” To confound here signifies to consume. So, in King Henry IV : "He did confound the best part of an hour, 5 Exchanging hardiment with great Glendower.” Malone. That he can hither come so soon, Is by your fancy's thankful boon.] Old copies-thankful doom; but as soon and doom are not rhymes corresponding, I read as in the text. Thankful boon may signify-the licence you grant us in return for the pleasure we have afforded you in the course of the play; or, the boon for which we thank you. So, before in this chorus: "This as my last boon give me." We had similar rhymes before: if king Pericles Steevens. "Come not home in twice six moons, "Will take the crown," I have, therefore, not disturbed the reading of the old copy. Malone. I have already expressed my belief, that in this last instance, a transposition is necessary: 6 "Come not, in twice six moons, home, "He, obedient to their doom, "Will take" &c. Thaisa Steevens. - as high-priestess ;] Does this accord with La chimo's description: I here confess myself the king of Tyre; 8 At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth Thai. Voice and favour! You are, you are-O royal Pericles !9 [She faints. Per. What means the woman?1 she dies! help, gen tlemen! Cer. Noble sir, If you have told Diana's altar true, This is your wife. Per. Reverend appearer, no; I threw her o'erboard with these very arms. 'Tis most certain. "Live, like Diana's priestess, 'twixt cold sheets ?" Diana must have been wofully imposed on, if she received the mother of Marina as a maiden votaress. Steevens. 7 Who, frighted from my country, did wed-] Country must be considered as a trisyllable. So, entrance, semblance, and many others. Malone. 8 who, O goddess, Wears yet thy silver livery.] i. e. her white robe of innocence, as being yet under the protection of the goddess of chas tity. Percy. So, in Shakspeare's Lover's Complaint: "There my white stole of chastity I daft.” We had the same expression before: "One twelve moons more she 'll wear Diana's livery." Malone. You are, you are―0, royal Pericles!] The similitude be tween this scene, and the discovery in the last Act of The Winter's Tale, will, I suppose, strike every reader. Malone. 1 What means the woman?] This reading was furnished by the second quarto. The first reads-What means the mum? Mabone |