Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

Go fearch like noblemen, like noble fubjects,
And in your fearch spend your adventurous worth ;
Whom if you find, and win unto return,

You fhall like diamonds fit about his crown.6

1 LORD. To wifdom he's a fool that will not

yield;

And, fince lord Helicane enjoineth us,

We with our travels will endeavour it.7

HEL. Then you love us, we you,

hands;

and we'll clafp

[Exeunt.

When peers thus knit, a kingdom ever ftands.

[blocks in formation]

You shall like diamonds fit about his crown.] As thefe are the concluding lines of a fpeech, perhaps they were meant to rhyme. We might therefore read:

and win unto renown.

i. e. if you prevail on him to quit his prefent obfcure retreat, and
be reconciled to glory, you fhall be acknowledged as the brightest
ornaments of his throne. STEEVENS.

? We with our travels will endeavour it.] Old copy:

We with our travels will endeavour.

Endeavour what? I fuppofe, to find out Pericles. I have there-
fore added the fyllable which appeared wanting both to metre
and fenfe. STEEVENS.

The author might have intended an abrupt fentenee.

MALONE.

I would readily concur with the opinion of Mr. Malone, had paffion, inftead of calm refolution, dictated the words of the fpeaker. STEEVENS.

[ocr errors]

1

SCENE V.

Pentapolis. A Room in the Palace.

Enter SIMONIDES, reading a Letter, the Knights meet him.

1 KNIGHT. Good morrow to the good Simonides. SIM. Knights, from my daughter this I let you know,

That for this twelvemonth, fhe'll not undertake
A married life.

Her reafon to herself is only known,

Which from herself by no means can I get.

2 KNIGHT. May we not get accefs to her, my my lord?

SIM. 'Faith, by no means; fhe hath fo ftrictly tied her

To her chamber, that it is impoffible.

One twelve moons more she'll wear Diana's livery;

"two kynges

• In The Hiftorie of King Appolyn of Thyre, fones" pay their court to the daughter of Archystrates, (the Simonides of the present play). He fends two rolls of paper to her, containing their names, &c. and defires her to choose which fhe will marry. She writes him a letter (in answer), of which "" which hath Appolyn is the bearer,-that the will have the man paffed the daungerous undes and perylles of the fea-all other to refufe." The fame circumftance is mentioned by Gower, who has introduced three fuitors instead of two, in which our author has followed him. MALONE.

In Twine's tranflation, these fuitors are also three in number, -Ardonius, Munditius, and Carnillus. STEEVENS.

This by the eye of Cynthia hath fhe vow'd,
And on her virgin honour will not break it.

3 KNIGHT. Though loath to bid farewell, we take our leaves.

SIM. SO

[Exeunt.

They're well despatch'd; now to my daughter's let

ter:

She tells me here, fhe'll wed the ftranger knight, Or never more to view nor day nor light.

Mistress, 'tis well, your choice agrees with mine; I like that well:-nay, how absolute she's in't, Not minding whether I dislike or no!

Well, I commend her choice;

And will no longer have it be delay'd.
Soft, here he comes:-I muft diffemble it.

Enter PERICLES.

PER. All fortune to the good Simonides!

SIM. To you as much, fir! I am beholden to

For

your

you,

sweet musick this last night: my ears,

9 This by the eye of Cynthia hath She vow'd,] It were to be wished that Simonides (who is represented as a blameless character) had hit on fome more ingenuous expedient for the difmiffion of these wooers. Here he tells them as a folemn truth, what he knows to be a fiction of his own. STEEVENS.

[ocr errors]

I am beholden to you,

For your sweet mufick this last night :] Here alfo our author has followed Gower:

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

I do proteft, were never better fed

With fuch delightful pleafing harmony.

PER. It is your grace's pleafure to commend; Not my defert.

SIM.

Sir, you are mufick's mafter.

PER. The worst of all her scholars, my good lord.

SIM. Let me afk one thing. What do

fir, of

you think,

As of a moft virtuous princefs.

My daughter?

PER

SIM. And the is fair too, is fhe not?

you;

PER. As a fair day in fummer; wond'rous fair. SIM. My daughter, fir, thinks very well of Ay, fo well, fir, that you must be her mafter, And she'll your scholar be; therefore look to it. PER. Unworthy I to be her fchoolmaster.2 SIM. She thinks not fo; perufe this writing elfe. PER. What's here!

"To make him chere; and ever he figheth,
"And the him afketh howe him liketh.

Madame, certes well, he faied;

"But if ye the measure plaied,

"Whiche, if you lift, I fhall you lère, cria

"It were a glad thing for to here.

"A leve, fir, tho quod fhe,

"Nowe take the harpe, and lete me fee

"Of what measure that ye mene.

"He taketh the harpe, and in his wife

"He tempreth, and of fuch affize

"Synginge he harpeth forth withall,

"That as a voice celeftial

"Hem thought it fowned in her ere,

"As though that it an angell were." MALONE.

to be her fchoolmaster.] Thus the quarto, 1619. The

firft copy reads for her fchoolmafter. MAEONE.

!

A letter, that the loves the knight of Tyre?
"Tis the king's fubtilty, to have my life.
O, feek not to intrap, my gracious lord,3
A ftranger and diftreffed gentleman,

[Afide.

That never aim'd fo high, to love your daughter,
But bent all offices to honour her.

SIM. Thou haft bewitch'd my daughter,+ and thou

A villain.

art

PER. By the gods, I have not, fir.
Never did thought of mine levy offence;
Nor never did my actions yet commence
A deed might gain her love, or your difpleasure.
SIM. Traitor, thou lieft.

PER.

SIM.

Traitor!

Ay, traitor, fir.

PER. Even in his throat, (unless it be the king,5) That calls me traitor, I return the lie.

SIM. Now, by the gods, I do applaud his courage.

[Afide. PER. My actions are as noble as my thoughts, That never relifh'd of a bafe defcent.

3-my gracious lord,] Old copies-me. I am anfwerable for the correction. MALONE.

Thou haft bewitch'd my daughter,] So, Brabantio, addreffing himfelf to Othello:

[ocr errors]

"Damn'd as thou art, thou haft enchanted her."

STEEVENS. the king,] Thus the quarto, 1609. The fecond copy has a king. MALONE.

• That never relish'd of a base defcent.] So, in Hamlet:
"That has no relish of falvation in it.'

Again, in Macbeth:

"So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;
They Smack of honour both." MALONE.

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »