Was by the rough feas reft of fhips and men,
And, after fhipwreck, driven upon this shore.
THAI. He thanks your grace; names himself
Pericles,

A gentleman of Tyre, who only by
Misfortune of the feas has been bereft
Of hips and men, and caft upon this shore.

SIM. Now by the gods, I pity his misfortune,
And will awake him from his melancholy.
Come, gentlemen, we fit too long on trifles,
And waste the time, which looks for other revels.
Even in your armours, as you are address'd,
Will very well become a foldier's dance.".
I will not have excufe, with faying, this
Loud mufick is too harth 7 for ladies' heads;
Since they love men in arms, as well as beds.

[The Knights dance.

• Even in your armours, as you are address'd,

Will very well become a foldier's dance.] As you are accoutered, prepared for combat. So, in King Henry V:

"To-morrow for the march are we addrefs'd."

The word very, in the next line, was inferted by the editor of the folio. MALONE.

So, in Twine's tranflation :-' "I may not difcourfe at large of the liberall challenges made and proclaimed at the tilt &c.-running afoote, and dauncing in armour" &c. STEEvens.

7 I will not have excufe, with faying, this

Loud mufick is too harfh-] i. e. the loud noise made by the clashing of their armour.

The dance here introduced is thus defcribed in an ancient Dialogue against the Abufe of Dancing, bl. 1. no date :

"There is a dance called Choria,

"Which joy doth testify;

"Another called Pyrricke

"Which warlike feats doth try;

"For men in armour geftures made,

"And leapt, that fo they might,

"When need requires, be more prompt

So, this was well afk'd, 'twas fo well perform'd.
Come, fir;

Here is a lady that wants breathing too:

And I have often heard, you knights of Tyre
Are excellent in making ladies trip;

And that their meafures are as excellent.

PER. In those that practise them, they are, my

lord.

SIM. O, that's as much, as you would be denied [The Knights and Ladies dance. of your fair courtefy.-Unclafp, unclafp; Thanks, gentlemen, to all; all have done well, But you the best. [To PERICLES.] Pages and lights,

conduct'

These knights unto their feveral lodgings: Yours, fir,
We have given order to be next our own."
PER. I am at your grace's pleasure.

SIM. Princes, it is too late to talk of love,
For that's the mark I know you level at:
Therefore each one betake him to his reft;
To-morrow, all for speeding do their best.

[Exeunt.

So, this was well afk'd, 'twas fo well perform'd.] i. e. the excellence of this exhibition has juftified the folicitation by which it was obtained. STEEVENS.

9 And I have often heard,] I have inferted the word often, which was probably omitted by the careleffhefs of the compofitor. MALONE.

conduct-] Old copy-to conduct. STEEVENS.

I

"The kynge his chamberleyne let calle,
"And bad that he by all weye

"A chamber for this man purvei

"Which nigh his own chambre bee." MALONE,

SCENE IV.

Tyre. A Room in the Governor's House.

Enter HELICANUS and ESCANES.

HEL. No, no, my Escanes; know this of me,3— Antiochus from incest liv'd not free;

For which, the most high gods not minding longer To withhold the vengeance that they had in ftore, Due to this heinous capital offence;

Even in the height and pride of all his glory,
When he was feated, and his daughter with him,
In a chariot of ineftimable value,

A fire from heaven came, and fhrivell'd up
Their bodies, even to loathing; for they fo ftunk,
That all thofe eyes ador'd them, ere their fall,
Scorn now their hand fhould give them burial.s

3 No, no, my Escanes ; &c.] The old copy :

No, Efcanes, know this of me,

But this line being imperfect, I suppose it should be read as I have printed it. STEEVENS.

No, Escanes;] I suspect the author wrote-Know, Escânes; &c. MALONE.

• A fire from heaven came, and Shrivel'd'up

Their bodies,] This circumftance is mentioned by Gower:

they hym tolde,

"That for vengeance as God it wolde,

"Antiochus, as men maie witte,

"With thonder and lightnyng is forfmitte.
"His doughter hath the fame chance,

"So ben thei both in o balance." MALONE.

That all thofe eyes ador'd them, ere their fall,
Scorn now &c.] The expreffion is elliptical:

That all thofe eyes which ador'd them &c. MALONE.

1 LORD. See, not a man in private conference, Or council, has respect with him but he.

2 LORD. It fhall no longer grieve without reproof.

3 LORD. And curs'd be he that will not fecond it. 1 LORD. Follow me then: Lord Helicane, a

word.

HEL. With me? and welcome: Happy day, my lords.

1 LORD. Know, that our griefs are rifen to the

top,

And now at length they overflow their banks. HEL. Your griefs, for what? wrong not the prince you love.

1 LORD. Wrong not yourself then, noble Heli

cane;

But if the prince do live, let us falute him,
Or know what ground's made happy by his breath.
If in the world he live, we'll feek him out;
If in his grave he reft, we'll find him there;

• See, not a man &c.] To what this charge of partiality was defigned to conduct, we do not learn; for it appears to have no influence over the rest of the dialogue. STEEVENS.

And be refolv'd, he lives to govern us,"
Or dead, gives caufe to mourn his funeral,
And leaves us 8 to our free election.

2 LORD. Whofe death's, indeed, the strongest in our cenfure :9

And knowing this kingdom, if without a head,1 (Like goodly buildings left without a roof,2) Will foon to ruin fall, your noble self,

That best know'ft how to rule, and how to reign, We thus fubmit unto,-our fovereign.

And be refolv'd, he lives to govern us,] Refolv'd is fatisfied, free from doubt. So, in a fubfequent scene:

66

Refolve your angry father, if my tongue," &c.

MALONE.

* And leaves us —] The quarto, 1609, reads-And leave us, which cannot be right. MALONE.

9 Whofe death's, indeed, the ftrongest in our cenfure:] i. e. the most probable in our opinion. Cenfure is thus ufed in King Richard III:

"To give your cenfures in this weighty business."

STEEVENS.

The old copies read-whose death indeed, &c. MALONE.

And knowing this kingdom, if without a head,] They did not know that the kingdom had abfolutely loft its governor; for in the very preceding line this Lord obferves that it was only more probable that he was dead, than living. I therefore read, with a very flight change,-if without a head. The old copy, for if, has-is. In the next line but one, by supplying the word will, which I fuppofe was omitted by the careleffness of the compofitor, the fenfe and metre are both restored. The paffage as it ftands in the old copy, is not, by any mode of construction, reducible to grammar. MALONE.

2 (Like goodly buildings left without a roof,)] The same thought occurs in King Henry IV. Part II:

leaves his part-created cost

"A naked fubject to the weeping clouds,
"And wafte for churlish winter's tyranny."

STEEVENS.