SCENE IV. Ephesus. A room in CERIMON's house. Pericles, Prince of Tyre  Shakespeare homepage  |  Pericles  | Act 3, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. Ephesus. A room in CERIMON's house. 

 Enter CERIMON and THAISA  CERIMON  Madam, this letter, and some certain jewels, 

 Lay with you in your coffer: which are now 

 At your command. Know you the character? 

 THAISA  It is my lord's. 

 That I was shipp'd at sea, I well remember, 

 Even on my eaning time; but whether there 

 Deliver'd, by the holy gods, 

 I cannot rightly say. But since King Pericles, 

 My wedded lord, I ne'er shall see again, 

 A vestal livery will I take me to, 

 And never more have joy. 

 CERIMON  Madam, if this you purpose as ye speak, 

 Diana's temple is not distant far, 

 Where you may abide till your date expire. 

 Moreover, if you please, a niece of mine 

 Shall there attend you. 

 THAISA  My recompense is thanks, that's all; 

 Yet my good will is great, though the gift small. 



 Exeunt 

 Enter GOWER  GOWER  Imagine Pericles arrived at Tyre, 

 Welcomed and settled to his own desire. 

 His woeful queen we leave at Ephesus, 

 Unto Diana there a votaress. 

 Now to Marina bend your mind, 

 Whom our fast-growing scene must find 

 At Tarsus, and by Cleon train'd 

 In music, letters; who hath gain'd 

 Of education all the grace, 

 Which makes her both the heart and place 

 Of general wonder. But, alack, 

 That monster envy, oft the wrack 

 Of earned praise, Marina's life 

 Seeks to take off by treason's knife. 

 And in this kind hath our Cleon 

 One daughter, and a wench full grown, 

 Even ripe for marriage-rite; this maid 

 Hight Philoten: and it is said 

 For certain in our story, she 

 Would ever with Marina be: 

 Be't when she weaved the sleided silk 

 With fingers long, small, white as milk; 

 Or when she would with sharp needle wound 

 The cambric, which she made more sound 

 By hurting it; or when to the lute 

 She sung, and made the night-bird mute, 

 That still records with moan; or when 

 She would with rich and constant pen 

 Vail to her mistress Dian; still 

 This Philoten contends in skill 

 With absolute Marina: so 

 With the dove of Paphos might the crow 

 Vie feathers white. Marina gets 

 All praises, which are paid as debts, 

 And not as given. This so darks 

 In Philoten all graceful marks, 

 That Cleon's wife, with envy rare, 

 A present murderer does prepare 

 For good Marina, that her daughter 

 Might stand peerless by this slaughter. 

 The sooner her vile thoughts to stead, 

 Lychorida, our nurse, is dead: 

 And cursed Dionyza hath 

 The pregnant instrument of wrath 

 Prest for this blow. The unborn event 

 I do commend to your content: 

 Only I carry winged time 

 Post on the lame feet of my rhyme; 

 Which never could I so convey, 

 Unless your thoughts went on my way. 

 Dionyza does appear, 

 With Leonine, a murderer. 



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