SCENE II. The same. A public way or platform leading to the Pericles, Prince of Tyre  Shakespeare homepage  |  Pericles  | Act 2, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. The same. A public way or platform leading to the  lists. A pavilion by the side of it for the 

 reception of King, Princess, Lords,  & c. 



 Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, and Attendants  SIMONIDES  Are the knights ready to begin the triumph? 

 First Lord  They are, my liege; 

 And stay your coming to present themselves. 

 SIMONIDES  Return them, we are ready; and our daughter, 

 In honour of whose birth these triumphs are, 

 Sits here, like beauty's child, whom nature gat 

 For men to see, and seeing wonder at. 



 Exit a Lord  THAISA  It pleaseth you, my royal father, to express 

 My commendations great, whose merit's less. 

 SIMONIDES  It's fit it should be so; for princes are 

 A model which heaven makes like to itself: 

 As jewels lose their glory if neglected, 

 So princes their renowns if not respected. 

 'Tis now your honour, daughter, to explain 

 The labour of each knight in his device. 

 THAISA  Which, to preserve mine honour, I'll perform. 



 Enter a Knight; he passes over, and his Squire presents his shield to the Princess  SIMONIDES  Who is the first that doth prefer himself? 

 THAISA  A knight of Sparta, my renowned father; 

 And the device he bears upon his shield 

 Is a black Ethiope reaching at the sun 

 The word, 'Lux tua vita mihi.' 

 SIMONIDES  He loves you well that holds his life of you. 



 The Second Knight passes over  Who is the second that presents himself? 

 THAISA  A prince of Macedon, my royal father; 

 And the device he bears upon his shield 

 Is an arm'd knight that's conquer'd by a lady; 

 The motto thus, in Spanish, 'Piu por dulzura que por fuerza.' 



 The Third Knight passes over  SIMONIDES  And what's the third? 

 THAISA  The third of Antioch; 

 And his device, a wreath of chivalry; 

 The word, 'Me pompae provexit apex.' 



 The Fourth Knight passes over  SIMONIDES  What is the fourth? 

 THAISA  A burning torch that's turned upside down; 

 The word, 'Quod me alit, me extinguit.' 

 SIMONIDES  Which shows that beauty hath his power and will, 

 Which can as well inflame as it can kill. 



 The Fifth Knight passes over  THAISA  The fifth, an hand environed with clouds, 

 Holding out gold that's by the touchstone tried; 

 The motto thus, 'Sic spectanda fides.' 



 The Sixth Knight, PERICLES, passes over  SIMONIDES  And what's 

 The sixth and last, the which the knight himself 

 With such a graceful courtesy deliver'd? 

 THAISA  He seems to be a stranger; but his present is 

 A wither'd branch, that's only green at top; 

 The motto, 'In hac spe vivo.' 

 SIMONIDES  A pretty moral; 

 From the dejected state wherein he is, 

 He hopes by you his fortunes yet may flourish. 

 First Lord  He had need mean better than his outward show 

 Can any way speak in his just commend; 

 For by his rusty outside he appears 

 To have practised more the whipstock than the lance. 

 Second Lord  He well may be a stranger, for he comes 

 To an honour'd triumph strangely furnished. 

 Third Lord  And on set purpose let his armour rust 

 Until this day, to scour it in the dust. 

 SIMONIDES  Opinion's but a fool, that makes us scan 

 The outward habit by the inward man. 

 But stay, the knights are coming: we will withdraw 

 Into the gallery. 



 Exeunt 

 Great shouts within and all cry 'The mean knight!'  Shakespeare homepage  |  Pericles  | Act 2, Scene 2 

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