SCENE I. Pentapolis. An open place by the sea-side. Pericles, Prince of Tyre  Shakespeare homepage  |  Pericles  | Act 2, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. Pentapolis. An open place by the sea-side. 

 Enter PERICLES, wet  PERICLES  Yet cease your ire, you angry stars of heaven! 

 Wind, rain, and thunder, remember, earthly man 

 Is but a substance that must yield to you; 

 And I, as fits my nature, do obey you: 

 Alas, the sea hath cast me on the rocks, 

 Wash'd me from shore to shore, and left me breath 

 Nothing to think on but ensuing death: 

 Let it suffice the greatness of your powers 

 To have bereft a prince of all his fortunes; 

 And having thrown him from your watery grave, 

 Here to have death in peace is all he'll crave. 



 Enter three FISHERMEN  First Fisherman  What, ho, Pilch! 

 Second Fisherman  Ha, come and bring away the nets! 

 First Fisherman  What, Patch-breech, I say! 

 Third Fisherman  What say you, master? 

 First Fisherman  Look how thou stirrest now! come away, or I'll 

 fetch thee with a wanion. 

 Third Fisherman  Faith, master, I am thinking of the poor men that 

 were cast away before us even now. 

 First Fisherman  Alas, poor souls, it grieved my heart to hear what 

 pitiful cries they made to us to help them, when, 

 well-a-day, we could scarce help ourselves. 

 Third Fisherman  Nay, master, said not I as much when I saw the 

 porpus how he bounced and tumbled? they say 

 they're half fish, half flesh: a plague on them, 

 they ne'er come but I look to be washed. Master, I 

 marvel how the fishes live in the sea. 

 First Fisherman  Why, as men do a-land; the great ones eat up the 

 little ones: I can compare our rich misers to 

 nothing so fitly as to a whale; a' plays and 

 tumbles, driving the poor fry before him, and at 

 last devours them all at a mouthful: such whales 

 have I heard on o' the land, who never leave gaping 

 till they've swallowed the whole parish, church, 

 steeple, bells, and all. 

 PERICLES  [Aside]  A pretty moral. 

 Third Fisherman  But, master, if I had been the sexton, I would have 

 been that day in the belfry. 

 Second Fisherman  Why, man? 

 Third Fisherman  Because he should have swallowed me too: and when I 

 had been in his belly, I would have kept such a 

 jangling of the bells, that he should never have 

 left, till he cast bells, steeple, church, and 

 parish up again. But if the good King Simonides 

 were of my mind,-- 

 PERICLES  [Aside]  Simonides! 

 Third Fisherman  We would purge the land of these drones, that rob 

 the bee of her honey. 

 PERICLES  [Aside]  How from the finny subject of the sea 

 These fishers tell the infirmities of men; 

 And from their watery empire recollect 

 All that may men approve or men detect! 

 Peace be at your labour, honest fishermen. 

 Second Fisherman  Honest! good fellow, what's that? If it be a day 

 fits you, search out of the calendar, and nobody 

 look after it. 

 PERICLES  May see the sea hath cast upon your coast. 

 Second Fisherman  What a drunken knave was the sea to cast thee in our 

 way! 

 PERICLES  A man whom both the waters and the wind, 

 In that vast tennis-court, have made the ball 

 For them to play upon, entreats you pity him: 

 He asks of you, that never used to beg. 

 First Fisherman  No, friend, cannot you beg? Here's them in our 

 country Greece gets more with begging than we can do 

 with working. 

 Second Fisherman  Canst thou catch any fishes, then? 

 PERICLES  I never practised it. 

 Second Fisherman  Nay, then thou wilt starve, sure; for here's nothing 

 to be got now-a-days, unless thou canst fish for't. 

 PERICLES  What I have been I have forgot to know; 

 But what I am, want teaches me to think on: 

 A man throng'd up with cold: my veins are chill, 

 And have no more of life than may suffice 

 To give my tongue that heat to ask your help; 

 Which if you shall refuse, when I am dead, 

 For that I am a man, pray see me buried. 

 First Fisherman  Die quoth-a? Now gods forbid! I have a gown here; 

 come, put it on; keep thee warm. Now, afore me, a 

 handsome fellow! Come, thou shalt go home, and 

 we'll have flesh for holidays, fish for 

 fasting-days, and moreo'er puddings and flap-jacks, 

 and thou shalt be welcome. 

 PERICLES  I thank you, sir. 

 Second Fisherman  Hark you, my friend; you said you could not beg. 

 PERICLES  I did but crave. 

 Second Fisherman  But crave! Then I'll turn craver too, and so I 

 shall 'scape whipping. 

 PERICLES  Why, are all your beggars whipped, then? 

 Second Fisherman  O, not all, my friend, not all; for if all your 

 beggars were whipped, I would wish no better office 

 than to be beadle. But, master, I'll go draw up the 

 net. 



 Exit with Third Fisherman  PERICLES  [Aside]  How well this honest mirth becomes their labour! 

 First Fisherman  Hark you, sir, do you know where ye are? 

 PERICLES  Not well. 

 First Fisherman  Why, I'll tell you: this is called Pentapolis, and 

 our king the good Simonides. 

 PERICLES  The good King Simonides, do you call him. 

 First Fisherman  Ay, sir; and he deserves so to be called for his 

 peaceable reign and good government. 

 PERICLES  He is a happy king, since he gains from his subjects 

 the name of good by his government. How far is his 

 court distant from this shore? 

 First Fisherman  Marry, sir, half a day's journey: and I'll tell 

 you, he hath a fair daughter, and to-morrow is her 

 birth-day; and there are princes and knights come 

 from all parts of the world to just and tourney for her love. 

 PERICLES  Were my fortunes equal to my desires, I could wish 

 to make one there. 

 First Fisherman  O, sir, things must be as they may; and what a man 

 cannot get, he may lawfully deal for--his wife's soul. 



 Re-enter Second and Third Fishermen, drawing up a net  Second Fisherman  Help, master, help! here's a fish hangs in the net, 

 like a poor man's right in the law; 'twill hardly 

 come out. Ha! bots on't, 'tis come at last, and 

 'tis turned to a rusty armour. 

 PERICLES  An armour, friends! I pray you, let me see it. 

 Thanks, fortune, yet, that, after all my crosses, 

 Thou givest me somewhat to repair myself; 

 And though it was mine own, part of my heritage, 

 Which my dead father did bequeath to me. 

 With this strict charge, even as he left his life, 

 'Keep it, my Pericles; it hath been a shield 

 Twixt me and death;'--and pointed to this brace;-- 

 'For that it saved me, keep it; in like necessity-- 

 The which the gods protect thee from!--may 

 defend thee.' 

 It kept where I kept, I so dearly loved it; 

 Till the rough seas, that spare not any man, 

 Took it in rage, though calm'd have given't again: 

 I thank thee for't: my shipwreck now's no ill, 

 Since I have here my father's gift in's will. 

 First Fisherman  What mean you, sir? 

 PERICLES  To beg of you, kind friends, this coat of worth, 

 For it was sometime target to a king; 

 I know it by this mark. He loved me dearly, 

 And for his sake I wish the having of it; 

 And that you'ld guide me to your sovereign's court, 

 Where with it I may appear a gentleman; 

 And if that ever my low fortune's better, 

 I'll pay your bounties; till then rest your debtor. 

 First Fisherman  Why, wilt thou tourney for the lady? 

 PERICLES  I'll show the virtue I have borne in arms. 

 First Fisherman  Why, do 'e take it, and the gods give thee good on't! 

 Second Fisherman  Ay, but hark you, my friend; 'twas we that made up 

 this garment through the rough seams of the waters: 

 there are certain condolements, certain vails. I 

 hope, sir, if you thrive, you'll remember from 

 whence you had it. 

 PERICLES  Believe 't, I will. 

 By your furtherance I am clothed in steel; 

 And, spite of all the rapture of the sea, 

 This jewel holds his building on my arm: 

 Unto thy value I will mount myself 

 Upon a courser, whose delightful steps 

 Shall make the gazer joy to see him tread. 

 Only, my friend, I yet am unprovided 

 Of a pair of bases. 

 Second Fisherman  We'll sure provide: thou shalt have my best gown to 

 make thee a pair; and I'll bring thee to the court myself. 

 PERICLES  Then honour be but a goal to my will, 

 This day I'll rise, or else add ill to ill. 



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