ABSTRACT
The Painfull Adventures of Pericles Prince of Tyre 57 shipwracke, which hee was no sooner about to relate, but they remembred their eies, not without much sorrow, to have bin the witnesses thereof: and beholding the comelyfeatureofthis Gentleman, the chiefe of these Fishermen was mooved with compassion toward him, and lifting him up from the ground, himselfe with the helpe of his men, led him to his house, where with such fare as they presently had, or they could readily provide,l they with a hearty welcome feasted him, and the more to expresse their tendernesse to his misfortune, the master dishabited himselfe of his outward apparell to warme and cherish him,2 which curtesy3 Pericles as curteously receiving, vowing, if ever his fortunes came to their ancient height, their curtesies should not die unrecompensed, and being somewhat repayred in heart by their releefe, he demaunded of the country on the which he was driven, of the name of the King, and of the manner of the governement.When the maister Fisherman commaunding his servants to goe dragge up some other nettes, which yet were abroade, he seated himselfe by him, and of the question he demaunded to this purpose, resolved him: Our countrey heere on the which you are driven sir, is called Penta polis, and our good king thereof is called Symonides: the Good King call you him? quoth Pericles. Yea, and rightly so called sir, quoth the poore Fisherman, who so governes his kingdome with justice and uprightnesse, that he is no readier to commaund, than we his subjects are willing to obey.4 He is a happy King, quoth Pericles, since he gaines the name of Good by his governement, and then demaunded how farre his Court was distant from that place: wherein he was resolved, some halfe a dayes journey, and from point to point also informed, that the King had a princely daughter named Thaysa, in whome was Beauty so joyned with Vertue, that it was as yet unresolved which of them deserved the greater comparison: and in memory of whose birth day, her father yeerely celebrated feasts and triumphes, in the honour of which, many Princes and Knights from farre and remote Countries came, partly to approove their chivalry, but especially (being her fathers only child,) in hope to gaine her loves: which name of Chivalry to approove, that all the violence of the water had not power to quench the noblenesse of his minde. Pericles sighing to himselfe he broke out thus: Were but my fortunes aunswerable to my desires some should feele that I would be one there.6 When as if all the gods had given a plaudite to his wordes, the Fishermen, who before were sent out by their Maister to dragge out the other nettes, having found somwhat in the botome
too ponderous for their strength to pull up, they beganne to lewre1 and hallow to their Maister for more helpe, crying that there was a fish hung in their net, like a poore mans case in the Lawe, it would hardly come out; but Industry being a prevayling workeman, before helpe came, up came the Fish expected, but prooved indeede to be a rusty armour.2 At the name of which word Armour, Pericles being rowzed, he desired of the poore Fishermen, that he who better than they, was acquainted with such furniture, might have the view of it. In briefe, what hee could aske of them, was granted: the Armour is by Pericles viewed, and knowne to be a defence which his father at his last will gave him in charge to keepe, that it might proove to be a defender of the sonne, which he had knowne to be a preserver of the father: so accompting all his other losses nothing, since he had that agayne, whereby his father could not challenge him of disobedience: and thanking Fortune, that after all her crosses, shee had yet given him somewhat to repayre his fortunes, begging this Armour of the Fishermen, and telling them, that with it hee would shew the vertue hee had learned in Armes, and trie his chivalry for their Princesse Thaysa, which they applauding, and one furnishing him with an old gowne to make Caparisons for his horse, which horse hee provided with a Jewel, whom all the raptures of the sea could not bereave from his arme, and other furnishing him with the long sideskirtes of their cassockes, to make him bases, his Armour rusted: and thus disgracefully habilited, Prince Pericles with their conduct is gone to the court of Symonides,3 where the Fishermen had foretolde him was all the preparation, that eyther Art or Industrie might attaine unto, to solemnize the birth day of faire Thaysa the good King Symonides daughter. This is the day, this Symonides Court, where the King himselfe, with the Princesse his daughter, have placed themselves in a Gallery,4 to beholde the triumphes of sever all Princes, who in honour of the Princes birth day, but more in hope to have her love, came purposely thither, to approove their chivalrie. They thus seated, and Prince Pericles, as well as his owne providing, and the Fishermens care could furnish him, likewise came to the court. In this maner also 5 severall princes (their horses richly caparasoned, but themselves more richly armed, their Pages before them bearing their Devices on their shields) entred then the Tilting place. The first a prince of Macedon,5 and the Device hee bore upon his shield, was a blacke Ethiope reaching at the Sunne, the word,
