ABSTRACT
The Painfull Adventures oj Pericles Prince oj Yyre 525 directions, Pericles tooke his leave, departed with his Ship, sayling even to the uttermost parts of all Egypt, while his yoong daughter Marina grew up to more able discretion, and when she was fully attaind to 5 yeers of age, being to her selfe knowne no other but to be free borne, she was set to Schoole with other free children, alwayes joyntly accompanied with one onely daughter that Dionysa had, being of the same time that she was of, where growing up, aswel in learning, as in number of yeeres, untill she came to the reckoning of foureteene, one day when she returned from Schoole, she found Lycorida her Nurse sodainely fallen sicke,l and sitting beside her upon the bed, she as in care of her, demaunded the cause and manner of her sickenesse: when the Nurse finding her disease to have no hope of recovery, but a harbinger that came before to prepare a lodging for death, answered her to this purpose; For my sickenesse, quoth she, it matters not (deare childe) since it is as necessary to be sicke, as it is needefull to die, onelY I intreate of you to hearken unto a dying womans wordes that loveth you, and laying them uppe in your heart, perswade your selfe, that in these houres no sinner should, or can be so wretched, to spare a minute to finde time to lie. Knowe then, that you are not the daughter of Cleon and Dyonysa, as you till this have supposed: but hearken unto me, and I will declare unto thee the beginning of thy birth, that thou mayest knowe how to guide thy selfe after my death: Pericles the Prince of Tyre is thy father, and Thaysa king Symonides daughter was thy mother: which father and mother departed from thy grandsir[e] at Pentapolis toward their kingdom of Tyre, thy mother being at Sea, fell in travell with thee, and died after thou wert borne: when thy Father Pericles inclosed her body in a Chest with princely ornaments, laying twenty talents of golde at her head, and as much at her feete in silver; with a Scedule written, containing the dignitie of her birth, and maner of her death, then caused he the Chest to be thrown over-boorde into the Sea, thorow a superstitious opinion which the mariners beleeved, leaving her body so inriched, to the intent, that whither soever it were driven, they that found it, in regarde of the riches, would bury her according to her estate. Thus Lady were you borne uppon the waters, and your fathers Ship with much wrestling of contrary windes, and with his unspeakeable griefe of minde, arrived at this shoare, and brought thee in thy swadling clowtes unto this Citty, where he with great care delivered thee unto this thine hoste Cleon and Dyonysa his wife, diligently to be fostered up, and left me heere also to attend uppon thee, swearing this oath to keepe inviolate, his haire should be uncisserd, his face
untrimmed, himselfe in all things uncomely continually to mourne for your dead mother, untill your ripe yeares gave him occasion to marry you to some prince worthy your birth and beauty; wherefore I now admonish you, that if after my death, thine hoste or hostesse, whom thou calst thy parents, shall happly offer thee any injury, or discurteously taking advantage of thy absent father as unbefitting thine estate intertain thee, haste thee into the market place, where thou shalt finde a Statue erected to thy father standing, take hold of it, and crie aloude ; You cittizens of Tharsus, I am his daughter whose Image this is, who being mindefull of thy fathers benefits will doubtlesse revenge thy injurie. When Marina thanking Lycorida for making that known to her, which till then was unknowne, and happly either thorow Time or Death might have beene buried in her ignorance: and vowing, if ever neede should so require (of which as yet she had no cause to doubt) her counsell should be followed. And so Lycorida through sickenesse growing more weake, and Marina for this knowledge and advise still tending on her, in her armes at last shee gave up the Ghost.1
