$Unique_ID{SSP01617}
$Title{Pericles, Prince of Tyre:  Act IV}
$Author{Shakespeare, William}
$Subject{}
$Log{Dramatis Personae*01600.txt}

                Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989

                   The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

                            PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE


             ACT IV
................................................................................

                     {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                10
                     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:                              20
                     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                         30
                     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.                 40
                     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.                    50
                     Dionyza does appear,
                     With Leonine, a murderer.

                     [Exit.]
ÿ