Pericles

Pericles

ACT II 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;	5
	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.	10
	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,	15
	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 Squirepresents his shield to the Princess
SIMONIDES	Who is the first that doth prefer himself?	20
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.	25
	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.'	30
	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?	35
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,	40
	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?	45
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,	50
	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.	55
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	60
	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!'