The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (560 page)

this was my own, part of my inheritance,

which my dead father left to me

with these strict instructions, even as he died,

‘Keep it, my Pericles; it has been a shield

between me and death;’–and he pointed to this armguard–

‘because it saved me, keep it; if you're in the same trouble,

which I hope the gods keep you from, may it protect you!’

It went with me everywhere–I loved it so dearly–

until the rough sea, that doesn't spare anybody,

took it in its rage, although in the calm it has given it back.

Thank you for this; my shipwreck is now no hardship,

since I have here what my father left me in his will.

First Fisherman

What mean you, sir?

What do you mean, 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.

To beg you, kind friends, to let me have this coat,

which once upon a time shielded a king;

I recognise it from this mark. He loved me dearly,

and I should like to have it to remember him by;

and I would like you to guide me to your king's court,

where it will help me to appear like a gentleman;

if my fortunes ever improve

I will pay you a reward; until then I'll be in your debt.

First Fisherman

Why, wilt thou tourney for the lady?

What, will you compete for the lady?

PERICLES

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

I'll show the skills I have in combat.

First Fisherman

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

Well, have it, and may you have good luck with it!

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.

Yes, but listen here, my friend; it was we who

pulled this garment out of the rough seas:

there should be some reward, some tip. I

hope, sir, that if you do well, you will remember where

you got it from.

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.

Believe me, I will.

With your help I am armoured in steel;

and, in spite of all the damage of the sea,

this jewel still shines upon my arm:

I will use it to get the best horse it can

buy, whose delightful steps

will make the onlookers love to see him walk.

Except, my friends, I don't yet have

the knightly skirts.

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.

We'll provide those:  we shall make a pair out of

my best gown; and I'll bring you 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.

Exeunt

Then honour will be my goal,

I shall rise up, or things will get worse.

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?

Are the knights ready to begin the festivities?

First Lord

They are, my liege;

And stay your coming to present themselves.

They are, my lord;

they are waiting for your arrival 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.

Exit a Lord

Tell them that we are ready; and my daughter,

whose birthday these festivities are celebrating,

is sitting here, like a child of beauty, whom nature made

for men to see, and seeing be astonished by.

THAISA

It pleaseth you, my royal father, to express

My commendations great, whose merit's less.

You like to exaggerate my virtues, father,

I don't deserve it.

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,

So princes their renowns if not respected.

'Tis now your honour, daughter, to entertain

The labour of each knight in his device.

That's how it should be; for princes are

the models heaven makes of itself:

jewels will lose their brightness if they're not polished,

and princes their reputations if they are not respected.

It's now your privilege, daughter, to welcome

each knight according to the coat of arms on his shield.

THAISA

Which, to preserve mine honour, I'll perform.

Enter a Knight; he passes over, and his Squire presents his shield to the Princess

Which I will do, as befits my position.

SIMONIDES

Who is the first that doth prefer himself?

Who is the first one who puts himself forward?

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.'

A knight of Sparta, my renowned father;

the picture he has on his shield

is of a black Ethiopian reaching out to the sun,

with the words, ‘Your light is life to me.’

SIMONIDES

He loves you well that holds his life of you.

The Second Knight passes over

Who is the second that presents himself?

The one who rules over you loves you well.

Who is the second who 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.'

The Third Knight passes over

A prince of Macedonia, my royal father;

and the picture on his shield

is of an armed knight who is conquered by a lady;

the motto in Spanish is, 'More by gentleness than by force.’

SIMONIDES

And what's the third?

And who is 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

The third is from Antioch;

his symbol is a chivalric wreath;

the motto is, ‘The desire for triumph drives me on.’

SIMONIDES

What is the fourth?

Who's the fourth?

THAISA

A burning torch that's turned upside down;

The word, 'Quod me alit, me extinguit.'

A burning torch that's upside down;

the motto, ‘The one who feeds me puts me out.’

SIMONIDES

Which shows that beauty hath his power and will,

Which can as well inflame as it can kill.

The Fifth Knight passes over

Which shows that beauty has a power and desire,

which can light up just as well as it can kill.

THAISA

The fifth, an hand environed with clouds,

Holding out gold that's by the touchstone tried;

The motto thus, 'Sic spectanda fides.'

The Sixth Knight, PERICLES, passes over

The fifth is a hand surrounded by clouds,

holding out gold that has been tested for genuineness;

the motto is, ‘So you can test my faithfulness.’

SIMONIDES

And what's

The sixth and last, the which the knight himself

With such a graceful courtesy deliver'd?

And what is

the sixth and last, which the knight himself

handed over with such an elegant bow?

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.'

He seems to be a foreigner; his emblem is

a withered branch, that's only green at the top;

the motto is, ‘I live for this hope.’

SIMONIDES

A pretty moral;

From the dejected state wherein he is,

He hopes by you his fortunes yet may flourish.

A nice motto;

from the lowly state he is in now,

he hopes to improve himself through you.

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.

His intentions will have to be better than his outward appearance