The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (553 page)

Enter GOWER

Before the palace of Antioch

To sing a song that old was sung,

From ashes ancient Gower is come;

Assuming man's infirmities,

To glad your ear, and please your eyes.

It hath been sung at festivals,

On ember-eves and holy-ales;

And lords and ladies in their lives

Have read it for restoratives:

The purchase is to make men glorious;

Et bonum quo antiquius, eo melius.

If you, born in these latter times,

When wit's more ripe, accept my rhymes.

And that to hear an old man sing

May to your wishes pleasure bring

I life would wish, and that I might

Waste it for you, like taper-light.

This Antioch, then, Antiochus the Great

Built up, this city, for his chiefest seat:

The fairest in all Syria,

I tell you what mine authors say:

This king unto him took a fere,

Who died and left a female heir,

So buxom, blithe, and full of face,

As heaven had lent her all his grace;

With whom the father liking took,

And her to incest did provoke:

Bad child; worse father! to entice his own

To evil should be done by none:

But custom what they did begin

Was with long use account no sin.

The beauty of this sinful dame

Made many princes thither frame,

To seek her as a bed-fellow,

In marriage-pleasures play-fellow:

Which to prevent he made a law,

To keep her still, and men in awe,

That whoso ask'd her for his wife,

His riddle told not, lost his life:

So for her many a wight did die,

As yon grim looks do testify.

What now ensues, to the judgment of your eye

I give, my cause who best can justify.

Exit

Ancient Gower has risen from the ashes

to sing a song of ancient days,

reassuming the weak body of a man

to bring you entertaining sights and sounds.

This song has been sung at festivals,

on the holy evenings and at country fairs;

and lords and ladies have at times

read it to raise their spirits:

the benefit is that it raises men up,

and the old things are the best.

If you, born in these later times,

when knowledge has expanded, accept my song,

and if it suits your desires

to hear an old man sing,

I would wish for life, so that I can

burn it up for you like a bright candle.

This, then, is Antioch, which Antiochus the Great

built, this city, as his principal base,

the loveliest in all of Syria–

I'm telling you what the historians say.

The king chose himself a mate,

who died and left behind a daughter,

cheerful, sweet tempered and beautiful

as if heaven had put all its grace into her;

the father took a liking to her,

and persuaded her into incest.

Bad child, worse father, to tempt his own daughter

into an evil that nobody should do.

But what they started became so accepted

through the passage of time it was no longer seen as a sin.

The beauty of this sinful lady

made many princes travel there,

to ask for her as a bedfellow,

to join them in the pleasures of marriage;

to prevent this he passed a law

to keep her for himself and deter others;

it was that whoever wanted to marry her

who could not solve his riddle would be killed.

So many a young man died for her,

as you can see from this grisly display.

What happens next I put to your judgement;

it's up to you to say if it is believable or not.

Enter ANTIOCHUS, Prince PERICLES, and followers

ANTIOCHUS

Young prince of Tyre, you have at large received

The danger of the task you undertake.

Young prince of Tyre, you have a full understanding

of the danger of the task that faces you.

PERICLES

I have, Antiochus, and, with a soul

Embolden'd with the glory of her praise,

Think death no hazard in this enterprise.

I have, Antiochus, and, with my soul

strengthened by the thought of her glory,

I am not afraid to risk death for this.

ANTIOCHUS

Bring in our daughter, clothed like a bride,

For the embracements even of Jove himself;

At whose conception, till Lucina reign'd,

Nature this dowry gave, to glad her presence,

The senate-house of planets all did sit,

To knit in her their best perfections.

Music. Enter the Daughter of ANTIOCHUS

Bring in my daughter, dressed as a bride,

suitable to be a bride of Jove himself;

between her conception and her birth

nature brought her under the influence

of lucky planets which gave her all their

perfection, to make her a joy to all who see her.

PERICLES

See where she comes, apparell'd like the spring,

Graces her subjects, and her thoughts the king

Of every virtue gives renown to men!

Her face the book of praises, where is read

Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence

Sorrow were ever razed and testy wrath

Could never be her mild companion.

You gods that made me man, and sway in love,

That have inflamed desire in my breast

To taste the fruit of yon celestial tree,

Or die in the adventure, be my helps,

As I am son and servant to your will,

To compass such a boundless happiness!

Look how she comes, dressed like the spring,

she epitomises grace, and her thoughts contain

every virtue which gives mankind greatness!

Her face is a book of praise, where you can read

nothing but exquisite pleasures, as from there

all sorrows have been removed, and angry temper

could never sit alongside her mildness.

You gods, that made me a man, and direct my love,

who have given me a burning desire

to taste the fruit from that heavenly tree

or die in the attempt, help me,

as I am obedient and serve your desires,

to capture such an infinite happiness!

ANTIOCHUS

Prince Pericles,--

Prince Pericles–

PERICLES

That would be son to great Antiochus.

Who wants to be a son to the great Antiochus.

ANTIOCHUS

Before thee stands this fair Hesperides,

With golden fruit, but dangerous to be touch'd;

For death-like dragons here affright thee hard:

Her face, like heaven, enticeth thee to view

Her countless glory, which desert must gain;

And which, without desert, because thine eye

Presumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die.

Yon sometimes famous princes, like thyself,

Drawn by report, adventurous by desire,

Tell thee, with speechless tongues and semblance pale,

That without covering, save yon field of stars,

Here they stand martyrs, slain in Cupid's wars;

And with dead cheeks advise thee to desist

For going on death's net, whom none resist.

In front of you is this beautiful garden,

with golden fruit, but picking it is dangerous;

there are deadly dragons guarding it against you.

Her face, like heaven, tempts you to look at

her infinite glory, which you have to earn;

if your eye is found not to deserve the privilege

of looking, your whole body must die.

Those heads over there were once famous Princes, like yourself,

attracted by stories, taking risks through desire,

let them tell you, with their speechless tongues and pale faces,

that with no roof except for the starry sky,

they are here as martyrs, killed in Cupid's wars;

their dead cheeks advise you to give up

before you rush into death's trap, which nobody can escape.

PERICLES

Antiochus, I thank thee, who hath taught

My frail mortality to know itself,

And by those fearful objects to prepare

This body, like to them, to what I must;

For death remember'd should be like a mirror,

Who tells us life's but breath, to trust it error.

I'll make my will then, and, as sick men do

Who know the world, see heaven, but, feeling woe,

Gripe not at earthly joys as erst they did;