Properties
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- 15115
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T06:24:48.293Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
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- 14992
- text
- # The Play of Pericles
Prince of Tyre.&c.
*Enter Gower.*
O sing a Song that old war sung,
From ashes, auntient Gower is come,
Assuming mans infirmities,
To glad your eare, and please your eyes:
Ithash been sung at Feasthuals,
On Ember eues, and Holydayes:
And Lords and Ladyes in their hues,
Haue red it for refloratiues:
The purchase is to make men glorious,
Et bonum quo Antiquem to mehne:
If you borne in those latter times,
When Witts more ripe, accept my rimes;
And that to heare 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 Antich, then Antiochus the great,
Buylt up this Citie, for his chiefest Seat,
The fayreft in all Syria.
I tell you what mine Authors saye:
This King unto him tooke a Peere,
Who dyed, and left a female heyre,
So bucksome, blith, and full of face,
As heaven had lent her all his grace:
With whom the Father liking tooke,
And her to Inceft did prouoke:
Bad child, worse father, to intice his owne
A 2.
To
I. 1-27
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I. 28-42—I. i. 18
# The Play of
To eul, should be done by none.
But custome what they did begin,
Was with long vfe, account'd no finne,
The beautie of this finfull Dame,
Made many Princes thither frame.
To seekeher as a bedfellow,
In maryage pleasures, playfellow:
Which to preuent, he made a Law,
To keepe her still, and men in awe:
That who fo askt her for his wife,
His Riddle tould not, loft his life:
So for her many of wight did die,
As yon grimmie lookes do teftifie.
What now ensues, to the judgement of your eye,
I giue my caufe, who beft can iulftifie.
Exie.
# Enter 0 Antiochus, Prince Terulus, and 0 Bowers.
Anti. Young Prince of Tyre you haue at large received
The danger of the taske you vndertake.
Pers. I haue (0 Antiochus) and with a foule emboldned
With the glory of her prayfe, thinke death no hazard,
In this enterprise.
Ant. Musicke bring in our daughter, clothed like a bride,
For embracements euen of ioue himfelfe;
At whofe conception, till Lucina rained,
Nature this dowry gaue; to glad her preference,
The Seanate houfe of Planets all did fit,
To kuit in her, their beft perfections.
# Enter 0 Antiochus daughter.
Per. See where she comes, appareled like the Spring,
Graces her fubiefts, and her thoughts the King,
Of euery Vertue giues renowne to men:
Her face the booke of prayes, where is read,
Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence,
Sorrow were euer rafte, and teaflie wrath
Could neuer be her milde companion.
YOU
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# Pericles Prince of Tyre.
You Gods that made me man, and sway in love;
That haue enflamde defire in my breast,
To talle the fruite of yon celelthall tree,
(Or die in th’adventure) be my helpes,
As I am fonne and feruant to your will,
To compaffe such a bondlesse happinesse.
**Ant. Prince Persius.**
**Tert.** That would be fonne to great **Antiochus.**
**Ant.** Before thee flandes this faire **Hesperides,**
With golden fruite, but dangerous to be toucht:
For Death like Dragons heere affright thee hard:
Her face like Heaven, inticeth thee to view
Her countlesse glory; which desert must gaine:
And which without desert, because thine eye
Prefumes to reach, all the whole heape must die:
Yon sometimes famous Princes, like thy felse,
Drawne by report, adventrous by defire,
Tell thee with speachlesse tongues, and semblance pale,
That without covering, faue yon field of Starres,
Heere they stand Martyrs flaine in **Cupids** Warres;
And with dead cheekes, aduise thee to defist,
For going on deaths not, whom none resist.
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