Pericles Prince of Tyre | Page 9

yield
to you; And I, as fits my nature, do obey you: Alas, the sea hath cast
me on the rocks, Wash'd me from shore to shore, and left me breath
Nothing to think on but ensuing death: Let it suffice the greatness of
your powers To have bereft a prince of all his fortunes; And having
thrown him from your watery grave, Here to have death in peace is all
he'll crave.
[Enter three Fishermen.]
FIRST FISHERMAN. What, ho, Pilch!
SECOND FISHERMAN. Ha, come and bring away the nets!

FIRST FISHERMAN. What, Patch-breech, I say!
THIRD FISHERMAN. What say you, master?
FIRST FISHERMAN. Look how thou stirrest now! come away, or I'll
fetch thee with a wanion.
THIRD FISHERMAN. 'Faith, master, I am thinking of the poor men
that were cast away before us even now.
FIRST FISHERMAN. Alas, poor souls, it grieved my heart to hear
what pitiful cries they made to us to help them, when, well-a-day, we
could scarce help ourselves.
THIRD FISHERMAN. Nay, master, said not I as much when I saw the
porpus how he bounced and tumbled? they say they're half fish, half
flesh: a plague on them, they ne'er come but I look to be washed.
Master, I marvel how the fishes live in the sea.
FIRST FISHERMAN. Why, as men do a-land; the great ones eat up the
little ones: I can compare our rich misers to nothing so fitly as to a
whale; a' plays and tumbles, driving the poor fry before him, and at last
devours them all at a mouthful. such whales have I heard on o' the land,
who never leave gaping till they they've swallowed the whole parish,
church, steeple, bells, and all.
PERICLES. [Aside.] A pretty moral.
THIRD FISHERMAN. But, master, if I had been the sexton, I would
have been that day in the belfry.
SECOND FISHERMAN. Why, man?
THIRD FISHERMAN. Because he should have swallowed me too; and
when I had been in his belly, I would have kept such a jangling of the
bells, that he should never have left, till he cast bells, steeple, church,
and parish, up again. But if the good King Simonides were of my mind,
--

PERICLES. [Aside.] Simonides!
THIRD FISHERMAN. We would purge the land of these drones, that
rob the bee of her honey.
PERICLES. [Aside.] How from the finny subjec of the sea These
fishers tell the infirmities of men; And from their watery empire
recollect All that may men approve or men detect! Peace be at your
labour, honest fishermen.
SECOND FISHERMAN. Honest! good fellow, what's that; If it be a
day fits you, search out of the calendar, and nobody look after it.
PERICLES. May see the sea hath cast upon your coast.
SECOND FISHERMAN. What a drunken knave was the sea to cast
thee in our way!
PERICLES. A man whom both the waters and the wind, In that vast
tennis-court, have made the ball For them to play upon, entreats you
pity him; He asks of you, that never used to beg.
FIRST FISHERMAN. No, friend, cannot you beg? Here's them in our
country of Greece gets more with begging than we can do with
working.
SECOND FISHERMAN. Canst thou catch any fishes, then?
PERICLES. I never practised it.
SECOND FISHERMAN. Nay, then thou wilt starve, sure; for here's
nothing to be got now-a-days, unless thou canst fish for 't.
PERICLES. What I have been I have forgot to know; But what I am,
want teaches me to think on: A man throng'd up with cold: my veins
are chill, And have no more of life than may suffice To give my tongue
that heat to ask your help; Which if you shall refuse, when I am dead,
For that I am a man, pray see me buried.

FIRST FISHERMAN. Die quoth-a? Now gods forbid! I have a gown
here; come, put it on; keep thee warm. Now, afore me, a handsome
fellow! Come, thou shalt go home, and we'll have flesh for holidays,
fish for fasting-days, and moreo'er puddings and flap-jacks, and thou
shalt be welcome.
PERICLES. I thank you, sir.
SECOND FISHERMAN. Hark you, my friend; you said you could not
beg.
PERICLES. I did but crave.
SECOND FISHERMAN. But crave! Then I'll turn craver too, and so I
shall 'scape whipping.
PERICLES. Why, are your beggars whipped, then?
SECOND FISHERMAN. O, not all, my friend, not all; for if all your
beggars were whipped, I would wish no better office than to be beadle.
But, master, I'll go draw up the net.
[Exit with Third Fisherman.]
PERICLES. [Aside.] How well this honest mirth becomes their 1abour!
FIRST FISHERMAN. Hark you, sir, do you know where ye are?
PERICLES. Not well.
FIRST FISHERMAN. Why, I'll tell you: this is called Pentapolis,