GOWER,
           as Chorus

    ANTIOCHUS,
           King of Antioch

    PERICLES,
           Prince of Tyre
               two lords of Tyre

   HELICANUS

   ESCANES

    SIMONIDES,
           King of Pentapolis

    CLEON,
           Governor of Tharsus

    LYSIMACHUS,
           Governor of Mytilene

    CERIMON,
           a lord of Ephesus

    THALIARD,
           a lord of Antioch

    PHILEMON,
           servant to Cerimon

    LEONINE,
           servant to Dionyza

   MARSHAL

   A PANDER

    BOULT,
           his servant

    THE DAUGHTER of Antiochus

    DIONYZA,
           wife to Cleon

    THAISA,
           daughter to Simonides

    MARINA,
           daughter to Pericles and Thaisa

    LYCHORIDA,
           nurse to Marina

   A BAWD

   DIANA

    Lords,
           Ladies,
         Knights,
           Gentlemen,
         Sailors,
           Pirates,
         Fishermen,
           and Messengers

   SCENE:

  Dispersedly in various countries
               PERICLES,
           Prince of Tyre
 
  ACT 1.

    Antioch.

    Before the palace
          Enter GOWER
              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 those 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

 
  SCENE 1.

    Antioch.

    The palace Enter ANTIOCHUS,