Per.

The voice of dead Thaisa!

Thai. That Thaisa am I, supposed dead,

And drown'd.

Per. Immortal Dian!

Thai.

Now I know you better.

When we with tears parted Pentapolis,
The king, my father, gave you such a ring.

[Shows a Ring.

Per. This, this: no more, you gods! your pre

sent kindness

Makes my past miseries sport: You shall do well, That on the touching of her lips I may

Melt, and no more be seen. O come, be buried A second time within these arms.

Mar.

Leaps to be

My heart

gone into my mother's bosom.

[Kneels to THAISA.

Per. Look, who kneels here! Flesh of thy flesh,

Thaisa;

Thy burden at the sea, and call'd Marina,

For she was yielded there.

Thai.

Hel. Hail, madam, and my queen!

Thai.

Bless'd and mine own!

I know you not.

Per. You have heard me say, when I did fly from

Tyre,

I left behind an ancient substitute.

Can you remember what I call'd the man?

I have nam'd him oft.

Thai.

Per. Still confirmation:

'Twas Helicanus then.

Embrace him, dear Thaisa: this is he.

Now do I long to hear how you were found;
How possibly preserv'd; and whom to thank,
Besides the gods, for this great miracle,

Thai. Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man Through whom the gods have shown their power;

that can

From first to last resolve

Per.

you.

Reverend sir,

The gods can have no mortal officer
More like a god than you. Will you deliver
How this dead queen re-lives?

Cer.

I will, my lord. Beseech you, first go with me to my house, Where shall be shown you all was found with her; How she came placed here within the temple; No needful thing omitted.

Per.

Pure Diana!

I bless thee for thy vision, and will offer
My night oblations to thee. Thaisa,

This prince, the fair-betrothed of your daughter,
Shall marry her at Pentapolis. And now,
This ornament 3 that makes me look so dismal,
Will I, my lov'd Marina, clip to form;
And what this fourteen years no razor touch'd,
To grace thy marriage-day, I'll beautify.

Thai. Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, Sir, that my father's dead.

Per. Heavens make a star of him! Yet there, my queen,

We'll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves
Will in that kingdom spend our following days;
Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign.
Lord Cerimon, we do our longing stay,
To hear the rest untold. Sir, lead the way.

3 i. e. His beard.

[Exeunt.

Enter GoWER.

Gow. In Antioch 4, and his daughter, you have
heard

Of monstrous lust the due and just reward:
In Pericles, his queen and daughter, seen
(Although assail'd with fortune fierce and keen,)
Virtue preserv'd from fell destruction's blast,
Led on by heaven, and crown'd with joy at last.
In Helicanus may you well-descry

A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty:
In reverend Cerimon there well appears,
The worth that learned charity aye wears.
For wicked Cleon and his wife, when fame
Had spread their cursed deed, and honour'd name
Of Pericles, to rage the city turn;
That him and his they in his palace burn.
The gods for murder seemed so content`
To punish them; although not done, but meant.
So on your patience evermore attending,
New joy wait on you! Here our play has ending.
[Exit GoWER.

That this tragedy has some merit, it were vain to deny; but that it is the entire composition of Shakspeare, is more than can be hastily granted. I shall not venture with Dr. Farmer, to determine that the hand of our great poet is only visible in the last act, for I think it appears in several passages dispersed over each of these divisions. I find it difficult, however, to persuade myself that he was the original fabricator of the plot, or the author of every dialogue, chorus, &c. STEEVENS.

The story is of great antiquity, and is related by various ancient authors in Latin, French, and English. 5 Ever.

4 i. e. The king of Antioch.

KING LEAR.

FF