Page:Pericles (1925) Yale.djvu/13

The Play of Pericles, Prince of Tyre, &c.
ACT FIRST
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. 4
It hath been sung at festivals,
On ember-eves, and holy-ales;
And lords and ladies in their lives
Have read it for restoratives: 8
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 rimes, 12
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. 16
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. 20
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; 24
Act First; cf. x. . Enter Gower; cf. s.
6 ember-eves; raf holy-ales: holidays; cf. n.
9 purchase: g
10 Et bonuns quo antiquius, eo melius: and the more ancient a good
thing, the better 17,18 Cf. #. 20 Cf. n.
a1 fere: mate 22, 23 Ch. x %. 24 heaven: s.e. God