Speeches (Lines) for First Fisherman in "Pericles, Prince of Tyre"

Pericles. Yet cease your ire, you angry stars of heaven!
Wind, rain, and thunder, remember, earthly man
Is but a substance that must 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.

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've swallowed the whole parish, church,
steeple, bells, and all.

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 Greece gets more with begging than we can do
with working.

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. [Aside] How well this honest mirth becomes their labour!

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, and
our king the good Simonides.

Pericles. The good King Simonides, do you call him.

First Fisherman. Ay, sir; and he deserves so to be called for his
peaceable reign and good government.

Pericles. He is a happy king, since he gains from his subjects
the name of good by his government. How far is his
court distant from this shore?

First Fisherman. Marry, sir, half a day's journey: and I'll tell
you, he hath a fair daughter, and to-morrow is her
birth-day; and there are princes and knights come
from all parts of the world to just and tourney for her love.

Pericles. Were my fortunes equal to my desires, I could wish
to make one there.

First Fisherman. O, sir, things must be as they may; and what a man
cannot get, he may lawfully deal for--his wife's soul.

Pericles. An armour, friends! I pray you, let me see it.
Thanks, fortune, yet, that, after all my crosses,
Thou givest me somewhat to repair myself;
And though it was mine own, part of my heritage,
Which my dead father did bequeath to me.
With this strict charge, even as he left his life,
'Keep it, my Pericles; it hath been a shield
Twixt me and death;'--and pointed to this brace;--
'For that it saved me, keep it; in like necessity--
The which the gods protect thee from!--may
defend thee.'
It kept where I kept, I so dearly loved it;
Till the rough seas, that spare not any man,
Took it in rage, though calm'd have given't again:
I thank thee for't: my shipwreck now's no ill,
Since I have here my father's gift in's will.

First Fisherman. What mean you, sir?

Pericles. To beg of you, kind friends, this coat of worth,
For it was sometime target to a king;
I know it by this mark. He loved me dearly,
And for his sake I wish the having of it;
And that you'ld guide me to your sovereign's court,
Where with it I may appear a gentleman;
And if that ever my low fortune's better,
I'll pay your bounties; till then rest your debtor.

First Fisherman. Why, wilt thou tourney for the lady?

Pericles. I'll show the virtue I have borne in arms.

First Fisherman. Why, do 'e take it, and the gods give thee good on't!