of "Romances" belonging to the close of his literary career (vide Prefaces to Cymbeline, Tempest, Winter's Tale).

Date of Composition. The date inferred from the connection of the "Marina portion" of Pericles with the last plays of Shakespeare is borne out by external evidence, as well as by more minute internal considerations. The title-page of the first edition, the reference to it as "a new play" in a metrical pamphlet entitled Pimlyco published in 1609, the publication in 1608 of a novel based upon it "as lately represented," all point to circa 1607-8 as the date of Shakespeare's part: this view is strongly confirmed by metrical tests which make it contemporary with "Antony and Cleopatra."

No scholar would now venture to support Dryden's statement in his Prologue to Davenant's Circe, 1675:

"Shakespear's own Muse her Pericles first bore,

The Prince of Tyre was elder than the Moor;
'Tis miracle to see a first good play;

All Hawthorns do not bloom on Christmas-day."

George Wilkins and Pericles. It is possible to differentiate no less than three styles in the play of Pericles. Shakespeare's share has already been assigned to him: in all probability Act IV. Sc. v. and vi. are not by the author of the first two Acts and the short line chorus. The author of the latter portion was certainly George Wilkins, who in 1608 brought out a novel, "being the true history of the play, as it was lately presented by the worthy and ancient poet, John Gower"; he lays claim to the play as a poor infant of his brain,' and his claim is justifiable (vide Delius, Preface to Pericles, and especially Mr Fleay's valuable essay on "Pericles," read before the New Shakespeare Society, 1874).

The third author may have been W. Rowley, who was joined with Wilkins and John Day in writing "The Travels of the three English Brothers," etc.; this point is, however, a matter of conjecture, and the evidence is not altogether convincing.

Sources of the Plot. The direct sources of Pericles were Laurence Twine's Patterne of Paineful Adventures, published in 1576, and Gower's collection of metrical tales called "Confessio Amantis"; both these works were consulted for the famous story of Apollonius of Tyre. Gower was indebted for his tale to Godfrey of Viterbo's Pantheon, a Latin work of the 12th century; Twine probably reprinted an earlier 16th century version, derived from a French source. The story was among the most widespread stories of the Middle Ages; its original was probably in Greek; the earliest allusion to the Latin version belongs to the middle of the 8th century. A West-Saxon translation was made in the 11th century (cp. Ward's Catalogue of Romances in the British Museum; P. Z. Round's Preface to Quarto Facsimile; Dunlop's History of Fiction; Prof. A. H. Smyth's Shakespeare's Pericles and Apollonius of Tyre, etc.).

The name " Pericles" in place of "Apollonius" may have been derived from Sidney's Arcadia.

Duration of Action. The action of the play covers a period of from fifteen to sixteen years, of which fourteen days are represented on the stage: the chief intervals are accounted for in the Choruses :Day 1, Act I. Sc. i. Interval. Day 2, Act I. Sc. ii., iii. Interval. Day 3, Act I. Sc. iv. Interval, and Chorus. Day 4, Act II. Sc. i. Day 5, Act II. Sc. ii., iii., iv. Day 6, Act II. Sc. v. Interval, 3rd Chorus. Day 7, Act III. Sc. i. Day 8, Act III. Sc. ii. Interval. Day 9, Act III. Sc. iii., iv. Interval, 14 years, 4th Chorus. Day 10, Act IV. Sc. i. Interval. Day 11, Act IV. Sc. ii., iii. Interval, 5th Chorus (Act IV. Sc. iv.). Day 12, Act IV. Sc. v., vi. Interval, 6th Chorus. Day 13, Act V. Sc. i. Interval, 7th Chorus (Act V. Sc. ii.). Day 14, Act V. Sc. iii. (cp. Daniel's “Time-Analysis of Shakespeare's Plays").

HARD is the task, in this discerning age,
To find new subjects that will bear the stage;
And bold our bards, their low harsh strains to bring
Where Avon's swan has long been heard to sing;
Blest parent of our scene! whose matchless wit,
Tho' yearly reap'd, is our best harvest yet.
Well may that genius every heart command,
Who drew all Nature with her own strong hand;
As various, as harmonious, fair and great,
With the same vigour and immortal heat;
As thro' each element and form she shines:
We view heav'n's hand-maid in her Shakespeare's lines.
Though some mean scenes, injurious to his fame,
Have long usurp'd the honour of his name;
To glean and clear from chaff his least remains,
Is just to him, and richly worth our pains.
We dare not charge the whole unequal play
Of Pericles on him; yet let us say,

As gold tho' mix'd with baser metal shines,

So do his bright inimitable lines

Throughout those rude wild scenes distinguish'd stand
And shew he touch'd them with no sparing hand.

G. LILLO: Prologue to Marina (an
adaptation of PERICLES, 1738).

Lords, Knights, Gentlemen, Sailors, Pirates, Fishermen,

Pericles, Prince of Tyre.

ACT FIRST.

Enter Gower.

Before the palace of Antioch.

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 these 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,