was indeed a most accomplished gentleman, and well learned
in all excellent arts, that though he knew not the rank of this royal
stranger (for Pericles for fear of Antiochus gave out that he was a
private gentleman of Tyre), yet did not Simonides disdain to accept of
the valiant unknown for a son-in-law, when he perceived his daughter's
affections were firmly fixed upon him.

Pericles had not been many months married to Thaisa, before he received
intelligence that his enemy Antiochus was dead; and that his subjects of
Tyre, impatient of his long absence, threatened to revolt, and talked of
placing Helicanus upon his vacant throne. This news came from Helicanus
himself, who, being a loyal subject to his royal master, would not
accept of the high dignity offered him, but sent to let Pericles know
their intentions, that he might return home and resume his lawful right.
It was matter of great surprise and joy to Simonides, to find that his
son-in-law (the obscure knight) was the renowned Prince of Tyre; yet
again he regretted that he was not the private gentleman he supposed him
to be, seeing that he must now part both with his admired son-in-law
and his beloved daughter, whom he feared to trust to the perils of the
sea, because Thaisa was with child; and Pericles himself wished her to
remain with her father till after her confinement, but the poor lady so
earnestly desired to go with her husband, that at last they consented,
hoping she would reach Tyre before she was brought to bed.

The sea was no friendly element to unhappy Pericles, for long before
they reached Tyre another dreadful tempest arose, which so terrified
Thaisa that she was taken ill, and in a short space of time her nurse
Lychorida came to Pericles with a little child in her arms, to tell the
prince the sad tidings that his wife died the moment her little babe was
born. She held the babe towards its father, saying, "Here is a thing too
young for such a place. This is the child of your dead queen." No tongue
can tell the dreadful sufferings of Pericles when he heard his wife was
dead. As soon as he could speak, he said, "O you gods, why do you make
us love your goodly gifts, and then snatch those gifts away?" "Patience,
good sir," said Lychorida, "here is all that is left alive of our dead
queen, a little daughter, and for your child's sake be more manly.
Patience, good sir, even for the sake of this precious charge." Pericles
took the new-born infant in his