Strike; triumph; fee him gasping on the ground,
And life, love, empire, fpringing from his wound.
When godlike ends, by means unjust, succeed,
The great refult adorns the daring deed.
Virtue's a shackle under fair disguise,

To fetter fools, while we bear off the prize. [Exeunt.

A C T

A C T

III.

Enter PERSEUS.

PERSEUS.

NOWARDS in ill, like cowards in the field,
Are fure to be defeated. To strike home,
In both, is prudence: Guilt, begun, must fly
To guilt confummate, to be fafe.

Disturb not my devotions; they decline

The beaten track, the common path of pray'r-

Ye pow'rs of darkness! that rejoice in ill;

All fworn by Styx, with peftilential blafts
To wither every virtue in the bud;
To keep the door of dark confpiracy,
And fnuff the grateful fumes of human blood,
From fulphur blue, or your red beds of fire,
Or your black ebon thrones, aufpicious rife ;
And, bursting thro' the barriers of this world,
Stand in dread contraft to the golden fun;
Fright day-light hence with your infernal smiles,
And howl aloud your formidable joy,
While I transport you with the fair record
Of what your faithful minister has done,

Beyond

Beyond your inspiration, felf-impell'd,

To spread your empire, and secure his own.

Hear, and applaud.-Now, Pericles! proceed:
Speak; is the letter forg'd?

PERICLES.

This moment; and might cheat

The cunning eye of jealousy itself.

PERSEUS.

'Tis well: Art thou appris'd of what hath past

Since last we parted?

PERICLES.

No, my lord.
PERSEUS.

Then roufe

Thy whole attention: Here we are in private:
Know then, my Pericles, the mock encounter
I turn'd, as taught by thee, to real rage.
But blafted be the cowards which I led !
They trembled at a boy.

PERICLES.

Ha!

PERSEUS.

Mark me well:

The villains fled; but foon my prudence turn'd

To good account that momentary shame.
Thus I pretend 'twas voluntary flight
To fave a brother's blood: accufing him
As author of that conflict I declin❜d,
And he purfu'd with ardour and fuccefs.

PERICLES.

That's artful. What enfu'd ?

PERSEUS.

The banquet follow'd,

Held by the victor, as our rites require:

VOL. II.

K

Το

To which his eafy nature, foon appeas'd,

Invited me. I went not; but sent spies

To learn what pafs'd: which spies, by chance detected, (Obferve me) were ill us'd.

PERICLES.

By whom? your brother?

PERSEUS.

No; by his fons of riot. He foon after,
Not knowing that my fervants were abus'd,
Kind, and gay-hearted, came to visit me.
They, who mifus'd my spies, for felf-defence,
Conceal'd their arms beneath the robes of peace.
Of this inform'd, again my genius ferv'd me.-
PERICLES.

You took occafion, from these few in arms,
To charge a murderous affault on all.

PERSEUS.

True, Pericles: But mark my whole address:
Against my brother swift I bar my gates;
Fly to my father; and, with artful tears,
Accufe Demetrius; firft, of turning sports,
And guiltless exercise, to mortal rage;
Then, of inviting me (ftill blacker guilt!)
To smiling death in an invenom❜d bowl;
And, laft, that, both these failing, mad with rage,
He threw his schemes of baffled art afide,
And with arm'd men avow'dly fought my life.

PERICLES.

Three startling articles, and well concerted,
Following each other in an eafy train,
With fair fimilitude of truth! But, Sir,
How bore

your father?

PERSEUS.

Oh! he fhook! he fell!
Nor

Nor was his fleeting foul recall'd with ease.

PERICLES.

What faid he, when recover'd ?

PERSEUS.

His refolve

I know not yet; but, fee, his minion comes;
And comes perhaps to tell me-But I'll go;
Sustain my part, and echo loud my wrongs.
Nought fo like innocence, as perfect guilt.
If he brings aught of moment, you'll inform me.

[As Perfeus goes off, he is feix'd by officers.

How fares the king?

Enter DYMAS.

PERICLES.

DYMAS.

Ev'n as an aged oak

Pufht to and fro, the labour of the ftorm;

Whose largest branches are ftruck off by thunder;
Yet ftill he lives, and on the mountain groans;
Strong in affliction, awful from his wounds,
And more rever'd in ruin, than in glory.

PERIGLES.

I hear prince Perfeus has accus'd his brother.

DYMAS.

True; and the king's commands are now gone forth
To throw them both in chains; for farther thought
Makes Philip doubt the truth of Perfeus' charge.

What then is his defign?

PERICLES.

DYMAS.

They both this hour

Muft plead their caufe before him: Nay, already,