So I bequeath a happy peace to you

And all good men, as every prince should do ;
My riches to the earth from whence they came ;—
But my unspotted fire of love to you.

[To the Daughter of Antiochus.

Thus ready for the way of life or death,

I wait the sharpest blow.

(11)

Ant. Scorning advice,―read the conclusion, then : Which read and not expounded, 'tis decreed,

As these before thee, thou thyself shalt bleed.

Daugh. Of all say'd yet,(12) mayst thou prove prosperous!

Of all say'd yet, I wish thee happiness!

Per. Like a bold champion, I assume the lists,

Nor ask advice of any other thought

But faithfulness and courage.

"I am no viper, yet I feed

[Reads the riddle.

On mother's flesh which did me breed.

I sought a husband, in which labour

I found that kindness in a father:
He's father, son, and husband mild ;
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they may be,(13) and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you."

Sharp physic is the last: but, O you powers
That give heaven countless eyes to view men's acts,
Why cloud they not their sights perpetually,

If this be true, which makes me pale to read it ?—
Fair glass of light, I lov'd you, and could still,

[Takes hold of the hand of the Princess.
Were not this glorious casket stor'd with ill:
But I must tell you,-now my thoughts revolt;
For he's no man on whom perfections wait
That, knowing sin within, will touch the gate.
You're a fair viol, and your sense the strings;

Who, finger'd to make man his lawful music,

Would draw heaven down, and all the gods, to hearken;

But being play'd upon before your time,
Hell only danceth at so harsh a chime.

Good sooth, I care not for you.

Ant. Prince Pericles, touch not, upon thy life,
For that's an article within our law,

As dangerous as the rest. Your time's expir'd:
Either expound now, or receive your sentence.
Per. Great king,

Few love to hear the sins they love to act;
'Twould braid yourself too near for me to tell it.
Who has a book of all that monarchs do,
He's more secure to keep it shut than shown :
For vice repeated is like the wandering wind,
Blows dust in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear

To stop the air would hurt them. The blind mole casts
Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell the earth is throng'd
By man's oppression; and the poor worm doth die for 't.
Kings are earth's gods; in vice their law's their will
And if Jove stray, who dares say Jove doth ill?

It is enough you know; and it is fit,

What being more known grows worse, to smother it.

All love the womb that their first being bred,

Then give my tongue like leave to love my head.

Ant. [aside] Heaven, that I had thy head! he has found

the meaning:

But I will gloze with him.-Young Prince of Tyre,
Though by the tenour of our strict edíct,

Your exposition misinterpreting,

We might proceed to cancel of your days;
Yet hope, succeeding from so fair a tree

As
your fair self, doth tune us otherwise :
Forty days longer we do respite you;
If by which time our secret be undone,
This mercy shows we'll joy in such a son:
And until then your entertain shall be
As doth befit our honour and your worth.

[Exeunt all except Pericles.

Per. How courtesy would seem to cover sin,

When what is done is like an hypocrite,
The which is good in nothing but in sight!
If it be true that I interpret false,

Then were it certain you were not so bad
As with foul incest to abuse your soul;
Where now you're both a father and a son
By your untimely claspings with your child,-
Which pleasure fits an husband, not a father;
And she an eater of her mother's flesh
By the defiling of her parent's bed;

And both like serpents are, who though they feed
On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.
Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,
Will shun(14) no course to keep them from the light.
One sin, I know, another doth provoke ;

Murder's as near to lust as flame to smoke:

Poison and treason are the hands of sin,

Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame :

Then, lest my life be cropp'd to keep you clear,
By flight I'll shun the danger which I fear.

Re-enter ANTIOCHUS.

[Exit.

Ant. He hath found the meaning, for the which we mean

To have his head.

He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,

Nor tell the world Antiochus doth sin

In such a loathèd manner;

And therefore instantly this prince must die;

For by his fall my honour must keep high.-
Who attends us there?

Thal.

Ant. Thaliard,

Enter THALIARD.

Doth your highness call?

You're of our chamber, and our mind partakes
Her private actions to your secrecy :

And for your faithfulness we will advance you.
Thaliard, behold, here's poison, and here's gold;

We hate the prince of Tyre, and thou must kill him :
It fits thee not to ask the reason why,

Because we bid it. Say, is it done?

Thal.

'Tis done.

Ant. Enough.

My lord,

Enter a Messenger.

Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste.
Mess. My lord, Prince Pericles is fled.

As thou

Ant.
Wilt live, fly after; and, like an arrow shot(16)
From a well-experienc'd archer, hits the mark
His eye doth level at, so thou ne'er return
Unless thou say "Prince Pericles is dead."
Thal. My lord,

If I can get him within my pistol's length,

[Exit.

I'll make him sure enough: so, farewell to your highness. Ant. Thaliard, adieu ! [Exit Thal.] Till Pericles be dead My heart can lend no succour to my head.

[Exit.

SCENE II. Tyre. A room in the palace.

Enter PERICLES.

Per. [to those without] Let none disturb us.-Why should this charge of thoughts,

The sad companion, dull-ey'd melancholy,

Be my so-us'd a guest as not an hour,(17)

In the day's glorious walk or peaceful night,

The tomb where grief should sleep,-can breed me quiet? Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine eyes shun them, And danger, which I fear'd, 's at Antioch, (18)

Whose aim seems far too short to hit me here :(19)

Yet neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits,

Nor yet the other's distance comfort me.
Then it is thus: the passions of the mind,
That have their first conception by mis-dread,
Have after-nourishment and life by care;
And what was first but fear what might be done,
Grows elder now, and cares it be not done.
And so with me :-the great Antiochus-

'Gainst whom I am too little to contend,

Since he's so great can make his will his act-
Will think me speaking, though I swear to silence;
Nor boots it me to say I honour him,(20)

If he suspect I may dishonour him :

And what may make him blush in being known,
He'll stop the course by which it might be known ;
With hostile forces he'll o'erspread the land,
And with th' ostent of war will look so huge,(21)
Amazement shall drive courage from the state;
Our men be vanquish'd ere they do resist,
And subjects punish'd that ne'er thought offence:
Which care of them, not pity of myself,-

Who am no more (22) but as the tops of trees,

Which fence the roots they grow by, and defend them,Makes both my body pine and soul to languish,

And punish that before that he would punish.

Enter HELICANUS and other Lords, (23)

First Lord. Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast! Sec. Lord. And keep your mind, till you return to us, Peaceful and comfortable!

Hel. Peace, peace, and give experience tongue."

They do abuse the king that flatter him :

For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;

The thing the which is flatter'd, but a spark,

(24)

To which that blast gives heat(25) and stronger glowing;

Whereas reproof, obedient, and in order,

Fits kings, as they are men, for they may err.

When Signior Sooth here does proclaim a(26) peace,
He flatters you, makes war upon your life.

Prince, pardon me, or strike me, if you please;

I cannot be much lower than my knees.

Per. All leave us else; but let your cares o'erlook What shipping and what lading's in our haven,

And then return to us. [Exeunt Lords.] Helicanus, thou

Hast moved us: what seest thou in our looks?

Hel. An angry brow, dread lord.

Per. If there be such a dart in princes' frowns, How durst thy tongue move anger to our face?