Lords, Ladies, Knights, Gentlemen, Sailors, Pirates, Fishermen, and Messengers, etc.

dispersedly in various countries.

Scorning advice.

Ant. Read the conclusion then;

Which read and not expounded, 'tis decreed,
As these before thee, thou thyself shalt bleed.
Daugh. In all, save that, may'st thou prove pros-
perous!

In all, save that, I wish thee happiness!

Per. Like a bold champion, I assume the lists,
Nor ask advice of any other thought
But faithfulness, and courage.

[He reads the Riddle.]

I am no viper, yet I feed

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, 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 as 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,

As doth befit our honour and your worth.

[Exeunt Antiochus, his daughter, and
Attendants.

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 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. [Exit.

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 wand'ring 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

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 beings bred,
Then give my tongue like leave to love my head.
Ant. Heaven, that I had thy head! he has found
the meaning;

But I will gloze with him. [Aside.] 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,

He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,
Nor tell the world, Antiochus doth sin
In such a loathed mauner:

And therefore instantly this prince must die;
For by his fall my honour must keep high.
Who attends on us there?

Enter THALIARD.
Thal. Doth your highness call?
Ant. Thaliard, 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. My lord,

'Tis done.

your breath cool yourself, telling your haste. Mess. My lord, prince Pericles is fled. [Exit Messenger.

Ant. As thou

Wilt live, fly after! and as an arrow, shot
His eye doth level at, so ne'er return,
From a well-experienc'd archer, hits the mark
Unless thou say, Prince Pericles is dead!
Thal. My lord, if I

Can get him once within my pistol's length,
I'll make him sure: so farewell to your highness!
[Exit.

Ant. Thaliard, adieu! till Pericles be dead,
My heart can lend no succour to my head. [Er

SCENE II.— Tyre, A room in the palace.
Enter PERICLES, HELICANUS, and other Lords.
Per. Let none disturb us! Why this charge of
thoughts?

The sad companion, dull-ey'd melancholy,
By me so us'd a guest is, not an hour,
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, Where, as thou know'st, against the face of death, them,

And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch,
Whose arm seems far too short to hit me here:
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,
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 the ostent of war will look so huge,
Amazement shall drive courage from the state;
Our men be vanquish'd, e'er they do resist,
And subjects punish'd, that ne'er thought offence:
Which care of them, not pity of myself,
(Who am no more 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.
1 Lord. Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast!
2 Lord. And keep your mind, till you return to us,
Peaceful and comfortable!

Hel. Peace, peace, my lords, 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,
To which that breath gives heat 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 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 mov'd 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?
Ilel. How dare the plants look up to heaven, from

whence

They have their nourishment?

Per. Thou know'st I have power

To take thy life.

Hel. [Kneeling.] I have ground the axe myself; Do you but strike the blow.

Per. Rise, pr'ythee, rise!

Sit down, sit down! thou art no flatterer:

I thank thee for it! and high heaven forbid,
That kings should let their ears hear their faults hid!
Fit counsellor, and servant for a prince,
Who by thy wisdom mak'st a prince thy servant,
What would'st thou have me do?
Hel. With patience bear

Such griefs as you do lay upon yourself.

Per. Thou speak'st like a physician, Helicanus;
Who minister'st a potion auto me,

That thou would'st tremble to receive thyself.
Attend me then I went to Antioch,

I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty,
From whence an issue I might propagate,
Bring arms to princes, and to subjects joys.
Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder;
The rest (hark in thine ear,) as black as incest;
Which by my knowledge found, the sinful father
Seem'd not to strike, but smooth: but thou know'st
this,

'Tis time to fear, when tyrants seems to kiss.
Which fear so grew in me, I hither fled,
Under the covering of a careful night,
Who seem'd my good protector; and being here,
I knew him tyrannous; and tyrants' fears,
Bethought me what was past, what might succeed.
Decrease not, but grow faster, than their years:
And should he doubt it, (as no doubt he doth,)
That I should open to the listening air,
How many worthy princes' bloods were shed,
To keep his bed of blackness unlaid ope,-
To lop that doubt, he'll fill this land with arms,
And make pretence of wrong that I have done him;
When all, for mine, if I may call❜t offence,
Must feel war's blow, who spares not innocence:
Which love to all (of which thyself art one,
Who now reprov'st me for it) –
Hel. Alas, sir!

Per. Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from my
cheeks,

Musings into my mind, a thousand doubts
How I might stop this tempest, ere it came;
And finding little comfort to relieve them,
thought it princely charity to grieve them.
Hel. Well, my lord, since you have given me leave
to speak,

I

Freely I'll speak. Antiochus you fear,
And justly too, I think, you fear the tyrant,
Who either by public war, or private treason,

Will take away your life.

Therefore, my lord, go travel for a while,
Till that his rage and anger be forgot,
Or destinies do cut his thread of life.
Your rule direct to any; if to me,
Day serves not light more faithful than I'll be.
Per. I do not doubt thy faith;
But should he wrong my liberties in absence-
Hel. We'll mingle bloods together in the earth,
From whence we had our being and our birth.
Per. Tyre, I now look from thee then, and to Tharsus
Intend my travel, where I'll hear from thee;
And by whose letters I'll dispose myself.
The care I had and have of subjects' good,
On thee I lay, whose wisdom's strength can bear it.
I'll take thy word for faith, not ask thine oath;
Who shuns not to break one, will sure crack both:
But in our orbs we'll live so round and safe,
That time of both this truth shall ne'er convince,
Thou show'dst a subject's shine, I a true prince.
[Exeunt.
SCENE III. - Tyre. An antichamber in the palace.
Enter THALIARD.
Thal. So, this is Tyre, and this is the court. Here
must I kill king Pericles; and if I do not, I am sure
to be hanged at home: 'tis dangerous. - Well, I
perceive he was a wise fellow, and had good discre-
tion, that being bid to ask what he would of the
king, desired he might know none of his secrets.
Now do I see he had some reason for it; for if a king bid
a man be a villain, he is bound by the indenture of
his oath to be one. Hush, here come the lords of
Tyre!

-

Enter HELICANS, ESCANEUS, and other Lords. Hel. You shall not need, my fellow peers of Tyre,

Hel. Royal Antiochus (on what cause I know not,)
Took some displeasure at him; at least he judg'd so:
And doubting lest that he had err'd or sinn'd,
To show his sorrow, would correct himself;
So puts himself into the shipman's toil,
With whom each minute threatens life or death.
Thal. Well, I perceive

[Aside.

I shall not be hang'd now, although I would;
But since he's gone, the king it sure must please,
He 'scap'd the land, to perish on the seas.
But I'll present me. Peace to the lords of Tyre!
Hel. Lord Thaliard from Antiochus is welcome!
Thal. From him I come

With message unto princely Pericles;
But, since my landing, as I have understood
Your lord has took himself to unknown travels,
My message must return from whence it came.
Hel. We have no reason to desire it, since
Commended to our master, not to us:
Yet, ere you shall depart, this we desire,
As friends to Antioch, we may feast in Tyre. [Exeunt.
SCENE IV. - Tharsus. A room in the Governor's

house.

Enter CLEON, DIONYZA, and Attendants.
Cle. My Dionyza, shall we rest us here,
And by relating tales of other's griefs,
See if 'twill teach us to forget our own?
Dio. That were to blow at fire, in hope to quench it;
For who digs hills because they do aspire,
Throws down one mountain to cast up a higher.
O my distressed lord, even such our griefs;
Here they're but felt, and seen with mistful eyes,
But like to groves, being topp'd, they higher rise.
Cle. O Dionyza,

Who wanteth food, and will not say he wants it,
Or can conceal his hunger, till he famish?
Our tongues and sorrows do sound deep our woes
Into the air; our eyes do weep, till lungs
Fetch breath that may proclaim them louder; that,
If heaven slumber, while their creatures want,
They may awake their helps to comfort them.
I'll then discourse our woes, felt several years,
And wanting breath to speak, help me with tears.
Dio. I'll do my best, sir.

They are now starv'd for want of exercise:
Those palates, who not yet two summers younger,
Must have inventions do delight the taste,
Would now be glad of bread, and beg for it;
Those mothers, who, to nousle up their babes,
Thought nought too curious, are ready now,
To eat those little darlings, whom they lov'd.
So sharp are hunger's teeth, that man and wife
Draw lots, who first shall die to lengthen life:
Here stands a lord, and there a lady weeping;
Here many sink, yet those which see them fall,
Have scarce strength left to give them burial.
Is not this true?

Cle. This Tharsus, o'er which I have government,
(A city, on whom plenty held full hand,)
For riches, strew'd herself even in the streets;
Whose towers bore heads so high, they kiss'd the
clouds,

And strangers ne'er beheld, but wonder'd at;
Whose men and dames so jetted and adorn'd,
Like one another's glass to trim them by:
Their tables were stor'd full to glad the sight,
And not so much to feed on, as delight;
All poverty was scorn'd, and pride so great,
The name of help grew odious to repeat.
Dio. O, 'tis too true!

Cle. But see what heaven can do! By this
change,

our

These mouths, whom but of late, earth, sea, and air,
Were all too little to content and please,
Although they gave their creatures in abundance,
As houses are defil'd for want of use,

Dio. Our cheeks and hollow eyes do witness it,
Cle. O, let those cities, that of Plenty's cup
And her prosperities so largely taste,
With their superfluous riots, hear these tears!
The misery of Tharsus may be theirs.
Enter a Lord.

Lord. Where's the lord governor?

Cle. Here.

Speak out thy sorrows, which thou bring'st, in haste,
For comfort is too far for us to expect.
Lord. We have descried, upon our neighbouring
shore,

A portly sail of ships make hitherward.
Cle. I thought as much.

One sorrow never comes, but brings an heir,
That may
succeed as his inheritor;

And so in ours: some neighbouring nation,
Taking advantage of our misery,

Hath stuff'd these hollow vessels with their power,
To beat us down, the which are down already;
And make a conquest of unhappy me,
Whereas no glory's got to overcome.
Lord. That's the least fear; for, by the semblance
And come to us as favourers, not as foes.
Of their white flags display'd, they bring us peace,

Cle. Thou speak'st like him's untutor❜d to repeat,
Who makes the fairest show, means most deceit.
The ground's the low'st, and we are half way there.
But bring they what they will, what need we fear?
Go tell their general, we attend him here,
To know for what he comes, and whence he comes,
And what he craves.

Lord. I go, my lord!

[Exit Cle. Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist; If wars, we are unable to resist.

Enter PERICLES, with Attendants.
Per. Lord governor, for so we hear you are,
Let not our ships and number of our men
Be, like a beacon fir'd, to amaze your eyes.
We have heard your miseries as far as Tyre,
And seen the desolation of your streets:
Nor come we to add sorrow to your tears,
But to relieve them of their heavy load;
And these our ships you happily may think
Are, like the Trojan horse, war-stuff"d within,
With bloody views, expecting overthrow,
Are stor'd with corn, to make your needy bread,
And give them life, who are hunger-starv'd, half dead.
All. The gods of Greece protect you!
And we'll pray for you.

Per. Rise, I pray you, rise!

We do not look for reverence, but for love,
And harbourage for ourself, our ships, and men.
Cle. The which when any shall not gratify,
Or pay you with unthankfulness in thought,
Be it our wives, our children, or ourselves,
The curse of heaven and men succeed their evils!
Till when, (the which, I hope, shall ne'er be seen,
Your grace is welcome to our town and us.

H

A

P

B

T

1

Per. Which welcome we'll accept ; feast here a while, Until our stars, that frown, lend us a smile.

АСТ II.

Enter Gower.

Gow. Here have you seen a mighty king
His child, I wis, to incest bring;
A better prince, and benign lord,
Prove awful both in deed and word.
Be quiet then, as men should be,
Till he hath pass'd necessity.

I'll show you those in troubles reign,
Losing a mite, a mountain gain..
The good in conversation
(To whom I give my benizon,)

Is still as Tharsus, where each man
Thinks all is writ he spoken can:
And, to remember what he does,
Gild his statue glorious:
But tidings to the contrary

[Exeunt.

Are brought your eyes; what need speak I?

Dumb show.

Enter at one door PERICLES, talking with CLEON; all the train with them. Enter at another door, a Gentleman, with a letter to PERICLES: PERICLES shows the letter to CLEON: then gives the Messenger a reward, and knights him. Exeunt PERICLES, CLEON, etc. severally.

Gow. Good Helicane hath staid at home, Not to eat honey, like a drone,

From others' labours; forth he strive

To killen bad, keep good alive;
And, to fulfil his prince' desire,
Sends word of all that haps in Tyre:
How Thaliard came full bent with sin,
And hid intent, to murder him;
And that in Tharsus was not best
Longer for him to make his rest:
He knowing so, put forth to seas,
Where when men been, there's seldom ease:
For now the wind begins to blow:
Thunder above, and deeps below,
Make such unquiet, that the ship

Should house him safe, is wreck'd and split;
And he, good prince, having all lost,
By waves from coast to coast is tost;
All perishen of man, of pelf,
Ne aught escapen but himself;
Till fortune, tir'd with doing bad,

Threw him ashore, to give him glad:

And here he comes: what shall be next,
Pardon old Gower; this long's the text.

SCENE I.- Pentapolis. An open place by the side.

Enter PERICLES, wet.

3 Fish. What say you, master?

1 Fish. Look how thou stirrest now! come away, or I'll fetch thee with a wannion!

3 Fish. 'Faith, master, I am thinking of the poor men that were cast away before us, even now.

1 Fish. 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.

3 Fish. Nay, master, said not I as much. when I saw the porpus, how he bounced and tumbled? they say, they are 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.

1 Fish. Why, as men do a-land; the great ones cat 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 1 heard on a'the land, who never leave gaping, till they've swallowed the whole parish, church, steeple, bells, and all.

3 Fish. We would purge the land of these drones, that rob the bee of her honey.

Per. How from the finny subject of the sea
These fishers tell the infirmities of men;
And from their watry empire recollect

All that may men approve, or men detect!-
Peace be at your labour, honest fishermen!

2 Fish. Honest! good fellow, what's that? if it be a day fits you, scratch it out of the calendar, and no body will look after it.

Per. Nay, see, the sea hath cast upon your coast2 Fish. What a drunken knave was the sea, to cast thee in our way!

Per. A man, whom both the waters and the wind,
In that vast tennis-court, hath made the ball
For them to play upon, entreats you pity him;
He asks of you, that never us'd to beg.

1 Fish. No, friend, cannot you beg? here's them in our country of Greece, gets more with begging, than we can do with working.

2 Fish. Canst thou catch any fishes then? [Exit. Per. I never practis'd it.

2 Fish. Nay, then, thou wilt starve sure; for here's sea-nothing to be got now-a-days, unless thou can'st fish for't.

Per. Yet cease your ire, ye 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,

Per. What I have been, I have forgot to know;
But what I am, want teaches me to think on;
A man shrunk 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,

Wash'd me from shore to shore, and left me breath For I am a man, pray see me buried.

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 watry grave,
Ilere to have death in peace, is all he'll crave!
Enter three Fishermen.

1 Fish. What, ho, Pilche!

2 Fish. Ho! come, and bring away the nets! 1 Fish. What, Patch-breech, I say!

1 Fish. 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 fastingdays, and moreo'er, puddings and flap-jacks; and thou shalt be welcome!

Per. I thank you, sir!

2 Fish. Hark you, my, friend, you said you could not beg.