The Prince silently peruses the riddle, and shrewdly interprets its meaning, which involves the fame of the fair Princess: he at once declines to proceed with his suit; suggesting, rather than explaining, his reasons.

Per. Sharp 'physic is this scroll: 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?
For he 's no man on whom 'perfections wait,
That, knowing Sin 'within, will touch the 'gate.
Good sooth, I care not for her!

Ant. Prince Pericles, your time's expired:

Either 'expound now, or receive your sentence. Per. Great King,

Few love to 'hear the sins they love to 'act;

'T would 'braida '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 's like the wandering wind,
Blows dust in 'others' eyes to spread 'itself.
The blind mole casts

'Copped' hills towards 'Heaven, to tell-the 'earth is
thronged

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 source that 'first their being bred,-
Then give my tongue 'like leave, to love my 'head.

The Emperor, amazed that his secret has been discovered, instantly resolves on the Prince's death.

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 tenor of our strict edíct,

(Your exposition 'mis-interpreting,)

We might proceed to cancel-off your days'; Yet hope,-succeeding from so fair a tree As your fair self,--doth tune us otherwise: Forty days longer we do réspite you; If, by which time, our secret be undone, upbraid, censure (O. R. brayde.) braised, having a cop or top. d O. R. womb. speak flatteringly. to end your life.

c the mole.

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.
Per. . . . How 'courtesy would seem to cover 'sin,-
When 'what is done is like a hypocrite;

Exeunt all but Pericles.

The which is good, in nothing but in 'sight!"-
Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, where men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,
They'll shun' no course to keep them from the 'light;
'One sin, I know, 'another doth provoke;

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

Antiochus returns.

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;

And therefore 'instantly this Prince must die;
For, by 'his fall, my 'honour must keep high.—
Who attends us there? [Third] Thaliard,
You 're of our chamber, and our mind partakes
Her 'private actions to your secrecy;

enters.

[Exit.

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, then, is it done?

Thal. My lord, ''t is done.

Ant. Enough.

A Messenger hastily enters. Mess. My lord, Prince Pericles is 'fled. Ant.

Exit

Mess.

Thaliard, as thou Wilt live, fly 'after: and, as an arrow, shot From a well-experienced archer, 'hits the mark His eye doth level at, so do thou ne'er return, Unless thou say,-" Prince Pericles is 'dead." Thal. My lord, if I can get within my pistol's length, I'll make him sure enough! so farewell to your high

ness.

Ant. Thaliard, adieu-[a]-Till Pericles be 'dead,
My 'heart can lend no succour to my 'head.

[Exit.

Pericles has escaped from Antioch to his own city of Tyre; but,

a appearance.

bO. R. shew

discloses, imparts.

fearing that he may be followed by the vindictive Antiochus, he determines to resign his government, and, for a time, to seek shelter on some foreign shore. He therefore hastens to consult Lord Helicanus, his faithful and trustworthy minister:

without.

Per. [To his Attendants
nts] Let none disturb us.-Why should this
charge of thoughts,-

The sad companion, dull-eyed Melancholy,-
Be my so 'used a guest, as 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 them!

Then it is thus:-The great Antiochus

('Gainst whom I am too 'little to contend,

Since he's 'so great,) can make his 'will his 'act,

And think me 'speaking, though I swear to 'silence ;
Nor boots it me to say-I 'honour him,

If he suspect I may 'dis-honour 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 'Il o'erspread my land;
And, with the ostents of war, will look so huge,
Amazement shall drive 'Courage from the State;
Our men be 'vanquished, ere they do 'resist,
And subjects 'punished, 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 anguisha.
Helicanus and other Lords enter.

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.
When Signior Sooth here does proclaim a 'peace,
He 'flatters you,—makes war upon your 'life.—

Kneel

Prince, pardon me,—or strike me, if you please; [mg]
I cannot be much 'lower than my knees.

Lords.

Per. All leave us else. [Exeunt]-What see'st thou in our looks? Hel. An 'angry brow, dread lord.

d put to the torture

burden, load (O. R. change.) b because. "O. R. stint.
(O. R. punish). e kinsman of Sir Smile (in the "Winter's Tale ").

Per. If there be such a dart in princes' 'frowns,

How durst thy tongue 'move anger to our 'face? Hel. How dare the plants look up to 'heaven, from whence They have their nourishment?

Kneel

Per. Thou know'st, I 've 'power to take thy life from thee? Hel. [K] I've 'ground the axe; do 'you but strike the 'blow. Per. Rise, pr'ythee, rise; 'thou art no 'flatterer :—

Hel.

ing.

Fit counsellor, and servant for a Prince,

Who, by thy wisdom, mak'st a Prince 'thy servant,
What wouldst thou have me 'do?

To bear with patience
Such griefs as you do lay upon 'yourself.
Per. Thou speak'st like a 'physician, Helicanus,
That minister'st a potion unto 'me,

That thou wouldst tremble to receive 'thyself.
Attend me then: I went to Antioch,

Where, as thou know'st, against the face of death
I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty:
Her 'face was, to mine eye, beyond all wonder;
Her 'heart as black as night. But thou know'st this,—
'T is time to 'fear, when tyrants seem to 'kiss;
Which fear 'so grew in me, I hither 'fled,

Under the covering of a careful night,

Which seemed my good protector: and 'being here,
Bethought me what was 'past,-what might 'succeed.
I knew him 'tyrannous; and 'tyrants' fears

'Decrease not, but grow 'faster than their years. Hel. My lord, since you have given me 'leave to speak, 'Freely I'll speak. Antiochus, you fear, will take your life:

Therefore, my lord, go 'travel for a while;
Till that his rage and anger be forgot;

Or till the Fates shall 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
Tyre's liberties in my 'absence

?

Hel. We'll mingle our bloods together in the earth

From whence we had our being and our birth.

Per.... Tyre, I now look 'from thee then; and to 'Tarsus Intend my travel, where I 'll hear from thee,

And by whose letters I 'll dispose myself.—

& O. R. my.

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 orbsa 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.

Thaliard has eagerly followed to Tyre, whence he hears that the Prince has again fled.

Pericles, dreading this pursuit, hastens to Tarsus: he learns, before his arrival there, that the Citizens are famine-stricken: therefore, to secure his welcome, he brings for their relief large supplies of provisions. On his landing, he at once waits on Cleon, the Governor of the famished city.

Per. Lord Governor,-for so we hear you are,—

Let not our ships and number of our men Be, like a beacon, fired 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-stuffed within,) Are stored with 'corn-to make your needy bread,' And give them life, whom hunger 'starved half-dead. All. The gods of Greece protect, and 'we will 'pray for

Per.

you.

Rise; 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 un-thankfulness 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.

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

[Exeunt.

The Chorus-Poet, old Gower, again comes forward to report the progress of the story:

Gower. Here have you seen a mighty 'King

His child, I wis,' to ruin bring;