In marriage-pleasures play-fellow:
Which to prevent he made a law,—
To keep her still, and men in awe,—
That whoso ask'd her for his wife,
His riddle told not,1 lost his life:
So for her many a wight did die,
As yon grim looks do testify.

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[Pointing to the impaled heads. What now ensues, to the judgment of your eye I give, my cause who best can justify.] [Exit.

SCENE I. The same. A room in the palace. Enter ANTIOCHUS, PERICLES, and Attendants. Ant. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large receiv'd2

The danger of the task you undertake.

Per. I have, Antiochus; and, with a soul Emboldened with the glory of her praise, Think death no hazard in this enterprise.

Ant. Bring in our daughter, clothed like a bride,

[For the embracements even of Jove himself;
At whose conception, till Lucina reign'd,
Nature this dowry gave, to glad her presence,
The senate-house of planets all did sit,
To knit in her their best perfections.3]

Music. Enter the PRINCESS, attended.

10

[Per [Aside] See where she comes, apparell'd like the spring,

Graces her subjects, and her thoughts the king Of every virtue gives renown to men!

Her face the book of praises, where is read (Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence Sorrow were ever ras'd, and testy wrath Could never be her mild companion.7 You gods that made me man, and sway in love, That have inflam'd desires in my breast To taste the fruit of yon celestial tree, Or die in the adventure, be my helps, As I am son and servant to your will, To compass such a boundless happiness!]

1 Told not, not having been expounded.

20

25

Ant. Prince Pericles,Per. That would be son to great Antiochus. Ant. Before thee stands this fair Hesperides, With golden fruit, but dangerous to be touch'd; For death-like dragons here affright thee hard:" Her face, like heaven, enticeth thee to view Her countless glory, which desert must gain; And which, without desert, because thine eye Presumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die. Yon sometimes10 famous princes, like thyself, Drawn by report, adventurous by desire, Tell thee, with speechless tongues and semblance pale,

That, without covering, save yon field of stars, Here they stand martyrs, slain in Cupid's wars; And with dead cheeks advise thee to desist For going on 11 death's net, whom none resist. Per. Antiochus, I thank thee, who hath taught

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9 Hard, strongly, greatly.

10 Sometimes, formerly.

11 For going on, lest you should fall into.

12 To what I must, the state to which I must come. 13 Who, i.c. death who.

14 Which read, i.e. which having been read.

15 All say'd yet, all who have hitherto made the trial.

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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.]

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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,

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Few love to hear the sins they love to act;
T would 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 's like the wandering wind,
Blows dust in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,

Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell the earth is throng'ds

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:

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If by which time our secret be undone,11
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! 12
[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 uncomely 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

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7 To stop the air would hurt them, how to stop (for the future) the gust that would hurt them.

To tell the earth is throng'd, to tell how the earth is burdened. 9 Gloze, use deceit.

10 Misinterpreting, i.e. being an incorrect interpretation. 11 Our secret be undone, i.e. our problem be solved (by you). 12 Sight, i.e. outward appearance.

Enter a Messenger.

Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste. Mess. My lord, Prince Pericles is fled. [Exit. Ant. [To Thaliard] As thou wilt live, fly after; and, like an arrow

Shot from a well-experienc'd archer, hits
The mark his eye doth level1 at, so thou:
[Never return

Unless thou say "Prince Pericles is dead."
Thal. My lord,

If I can get him within my pistol's length,2 I'll make him sure enough: so, farewell to your highness.

Ant. Thaliard,] adieu! [Exit Thaliard.] Till Pericles be dead

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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 change of thoughts, The sad companion, dull-ey'd melancholy, Be my so-us'd a guest3 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,

10

And danger, which I fear'd, 's 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,1
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;

Makes both my body pine, and soul to languish, And punish that before that he would punish.]?

Enter HELICANUS and other Lords.

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 10 up sin;
The thing the which is flatter'd, but a spark,
To which that blast gives heat and stronger
glowing;

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7 Boots it me, is it any use to me.

8 Th' ostent of war, i.e. the mere display of his armament.

9 Amazement, consternation.

11 Sooth, flattery.

10 Blows, that blows.

12 Lading, cargoes.

That minister'st a potion unto me
That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself.
Attend me,2 then: I went to Antioch,
Where, as thou know'st, against the face of
death,

I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty,
From whence an issue I might propagate
Are arms to princes, and bring joys to sub-
jects.

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

Freely will I 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 till the Destinies do cut his thread of life.
Your rule direct to any; if to me,
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Day serves not light more faithful than I'll be.
Per. I do not doubt thy faith;

But should he wrong my 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

Intend9 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.

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