For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;

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

To which that blast 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'er-look 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 prince's 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?

Per.

Thou know'st I have power

To take thy life from thee.

Hel. I have ground the axe myself;

Do you but strike the blow.

Per.

Rise, pr'ythee rise;

Sit down; thou art no flatterer:

I thank thee for it; and 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,

3 To which that BLAST gives HEAT and stronger glowing;] The old copies read, "To which that spark gives heart and stronger glowing :" modern editors notice one corruption, but do not mention the other. Monck Mason proposed "blast" for spark, and all agree that either that word or some equivalent, breath or wind, is necessary. Malone adopted breath, and Steevens wind. Heart for "heat" was an easy corruption.

How dare the PLANTS look up to heaven,] Malone tells us that the quarto, 1609, has "plants:" no other copy of that edition we have seen, reads "plants:"

nevertheless the mistake is evident.

What would'st thou have me do?

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

That thou would'st 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,
From whence an issue I might propagate,
Are arms to princes, and bring joys to subjects.
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 seem 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,
Bethought me what was past, what might succeed.
I knew him tyrannous; and tyrants' fears
Decrease not, but grow faster than the years.
And should he doubt it3, (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,

And should he DOUBT it,] Malone's judicious emendation of the quarto, 1609, which reads, " And should he doo't:" the folio, 1664, following the later quartos, prints "And should he think it." Seven lines lower, Malone's copy of the quarto, 1609, differs, by having "spares" for fears of other copies of the same impression. This important correction must have been made while the edition was going through the press.

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,
I thought it princely charity to grieve them.

Hel. Well, my lord, since you have given me leave to speak,

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,

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 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 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.

6 - will SURE crack both :]

inserted in the folio, 1664.

7 this truth shall ne'er CONVINCE,] i. e. overcome. See Vol. vii. p. 118. 166, &c.

SCENE III.

Tyre. An Ante-chamber 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 discretion, 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 HELICANUS, ESCANES, and other Lords.

Hel. You shall not need, my fellow peers of Tyre,
Farther to question me of your king's departure:
His seal'd commission, left in trust with me,
Doth speak sufficiently, he's gone to travel.
Thal. [Aside.] How! the king gone?
Hel. If farther yet you will be satisfied,

Why, as it were unlicens'd of your loves,
He would depart, I'll give some light unto you.
Being at Antioch-

Thal.

[Aside.] What from Antioch?

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 he'd correct himself;

So puts himself unto the shipman's toil,

With whom each minute threatens life or death.
Thal. [Aside.] Well, I perceive

I shall not be hang'd now, although I would;

But since he's gone, the king's seas must please:
He 'scap'd the land, to perish at the sea.-

I'll present myself.-[To them.] 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 I have understood,

Your lord hath betook himself to unknown travels,
My message must return from whence it came.

8

Hel. We have no reason to desire it, 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 dig 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 mischief's 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?

8 My message-] So all the editions but the quarto, 1609, which reads, "Now message must return," &c.