Thal. 'Tis done. Ant. Enough. My lord, Enter a Messenger. Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste. As thou Ant. 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? And danger, which I fear'd, 's at Antioch,(18) Nor yet the other's distance comfort me. 'Gainst whom I am too little to contend, Since he's so great can make his will his act― If he suspect I may dishonour him : And what may make him blush in being known, Which fence the roots they grow by, and defend them,— 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. (24) 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 blast gives heat(25) and stronger glowing; Fits kings, as they are men, for they may err. He flatters you, makes war upon your life. 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? Hel. How dare the plants look up to heaven, from whence They have their nourishment? Per. To take thy life from thee. Thou know'st I've power Hel. [kneeling] I've ground the axe myself; Do you but strike the blow. Per. Rise, prithee, rise. Sit down thou art no flatterer: I thank thee for it; and heaven(27) forbid That kings should let their ears hear their faults chid !(28) Fit counsellor and servant for a prince, Who by thy wisdom mak'st a prince thy servant, What wouldst thou have me do? Hel. To bear with patience Such griefs as you yourself do lay upon yourself. (29) That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself. (30) Where, as thou know'st, against the face of death, 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, When all, for mine, if I may call❜t(34) offence, Hel. Alas, sir! Per. Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from my cheeks, Musings into my mind, with 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've given me leave to speak, Freely will I speak. Antiochus you fear, And justly too, I think, you fear the tyrant, Therefore, my lord, go travel for a while, Or till the Destinies do cut his thread of life. 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. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Tyre. An ante-chamber in the palace. Enter THALIARD. Thal. So, this is Tyre, and this the court. Here must I kill King Pericles; and if I do it 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 't; for if a king bid a man be a villain, he's 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, Thal. [aside] How! the king gone! 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, I shall not be hang'd now, although I would; He scap'd the land, to perish at the seas.(37) I'll present myself.-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 (38) Your lord has betook himself to unknown travels, |