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'erlook

What shipping and what lading's in our haven,

And then return to us. [Exeunt Lords.] - Helicanus, thou Hast moved us: what see'st 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

Sit down thou art no flatterer;

I thank thee for it: and Heaven forbid

That kings should let their ears hear their faults chid !5

Fit counsellor and servant for a prince,

Who by thy wisdom makest a prince thy servant,

What wouldst thou have me do?

Hel.

With patience bear

Such griefs as you yourself lay on yourself.

4 Signior Sooth is a near kinsman of a gentleman mentioned in The Winter's Tale: And his pond fish'd by his next neighbour, by Sir Smile." 5" Should prevent or hinder their ears from hearing their faults chid." The old let, now obsolete.

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,
From whence an issue I might propagate,

Are arms to princes, and bring joys to subjects.6
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:7 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 their years:
And should he doubt it,
8 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 ;

6 The meaning is, "From whom I might propagate such issue as bring strength to princes, and joy to their subjects."

7 To smooth is to soothe, coax, or flatter. So in King Richard III.: "Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog." And in Titus Andronicus: "Yield to his humour, smooth, and speak him fair." The verb to smooth is frequently used in this sense by our elder writers; for instance, by Stubbes in his Anatomie of Abuses, 1583: "If you will learn to deride, scoffe, mock, and flowt, to flatter and smooth," &c.

8 To doubt in its old sense of to fear or suspect. So the noun a little after.

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 reprovest me for it,

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,
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 Tarsus
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,

9 Orbs for orbits; a frequent usage. See vol. xviii, page 148, note 29.

That time of both this truth shall ne'er convince, 10
Thou show'dst a subject's shine, I a true prince. [Exeunt.

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 hang'd 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,
Further 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 further yet you will be satisfied,
Why, as it were unlicensed of your loves,
He would depart, I'll give some light unto you.

Being at Antioch,

Thal. [Aside]. What from Antioch?

Hel.

Royal Antiochus

Took some displeasure at him,

on what cause I know not

See vol. xvii. page 38, note 17.

10 Convince here means overcome. 1 Who this wise fellow was may be known from the following passage in Barnabie Riche's Souldiers Wishe to Briton's Welfare, 1604: "I will therefore commende the poet Philipides, who being demaunded by King Lisimachus, what favour he might doe unto him for that he loved him, made this answere to the king, That your majesty would never impart unto me any of your secrets."

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 with death.
Thal. [Aside.] Well, I perceive

I shall not be hang'd now, although I would;
But, since he's gone, the King's ears it must please,
He 'scaped the land, to perish at the sea.

I'll present myself. Peace to the lords of Tyre!

Ilel. 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 has betook himself to unknown travels :
My message must return from whence it came.
Hel. We have no reason to inquire of 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. Tarsus. 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 others' 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 distressèd lord, even such our griefs:
Here they are felt and seen with misery's eyes;
But, like to groves, being lopp'd, they higher rise.
Cle. O Dionyza,