Who wanteth food, and will not say he wants it,
Or can conceal his hunger till he famish?
Our tongues do sound our sorrows and deep woes
Into the air; our eyes do weep, till lungs

Fetch breath that may proclaim them louder; that,
If Heaven slumber while their creatures want,

They may awake their helps to comfort them.
I'll, then, discourse our woes, felt several years;
And, wanting breath to speak, help me with tears.
Dio. I'll do my best, sir.

Cle. This Tarsus, o'er which I have government,
A city on whom Plenty held full hand;

Where Riches strew'd herself even in the streets;2

Whose towers bore heads so high they kiss'd the clouds,

And strangers ne'er beheld but wonder'd at;
Whose men and dames so jetted3 and adorn'd,
Like one another's glass to trim them by :
Their tables were stored full, to glad the sight,
And not so much to feed on as delight;

All poverty was scorn'd, and pride so great,
The name of help grew odious to repeat.
Dio. O, 'tis too true.

Cle. But see what Heaven can do! By this our change, Those mouths whom but of late, earth, sea, and air,

Were all too little to content and please,

Although they gave their creatures in abundance,

As houses are defiled for want of use,

They are now starved for want of exercise :
Those palates who, not yet two Summers younger,

1 Their refers to Heaven, which is here a collective noun.

2 That is, "Riches poured herself out even in the streets." Riches is here used as a noun singular, like the French richesse. The usage was common. So in the Poet's 87th Sonnet: "And for that riches where is my deserving?" 3 To jet is to walk proudly, to strut. See vol. xviii. page 67, note 1.

Must have inventions to delight the taste,

Would now be glad of bread, and beg for it :
Those mothers who, to nousle 4 up their babes,
Thought nought too curious, are ready now
To eat those little darlings whom they loved.
So sharp are hunger's teeth, that man and wife
Draw lots who first shall die to lengthen life :
Here stands a lord, and there a lady weeping;
Here many sink, yet those which see them fall
Have scarce strength left to give them burial.
Is not this true?

Dio. Our cheeks and hollow eyes do witness it.
Cle. O, let those cities that of Plenty's cup
And her prosperities so largely taste,

With their superfluous riots, heed these tears!
The misery of Tarsus may be theirs.

Enter a Lord.

Lord. Where's the lord governor?

Cle. Here.

Speak out thy sorrows which thou bring'st in haste,

For comfort is too far for us t' expect.

Lord. We have descried, upon our neighbouring shore,

A portly sail of ships make hitherward.

Cle. I thought as much.

One sorrow never comes but brings an heir,

That may succeed as his inheritor ;

And so in ours: some neighbouring nation,

Taking advantage of our misery,

Hath stuff'd these hollow vessels with their power,

4 To nousle is an old word for to nurse. So in The Faerie Queene, i.

6, 23:

Whom, till to ryper years he gan aspyre,

He nousled up in life and maners wilde.

To beat us down, the which are down already;
And make a conquest of unhappy men,
Whereas 5 no glory's got to overcome.

Lord. That's the least fear; for, by the semblance
Of their white flags display'd, they bring us peace,
And come to us as favourers, not as foes.

Cle. Thou speak'st like him's untutor'd to repeat:
Who makes the fairest show means most deceit.
But, bring they what they will, and what they can,
What need we fear?

The ground's the lowest, and we're half-way there.
Go tell their general we attend him here,

To know for what he comes, and whence he comes,
And what he craves.

6

Lord. I go, my lord.

[Exit.

Cle. Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist; 7 If wars, we are unable to resist.

Enter PERICLES with Attendants.

Per. Lord governor, for so we hear you are,
Let not our ships and number of our men
Be like a beacon fired t' amaze your eyes.
We've heard your miseries as far as Tyre,
And seen the desolation of your streets :
Nor come we to add sorrow to your hearts,
But to relieve them of their heavy load;
And these our ships, you happily may think
Are like the Trojan horse was stuff'd within
With bloody veins, expecting overthrow,

5 Whereas for where; as, before, where for whereas. See page 18, note 17.

"Thou speak'st like a man who is untaught to remember, that is, has no memory; referring to the proverb quoted in the next line.

To consist in the Latin sense; to stand, or to take a stand, to rest.
"And these our ships, which you, expecting overthrow, may perhaps

Are stored with corn to make your needy bread,

And give them life whom hunger starved half dead.
All. The gods of Greece protect you!

And we'll pray for you.

Per.
Rise, I 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 unthankfulness in thought,
Be it our wives, our children, or ourselves,

The curse of Heaven and men succeed 9 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.

ACT II.

Enter GOWER.

Gow. Here have you seen a mighty king

His child, I wis, to incest bring;

A better prince, and benign lord,

That will prove awful both in deed and word.

Be quiet, then, as men should be,

Till he hath pass'd necessity.

I'll show you those in troubles reign,

think to be like the Trojan horse which was stuff'd with living men, are,” &c. Happily was often used for haply, when the verse wanted a trisyllable. "Bloody veins" for veins filled with blood.

9 Succeed in the Latin sense of follow; a frequent usage.

1 Awful is full of awe, that is, reverent. The force of you have seen is continued over a better prince.

Losing a mite, a mountain gain.
The good in conversation

To whom I gave my benison

Is still at Tarsus, where each man
Thinks all is writ he speken can;2
And, to remember what he does,
Build his statue to make him glorious :

But tidings to the contrary

Are brought your eyes; what need speak I?

DUMB-SHOW.

Enter, from one side, PERICLES, talking with CLEON; their Trains with them. Enter, from the other side, a Gentleman, with a letter to PERICLES; who shows the letter to CLEON; then gives the Messenger a reward, and knights him. Exeunt severally PERICLES and CLEON, with their Trains.

Good Helicane hath stay'd at home,
Not to eat honey like a drone
From others' labours, though3 he strive
To killen bad, keep good alive;
And, to fulfil his Prince' desire,
Sends word of all that haps in Tyre:
How Thaliard came full bent with sin
And hid intent to murder him ;
And that in Tarsus was not best
Longer for him to make his rest.

He, knowing so, put forth to seas,

2 "The good prince (on whom I bestow my blessing) is still at Tarsus, where every man pays as much respect to all he can speak, as if it were holy writ." Conversation is conduct, or behaviour, as in the Bible.

3 Though was not unfrequently used for since, for, because, or inasmuch as; and Shakespeare has it repeatedly in that sense. So that " though he strive" is simply equivalent to "since he strives," or "for he strives." See vol. xvii. page 230, note 13.