Which pleasure fits a 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
On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.
Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,
Will shun no course to keep them from the light.
One sin, I know, another doth provoke;

130

Murder's as near to lust as flame to smoke :

Poison and treason are the hands of sin,
Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame:
Then, lest my life be cropp'd to keep you clear,

140

[Exit.

By flight I'll shun the danger which I fear.

Re-enter Antiochus.

Ant. He hath found the meaning, for the which we mean
To have his head.

He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,
Nor tell the world Antiochus doth sin

In such a loathed manner:

And therefore instantly this prince must die;
For by his fall my honour must keep high.
Who attends us there?

Enter Thaliard.

Thal. Doth your highness call?

Ant. Thaliard,

You are of our chamber, and our mind partakes
Her private actions to your secrecy :

And for your faithfulness we will advance you.
Thaliard, behold, here's poison, and here's gold;

150

We hate the prince of Tyre, and thou must kill him:
It fits thee not to ask the reason why,
Because we bid it. Say, is it done?

Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste.

Mess. My lord, prince Pericles is fled.

Ant.

As thou

Wilt live, fly after: and like an arrow shot
From a well experienced archer hits the mark
His eye doth level at, so thou ne'er return

Unless thou say 'Prince Pericles is dead.'

Thal. My lord,

[Exit.

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

highness.

169

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

My heart can lend no succour to my head.

Scene II.

Tyre. A room in the palace.

Enter Pericles.

Per. [To Lords without] Let none disturb
should this change of thoughts,

The sad companion, dull-eyed melancholy,
Be my so used a guest 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,

And danger, which I fear'd, is at Antioch,
Whose arm seems far too short to hit me here:

Then it is thus: the passions of the mind,

That have their first conception by mis-dread,
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;

Nor boots it me to say I honour him,

20

If he suspect I may dishonour him:

And what may make him blush in being known,
He'll stop the course by which it might be known:

With hostile forces he'll o'erspread the land,
And with the ostent of war will look so huge,
Amazement shall drive courage from the state,
Our men be vanquish'd ere they do resist,
And subjects punish'd that ne'er thought offence :

Which care of them, not pity of myself,

Who am no more but as the tops of trees

30

Which fence the roots they grow by and defend them,
Makes both my body pine and soul to languish,

And punish that before that he would punish.

Enter Helicanus, with 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 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'erlook
What shipping and what lading's in our haven,
And then return to us.

thou

40

[Exeunt Lords.] Helicanus,

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,

50

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. [Kneeling] I have 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 forbid

61

That kings should let their ears hear their faults hid!
Fit counsellor and servant for a prince,

Who by thy wisdom makest a prince thy servant,

What wouldst 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 minister'st a potion unto me
That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself.
Attend me then: I went to Antioch,

70

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,

80

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 it, 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, 90
And make pretence of wrong that I have done him;
When all, for mine, if I may call offence,
Must feel war's blow, who spares not innocence:
Which love to all, of which thyself art one,