And make a conquest of unhappy me,
Whereas 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?

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The ground's the lowest, and we are 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.

Lord. I go, my lord.

Cle. Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist;
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 to amaze your eyes.
We have heard your miseries as far as Tyre,
And seen the desolation of your streets:
Nor come we to add sorrow to your tears,
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,
Are stored with corn to make your needy bread,

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[Exit.

And give them life whom hunger starved half dead.

All. The gods of Greece protect you!

And we'll pray for you.

90 Per.

Arise, I pray you, rise :

We do not look for reverence, but for love
And harbourage for ourself, our ships and men. 100

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 their evils!

Till when, the which I hope shall ne'er be seenYour 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 SECOND.

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,

Losing a mite, a mountain gain.

The good in conversation,

To whom I give my benison,

Is still at Tarsus, where each man
Thinks all is writ he speken can;

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, at one door, Pericles, talking with Cleon; all the train with them. Enter, at another door, a Gentleman, with a letter to Pericles; Pericles shows the letter to Cleon; gives the Messenger a reward, and knights him. Exit Pericles at one door, and Cleon at another.

Good Helicane, that stay'd at home,
Not to eat honey like a drone
From others' labours; for though 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 had intent to murder him;

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What shall be next,

And here he comes.
Pardon old Gower, this longs the text. (Exit. 40

Scene I.

Pentapolis. An open place by the sea-side.

Enter Pericles, wet.

Per. Yet cease your ire, you angry stars of heaven!
Wind, rain, and thunder, remember, earthly man
Is but a substance that must yield to you;
And I, as fits my nature, do obey you :
Alas, the sea hath cast me on the rocks,
Wash'd me from shore to shore, and left me breath
Nothing to think on but ensuing death :
Let it suffice the greatness of your powers
To have bereft a prince of all his fortunes;
And having thrown him from your watery grave, 10
Here to have death in peace is all he'll crave.

Enter three Fishermen.

First Fish. What, ho, Pilch!

Sec. Fish. Ha, come and bring away the nets!

First Fish. What, Patchbreech, I say!

Third Fish. What say you, master?

First Fish. Look how thou stirrest now! come away,

or I'll fetch thee with a wanion.

Third Fish. Faith, master, I am thinking of the poor men that were cast away before us even now. First Fish. Alas, poor souls, it grieved my heart to hear what pitiful cries they made to us to help them, when, well-a-day, we could scarce help ourselves.

Third Fish. Nay, master, said not I as much when I saw the porpus, how he bounced and tumbled ? they say they're half fish, half flesh: a plague on

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them, they ne'er come but I look to be washed. Master, I marvel how the fishes live in the sea. First Fish. Why, as men do a-land; the great ones eat up the little ones: I can compare our rich misers to nothing so fitly as to a whale; a' plays and tumbles, driving the poor fry before him, and at last devours them all at a mouthful: such whales have I heard on o' the land, who never leave gaping till they've swallowed the whole parish, church, steeple, bells, and all.

Per. [Aside] A pretty moral.

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Third Fish. But, master, if I had been the sexton, I 40 would have been that day in the belfry.

Sec. Fish. Why, man?

Third Fish. Because he should have swallowed me too: and when I had been in his belly, I would have kept such a jangling of the bells, that he should never have left till he cast bells, steeple, church, and parish, up again. But if the good King Simonides were of my mind,

Per. [Aside] Simonides !

Third Fish. We would purge the land of these drones, 50 that rob the bee of her honey.

Per. [Aside] How from the finny subject of the sea
These fishers tell the infirmities of men;
And from their watery empire recollect
All that may men approve or men detect!-
Peace be at your labour, honest fishermen.

Sec. Fish. Honest! good fellow, what's that? If it be
a day fits you, search out of the calendar, and
nobody look after it.

Per. May see the sea hath cast upon your coast.

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