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Therefore, my lord, go travel for a while,
Till that his rage and anger be forgot,

Or Deftinies 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 abfence—

Hel. We'll mingle bloods together in the earth, From whence we had our being and our birth.

Per. Tyre, I now look from thee then, and to Tharfus Intend my travel, where I'll hear from thee;

And by whose letters I'll difpofe myself.

The care I had and have of fubjects' good,

On thee I lay, whose wisdom's strength can bear it.
I'll take thy word for faith, not ask thine oath ;
Who fhuns not to break one, will fure crack both:
But in our orbs we'll live fo round and fafe,

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

SCENE III.

Tyre. An Ante-chamber in the Palace.

Enter THALIARD.

Thal. So, this is Tyre, and this is the court. Here must I kill king Pericles; and if I do not, I am fure to be hang'd at home: 'tis dangerous.-Well, I perceive he was a wife fellow, and had good discretion, that being bid to ask what he would of the king, defired he might know none of his fecrets. Now do I fee he had fome reafon for it: for if a king bid a man be a villain, he is bound by

the

the indenture of his oath to be one.-Huh, here come the lords of Tyre.

Enter HELICANUS, ESCANES, and other Lords.

Hel. You fhall not need, my fellow peers of Tyre,
Further to queftion of your king's departure.

His feal'd commission, left in trust with me,
Doth speak fufficiently, he's gone to travel.
Thal. How! the king gone!

Hel. If further yet you will be satisfied,

Why, as it were unlicens'd of your loves,

He would depart, I'll give some light unto you.

Being at Antioch

Thal.

What from Antioch?

[Afide.

[Afide.

Hel. Royal Antiochus (on what cause I know not,) Took fome difpleasure at him; at least he judg'd fo : And doubting left that he had err'd or finn'd,

To show his forrow, would correct himself; himself unto the fhipman's toil,

So puts

With whom, each minute threatens life or death.
Thal. Well, I perceive

I fhall not be hang'd now, although I would;
But fince he's gone, the king it fure must please,
He 'fcap'd the land, to perish on the seas.-
But I'll prefent me. Peace to the lords of Tyre!
Hel. Lord Thaliard from Antiochus is welcome.
Thal. From him I come

With meffage unto princely Pericles;
But, fince my landing, as I have understood
Your lord has took himself to unknown travels,
My message must return from whence it came.
Hel. We have no reason to defire it, fince
Commended to our mafter, not to us:

[Afide.

Yet, ere you fhall depart, this we desire,→

As friends to Antioch, we may feaft in Tyre. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Tharfus. A Room in the Governour's Houfe.

Enter CLEON, DIONYZA, and Attendants.

Cle. My Dionyza, fhall we reft 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 diftreffed lord, even fuch our griefs;

Here they're but felt, and seen with mistful eyes,
But like to groves, being topp'd, they higher rise.
Cle. O Dionyza,

Who wanteth food, and will not fay, he wants it,
Or can conceal his hunger till he famish?

Our tongues and forrows do found deep our woes
Into the air; our eyes do weep, till lungs
Fetch breath that may proclaim them louder; that,
If heaven flumber, while their creatures want,
They may awake their helps to comfort them.
I'll then difcourfe our woes, felt feveral years,
And wanting breath to speak, help me with tears.
Dio. I'll do my beft, fir.

Cle. This Tharfus, o'er which I have government, (A city, on whom plenty held full hand,)

For riches, ftrew'd herself even in the streets;

Whose towers bore heads fo high, they kifs'd the clouds, And strangers ne'er beheld, but wonder'd at;

Whofe

Whose men and dames so jetted and adorn'd,
Like one another's glass to trim them by :
Their tables were ftor'd full, to glad the fight,
And not fo much to feed on, as delight;
All poverty was fcorn'd, and pride so great,
The name of help grew odious to repeat.
Dio. O, 'tis too true.

Cle. But fee what heaven can do! By this our change, These mouths, whom but of late, earth, fea, and air, Were all too little to content and please,

Although they gave their creatures in abundance,
As houses are defil'd for want of use,
They are now ftarv'd for want of exercise :

Those palates, who not yet two summers younger,
Must have inventions to delight the talte,
Would now be glad of bread, and beg for it;
Those mothers who, to noufle up their babes,
Thought nought too curious, are ready now,
To eat those little darlings whom they lov'd.
So fharp are hunger's teeth, that man and wife
Draw lots, who first shall die to lengthen life :
Here ftands a lord, and there a lady weeping;
Here many fink, yet those which fee them fall,
Have scarce ftrength left to give them burial.
Is not this true?

Dio. Our cheeks and hollow eyes do witness it.
Cle. O, let thofe cities, that of Plenty's cup
And her profperities so largely taste,
With their fuperfluous riots, hear these tears!
The mifery of Tharfus may be theirs.

Enter a Lord.

Lord. Where's the lord governor ?

Cle,

Cle. Here.

Speak out thy forrows which thou bring`st, in haste,
For comfort is too far for us to expect.

Lord. We have descried, upon our neighbouring shore, A portly fail of fhips make hitherward.

Cle. I thought as much.

One forrow never comes, but brings an heir,

That may fucceed as his inheritor ;

And fo in our's: fome neighbouring nation,
Taking advantage of our mifery,

Hath stuff'd these hollow veffels with their power,
To beat us down, the which are down already;
And make a conqueft of unhappy me,

Whereas no glory's got to overcome.

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

Cle. Thou fpeak'ft like him's untutor'd to repeat,
Who makes the faireft fhow, means moft deceit.
But bring they what they will, what need we fear?
The ground's the low'ft, 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 confift; If wars, we are unable to refift.

Enter PERICLES, with Attendants.

Per. Lord governor, for fo we hear you are,
Let not our fhips and number of our men,
Be, like a beacon fir'd, to amaze your eyes.
We have heard your miferies as far as Tyre,

[Exit.

And

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