And all good men, as every prince should do,

My riches to the earth from whence they came;
But my unspotted fire of love to you. [To Hesperides.
Thus ready for the way of life or death,

I wait the sharpest blow, Antiochus,

Scorning advice. Read the conlusion then.

Ant. Which read and not expounded, 'tis decreed As these before, so thou thyself shalt bleed.

Hesp. Of all said yet, may thou prove prosperous! Of all said yet, I wish thee happiness!

[Exit Hesperides. Per. Like a bold champion I assume the lists, Nor ask advice of any other thought,

But faithfulness, and courage.

Sharp physick is the last! but, O you powers!
That gives Heav'n countless eyes to view mens' acts,
Why could they not their sights perpetually?
If this be true, which makes me pale to read it,
Fair glass of light, I lov'd you, and could still,

Were not this glorious casket stor'd with ill.
But I must tell you, now my thoughts revolt:
For he's no man on whom perfections wait,
That knowing sin within, will touch the gate :
You're a fair viol, and your sense the strings,
Who, finger'd to make man his lawful musick,
Wou'd draw Heav'n down, and all the gods to hearken;
But being plaid upon before your time,
Hell only danceth at so harsh a chime➡
Good sooth, I care not for you.

Ant. Prince Pericles, touch not upon thy life,
For that's an article within our law,

As dangerous as the rest: Your time's expir'd,
Either expound now, or receive your sentence.
Per. Great king,

Few love to hear the sins they love to act ;
'Twould braid yourself too near for me to tell it :
Who hath a book of all that monarchs do,

He's more secure to keep it shut than shewn :
For vice repeated, is like the wand'ring wind,
Blows dust in others eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear.

To stop the air would hurt them, the blind mole casts
Copt hills toward Heav'n, to tell the earth is throng'd
By man's oppression, and the poor worm doth die for't.
Kings are earth's Gods: Invice, their law's their will;
And if Jove stray, who dares say, Jove doth ill?
It is enough, you know it ; and 'tis fit,

What being more known grows worse, to smother it.

All love the womb that there being bred;

Then give my tongue like leave to love my head.

Ant. Heav'n that I had it; he has found the meaning,
But I will gloze with him. Young prince of Tyre,
Though by the tenour of our strict edict,
Your exposition mis-interpreting,

We might proceed to cancel off your days;
Yet hope, succeeding from so fair a tree,
As your fair self, doth tune us otherwise:
Forty days longer we do respite you,

If by which time our secret be undone,
This mercy shews, we'll joy in such a son:
And until then, your entertain shall be
As doth befit our honour, and your worth.

Manet PERICLES solus.

Per. How courtesie would seem to cover sin,
When what is done is like a hypocrite,
The which is good in nothing but in sight.
If it be true that I interpret false,

*

Then were it certain you were not so bad,
As with foul incest to abuse your soul:
Where now you're both a father and a son,
By your untimely claspings with your child,
(Which pleasure fits an husband, not a father)
And she an eater of her mother's flesh,
By the defiling of her parents' bed,

[Exit.

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 shew no course to keep them from the light:
One sin, I know, another doth provoke ;

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 cropt to keep you clear,
By flight I'll shun the danger which I fear.

ANTIOCHUS enters.

Ant. He hath found the meaning,

For 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,
And by his fall my honour must keep high.
Who attends us here?

THALIARD enters.

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}

[Exits

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?
Thal. My Lord, 'tis done.

Messenger enters.

Ant. Enough. Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste.

Mes. My Lord, prince Pericles is fled.

Ant. As thou wilt live, fly after; and as an arrow, shot from a well experient archer, hits the mark his eye doth level at, so do thou never return, unless thou say, prince Pericles is dead.

Thal. My lord, if I can get him within my pistol's length, I'll make him sure enough: So, farewell to your highness.

[Exit.

Ant. Thaliard, adieu, 'till Pericles be dead; My heart can lend no succour to my head.

[Exit.

SCENE III.

Tyre. PERICLES, HELLICANUS, enter, with other Lords.

Per. Let none disturb us:

Why should this change of thoughts,

The sad companion, dull-ey'd melancholy,

By me so us'd, 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,