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.

'Tis done.

My lord,

Enter a Messenger.

Ant. Enough.

Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste.
Messenger. My lord, Prince Pericles is fled.

Ant.

[Exit Messenger.

Wilt live, fly after: and, as an arrow, shot
From a well-experienc'd archer, hits the mark
His eye doth level at, so ne'er return,
Unless thou say 'Prince Pericles is dead.'

Thal. My lord,

As thou

If I can get him within my pistol's length,

I'll make him sure: so, farewell to your Highness.

[Exit.

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

[Exit.

SCENE II.

Tyre. A Room in the Palace.

Enter PERICLES.

Per. [As he enters.] Let none disturb us.
should this change of thoughts,

The sad companion, dull-ey'd melancholy,
Be my so us'd a guest as not an hour,

In the day's glorious walk, or peaceful night

Why

(The tomb where grief should sleep,) can breed me quiet?

Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine eyes shun

them,

And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch,

Whose arm seems far too short to hit me here;
Yet neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits,

Nor yet the other's distance comfort me.
Then it is thus: that 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,

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 th' 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,

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, and other Lords.

1 Lord. Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast! 2 Lord. And keep your mind, till you return to us, Peaceful and comfortable.

Helicanus.

tongue.

Peace, peace! and give experience

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'er

look

What shipping and what lading's in our haven,
And then return to us. [Exeunt Lords.] Helicanus,

thou

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, 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. I have ground the axe myself;

Do you but strike the blow.

Per.

Rise, pr'ythee, rise;

Sit down; thou art no flatterer :

I thank thee for it; and Heaven forbid

That kings should let their ears hear their faults chid.

Fit counsellor and servant for a prince,

Who by thy wisdom mak'st a prince thy servant,

What would'st 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 ministers a potion unto me

That thou would'st tremble to receive thyself.
Attend me, then I went to Antioch,

:

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

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,

And make pretence of wrong that I have done

him;

When all, for mine if I may call 't- offence,

Must feel war's blow, who spares not innocence:
Which love to all, of which thyself art one,
Who now reprov'st me for it-

Hel.

Alas, sir!

Per. Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from my

cheeks,

Musings into my mind, a thousand doubts

How I might stop this tempest ere it came ;

And finding little comfort to relieve them,

I thought it princely charity to grieve them.

Hel. Well, my lord, since you have given me leave to speak,

Freely will I speak. Antiochus you fear,

And justly too, I think, you fear the tyrant,
Who either by public war or private treason,
Will take away your life.

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

Or till the Destinies 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 my absence? Hel. We'll mingle our bloods together in the earth,

From whence we had our being and our birth.

Per. Tyre, I now look from thee, then; and to
Tharsus

Intend my travel, where I'll hear from thee,
And by whose letters I'll dispose myself.
The care I had, and have, of subjects' good,

On thee I lay, whose wisdom's strength can bear it.
I'll take thy word for faith, not ask thine oath;
Who shuns not to break one will sure crack both.
But in our orbs we'll live so round and safe,
That time of both this truth shall ne'er convince,
Thou shew'dst a subject's shine, I a true prince.

[Exeunt.