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PERSEUS.

To Dymas thou; and win him to thy will.
In the mean time I'll seek my double rival;
Curb his presumption, and erect myself,
In all the dignity of birth, before him.
Whate'er can stir the blood, or sway the mind,
Is now at stake; and double is the loss,
When an inferior bears away the prize.

PERICLES.

Your brother, dress'd for the solemnity.

PERSEUS.

To Dymas fly! gain him, and think on this:
A prince indebted, is a fortune made.

Enter DEMETRIUS.

DEMETRIUS.

[Exit Pericles.

How, brother! unattir'd! Have you forgot
What pomps are due to this illustrious day?

PERSEUS.

I am no gewgaw, for the throng to gaze at:
Some are design'd by nature but for shew;
The tinsel and the feather of mankind.

DEMETRIUS.

Brother, of that no more: For shame, gird on
Your glitt'ring arms, and look like any Roman.

PERSEUS.

No, Brother; let the Romans look like me,
If they're ambitious.-But, I pr'ythee, stand
Let me gaze on thee: No inglorious figure!
More Romano, as it ought to be.
But what is this that dazzles my weak sight?
There's sunshine in thy beaver.

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DEMETRIUS,

'Tis that helmet

Which Alexander wore at Granicus.

PERSEUS.

When he subdu'd the world? Ha! is't not so?
What world hast thou subdu'd? O yes; the Fair.
Think'st thou there could in Macedon be found
No brow might suit that golden blaze, but thine?

DEMETRIUS.

I wore it but to grace this sacred day;

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'Tis they presume, who know not to deserve.

PERSEUS.

Or who, deserving, scorn superior merit.

DEMETRIUS.

Who combats with a brother, wounds himself:
Wave private wrath, and rush upon the foes

Of Macedonia.

PERSEUS.

No; I would not wound

Demetrius' friends.

DEMETRIUS.

Demetrius' friends!

PERSEUS.

The Romans.

You copy Hannibal, our great ally?

Say, at what altar was you sworn their foe?

Peace-making brother! Wherefore bring you peace, But to prevent my glory from the field?

The peace you bring, was meant as war to me.

DEMETRIUS.

Perseus, be bold when danger's all your own: War now, were war with Philip more than Rome.

PERSEUS.

Come, you love
peace;
You that admire the Romans, break the bridge
With Cocles, or with Curtius leap the gulph;
And league not with the vices of our foes.

that fair cheek hates a scar:

What vices?

DEMETRIUS.

PERSEUS.

With their women, and their wits.

Your idol Lælius; Lælius the polite.

I hear, Sir, you take wing, and mount in metre. Terence has own'd your aid, your comrade Terence. God-like ambition! Terence there, the slave!

DEMETRIUS.

At Athens bred, and to the arts a foe?

PERSEUS.

At Athens bred, and borrow arts from Rome?

DEMETRIUS.

Brother, I've done: Let our contention cease:
Our mother shudders at it in her grave:
And how has Philip mourn'd? A dreadful foe,
And awful king; but, O the tend❜rest parent
That ever wept in fondness o'er a child!

PERSEUS.

Why, ay; go tell your father; fondly throw

Your arms around him; stroke him to your purpose
As you are wont: I boast not so much worth;
I am no picture, by the doating eye

To be survey'd, and hung about his neck.
I fight his battles; that's all I can do.

But if you boast a piety sincere,

One way you may secure your father's peace:
And one alone Resign Erixene.

DEMETRIUS.

You flatter me, to think her in my power.
We run our fates together; you deserve,

And she can judge; proceed we then like friends,
And he who gains her heart, and gains it fairly,
Let him enjoy his gen'rous rival's too.

PERSEUS.

Smooth-speaking, insincere, insulting boy!
Is then my crown usurpt but half thy crime?
Desist, or, by the gods that smile on blood,
Not thy fine form, nor yet thy boasted peace,
Nor patronizing Rome, nor Philip's tears,
Nor Alexander's helmet; no, nor more,
His radiant form, should it alight in thunder,
And spread its new divinity between us,

Should save a brother from a brother's fury. [Exit Per.

DEMETRIUS.

How's this? The waves ne'er ran thus high before.

Resign thee! yes, Erixene, with life!

Thou in whose eye, so modest, and so bright,

Love ever wakes, and keeps a vestal fire,

Ne'er shall I wean my fond, fond heart from thee.
But Perseus warns me to rouze all my powers.

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For, though she smiles, I sound, not her designs:
I'll fly, fall, tremble, weep upon her feet,

And learn (O all ye gods!) my final doom!
My father! Ha! and on his brow deep thought,
And pale concern! Kind heav'n, asswage his sorrows,
Which strike a damp thro' all my flames of love. [Exit.
Enter KING and ANTIGONUS.

KING.

Kings of their envy cheat a foolish world;
Fate gives us all in spite, that we alone
Might have the pain of knowing all is nothing;
The seeming means of bliss but heighten woe.
When impotent, to make their promise good:
Hence kings, at least, bid fairest to be wretched.

ANTIGONUS.

True, Sir; 'tis empty, or tormenting, all:
The days of life are sisters; all alike;

None just the same; which serve to fool us on
Through blasted hopes, with change of fallacy;
While joy is, like to-morrow, still to come:
Nor ends the fruitless chace but in the grave.

KING.

Ay, there, Antigonus, this pain will cease,
Which meets me at the banquet; haunts my pillow;
Nor, by the din of arms, is frighted from me.
Conscience, what art thou? thou tremendous power!
Who dost inhabit us without our leave;
And art, within ourselves, another self;
A master self; that loves to domineer,
And treat the monarch frankly as the slave.
How dost thou light a torch to distant deeds?

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