Ant. Enough.

Enter MESSENGER.

Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste.
Mes. My lord, prince Pericles is fled.

Ant.

[Exit Messenger.

As thou

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

Tha. My lord, if I

Can get him once 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 succou: to my head.

[Exit.

SCENE II.

Tyre. A room in the palace.

Enter PERICLES, HELICANUS, and other Lords.

Per. Let none disturb us: why should this charge of thoughts?

The sad companion, dull-eyed melancholy,

By me so used a guest is, 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

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: the passions of the mind,
That have their first conception by misdread,
Have after-norishment and life by care;

1

And what was first but fear what might be done,
Grows elder now, and cares 1 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 honor him,

If he suspect I may dishonor 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 the 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 wants 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.

1 Lord. Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast.

2 Lord. And keep your mind, till you return

to us,

Peaceful and comfortable!

Hel. Peace, peace, my lords, and give experience tongue.

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 breath 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'erlook 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 norishment?

Per.

To take thy life.

Thou know'st I have power

Hel. [kneeling.] I have ground the axe myself; Do you but strike the blow.

Per.

Rise, pr'ythee, rise;

Sit down, sit down; thou art no flatterer :

I thank thee for it; and high Heaven forbid,

That kings should let their ears hear their fault hid!

Fit counsellor, and servant for a prince,

Who by thy wisdom makest a prince thy servant, What wouldst thou have me do?

Hel.

With patience bear

Such griefs as you do lay upon yourself.

Per. Thou speak'st like a physician, Helicanus ; Who minister'st a potion unto me,

That thou wouldst 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 knowlege found, the sinful father
Seem'd not to strike, but smoothe: 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 their 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 reprovest 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 I'll 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 awhile,
Till that his rage and anger be forgot,

Or 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.