Pericles
Page 4
The mark his eye doth level167 at,
So thou never return unless thou say
Prince Pericles is dead.
THALIARD My lord, if I can get him within my pistol’s length170
I’ll make him sure171 enough, so farewell to your highness.
ANTIOCHUS Thaliard adieu.— Till Pericles be dead,
[Exit Thaliard]
My heart can lend no succour to my head173.
[Exit]
[Act 1 Scene 2]
running scene 2
Enter Pericles with his Lords
PERICLES Let none disturb us!
[Exeunt the Lords]
Why should this change of thoughts2,
The sad companion, dull-eyed3 melancholy,
Be my so used a guest as4 not an hour
In the day’s glorious walk5 or peaceful night,
The tomb where grief should sleep, can breed me quiet6?
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 spirits10,
Nor yet the other’s11 distance comfort me.
Then it is thus: the passions of the mind12,
That have their first conception by misdread13,
Have after-nourishment and life by care14,
And what was first but fear what might be done,
Grows elder now, and cares16 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 act19,
Will think me speaking though I swear to silence.
Nor boots it me21 to say ‘I honour’,
If he suspect I may dishonour him.
And what may make him blush in being known,
He’ll stop the course24 by which it might be known.
With hostile forces he’ll o’erspread the land,
And with th’ostent26 of war will look so huge,
Amazement27 shall drive courage from the state,
Our men be vanquished ere28 they do resist,
And subjects punished that ne’er thought offence29.
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,32
Makes both my body pine and soul to languish,
And punish that before that he would punish34.
Enter [Helicanus and] all the Lords to Pericles
FIRST LORD Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast.
SECOND LORD And keep your mind peaceful and comfortable.
HELICANUS Peace, peace, and give experience tongue37!
They do abuse the king that flatter him,
For flattery is the bellows blows up39 sin,
The thing the which is flattered, but a spark
To which that breath41 gives heat, and stronger
Glowing, whereas reproof, obedient and in order42,
Fits kings as they are men, for they may err.
When Signior Sooth44 here does proclaim ‘peace’,
He flatters you, makes war upon your life45.
Prince, pardon me, or strike me if you please,
Kneels
I cannot be much lower than my knees.
To Lords
PERICLES All leave us else, but let your cares o’erlook48
What shipping, and what lading’s49 in our haven,
And then return to us.— Helicanus,
[Exeunt Lords]
Thou hast moved51 us, what see’st thou in our looks?
HELICANUS An angry brow52, dread lord.
PERICLES If there be such a dart53 in princes’ frowns,
How durst thy tongue move54 anger to our face?
HELICANUS How dares the plants look up to heaven,
From whence they have their nourishment?
PERICLES Thou know’st I have power to take thy life from thee.
HELICANUS I have ground58 the axe myself,
Do but you strike the blow.
Helicanus rises
PERICLES Rise, prithee rise! Sit down. Thou art no flatterer,
I thank thee for’t, and heaven forbid
That kings should let their ears hear their faults hid62.
Fit63 counsellor and servant for a prince,
Who by thy wisdom makes a prince thy servant,
What wouldst thou have me do?
HELICANUS To bear with patience
Such griefs as you do lay upon yourself.
PERICLES Thou speak’st like a physician, Helicanus,
That ministers69 a potion unto me
That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself.
Attend me71 then: I went to Antioch,
Where, as thou know’st, against the face of death
I sought the purchase73 of a glorious beauty
From whence an issue74 I might propagate,
Are arms to princes, and bring joys to subjects75.
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
Seemed not to strike, but smooth79. But thou know’st this:
’Tis time to fear when tyrants seems to kiss.
Which fear so grew in me I hither fled
Under the covering of a careful82 night,
Who83 seemed my good protector, and, being here,
Bethought me what was past, what might succeed84.
I knew him tyrannous, and tyrants’ fears
Decrease not, but grow faster than the years.
And should he doubt87 — as doubt no doubt he doth —
That I should open to the list’ning air
How many worthy princes’ bloods were shed
To keep his bed of blackness unlaid ope90,
To lop that doubt he’ll fill this land with arms91,
And make pretence of wrong that I have done him,
When all for mine — if I may call’t — offence93
Must feel war’s blow, who94 spares not innocence.
Which love to all of which thyself art one,
Who now reproved’st96 me for’t—
HELICANUS Alas, sir—
PERICLES Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from my cheeks,
Musings into my mind, with thousand doubts99
How I might stop this tempest ere it came,
And finding little comfort to relieve them,
I thought it princely charity to grieve for them.
HELICANUS 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 Destinies110 do cut his thread of life:
Your rule direct111 to any, if to me,
Day serves not light more faithful than I’ll be.
PERICLES I do not doubt thy faith.
But should he wrong my liberties114 in my absence?
HELICANUS We’ll mingle our bloods together in the earth115
From whence we had our being and our birth.
PERICLES Tyre, I now look from thee then, and to Tarsus117
Intend118 my travel, where I’ll hear from thee,
And by whose letters I’ll dispose119 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 oath122:
Who123 shuns not to break one, will crack both.
But in our orbs we’ll live so round124 and safe
That time of both this truth shall ne’er convince125:
Thou showed’st a subject’s shine126, I a true prince.
Exeunt
[Act 1 Scene 3]
running scene 2 continues
Enter Thaliard alone
THALIARD So this is Tyre, and this the court. Here must I kill
King Pericles, and if I do it not, I am sure to be hanged at
home: ’tis dangerous. Well, I perceive he was a wise fellow,3
and had good discretion, that being bid to ask what he would4
of the king, desired he might know none of his secrets. Now
do I see he had some reason for’t: for if a king bid a man be a
villain, he’s bound by the indenture7 of his oath to be one.
Thaliard stands aside
Husht8, here comes the lords of Tyre.
Enter Helicanus, Escanes, with other Lords
HELICANUS You shall not need, my fellow peers of Tyre,
Further to question me of your king’s departure:
His sealed commission11 left in trust with me,
Does speak sufficiently12 he’s gone to travel.
Aside
THALIARD How? The king gone?
HELICANUS If further yet you will be satisfied
Why — as it were unlicensed of your loves15 —
He would depart, I’ll give some light16 unto you.
Being at Antioch—
Aside
THALIARD What, from Antioch?
HELICANUS Royal Antiochus, on what cause I know not,
Took some displeasure at him — at least he judged so —
And doubting lest21 he had erred or sinned,
To show his sorrow, he’d correct22 himself:
So puts himself unto the shipman’s toil23,
With whom each minute threatens life or death.
Aside
THALIARD Well, I perceive I shall not be hanged now
although I would. But since he’s gone, the king’s ears this
must please: he scaped the land to perish at the sea. I’ll27
Aloud
present myself.— Peace to the lords of Tyre!
HELICANUS Lord Thaliard from Antiochus is welcome.
THALIARD From him I come with message unto princely
Pericles, but since my landing I have understood your lord
has betook himself to unknown travels, now message32 must
return from whence it came.
HELICANUS We have no reason to desire it34,
Commended35 to our master, not to us,
Yet ere you shall depart, this we desire:
As friends to Antioch we may feast in Tyre.
Exeunt
[Act 1 Scene 4]
running scene 3
Enter Cleon the governor of Tarsus, with his wife [Dionyza] and others
CLEON My Dionyza, shall we rest us here
And by relating tales of others’ griefs
See if ’twill teach us to forget our own?
DIONYZA That were to blow at fire in hope to quench it.
For who digs5 hills because they do aspire,
Throws down one mountain to cast up a higher.
O, my distressèd lord, even such our griefs are:
Here they are but felt, and seen with mischief’s eyes8,
But like to groves, being topped9 they higher rise.
CLEON O, Dionyza,
Who wanteth11 food and will not say he wants it,
Or can conceal his hunger till he famish?
Our tongues our sorrows do sound deep,
Our woes into the air, our eyes to weep
Till tongues fetch breath that may proclaim them louder,
That if heaven slumber while their creatures want,
They may awake their helpers to comfort them.17
I’ll then discourse18 our woes, felt several years,
And wanting breath to speak19, help me with tears.
DIONYZA I’ll do my best, sir.
CLEON This Tarsus, o’er which I have the government,
A city o’er whom plenty held full hand22,
For riches23 strewed herself even in her streets,
Whose towers bore heads so high they kissed the clouds,
And strangers ne’er beheld, but wondered at25.
Whose men and dames so jetted and adorned26,
Like one another’s glass to trim them by27,
Their tables were stored full to glad28 the sight,
And not so much to feed on as delight.
All poverty was scorned, and pride so great
The name of help grew odious to repeat31.
DIONYZA O, ’tis too true.
CLEON But see what heaven can do by this our change33.
These mouths who but of late earth, sea and air
Were all too little to content and please,
Although they gave their creatures in abundance,
As houses are defiled for want37 of use,
They are now starved for want of exercise.
Those palates who, not yet two summers younger39,
Must have inventions40 to delight the taste
Would now be glad of bread and beg for it.
Those mothers who to nuzzle up42 their babes
Thought nought too curious43, are ready now
To eat those little darlings whom they loved.
So sharp are hunger’s teeth, that man and wife,
Draw lots who first shall die to lengthen life46.
Here stands a lord, and there a lady, weeping.
Here many sink, yet those which see them fall,
Have scarce strength left to give them burial.
Is not this true?
DIONYZA Our cheeks and hollow eyes do witness it.
CLEON O, let those cities that of plenty’s cup
And her prosperities so largely53 taste
With their superfluous riots, hear these tears54!
The misery of Tarsus may be theirs.
Enter a Lord
LORD Where’s the lord governor?
CLEON Here.
Speak out thy sorrows, which thou bring’st in haste,
For comfort is too far for us to expect.
LORD We have descried60 upon our neighbouring shore,
A portly sail of ships make hitherward61.
CLEON I thought as much.
One sorrow never comes but brings an heir,
That may succeed as his inheritor.
And so in ours: some neighbouring nation,
Taking advantage of our misery,
Hath stuffed the hollow vessels with their power67,
To beat us down, the which are down already,
And make a conquest of unhappy69 me,
Whereas no glory’s got to overcome70.
LORD That’s the least fear71, for by the semblance
Of their white flags72 displayed, they bring us peace,
And come to us as favourers73, not as foes.
CLEON Thou speak’st like him’s untutored to repeat74:
Who75 makes the fairest show means most deceit.
But bring they what they will and what they can,
What need we fear?
The ground’s the lowest, and we are halfway there78.
Go tell their general we attend him here,
To know from whence he comes and what he craves.
LORD I go, my lord. [Exit]
CLEON Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist82,
If wars, we a
re unable to resist.
Enter Pericles with attendants
PERICLES Lord governor, for so we hear you are,
Let not our ships and number of our men
Be like a beacon fired t’amaze86 your eyes.
We have heard your miseries as far as Tyre,
And seen the desolation of your streets.
Nor come we to add sorrow to your tears89,
But to relieve them of their heavy load,
And these our ships you happily91 may think
Are like the Trojan horse was stuffed within
With bloody veins expecting overthrow,
Are stored with corn to make your needy bread,
And give them life whom hunger starved half dead.
They kneel
ALL TARSIANS The gods of Greece protect you,
And we’ll pray for you.
PERICLES Arise, I pray you, rise.
They rise
We do not look for reverence but for love,
And harbourage for ourself, our ships and men.
CLEON The which when any shall not gratify101,
Or pay you with unthankfulness in thought102,
Be it our wives, our children or ourselves,
The curse of heaven and men succeed104 their evils!
Till when — the which, I hope, shall ne’er be seen —
Your grace is welcome to our town and us.
PERICLES Which welcome we’ll accept, feast here awhile,
Until our stars108 that frown, lend us a smile.