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So buxom, blithe, and full of face,
As heaven had lent her all his grace;
With whom the father liking took,
And her to inceft did provoke:
Bad father! to entice his own
To evil, fhould be done by none.
By custom, what they did begin,
Was, with long use, account no fin.
The beauty of this finful dame,
Made many princes thither frame,
To feek her as a bed-fellow,
In marriage-pleasures play-fellow:
Which to prevent, he made a law,
(To keep her ftill, and men in awe,)
That whofo afk'd her for his wife,
His riddle told not, loft his life:

So for her many a wight did die,
As yon grim looks do testify.

What now enfues, to the judgment of your eye
I give, my cause who beft can justify.

[Exit

SCENE I.

Antioch. A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTIOCHUS, PERICLES, and Attendants.

Ant. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large receiv'd The danger of the task you undertake.

Per. I have, Antiochus, and with a foul Embolden'd with the glory of her praise, Think death no hazard, in this enterprize.

[Mufick.

Ant. Bring in our daughter, clothed like a bride,

For the embracements even of Jove himself;

At

At whofe conception, (till Lucina reign'd,)
Nature this dowry gave, to glad her prefence,
The fenate-house of planets all did fit,

To knit in her their best perfections.

Enter the daughter of ANTIOCHUS.

Per. See, where the comes, apparell'd like the spring, Graces her fubjects, and her thoughts the king

Of

every virtue gives renown to men!

Her face, the book of praises, where is read
Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence
Sorrow were ever ras'd, and testy wrath
Could never be her mild companion.

Ye gods that made me man, and fway in love,
That have inflam'd defire in my breast,
To tafte the fruit of yon celeftial tree,
Or die in the adventure, be my helps,
As I am fon and fervant to your will,
To compafs fuch a boundless happiness !
Ant. Prince Pericles,-

Per. That would be fon to great Antiochus.
Ant. Before thee ftands this fair Hefperides,
With golden fruit, but dangerous to be touch'd ;
For death-like dragons here affright thee hard:
Her face, like heaven, enticeth thee to view
A countless glory, which desert must gain :
And which, without defert, because thine eye
Prefumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die.
Yon fometime famous princes, like thyself,
Drawn by report, advent'rous by desire,

Tell thee with speechless tongues, and semblance pale,
That, without covering, fave yon field of stars,
They here ftand martyrs, flain in Cupid's wars;

B 2

And

And with dead cheeks advise thee to defift,

For going on death's net, whom none resist.

Per. Antiochus, I thank thee, who hath taught My frail mortality to know itself,

And by those fearful objects to prepare

This body, like to them, to what I must :

For death remember'd, should be like a mirror,
Who tells us, life's but breath; to truft it, error.
I'll make my will then; and as fick men do,
Who know the world, fee heaven, but feeling woe,
Gripe not at earthly joys, as erft they did;
So I bequeath a happy peace to you,

And all good men, as every prince should do;
My riches to the earth from whence they came;
But my unfpotted fire of love to you.

[To the daughter of ANTIOCHUS.

Thus ready for the way of life or death,
I wait the sharpest blow, Antiochus,
Scorning advice.

Ant.

Read the conclufion then;

Which read and not êxpounded, 'tis decreed,

As thefe before thee, thou thyself fhalt bleed.

Daugh. In all, fave that, may'st thou prove profperous! In all, fave that, I wish thee happiness!

Per. Like a bold champion, I affume the lifts,

Nor afk advice of any other thought

But faithfulness, and courage.

[He reads the Riddle.]

I am no viper, yet I feed

On mother's flesh, which did me breed:
I fought a husband, in which labour,
I found that kindness in a father.

He's

He's father, fon, and bufband mild,
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they may be, and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you.

Sharp phyfick is the last: but ( you powers!
That give heaven countless eyes to view men's acts,
Why cloud they not their fights perpetually,
If this be true, which makes me pale to read it?
Fair glass of light, I lov'd you, and could ftill,

[Takes hold of the hand of the princess.

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 fin within, will touch the gate.
You're a fair viol, and your fense the strings;
Who, finger'd to make man his lawful musick,
Would draw heaven down, and all the gods to hearken;
But, being play'd upon before your time,

Hell only danceth at so harsh a chime:

Good footh, 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 fins they love to act;

'Twould 'braid yourself too near for me to tell it.
Who has a book of all that monarchs do,

He's more fecure to keep it fhut, than fhown;
For vice repeated, is like the wand'ring wind,
Blows duft in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the fore eyes see clear

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To stop the air would hurt them. The blind mole cafts
Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell, the earth is wrong'd
By man's oppreffion; and the poor worm doth die for't.
Kings are earth's gods: in vice their law's their will;
And if Jove stray, who dares say, Jove doth ill?
It is enough you know; and it is fit,

What being more known grows worse, to fmother it.
All love the womb that their first being bred,

Then give my tongue like leave to love my head.

Ant. Heaven, that I had thy head! he has found the meaning ;—

But I will gloze with him. [Afide.] Young prince of

Tyre,

Though, by the tenour of our strict edict,
Your expofition misinterpreting,

We might proceed to cancel of your days;
Yet hope, fucceeding from fo fair a tree
As your fair self, doth tune us otherwise ;
Forty days longer we do respite you;
If by which time our fecret be undone,
This mercy shows, we'll joy in such a son:
And until then, your entertain shall be,
As doth befit our honour, and your worth.

[Exeunt ANTIOCHUS, his daughter, and Attend, Per. How courtefy would feem to cover fin!

When what is done is like an hypocrite,
The which is good in nothing but in fight.
If it be true that I interpret false,

Then were it certain, you were not fo bad,
As with foul inceft to abufe your foul;
Where now you're both a father and a son,
By your untimely clafpings with your child,
(Which pleasure fits an husband, not a father ;)
And she an eater of her mother's flesh,

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