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By the defiling of her parent's bed;

And both like ferpents are, who though they feed
On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.
Antioch, farewell! for wifdom fees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,
Will shun no course to keep them from the light.
One fin, I know, another doth provoke ;
Murder's as near to luft, as flame to fmoke.
Poifon and treafon are the hands of fin,
Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame :
Then, left my life be cropp'd to keep you clear,
By flight I'll fhun the danger which I fear.

Re-enter ANTIOCHUS.

[Exit.

Ant. He hath found the meaning, for the which we mean

To have his head.

He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,

Nor tell the world, Antiochus doth fin

In fuch a loathed manner:

And therefore instantly this prince must die;
For by his fall my honour must keep high.
Who attends on us there?

Enter THALIARD.

Thal.

Doth your highness call?

Ant. Thaliard, you're of our chamber, and our mind Partakes her private actions to your fecrecy; And for your faithfulness we will advance you. Thaliard, behold, here's poison, and here's gold; 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?

B 4

Thal,

Thal.

'Tis done.

My lord,

Ant. Enough;

Enter a Meffenger.

Left your breath cool yourself, telling your hafte.

Mef. My lord, prince Pericles is fled. [Exit Meffenger. Ant. As thou Wilt live, fly after: and, as an arrow, shot From a well-experienc'd archer, hits the mark His eye doth level at, so thou ne'er return, Unless thou fay, Prince Pericles is dead.

Thal. My lord, if I

Can get him once within my pistol's length,

I'll make him fure: fo farewell to your highness. [Exit.

Ant. Thaliard, adieu! till Pericles be dead,

My heart can lend no fuccour to my head.

[Exit.

SCENE II.

Tyre. A Room in the Palace.

Enter PERICLES, HELICANUS, and other Lords.

Per. Let none disturb us: Why this charge of thoughts? The fad companion, dull-ey'd melancholy,

By me fo us'd 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 eyes fhun them, And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch,

Whofe arm feems far too short to hit me here:
Yet neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits,

Nor

Nor yet the other's distance comfort me.
Then it is thus: the paffions of the mind,
That have their first conception by mis-dread,
Have after-nourishment and life by care;

And what was firft but fear what might be done,
Grows elder now, and cares it be not done.
And so with me ;—the great Antiochus
('Gainft whom I am too little to contend,
Since he's fo great, can make his will his act,)
Will think me speaking, though I swear to filence;
Nor boots it me to fay, I honour him,

If he fufpect I may dishonour him :

And what may make him blufh in being known,
He'll stop the course by which it might be known;
With hostile forces he'll o'erfpread the land,
And with th' oftent of war will look fo 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 foul to languish,
And punish that before, that he would punish.

Lord. Joy and all comfort in your facred 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 fin;

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

When fignior 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 Haft moved us: what feeft thou in our looks?

Hel. An angry brow, dread lord.

Per. If there be fuch a dart in princes' frowns,

How durft thy tongue move anger to our face?

Hel. How dare the plants look up to heaven, from

whence

They have their nourishment?

Per.

To take thy life.

Thou know'ft I have power

Hel. [Kneeling.] I have ground the axe myself; but ftrike the blow.

you

Do

Per.

Rife, pr'ythee rife;

Sit down, fit down; thou art no flatterer :

I thank thee for it; and high heaven forbid,

That kings should let their ears hear their faults hid!
Fit counsellor, and fervant for a prince,

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

What would'ft 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 minifter'ft a potion unto me,

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

Where, as thou know'st, against the face of death,
I fought the purchase of a glorious beauty,
From whence an iffue I might propagate,

Bring arms to princes, and to fubjects joys.
Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder;
The reft (hark in thine ear,) as black as incest;
Which by my knowledge found, the finful father
Seem'd not to ftrike, but finooth: but thou know't this,

'Tis time to fear, when tyrants seem to kiss.

Which fear fo 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 fafter 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,
Muft feel war's blow, who spares not innocence:
Which love to all (of which thyself art one,
Who now reprov'ft me for it)—

Hel.

Alas, fir!

Per. Drew fleep out of mine eyes, blood from my cheeks, Mufings into my mind, a thousand doubts How I might stop this tempeft, ere it came; And finding little comfort to relieve them, I thought it princely charity to grieve them.

Hel. Well, my lord, fince 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 publick war, or private treason,
Will take

away your life.

Therefore,

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