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And which, without desert, because thine eye
Presumes to reach, all thy whole head must die '.
Yond' sometime famous princes, like thyself,
Drawn by report, adventurous by desire,

Tell thee with speechless tongues, and semblance pale,
That, without covering, save yond' field of stars,
They here stand martyrs, slain in Cupid's wars;
And with dead cheeks advise thee to desist,
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 trust it, error.
I'll make my will, then; and as sick men do,
Who know the world, see heaven, but feeling woe,
Gripe not at earthly joys, as erst 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 unspotted fire of love to you.

[To the Daughter of ANTIOCHUS. Thus, ready for the way of life or death,

I wait the sharpest blow.

Ant. Scorning advice, read the conclusion, then'; Which read and not expounded, 'tis decreed,

As these before thee, thou thyself shalt bleed.

Daugh. Of all, 'say'd yet, mayst thou prove prosperous! Of all, 'say'd yet, I wish thee happiness.

2

all THY whole HEAD must die.] The old copies have the for "thy:" the change was made by Malone. Commentators have been sorely puzzled by the word heap, as it stands in the early impressions: it is merely a misprint for "head" by the accidental turning of the last letter in heap: the antithesis is betwen "eye" and "head," and Antiochus immediately afterwards refers to the "heads" of "yond' sometime famous princes." On the next page but one Pericles says "Then, give my tongue like leave to save my head."

3 Scorning advice, read the conclusion, then ;] In the 4tos, this and the two next lines are made part of the speech of Pericles: the folio, 1664, only so far corrects the decided error as to give the two last lines to Antiochus.

4 Of all, 'say'd yet, mayst thou prove prosperous!

OF all, 'SAY'D YET, I wish thee happiness.] So every old copy, which it is needless to alter to " In all save that," as was done by Malone, on the recommendation of Monck Mason. Percy suggested that the meaning was, "Of all essay'd yet," and the conjecture is supported by the 4to, 1609, which prints "said " say'd later editions read said." This interpretation accords, in substance,

Per. Like a bold champion, I assume the lists, Nor ask advice of any other thought

But faithfulness, and courage'.

THE RIDDLE.

I am no viper, yet I feed

On mother's flesh, which did me breed;
I sought a husband, in which labour,
I found that kindness in a father:
He's father, son, and husband mild,
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they may be, and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you.

Sharp physick is the last: but, oh you powers!
That give heaven countless eyes to view men's acts,
Why cloud they not their sights perpetually,
If this be true, which makes me pale to read it?
Fair glass of light, I lov'd you, and could still,
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 sin within, will touch the gate.
You're a fair viol, and your sense the strings,
Who, finger'd to make man his lawful music,
Would draw heaven down and all the gods to hearken;
By being play'd upon before your time,
Hell only danceth at so harsh a chime.

Good sooth, 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 sins they love to act;

'Twould 'braid yourself too near for me to tell it.

with the statement in Wilkins' novel; for the Daughter there declares that Pericles "was the sole soveraigne of her wishes, and he the gentleman (of all her eies had ever yet behelde) to whome she wished a thriving happinesse." Sign. B 3. The riddle is precisely the same in the novel and in the play.

5 But faithfulness, and courage.] Such are the very words transferred to the novel founded upon the play, "Pericles armed with these noble armours, faithfulness and courage," &c. As Steevens pointed out, the same expression is found in Sidney's "Arcadia," Book iii.

Who has a book of all that monarchs do,
He's more secure to keep it shut, than shown;
For vice repeated is like the wandering wind,
Blows dust in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear:

To stop the air would hurt them. The blind mole casts
Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell the earth is throng'd
By man's oppression; 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 smother it.
All love the womb that their first beings bred,

Then, give my tongue like leave to love my head.

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

But I will gloze with him. [To him.] Young prince of Tyre,
Though by the tenour of our strict edict",
Your exposition misinterpreting,

We might proceed to cancel of your days;
Yet hope, succeeding from so fair a tree
As your fair self, doth tune us otherwise.
Forty days longer we do respite you;
If by which time our secret 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 Attendants.

Per. How courtesy would seem to cover sin,

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

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

6 of OUR strict edict,] The 4tos. read, "of your strict edict," but the folio, 1664, corrects the mistake. Two lines lower, it properly changes counsel of the 4tos. to "cancel;" but it still preserves the blunder of off for "of," reading "to cancel off your daies."

By the defiling of her parent's bed;

And both like serpents are, who though they feed
On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.
Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,
Will shun no course' to keep them from the light:
One sin, I know, another doth provoke;

Murder's as near to lust, as flame to smoke.
Poison and treason are the hands of sin,
Ay, and the targets to put off the shame:
Then, lest my life be cropp'd to keep you clear,
By flight I'll shun 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 sin

In such a loathed manner:

And therefore instantly this prince must die;

For by his fall my honour must keep high.
Who attends us there?

Thal.

Ant. Thaliard,

Enter THALIARD.

Doth your highness call?

You're of our chamber, and our mind partakes

7 Will SHUN no course] All the old editions, with evident corruption, read "Will shew no course." Malone conjectured that 'schew, for eschew, might be the word, but he printed "shun," as we do.

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8 Poison and treason are the hands of SIN,] May we not suspect that the poet wrote blame for "sin," since the conclusion of this speech is in rhyme? of course we make no alteration. The word blame occurs at the end of a line in Clyomon and Clamydes" (Dyce's Peele's Works, iii. 134), and as the previous line did not rhyme with it, the editor altered the word "declare" into proclaim. The objection is, that it is not at all required: all that is needed is the transposition of the word "blame" and of the words "you are;" and if such a simple cure, as a mere change of place by words next to each other, can be resorted to, why are we to be driven to more violent methods? If the Rev. Mr. Dyce's "Peele's Works" should come to another edition, he must put the lines in question thus:"Bryan. Wherefore dost thou upbraid me thus, thou varlet, do declare? Clyomon. No varlet he; to call him so, sir knight, to blame you are." In the printed copies the close of the couplet is you are to blame, and all that was wanted was what we have done, and what unquestionably the poet did.

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9 THALIARD,

You're of our chamber,] The 4to, 1609, alone, repeats "Thaliard" after

Her private actions to your secrecy;

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?

Thal.

My lord,

'Tis done.

Enter a Messenger.

Ant. Enough'.

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

[Exit Messenger.

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 ne'er return,
Unless thou say Prince Pericles is dead.

Thal. 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 succour 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 our thoughts?

"chamber." The measure, here unattended to by ancient and modern editors, detects the error. "Partakes," at the end of the line, is used in the sense of communicates, or participates: see another instance in "The Winter's Tale," A. v. sc. 3, Vol. iii. p. 114.

1 Enough.] Addressed to Thaliard-Thaliarchus in Twine's Novel, and Thaliart in that of Wilkins. Monck Mason and Malone strangely fancied that Enough," as well as the rest of the speech, was addressed to the Messenger.

64

2

- and, As an arrow,] The 4tos, "and like an arrow:" altered to our text in the folio, 1664.

3

why should this CHARGE OUR thoughts?] It is "change of thoughts" in the old copies, but change and "charge were not unfrequently printed for each

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