Per. I do not doubt thy faith;

But should he wrong my liberties in absence-
Hel. We'll mingle bloods together in the earth,
From whence we had our being and our birth.

Per. Tyre, I now look from thee then, and to
Tharsus

Intend my travel, where I'll hear from thee;
And by whose letters I'll dispose 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 oath ;

Who shuns not to break one, will sure crack both: But in our orbs 1 we'll live so round and safe,

1

That time of both this truth shall ne'er convince,2 Thou show'dst a subject's shine, I a true prince. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Tyre. An antechamber in the palace.

Enter THALIARD.

Tha. So, this is Tyre, and this is the court. Here must I kill king Pericles; and if I do not, I am sure to be hanged at home: 'tis dangerous. Well, I perceive he was a wise fellow, and had good discretion, that being bid to ask what he would of the king, desired he might know none of his secrets. Now do I see he had some reason for it: for if

1 in our different spheres.

2 Overcome.

king bid a man be a villain, he is bound by the indenture of his oath to be one.-Hush, here come the lords of Tyre.

Enter HELICANUS, Escanes, and other Lords.

Hel. You shall not need, my fellow peers of

Tyre,

Farther to question of your king's departure.
His seal'd commission, left in trust with me,
Doth speak sufficiently, he's gone to travel.
Tha. How! the king gone!

[aside.

Hel. If farther yet you will be satisfied,
Why, as it were unlicensed of your loves,
He would depart, I'll give some light unto you.
Being at Antioch-

Tha.

What from Antioch? [aside.

Hel. Royal Antiochus, on what cause I know

not,

Took some displeasure at him, at least he judged

So:

And doubting lest that he had err'd or sinn'd,
To show his sorrow, would correct himself;

So put himself unto the shipman's toil,

With whom each minute threatens life or death.

Tha. Well, I perceive

[aside.

I shall not be hang'd now, although I would:
But since he's gone, the king's seas must please;
He 'scaped the land, to perish at the sea.

1

1 i. e. must do their pleasure, treat him as they will.

But I'll present me.

Peace to the lords of Tyre! Hel. Lord Thaliard from Antiochus is welcome. Tha. From him I come

With message unto princely Pericles;

But, since my landing, as I have understood,
Your lord has took himself to unknown travels,
My message must return from whence it came.
Hel. We have no reason to desire it, since
Commended to our master, not to us:
Yet, ere you shall depart, this we desire ;—
As friends to Antioch, we may feast in Tyre.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Tharsus. A room in the governor's house.

Enter CLEON, DIONYZA, and Attendants.

Cleon. My Dionyza, shall we rest us here, And by relating tales of others' griefs,

See if 'twill teach us to forget our own?

Dio. That were to blow at fire, in hope to quench

it;

For who digs hills because they do aspire,

Throws down one mountain, to cast up a higher.
O my distressed lord, even such our griefs;
Here they're but felt, unseen with mischief's eyes;
But like to groves, being topp'd, they higher rise.
Cleon. O Dionyza,

Who wanteth food, and will not say he wants it,
Or can conceal his hunger, till he famish?

Our tongues and sorrows too sound deep our woes

Into the air; our eyes do weep, till lungs

Fetch breath that may proclaim them louder; that,
If Heaven slumber, while their creatures want,

They may awake their helps to comfort them.
I'll then discourse our woes, felt several years;
And, wanting breath to speak, help me with tears.
Dio. I'll do my best, sir.

Cleon. This Tharsus, o'er which I have govern

ment,

(A city, on whom plenty held full hand)

For riches, strew'd herself even in the streets; Whose towers bore heads so high, they kiss'd the

clouds,

And strangers ne'er beheld, but wonder'd at;

Whose men and dames so jetted1 and adorn'd,
Like one another's glass to trim them by :
Their tables were stored full to glad the sight,
And not so much to feed on as delight:

All poverty was scorn'd; and pride so great,
The name of help grew odious to repeat.

Dio. O, 'tis too true.

Cleon. But see what Heaven can do! By this our

change,

These mouths, whom 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 want of use,

Strutted.

They are now starved for want of exercise:

1

Those palates, who not used to hunger's savor,
Must have inventions to delight the taste,
Would now be glad of bread, and beg for it:
Those mothers, who, to nousle up 1 their babes,
Thought naught too curious, 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 life.
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?

Dio. Our cheeks and hollow eyes do witness it. Cleon. O, let those cities, that of Plenty's cup And her prosperities so largely taste,

With their superfluous riots, hear these tears!
The misery of Tharsus may be theirs.

Enter LORD.

Lord. Where's the lord governor ?

Cleon. Here.

Speak out thy sorrows which thou bring'st, in baste. For comfort is too far for us to expect.

Lord. We have descried, upon our neighboring shore,

A portly sail of ships make hitherward.

1 Nurse fondly.