Took some displeasure at him; at least he judg'd so: And doubting lest that he had err'd or sinn'd,
To show his sorrow, would correct himself; So puts himself unto the shipman's toil,
With whom each minute threatens life or death.
I shall not be hang'd now, although I would; But since he's gone, the king it sure must please, He scap'd the land, to perish on the seas.- But I'll present me. Peace to the Lords of Tyre! Hel. Lord Thaliard from Antiochus is welcome. Thal. 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.
Tharsus. A Room in the Governor's House.
Enter CLEON, DIONYZA, and Attendants.
Cle. 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, and seen with mistful eyes, But like to groves, being topp'd, they higher rise. Cle. O Dionyza,
Who wanteth food, and will not say he wants it, Or can conceal his hunger, till he famish ? Our tongues and sorrows do 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.
Cle. This Tharsus, o'er which I have government, (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
And strangers ne'er beheld, but wonder'd at; Whose men and dames so jetted 4 and adorn'd, Like one another's glass to trims them by: Their tables were stor'd 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.
Cle. But see what heaven can do! By this our
These mouths, whom but of late, earth, sea, and air,
To jet is to strut, to walk proudly. 5 To dress them by.
Were all too little to content and please, Although they gave their creatures in abundance,
As houses are defil'd for want of use,
They are now starv'd for want of exercise: Those palates, who not yet two summers younger, Must have inventions to delight the taste, Would now be glad of bread, and beg for it; Those mothers who, to nousle up their babes, Thought nought too curious, are ready now, To eat those little darlings whom they lov'd. 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. Cle. 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.
Lord. Where's the lord governor ? Cle. Here.
Speak out thy sorrows which thou bring'st, in haste For comfort is too far for us to expect.,
Lord. We have descried, upon our neighbouring
A portly sail of ships make hitherward. Cle. 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 stuff'd these hollow vessels with their power," To beat us down, the which are down already; And make a conquest of unhappy me, Whereas no glory's got to overcome.
Lord. That's the least fear: for, by the semblance Of their white flags display'd, they bring us peace, And come to us as favourers, not as foes.
C'le. Thou speak'st like him's untutor'd to repeat, Who makes the fairest show, means most deceit. But bring they what they will, what need we fear? The ground's the low'st, and we are half way there.
Go tell their general, we attend him here,
To know for what he comes, and whence he comes, And what he craves.
Cle. Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist; If wars, we are unable to resist.
Enter PERICLES, with Attendants.
Per. Lord governor, for so we hear you are, Let not our ships and number of our men, Be, like a beacon fir'd, to amaze 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 tears, But to relieve them of their heavy load; And these our ships you happily 9 may think
Are, like the Trojan horse, war-stuff'd within, With bloody views, expecting overthrow,
Are stor'd with corn, to make your needy bread, And give them life, who are hunger-starv'd, half dead. All. The gods of Greece protect you!
And we'll pray for you. Per.
We do not look for reverence, but for love, And harbourage for ourself, our ships, and men.
Cle. The which when any shall not gratify, Or pay you with unthankfulness in thought, Be it our wives, our children, or ourselves, The curse of heaven and men succeed their evils! Till when, (the which, I hope, shall ne'er be seen,) Your grace is welcome to our town and us.
Per. Which welcome we'll accept; feast here a while,
Until our stars that frown, lend us a smile. (Exeunt.
Gow. Here have you seen a mighty king His child, I wis,1 to incest bring; A better prince, and benign lord, Prove awful both in deed and word. Be quiet then, as men should be, Till he hath pass'd necessity. I'll show you those in trouble's reign, Losing a mite, a mountain gain.
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