Tyre. A Room in the Palace.
 Enter PERICLES.

Pericles	[Calling.]
	Let none disturb us. - Why should this change of thoughts,
	The sad companion, dull-eyed melancholy,
	Be my so used a guest as 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 shun them,
	And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch,
	Whose arm seems far too short to hit me here;
	Yet neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits,
	Nor yet the other's distance comfort me.
	Then it is thus: the passions of the mind,
	That have their first conception by misdread,
	Have after-nourishment and life by care;
	And what was first but fear what might be done
	Grows elder now, and cares it be not done.
	And so with me. The great Antiochus,
	'Gainst whom I am too little to contend,
	Since he's so great can make his will his act,
	Will think me speaking, though I swear to silence;
	Nor boots it me to say I honour him,
	If he suspect I may dishonour him;
	And what may make him blush in being known,
	He'll stop the course by which it might be known.
	With hostile forces he'll o'erspread the land,
	And with th'ostent of war will look so huge
	Amazement shall drive courage from the state,
	Our men be vanquished ere they do resist,
	And subjects punished 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 soul to languish,
	And punish that before that he would punish.

              Enter HELICANUS and all the LORDS to Pericles.

1st Lord	Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast!

2nd Lord	And keep your mind, till you return to us,
	Peaceful and comfortable.

Helicanus	Peace, peace, and give experience tongue.
	They do abuse the king that flatter him,
	For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;
	The thing the which is flattered but a spark,
	To which that blast gives heat and stronger glowing;
	Whereas reproof, obedient and in order,
	Fits kings as they are men, for they may err.
	When Signor 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.
										[Kneels.
Pericles	All leave us else; but let your cares o'erlook
	What shipping and what ladings in our haven,
	And then return to us.
										[Exeunt LORDS.
							Helicanus,
	Thou hast moved us - what seest thou in our looks?

Helicanus	An angry brow, dread lord.

Pericles	If there be such a dart in princes' frowns,
	How durst thy tongue move anger to our face?

Helicanus	How dares the plants look up to heaven,
	From whence they have their nourishment?

Pericles	Thou know'st I have power to take thy life from thee.

Helicanus	I have ground the axe myself;
	Do but you strike the blow.

Pericles	Rise, prithee, rise. Sit down; thou art no flatterer.
	I thank thee for't; and heaven forbid
	That kings should let their ears hear their faults hid!
	Fit counsellor and servant for a prince,
	Who by thy wisdom makes a prince thy servant,
	What wouldst thou have me do?

Helicanus	To bear with patience such griefs as you yourself do lay 
	upon yourself.

Pericles	Thou speak'st like a physician, Helicanus,
	That ministers a potion unto me
	That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself.
	Attend me then: I went to Antioch,
	Where, as thou know'st, against the face of death
	I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty,
	From whence an issue I might propagate,
	[^     ^     ^     ^     ^     ^     ^]
	Are arms to princes and bring joys to subjects.
	Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder;
	The rest, hark in thine ear, as black as incest;
	Which by my knowledge found, the sinful father
	Seemed not to strike, but smooth; but thou know'st this:
	'Tis time to fear when tyrants seems to kiss.
	Which fear so grew in me I hither fled
	Under the covering of a careful night,
	Who seemed my good protector; and, being here,
	Bethought what was past, what might succeed.
	I knew him tyrannous, and tyrants' fears
	Decrease not, but grow faster than the years.
	And should he doubt, as no doubt he doth,
	That I should open to the list'ning 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, 'offence'
	Must feel war's blow, who spares not innocence;
	Which love to all, of which thyself art one,
	Who now reproved'st me for't-

Helicanus	Alas, sir!

Pericles	Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from my cheeks,
	Musings into my mind, with thousand doubts
	How I might stop this tempest ere it came;
	And finding little comfort to relieve them,
	I thought it princely charity to grieve for them.

Helicanus	Well, my lord, since you have given me leave to speak,
	Freely will I speak. Antiochus you fear,
	And justly too, I think, you fear the tyrant,
	Who either by public war or private treason
	Will take away your life.
	Therefore, my lord, go travel for a while,
	Till that his rage and anger be forgot,
	Or till the Destinies do cut his thread of life.
	Your rule direct to any; if to me,
	Day serves not light more faithful than I'll be.

Pericles	I do not doubt thy faith;
	But should he wrong my liberties in my absence?

Helicanus	We'll mingle our bloods together in the earth,
	From whence we had our being and our birth.

Pericles	Tyre, I now look from thee then, and to Tarsus
	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 crack both.
	[^     ^     ^     ^     ^     ^     ^    ^]
	But in our orbs will live so round and safe
	That time of both this truth shall ne'er convince,
	Thou showed'st a subject's shine, I a true prince.
										[Exeunt.
