Tarsus. A Room in the Governor's House.
 Enter CLEON the Governor of Tarsus, with DIONYZA his wife, and OTHERS.

Cleon	My Dionyza, shall we rest us here,
	And by relating tales of others' griefs
	See if 'twill teach us to forget our own?

Dionyza	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 distressd lord, even such our griefs are;
	Here they are but felt, and seen with mischief's eyes,
	But like to groves, being topped, 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 [ ^   ^ ] to sound deep
	Our woes into the air, our eyes to weep,
	Till tongues fetch breath that may proclaim
	Them louder, that, if heaven slumber while
	Their creatures want, they may awake
	Their helpers to comfort them.
	I'll then discourse our woes, felt several years,
	And, wanting breath to speak, help me with tears.

Dionyza	I'll do my best, sir.

Cleon	This' Tarsus, o'er which I have the government,
	A city on whom plenty held full hand,
	For riches strewed herself even in her streets;
	Whose towers bore heads so high they kissed the clouds,
	And strangers ne'er beheld but wondered at;
	Whose men and dames so jetted and adorned,
	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 scorned, and pride so great,
	The name of help grew odious to repeat.

Dionyza	O,'tis too true.

Cleon	But see what heaven can do by this our change:
	These mouths who 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,
	They are now starved 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 nuzzle up their babes
	Thought nought 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?

Dionyza	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 Tarsus may be theirs.

                              Enter a LORD.

Lord	Where's the Lord Governor?

Cleon	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 shore, a portly 
	sail of ships make hitherward.

Cleon	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 stuffed the hollow vessels with their power,
	To beat us down, the which are down already,
	And make a conquest of unhappy men,
	Whereas no glory's got to overcome.

Lord	That's the least fear; for, by the semblance of their white 
	flags displayed, they bring us peace, and come to us as 
	favourers, not as foes.

Cleon	Thou speak'st like him's untutored to repeat:
	Who makes the fairest show means most deceit.
	But bring they what they will and what they can,
	What need we fear?
	Our ground's the lowest, and we are halfway there.
	Go tell their general we attend him here, to know for what 
	he comes, and whence he comes, and what he craves.

Lord	I go, my lord.
										[Exit.
Cleon	Welcome is peace if he on peace consist;
	If wars, we are unable to resist.

                     Enter PERICLES with ATTENDANTS.

Pericles	Lord governor, for so we hear you are,
	Let not our ships and number of our men
	Be like a beacon fired t'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 may think
	Are like the Trojan horse was, stuffed within
	With bloody veins expecting overthrow,
	Are stored with corn to make your needy bread,
	And give them life whom hunger starved half dead.

All of Tarsus	The gods of Greece protect you!
	[Kneeling.] And we'll pray for you.

Pericles	Arise, I pray you, rise;
	We do not look for reverence, but for love,
	And harbourage for ourself, our ships, and men.

Cleon	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.

Pericles	Which welcome we'll accept; feast here awhile,
	Until our stars that frown lend us a smile.
										[Exeunt.
