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 tongues
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, over which I have the 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 clouds,

And strangers ne'er beheld, but wonder'd at;
Whose men and dames so jetted 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. Oh, 'tis too true.

Cle. 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,

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 nouzle 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?

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.

Enter a Lord.

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 neighbour

ing shore,

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 sem

blance

Of their white flags display'd, they bring us peace,

And come to us as favourers, not as foes.

Cle. Thou speak'st like him's untutor'd to

repeat;

Who makes the fairest show, means most deceit. But bring they what they will, and what they can, What need we fear?

The ground's the lowest, 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.

Lord. I go, my lord.

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 fired, 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 may think Are, like the Trojan horse was, stuff'd within With bloody veins, expecting overthrow) Are stored with corn to make your needy bread, And give them life, whom hunger starved halfdead.

All. The gods of Greece protect you! And we will pray for you.

VOL. XI.

18

Per.

Arise, I pray you, rise;

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!
Til 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.

ACT II.

[Exeunt.

H

Enter GoWER.

Gower.

JERE have you seen a mighty king
His child, I wis, to incest bring:
A better prince and benign lord,
That will 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.
The good, in conversation
(To whom I give my benizon)
Is still at Tharsus, where each man
Thinks all is writ he spoken can :
And, to remember what he does,
Build his statue to make him glorious :

But tidings to the contrary

Are brought to your eyes; what need speak I?

Dumb show.

Enter at one door PERICLES talking with CLEON; all the Train with them. Enter at another door a Gentleman, with a letter to PERICLES; PERICLES shows the letter to CLEON; PERICLES gives the Messenger a reward, and knights him.

[Exit PER. at one door, and CLE, at another.
Good Helicane hath stay'd at home,
Not to eat honey, like a drone,

From other's labours; for though he strive
To killen bad, keeps good alive;

And, to fulfil his prince' desire,
Sends word of all that haps in Tyre:
How Thaliard came full bent with sin,
And had intent to murder him;
And that in Tharsus 'twas not best
Longer for him to make his rest:
He, knowing so, put forth to seas,
Where when men bin, there's seldom ease;
For now the wind begins to blow;
Thunder above, and deeps below,
Make such unquiet, that the ship

Should house him safe, is wreck'd and split;
And he, good prince, having all lost,
By waves from coast to coast is toss'd:
All perishen of man, of pelf,

Ne aught escapen but himself;
Till fortune, tired with doing bad,
Threw him ashore to give him glad :
And here he comes; what shall be next,
Pardon old Gower; this 'longs the text.