Enter ^note Gower. Before the palace of Antioch. ^note
To sing a song that old ^note was sung,
From ashes ancient Gower is come ^note,
Assuming man's infirmities,
To glad your ear and please your eyes.
It hath been sung at festivals,
On ember-eves and holy-ales ^note;
And lords and ladies in ^note their lives
Have read ^note it for restoratives:
The purchase is to ^note make men glorious;
Et bonum ^note quo antiquius, eo melius.
If you, born in these latter times
When wit's ^note more ripe, accept my rhymes,
And that to hear an old man sing
May to your wishes pleasure bring,
I life would wish, and that I might
Waste it for you like taper-light.

This Antioch then Antiochus the Great
Built up, this city, for ^note his chiefest seat,
The fairest in all Syria:
I tell you what mine ^note authors say:
This king unto him took a fere ^note,
Who died and left a female heir,
So buxom, blithe and full of face
As heaven had lent her all his grace;
With whom the father liking took,
And her to incest did provoke:
Bad child, worse father ^note! to ^note entice his own
To ^note evil should be done by none:
But ^note custom ^note what they did begin
Was with long use account ^note no sin.
The beauty of this sinful dame
Made many princes thither frame,
To seek her as a ^note bed-fellow,
In marriage-pleasures play-fellow:
Which to prevent he made a law,
To keep her still and men in awe,
That whoso ask'd her for his wife,
His riddle told not, lost ^note his life:
So for her many a wight ^note did die,
As yon ^note grim looks do testify.
What now ^note ensues, to the judgement of your eye
I give, my ^note cause who ^note best can justify ^note. [Exit.

^note Scene I. [Footnote: Antioch. A room in the palace. ^note Enter Antiochus, Prince Pericles and Followers. ^note

Ant.
Young prince of Tyre, you have at large received
The danger of the task you undertake.

Per.
I have, Antiochus, and, with a soul
Embolden'd with the glory of her praise,
Think death no hazard in this enterprise. ^note

Ant.
Bring in ^note our daughter, clothed like a bride,
For the ^note embracements even of Jove himself;
At whose ^note conception ^note, till Lucina reign'd ^note,
Nature this dowry gave ^note, to glad her presence,
The senate- ^notehouse of planets all did sit ^note,
To knit in her their ^note best perfections. ^note Music. Enter ^note Antiochus' Daughter.

Per.
See where she comes, apparell'd ^note like the spring,
Graces her subjects, and her thoughts ^note the king ^{note note}
Of every virtue gives ^note renown to men!

Her face the book of praises ^note, ^note where is read
Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence
Sorrow were ever razed ^note, and testy wrath
Could never be her mild ^note companion.
You gods that made me man and sway in love,
That have inflamed desire in ^note my breast
To taste the fruit of yon celestial tree
Or die in the adventure, be my helps,
As I am son and servant to your will,
To compass such a boundless ^note happiness!

Ant.
Prince Pericles,— ^note

Per.
That would be son to great Antiochus.

Ant.
Before thee stands this fair Hesperides,
With golden fruit, but dangerous to be touch'd;
For death-like ^note dragons here affright ^note thee hard: ^note
Her ^note face, like heaven, enticeth thee to view
Her countless ^note glory, which desert must gain;
And which, without desert, because thine eye
Presumes to reach, all thy ^note whole heap ^note must die.
Yon ^note sometimes ^note famous princes, like thyself,
Drawn by report, adventurous by desire,
Tell thee, with speechless tongues and semblance pale,
That without covering save yon field of stars,
Here they stand martyrs, slain in Cupid's wars;
And with dead cheeks advise ^note thee ^note to desist
For ^note going on ^note death's ^note net, whom none resist.

Per.
Antiochus ^note, I thank thee ^note, who hath ^note taught
My frail mortality to know itself,
And by those fearful objects to prepare
This body, like to them, to what I must;
For death remember'd ^note should be like a mirror,
Who tells us life's but breath, to trust it ^note error.
I'll make my will then, and, as sick men do,
Who know the world, see ^note heaven, but feeling ^note woe
Gripe not at earthly joys as erst they did,
So I bequeath a happy peace to you
And all good men, as every prince should do;
My riches to the earth from whence they came;
But my unspotted fire of love to you. [To the Princess. ^note
Thus ready for the way of life or death,
I wait the sharpest blow.

Ant.
Scorning advice: read the conclusion then:
Which read and not expounded, 'tis decreed, ^note
As these before thee thou ^note thyself shalt bleed.

Daugh.
Of all 'say'd yet, mayst ^note thou prove prosperous! ^note
Of all 'say'd ^note yet, ^note I wish thee happiness!

Per.
Like a bold champion I assume the lists,
Nor ask advice of any other thought
But faithfulness and courage. He reads ^note the riddle.

‘I am no viper, yet I feed
On mother's flesh which ^note did me breed.

I sought a husband, in which labour ^note
I found that kindness in ^{note note} a father:
He's father, son, and husband mild;
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they ^note may be, and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you.’ [Aside ^note]
Sharp physic is the last: ^note but, O you powers
That give ^note heaven countless eyes to view men's acts,
Why cloud ^note they not their sights perpetually,
If this be true, which makes me pale to read it? ^{note note}
Fair glass of light, I loved you, and could still,
Were not this glorious casket stored with ill:
But I must tell you, now my thoughts revolt;
For he's no man on whom perfections wait
That, knowing sin within, will touch the gate.
You are ^note a fair viol and your sense the strings,
Who, finger'd to make man his lawful music,
Would draw heaven down and all the gods, to hearken,
But being play'd upon before your time,
Hell only danceth at so harsh a chime.
Good sooth, I care not for you.

Ant.
Prince Pericles, touch not, upon thy life,
For that's an article within our law,
As dangerous as the rest. Your time's ^note expired:
Either expound now or receive your sentence.

Per.
Great king,
Few love to hear the sins they love to act;
'Twould braid ^note yourself too near for me to tell it.
Who has ^note a book of all that monarchs do,

He's more secure to keep it shut than shown:
For vice repeated is like the wandering wind,
Blows dust in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear
To stop the air would hurt them. The ^note blind mole casts ^note
Copp'd ^note hills towards ^note heaven, to tell the earth is throng'd ^note
By man's oppression; and the poor worm doth die for't.
Kings are earth's gods; in vice their law's their will;
And if Jove stray, who dares ^note say Jove doth ill?
It is enough you know ^note; and it is ^note fit ^note,
What being more known grows worse, to ^note smother it.
All love the womb that their ^note first ^note being bred,
Then give my tongue like leave to love my head.

Ant. [Aside ^note]
Heaven, that I had thy head! ^note He has found the meaning:
But I will gloze with him.—Young prince of Tyre,
Though by the tenour of our ^note strict edict,
Your exposition misinterpreting,
We might proceed to cancel of ^note your days;
Yet hope, succeeding from so fair a tree
As your fair self, doth tune us otherwise:
Forty days longer we do respite you;
If by which time our secret be undone,
This mercy shows we'll joy in such a son:

And until then your entertain shall be
As doth befit our honour and your worth ^note. [Exeunt all but Pericles. ^note

Per.
How courtesy would seem to cover sin,
When what is done is like an ^note hypocrite,
The which is good in nothing but in sight!
If it be true that I interpret false,
Then were it certain you were not so bad
As with foul incest to abuse your soul;
Where now you're ^note both a father and a son,
By your untimely ^note claspings with your child,
Which pleasure fits ^note a husband ^note, not a father;
And she an eater of her mother's flesh,
By the defiling of her parent's ^note bed;
And both like serpents are, who though they feed
On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.
Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,
Will shun ^note no course to keep them from the light.
One sin, I know, another doth provoke;
Murder's as near to lust as flame to smoke:
Poison and treason are the hands of sin ^note,
Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame:
Then, lest my life be cropp'd to keep you clear,
By flight I'll shun the danger which I fear. [Exit.

Re-enter ^note Antiochus.

Ant.
He hath found the meaning, for the which ^note we mean
To have his head. ^note
He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,
Nor tell the world Antiochus ^note doth sin
In such a loathed manner;
And therefore instantly this prince must die;
For by his fall my honour must keep high ^note.
Who attends us ^note there ^note? Enter Thaliard.

Thal.
Doth your highness call?

Ant.
Thaliard,
You are ^note of our chamber, ^note and our mind partakes ^note
Her private actions to your secrecy:
And for your faithfulness we will advance you.
Thaliard, ^note behold, here's poison, and here's gold; ^note
We hate the prince of Tyre, and thou must kill him:
It fits thee not to ask the reason why,
Because we bid it. ^note Say, is it done?

Thal.
My lord,
'Tis done. ^note

Ant.
Enough.

Enter a Messenger. ^note
Let ^note your breath cool yourself ^note, telling your haste. ^note

Mess.
My lord, prince Pericles is fled. [Exit. ^note

Ant.
As thou
Wilt live, fly after: and like ^note an arrow shot
From a well ^note experienced ^note archer hits the mark
His eye doth level at ^note, so thou ne'er ^note return
Unless thou say ‘Prince Pericles is dead. ^note’

Thal.
My lord,
If I can get him within my pistol's length,
I'll make him sure enough: ^note so, farewell to your highness. ^note

Ant. ^note
Thaliard, adieu! [Exit Thal. ^note] Till Pericles be dead,
My heart can lend no succour to my head. [Exit. ^{note note} Scene II. [Footnote: Tyre. ^note A room ^note in the palace. Enter Pericles. ^note

Per. [To Lords without ^note]
Let none disturb us. Why should ^note this change of thoughts, ^{note note}

The ^note sad companion, dull-eyed melancholy,
Be my so used a guest as ^note not an hour,
In the day's glorious walk, or peaceful night,
The tomb where grief should sleep, can breed me quiet? ^note
Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine eyes shun them,
And danger, which I fear'd ^note, is ^note at Antioch,
Whose arm ^note 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 ^note of the mind,
That have their first conception by mis-dread,
Have after-nourishment ^note and life by care; ^note
And what was first but ^note fear what might be done,
Grows elder now and cares it be not done.
And so with ^note me: ^note the great Antiochus,
'Gainst whom I am too ^note little to contend,
Since he's so ^note 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, ^note
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 the ostent ^note of war will look so huge,
Amazement shall drive courage from the state,

Our men be vanquish'd ere they do resist,
And subjects punish'd that ne'er ^note thought offence:
Which care of them, not pity of myself,
Who am ^note no more ^note but as the tops of trees
Which ^note fence the roots they grow by and defend them,
Makes ^note both my body pine and soul to ^note languish ^note,
And punish that before that he would punish ^note. Enter Helicanus, with other Lords. ^note

First Lord.
Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast!

Sec. Lord.
And keep your mind, till you ^note return to us,
Peaceful and comfortable! ^note

Hel.
Peace, peace, ^note and give experience tongue ^note.
They do abuse the king that flatter him:
For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;
The thing the which is flatter'd ^note, but a spark,
To which that blast ^note gives heat ^note and stronger glowing ^note;
Whereas reproof, obedient and in order ^note,
Fits kings, as they are men, for they may err.
When Signior Sooth here does ^note proclaim a peace ^note,
He flatters you, makes ^note war upon your life.
Prince, pardon me, or strike me, if you please;

^note
I cannot be much lower than my knees.

Per.
All leave us else; but let your cares o'erlook
What shipping and what lading's ^note in our haven,
And then return to us. [Exeunt Lords. ^note] Helicanus, thou
Hast moved ^note us: what seest thou in our looks? ^note

Hel.
An angry brow, dread lord.

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

Hel.
How dare the plants ^note look up to ^note heaven, from whence
They have their nourishment? ^note

Per.
Thou know'st ^note I have power
To take thy life from thee ^note. ^{note note}

Hel. [Kneeling ^note]
I have ground the axe myself;
Do you but ^note strike the blow. ^note

Per.
Rise, prithee, rise: sit down ^note: thou art no flatterer: ^note
I thank thee for it ^note; and heaven ^note forbid
That kings should let their ears hear their faults hid ^note!
Fit counsellor and servant for a prince,
Who by thy wisdom makest ^note a prince thy servant,

What wouldst thou have me do? ^note

Hel.
To bear with patience ^note
Such griefs as you yourself ^note do lay upon yourself. ^note

Per.
Thou speak'st ^note like a physician, Helicanus,
That minister'st ^note a potion ^note unto me
That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself ^note.
Attend me then: I went to Antioch,
Where, as ^note thou know'st ^note, against the face of death,
I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty,
From whence an issue I might propagate ^note,
Are ^note arms to princes and bring joys to subjects ^note.
Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder;
The rest—hark in thine ear— ^noteas black as incest:
Which by my knowledge found, the sinful father
Seem'd not to strike, but smooth: but thou know'st this,
'Tis time to fear when tyrants seem ^note to kiss.
Which fear so grew in me, I hither fled,
Under the covering of a careful night,
Who seem'd my good protector; and, being here,
Bethought me ^note what was past, what might succeed.
I knew him tyrannous; and tyrants' fears ^note
Decrease not, but grow faster than the years ^note:
And should he doubt it, ^note as no doubt he doth,

That I should open to the listening air
How many worthy princes' bloods ^note were shed,
To keep his bed of blackness unlaid ope, ^note
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 ^note offence,
Must feel war's blow, who spares ^note not innocence:
Which love to all, of which thyself art one,
Who now reprovest ^note me for it,— ^note

Hel.
Alas, sir!

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

Hel.
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 ^note life.
Your rule direct to any; if ^note to me ^note,

Day serves ^note not light more faithful than I'll be. ^note

Per.
I do not doubt thy faith;
But should he wrong my liberties ^note in my absence? ^note

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

Per.
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' ^note good
On thee I lay, whose wisdom's strength can bear it.
I'll take thy word for faith, not ^note ask thine oath: ^note
Who shuns not to break one will sure ^note crack both:
But in our orbs we'll ^note live so round and safe,
That time of both this truth shall ne'er convince,
Thou show'dst ^note a subject's shine, I ^note a true prince. [Exeunt. ^{note note} Scene III. [Footnote: Tyre. An ante-chamber ^note in the palace. Enter Thaliard. ^note

Thal.

So, this is Tyre, and this the court. Here must I kill King Pericles; and if ^note I do it not, I am sure to be hanged at home: 'tis ^note 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't ^note; for if a king bid a man be a villain, he's ^note bound by the indenture of his oath to be one. ^note Hush ^note! here come ^note the lords of Tyre.